Adobe After Effects
Animation software
Video effects software
Video software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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$19.99 per month
Free Trial
Free version unavailable
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- Information technology and software
- Media and communications
- Professional services (engineering, legal, consulting, etc.)
What is Adobe After Effects
Adobe After Effects is a desktop application for creating motion graphics, compositing, and visual effects for video. It is used by video editors, motion designers, and VFX artists to build titles, animations, transitions, and effects shots for film, broadcast, and digital content. The product centers on a layer-based timeline, keyframing, and a large ecosystem of effects, plugins, and templates, with tight integration into other Adobe video and design tools.
Deep compositing and motion tools
After Effects provides robust 2D compositing with masks, mattes, blending modes, tracking, and keying workflows. It supports detailed animation control through keyframes, expressions, and graph editors for timing and easing. These capabilities suit professional motion graphics and VFX tasks that go beyond template-driven animation tools.
Extensive plugin and template ecosystem
The application supports third-party effects, transitions, and workflow extensions via plugins and scripting. Users can also leverage a broad library of templates and reusable project elements to standardize production. This ecosystem helps teams expand capabilities without switching platforms.
Strong Adobe workflow integration
After Effects integrates with Adobe’s video editing and design applications through shared formats and linked workflows. It supports common interchange patterns for editorial, graphics, and finishing, reducing manual exports in many pipelines. This is useful for teams already standardized on Adobe Creative Cloud.
Not a full NLE
After Effects is not designed for long-form editorial work such as multi-hour timelines, fast trimming, and large-scale media management. Users typically pair it with a dedicated video editor for cutting and finishing. Teams expecting an all-in-one editing solution may need additional software and workflow coordination.
Performance depends on hardware
Complex compositions with high-resolution footage, many layers, or heavy effects can require significant CPU/GPU resources and RAM. Preview and render times can increase quickly as projects scale, which affects iteration speed. Optimization often involves proxy workflows, pre-renders, and careful project organization.
Subscription licensing and costs
After Effects is primarily available through subscription plans rather than a perpetual license. Total cost of ownership can be higher for occasional users or small teams compared with one-time purchase tools. License management may also be a consideration for organizations with mixed user needs.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| After Effects (Individual — single app) | $22.99 per month (annual, billed monthly) | Full After Effects desktop app + Adobe Express Premium; 100 GB cloud storage; 25 generative credits/month; 7-day free trial. |
| Creative Cloud Pro (Individuals — 20+ apps) | $69.99 per month (regular); $34.99 per month for the first 3 months for new subscribers (annual, billed monthly) | After Effects + 20+ desktop & mobile apps; 100 GB cloud storage; 4,000 generative credits/month; includes Adobe Express Premium; promotional pricing terms apply. |
| Creative Cloud Pro (Students & Teachers) | $19.99 per month for the first year, then $39.99 per month (annual, billed monthly) | 20+ apps including After Effects; 100 GB cloud storage; 4,000 generative credits/month; eligibility required; promotional pricing terms apply. |
| After Effects for Teams (Business) | $37.99 per month per license (annual, billed monthly) excl. VAT | Full After Effects with business features (Admin Console, centralized deployment, 1 TB cloud storage, 24x7 support); per-license billing. |
| Creative Cloud Pro for Teams | $99.99 per month per license (annual, billed monthly) excl. VAT | 20+ apps with business features, Firefly creative AI credits, 1 TB cloud storage; 14-day free trial for teams. |
Seller details
Adobe Inc.
San Jose, California, USA
1982
Public
https://www.adobe.com/
https://x.com/Adobe
https://www.linkedin.com/company/adobe/
