The Ghost in the Shell remake announcement made one thing very clear: hand-drawn anime is not going anywhere, and studios are willing to say “no generative AI at all” in the same sentence as “cinematic reboot.” If you want to draw anime frame by frame the way MAPPA, Production I.G, or a small indie studio would, these eight 2D anime animation apps cover every budget, from free open source to Hollywood-tier commercial suites.
What to look for in a 2D anime animation app
- Vector vs raster. Vector shapes scale infinitely and are the industry standard for cutout rigs. Raster feels more like ink on paper.
- Rigging. Full skeleton rigs matter for series with recurring character animation.
- Onion skinning quality. How many previous frames the app can show at once, and how they blend.
- Timeline flexibility. Ability to add exposure sheets (X-sheets) and change timing without redrawing.
- Export formats. ProRes, PNG sequence, MP4, alpha channel support.
- Studio pipeline compatibility. Many productions still require TVPaint or Toon Boom deliverables.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Platforms | Free plan | Starting price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toon Boom Harmony | Studio-tier rigs and pipelines | Windows, macOS | 21-day trial | Around $28/month | Industry standard |
| Adobe Animate | Vector web + broadcast animation | Windows, macOS | 7-day trial | Around $22.99/month | 4/5 typical reviews |
| TVPaint | Frame-by-frame hand-drawn | Windows, macOS, Linux | 14-day trial | One-time from ~$500 | Loved by studios |
| OpenToonz | Free studio-grade toolset | Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes, full | Free | Used by Studio Ghibli |
| Krita | Free painting with animation | Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes, full | Free | 4.7 typical |
| Clip Studio Paint | Manga plus animation | Windows, macOS | 30-day trial | One-time from ~$49.99 | 4.7 typical |
| Pencil2D | Beginners, quick learning | Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes, full | Free | Excellent for entry |
| Moho | Cutout rigs, indie animators | Windows, macOS | 30-day trial | One-time from ~$59.99 | 4.6 typical |
The 8 best 2D anime animation apps
1. Toon Boom Harmony — best for studio-tier pipelines
Toon Boom Harmony is the industry standard. Studios that produce most of what streams on Netflix and Disney+ deliver Harmony scenes. It handles bitmap art, vector art, cutout rigs, mesh warping, particle effects, and camera tracking. The X-sheet system is the closest thing to how anime studios have always worked.
Where it falls short: Expensive. The learning curve is real, and character rigging alone can take weeks to master.
Pricing:
- Free: 21-day trial.
- Paid: Essentials around $28/month, Advanced around $69/month, Premium around $129/month.
Platforms: Windows, macOS.
Download: Toon Boom site
Bottom line: If you plan to work in a studio pipeline or freelance to one, learn Harmony first.
2. Adobe Animate — best for vector web plus broadcast
Adobe Animate (formerly Flash Pro) is the go-to for animators who deliver to web and broadcast. Vector-first workflow, HTML5 canvas export, and tight integration with Photoshop and After Effects make it the easiest path for anyone already inside Creative Cloud.
Where it falls short: Feels dated in places. Bone rigs are basic compared to Harmony or Moho. Frame-by-frame animation is fine but not what Animate was built for.
Pricing:
- Free: 7-day trial.
- Paid: single-app around $22.99/month, full Creative Cloud around $59.99/month.
Platforms: Windows, macOS.
Download: Adobe site
Bottom line: Adobe Animate is the pick when your final format is a web canvas or a Netflix web trailer, not a film-print sequence.
3. TVPaint — best for frame-by-frame hand-drawn
TVPaint is the raster-first, hand-drawn animation app used by many boutique studios. Every frame is a bitmap and the brush engine is designed to feel like ink on paper. If you want to draw anime the way a traditional pipeline demands, TVPaint is the closest digital experience.
Where it falls short: No cutout rigs. Cross-platform license is expensive.
Pricing:
- Free: 14-day trial.
- Paid: TVPaint Standard around $500 (perpetual), Pro from around $1,250.
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux.
Download: TVPaint site
Bottom line: TVPaint is the raster-first pick for anyone whose skill is in the drawing hand and who wants the software to stay out of the way.
4. OpenToonz — best free studio-grade toolset
OpenToonz is the open-source descendant of Toonz, the software Studio Ghibli used to develop. Vector and raster workflows, effects, particles, motion tracking, and a scripting layer. The catch is a learning curve that has surprised generations of new users.
Where it falls short: UI is idiosyncratic. Documentation is scattered. Community-maintained Windows builds sometimes drift from macOS/Linux.
Pricing:
- Free: everything.
- Paid: none.
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux.
Download: OpenToonz site
Bottom line: OpenToonz is the pick for a serious animator on a zero budget who is willing to invest in learning.
5. Krita — best free painting plus animation
Krita is a free open-source painting app whose animation timeline has grown into a real production tool. The brush engine is exceptional, onion skinning works, and export to PNG sequences or MP4 handles almost every finishing pipeline.
Where it falls short: Not a rig-based tool. Timeline is fine for short sequences but not for series production.
Pricing:
- Free: everything.
- Paid: none.
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux.
Download: Krita site
Bottom line: If you also want to paint, install Krita. Nothing else free comes close on brushes.
6. Clip Studio Paint — best for manga plus animation
Clip Studio Paint is the manga artist’s favorite, and its animation timeline is capable enough that many indie animators deliver full shorts with it. Frame-by-frame workflow, clean vector inking, and export to MP4 all work.
Where it falls short: Free tier is time-limited. Animation frame count caps at 24 on the base license (extend with the Pro tier).
Pricing:
- Free: 30-day trial.
- Paid: Debut one-time from around $49.99, Pro from $79.99, Ex around $219.
Platforms: Windows, macOS.
Download: Clip Studio site
Bottom line: Clip Studio Paint is the pick when you draw manga and also want to animate a chapter.
7. Pencil2D — best for beginners
Pencil2D is a tiny, open-source hand-drawn animation app that runs on almost anything. Its whole design principle is “no learning curve.” Bitmap and vector layers, onion skinning, timeline. That is it.
Where it falls short: Feature ceiling is low. No cutout rigs, no effects, no timeline complexity.
Pricing:
- Free: everything.
- Paid: none.
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux.
Download: Pencil2D site
Bottom line: Pencil2D is the pick to teach a beginner the fundamentals in an afternoon.
8. Moho — best for cutout rigs and indie animators
Moho by Lost Marble is the cutout-rig specialist that indie animators love. Rig once, animate many times. Bone rigs, smart bones, mesh warping, and physics simulations. Many YouTube-scale animation channels ship their entire output on Moho.
Where it falls short: Frame-by-frame workflow is not the priority. Vector art quality is fine but not as flexible as Harmony’s.
Pricing:
- Free: 30-day trial.
- Paid: Moho Debut around $59.99, Moho Pro around $399.
Platforms: Windows, macOS.
Download: Moho site
Bottom line: Moho is the pick when your workflow is rig-and-reuse rather than draw-every-frame.
How to pick the right one
- If you plan to work in a professional pipeline, learn Toon Boom Harmony.
- If your final format is web or broadcast video, use Adobe Animate.
- If you want to draw every frame by hand and price is not a concern, use TVPaint.
- If you want a serious tool for free, use OpenToonz.
- If you also want to paint, use Krita.
- If you draw manga, use Clip Studio Paint.
- If you are new to animation, start with Pencil2D.
- If your channel needs to ship a lot of episodes fast, use Moho.
FAQ
What is the best free animation software for anime? OpenToonz is the most powerful free option and Krita is the most approachable. Both are used by working animators.
What software do real anime studios use? Most modern anime production pipelines include Toon Boom Harmony (for cutout and 2D animation), CLIP STUDIO PAINT (for manga and key art), and RETAS! for compositing.
Is Toon Boom Harmony worth the price? For studio work or steady freelance, yes. For hobby use, the subscription cost is hard to justify against free options like OpenToonz.
Can I animate anime on Krita? Yes. Krita’s animation timeline handles frame-by-frame drawing, onion skinning, and PNG-sequence export. It does not handle bone-rig cutout animation.
Do these apps run on Linux? OpenToonz, Krita, TVPaint and Pencil2D have full Linux builds. Toon Boom Harmony, Adobe Animate, Clip Studio Paint and Moho are Windows and macOS only.
