Lots of people have asked which apps for animation are best, so here is a comparison of some of them, in no particular order. Unfortunately most of these apps are only available on iOS, and furthermore some of them require an iPad to use; so keep that in mind (see ‘platform availability’ section of the table for specifics)!
Core Animator
The first app is Core Animator, available for iPads on iOS11.0 or later. This app uses a style of animation called keyframing, where the animation is laid out on a timeline and the assets are moved around by navigating the timeline and placing the assets in different locations/positions. An advantage of this type of animation is that the transitions are done automatically (you don’t need to edit every frame) so it doesn’t take as long to make an animation. Core Animator has in-app video and text tutorials, which makes beginner-friendly.
You may encounter a problem when trying to import images with transparent backgrounds. Not everyone will have this problem, but here is a way we found to fit it:
- Go to settings
- Scroll down to the photos tab
- Once in the photos, tab, scroll to the bottom
- You should find the "transfer to Mac or PC" heading
- Tick "Keep Originals"
Sketchbook Motion
This app is available for iPads on iOS 10 or above. Sketchbook Motion uses keyframing, but also has animation options such as particle effects (however it should be noted that I can't find certain features in Sketchbook Motion that are offered in other apps, e.g. squash/stretch). While the app has no initial cost, a subscription is required to make more than 3 animations. We had to dig to find the price of the subscription ($29.99/per year) as it wasn't made clear inside the app; the process of this was confusing and frustrating as almost no one, including the company that made the app, seems to know anything about the subscription.
Below is an animation I made with Sketchbook Motion
Animation and Drawing by DoInk
Animation and Drawing is available for iPads on iOS 9.0 orator and costs £4.99 in the App Store. This app has two modes: drawing (frame-by-frame animation) and composition (keyframing). Frame-by-frame is a type of animation that is comprised of many drawings which are played back fast to create the illusion of movement; keyframing was explained in an earlier section. The app has an extensive tutorial for both modes; though it is quite wordy, so perhaps not ideal for those who aren’t confident readers. In composition mode assets from inside the app can be used (both premade and your own creations); you can also import assets from outside the app. Ignore the lower star rating in the App Store; since the app has so few reviews the star rating isn’t reliable.
Below are two animations I made with the drawing mode of Animation and Drawing.
Animation Desk
Animation Desk is a free app available for an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 9.0 or later. The app is purely frame-by-frame, meaning that it will probably take longer to make animations with this app than any of the others. There is a subscription service (£1.00/month or £3.75/month) to access ‘premium featues’ for multiple apps made by this company, including a cloud service; however from what I can tell it isn’t really needed for the actual process of animating. The app aims to replicate a sketchy aesthetic, so if you are a fan of that then it may be worth trying.
On the right is an animation made using Animation Desk.
Stop Motion Studio
This app is available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch (requiring iOS 9.0 or later) or Android 5.0 and up. The app is free initially, however there is a one time purchase (£4.99 for all features, £0.79 for individual features) to unlock many of the features advertised. Stop Motion Studio, as the name implies, uses stop motion animation (where many photos are taken of still objects which are moved slightly between each photo to create the illusion of movement).
iStopMotion
Another option for stop motion animation, this app is available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch (iOS 11.0 or later). The app costs £9.99 in the app store and differs from Stop Motion Studio in some features but is similar in others; so look into both apps and decide which one is more alligned with what you or your child want to make. For example one difference between the two is that with iStopMotion you have the ability to import your own sounds and then animate to the sound as it playes, whereas with Stop Motion Studio sounds have to be added to existing frames and won’t play if there’s no animation playing. iStopMotion has an in-app tutorial button, which is useful for people who are new to the app.
Below is an animation I made with iStopMotion
