Portability, affordability, and efficiency are some of the Chromebooks’ main sources of admiration. However, some tasks might seem undoable on the device if you know how and what it was built for. Creating digital art and animations is one of those tasks.
So if you wonder if there is any 3D animation software for Chromebooks, this is for you. This article has compiled a list of paid and free animation software for Chromebooks. Let’s get started.
Can You Do Animation On A Chromebook?
Yes. You can do animations on your Chromebooks in two ways:
- Through web-based or online services or apps. You can use web apps like Canva to create simple animations using templates or by uploading your images and adding movement and transitions.
- With Linux-compatible animation software. This may sound strange but yes, Chromebooks can run on a Linux environment — ChromeOS. Chromebook’s default operating system is Linux-based and it has a functionality that allows you to switch to a full Linux environment.
Thus, any animation software that can be operated on a Linux device can also be used on a Chromebook if the feature is enabled.
You can also install Wine on your Chromebook in order to try to run Windows animation software. Note that not all Windows software will run well on it though.
Premium & Free Animation Software For Chromebook
The following are some of the best animation software for Chromebook:
1. Animatron
Price: Free or starting from $15/month
OS: Web-based service
Best For: Everyone looking to create animated web ads, and whiteboard presentations
Animatron is an animation software built on HTML5, a core part of the internet. This makes it a versatile and powerful tool for animation. It can be used to create explainer videos and animated web banners for online ads.
Users operating small businesses, or marketing agencies and students and teachers would find this web app a great fit for their needs on their Chromebooks.
Pros
- Pre-animated videos for quick start and inspiration
- Drag-and-drop Interface
Cons
- Lacks pre-designed templates library
- Upload times are slow
2. Clap Motion
Price: Free
OS: Chrome Extension
Best For: Everyone looking to create simple stop-motion animations
Clap Motion allows you to create stop-motion animation via gestures. All you need to do is clap your hands to pictures of the animation object setup. The software package completes the animation from the collection of photos taken. It is a completely free animation software for Chromebooks.
Pros
- No touch is required, all can be done with gesture controls
- Simplified user interface
Cons
- Audio cannot be added
- Lack of features for advanced animation
3. Wick Editor
Price: Free
OS: Web-based service
Best For: Everyone looking for free & powerful tools to create 2D animations and games
Wick Editor is an open-source free animation software that can be used on Chromebooks. It was built to be a go-to tool for multimedia projects on the internet.
It requires only a web browser to function thus making it a perfect animation software for Chromebooks.
The software is versatile and can also be used to create 2D games, publish animated GIFs, and single-click HTML applications.
Pros
- Intuitive user interface
- Supports layering and keyframe animation
Cons
- Only supports simple animations
- Lacks a library of templates and presets
4. Clarisketch
Price: Free
OS: ChromeOS
Best For: Everyone looking to create instructional and animated videos
Clarisketch is a beloved free animation software within educators’ circles. The app allows you to make sketches, take photos, add text to them, and create voiceovers.
The software can be installed as an app on Chromebooks via the Chrome web store.
Pros
- Image and video annotation
- Excellent voiceover tool
- Free software
Cons
- Tools are basic
- Sharing of output is limited
5. Flipanim
Price: Free
OS: Web-based service
Best For: Everyone looking to edit, store, organize and share photos
Flipanim is a web-based animation software that enables you to create flipbook animations.
The website is also a social media platform. It allows users to post their flipbook animations, make friends, and receive comments on their posts.
Pros
- Simple user interface
- Social networking
Cons
- Lacks an undo button
- The tools are basic and few
6. Powtoon
Price: Free or starting from $89/month
OS: Web-based app
Best For: Everyone looking to create animated presentations, and instructional videos
PowToon is an example of animation software for Chromebooks that exist as only a web app. It can only be used via the internet.
The animation software doesn’t require any form of technical know-how, you can create awesome and professional animations within minutes of your first use. It can be used to alter existing videos and create animated presentations.
The app is used as a classroom and business tool; it is great for making business presentations and explainer videos.
Pros
- Extensive library of templates, videos, and music
- Beginner friendly-user interface
Cons
- Lacks support for importing video files
- Features are paywalled
Related article: How to run exe files on chromebook?.
7. Sumo
Price: Free trial for 7 days or $9/month
OS: Online/Web-based service
Best For: Everyone looking to create animated digital art (paintings and drawings)
Sumo is a suite of online apps for drawing, painting, and creating digital art. These apps are capable of creating 3D animations. They work right from your web browser and you don’t need to install anything.
Pros
- User-friendly interface
- Integration with other tools
Cons
- Lagging may occur
- Certain features are paywalled
8. Toontastic
Price: Free
OS: ChromeOS
Best For: Kids and educators
Toontastic is Google’s entry into the business of making simple animations and digital storytelling for kids.
The app enables kids and their teachers to tell simple stories with preset characters or their own.
The app is available for Android devices and it is compatible with ChromeOS, being one of the best alternatives for free animation software for Chromebooks.
Pros
- 3D enhancements
- Simple and easy-to-use user interface
Cons
- Lacks variety in templates and presets
- The software lacks updates and improvement
9. Rive
Price: Free
OS: Online/Web-based service
Best For: Everyone looking to create interactive designs and animations
Rive is a web browser-based app used for interactive designs and animations in user interface and user experience processes.
The animation software is open source and free but packed with lots of exciting features like a state machine, and 2D & 3D blending.
Pros
- Supports collaborative working
- Cross-platform interoperability
Cons
- Technical know-how required
- The software is unstable and crashes sometimes
Learn how to format an SD card on a Chromebook to use it for extra storage and be able to install more apps.
10. Canva
Price: Free
OS: Online/Web-based Environment
Best For: Everyone looking to create simple video animations
Canva is popular for its simplified approach to creating graphics on the go. It is also a great tool for creating simplified animations.
You will start making your animations by choosing from video templates, not from scratch. It allows you to tweak the template as much as you like to produce your desired animations.
Pros
- Simple and easy-to-use interface
- Drag and drop editor.
Cons
- Limited creative control
- Integrations with other apps in the suite are limited
11. Cloud Stop Motion
Price: Free
OS: Online/Web-based service
Best For: Everyone looking to create simple and educative stop-motion animations
Cloud Stop Motion is an online service that allows users to create animations from still photos of objects.
It is a natural choice for Chromebooks because of its lightweight impact on the system resources and dependence on web technology.
Pros
- Scrollable and zoomable timeline and workspace
- Exhaustive library of animation assets like music, artwork, etc
Cons
- Advanced features are paywalled
- Lacks preset and template library
12. Blender
Price: Free
OS: Chrome Linux Environment
Best For: Everyone looking to create professional and realistic 3D animations
Blender is an open-source free 3D animation software for Chromebooks. It supports Linux and it is an excellent and proven tool.
The software is a 3D creation suite with a plethora of features including animation and simulations. It is used to create animations, computer games, and interactive 3D software.
Pros
- Extensive library of assets
- Creative control
Cons
- Requires lots of system processing power.
- Certain parts of the tool are paywalled
13. Maya
Price: Free Trial or starting from $225/month
OS: Chrome Linux Environment
Best For: Everyone looking to create professional and realistic 3D animations
Maya is a professional animation software. It boasts an extensive suite of tools that enables you to create high-quality animations in 2D and 3D.
The animation software supports macOS, Windows, and Linux. Thus, when your Chromebook is switched to a Linux environment, you will be able to create animations with it.
Pros
- Extensive library of APIs
- Intuitive user interface
Cons
- Expensive pricing packages
- Steep learning curve
14. Synfig
Price: Free or $2
OS: Chrome Linux Environment
Best For: Everyone looking to create quality 2D animations
Synfig is another open-source animation software you can use on Chromebooks because of its compatibility with a Linux environment. The software offers flexibility and creative control in the process of creating animations.
Animations in Synfig are created from vector and bitmap artwork instead of videos, (or physical objects and toys as in stop motion animation software)
Pros
- Simple and easy-to-use user interface
- Extensive library of plugins and support
Cons
- Steep learning curve
- Software stability issues: it crashes often
Use Google Photos To Create Animations On Chromebook
The above video shows a detailed process of how to create animations on Chromebooks with the Google Photos app.
Google Photos is mainly for managing pictures on devices like Chromebooks and androids powered by Google software. The app has features that make it capable of doing basic animations with your pictures.
Can You 3D Animate On A Chromebook?
Yes. Though there is only a few 3D animation software for Chromebooks, you can still do 3D animation on the device. What you need to do is to set up Linux on your Chromebook device and get one of the Linux-compatible animation software like Blender, Maya, or Cinema4D.
Of course, you can also use chrome browser-based 3D animation services, but they won’t be as powerful as the 3D animation software for Linux.
Are Chromebooks Good For Digital Art?
Chromebooks are not the best option when it comes to creating digital art. They were designed for quick and less-intense tasks like office, administrative tasks, or school work; They are less powerful than other computers and have less compatible software. But this doesn’t mean you can’t do some digital art on them if you need to.
While you can still do basic stuff on the device like simple sketches, you will find yourself frustrated if you try to do advanced stuff.
One big obstacle to Chromebook being perfect for digital art is that it supports only web apps or android apps by default. You could switch its default operating system, Chrome OS, to a Linux environment. This, however, will help solve the software issues but leave you with hardware issues.
Chromebooks are designed to be cheap and affordable. And as such their hardware is usually lightweight. This makes it unfit to generate the crazy amount of raw power digital art creation requires.
Choose An Animation Software That Fits Your Needs
There isn’t one best animation software for Chromebooks. Your choice depends on what you want to achieve with the software and how far you are willing to go.
Online/web-based animation software has low system requirements and they provide the essential features required for most animation tasks.
However, if you have to do heavy animation work like CGI and rigging, you need heavy software with high system requirements. And this can mean altering your Chromebook’s default environment to Linux.
