Animation software for beginners on Mac - what actually works well?

[Natalie_L]

I'm a Mac user and I've been struggling to find good animation software for beginners PC recommendations that actually work on Mac. A lot of the affordable animation tools seem to be Windows only or have really bad Mac versions. What are some good animation software for beginners Mac that actually runs smoothly on Apple silicon? I'm not looking for professional grade stuff, just something to learn with that won't crash constantly.

[MadisonRT]

As a fellow Mac user, I feel your pain. A lot of the free animation software has spotty Mac support. Pencil2D works well on Mac though, and it's probably the best starting point. Krita also has good Mac support and the animation features work fine. For something more advanced, OpenToonz has Mac versions but they can be buggy. Blender runs great on Apple silicon and the Grease Pencil tools are amazing if you're willing to learn Blender.

[TylerBA]

I've been using RoughAnimator on my iPad and it's fantastic for hand drawn animation. It's not free (it's like $5) but it's worth every penny. The Mac version works well too, especially if you have an Apple Pencil. For animation software for beginners Mac, it's hard to beat for traditional frame by frame animation. The interface is clean and intuitive, and it exports to multiple formats including video and image sequences.

[David_R]

Don't overlook browser based options for Mac. Since they run in Safari or Chrome, compatibility issues are minimal. Wick Editor works perfectly on Mac, as do other online animation tools. The advantage is you don't have to worry about whether the software is optimized for Apple silicon or if there are Catalina/Big Sur/Sonoma compatibility issues. For learning the basics, browser tools are surprisingly capable these days.

[Matthew6]

I use a Mac for stop motion and I've had good luck with Stop Motion Studio. There's a free version with limitations and a paid version that's reasonably priced. It works well with webcams and DSLRs, has onion skinning, and the interface is pretty straightforward. For animation software for beginners Mac focused on stop motion, it's probably the most user friendly option out there. The paid version is worth it if you get serious about stop motion.