Simple 2D Animation software for infographics-like animations

Question

I am looking for a simple 2D animation software to create animated infographics, basically an alternative to Adobe Animate/Flash Pro.

I need something that

• Supports text properly, including Unicode fonts (like Font Awesome)
• Supports Vector Graphics (preferably SVG, but .ai or .eps is also ok)
• Has a timeline where I can specify Key Frames, and then do stuff like
  • Move objects from A to B, preferably without easing if desired
  • Animate Color or Transparency changes
  • Scale objects
• Export the animation as an animated GIF or Picture Sequence at a given resolution and frame rate
• Must run locally on Windows - no web/cloud based ones (but Electron apps are okay)
• Must not have a subscription model. I don't need Free/OSS, a one-time payment is fine, preferably $150 or less

Tools that I've tried so far that commonly come up

• NCH Express Animate - Almost what I want, except that it doesn't support Vector Graphics, and that text handling is broken in the current version (Doesn't remember text sizes, doesn't support all fonts in the system)
• Synfig Studio - Aimed at Character Animation/Cartoons, does not handle text well
• Pencil2D - Same as Synfig studio
• Plenty of HTML5-based ones (e.g., Animatron or Biteable), but those are online/cloud apps
• Adobe Animate - has everything that I want (and a whole bunch of stuff that I don't need), but at $240/year, it's more that I want to spend
• Adobe After Effects - same issue as animate, $240/year.
• DIY Solutions using Processing or similar - last resort, don't want to spend a week making my own if I can avoid it.

Answer 1

Some additional tools besides the one you mentioned.

This 3 are compositing tools similar to After Effects. You can export as a movie and convert them to gif after.

• Hit Film Express https://hitfilm.com/express

• Blender http://blender.org/

• Blackmagic Fusion: https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/mx/products/fusion (This one needs more computer resources)

If you want a CSS+HTML or JavaScript animation, not gif you can try these:

• Google WebDesign https://www.google.com/webdesigner/

• GreenSock https://greensock.com/

(I like NCH Express Animate, but the animation is almost pure JavaScript based one)

Answer 2

To close the loop on this, I ended up with Moho Pro 12, formerly known as Anime Studio Pro. The retail price is $400, so above the budget, but (at the time of writing) Amazon.com sold it for $199, so that's what I ended up getting.

Answer 3

If you are looking for something fast and easy, you can use https://clipchamp.com/en/. Been using this for a year now and you can customize your infographics in such a way it will fit your needs.

The free version is limited to 480p video exports. The full version is at 19 USD/month.

Answer 4

OpenToonz is a free software for 2D animation.

• ✓ Supports Unicode fonts. I tried with FontAwesome Brands.
• ✓ Supports vector graphics. Use the menu Level/New/New vector level to create a layer that supports vector graphics.
• ✓ Has a timeline.
• ✓ Can specify key frames. Actually, it will insert keyframes automatically where needed whenever you use the animation tool.
• ✓ Keyframe animation supports position (moving), scaling and rotation.
• ✓ It does also supports color animation, but not on an object level (which I understand is what you want). Instead, you want a fade effect (Youtube), which is not so straight forward. Don't forget to activate preview mode or you won't see it.
• ✓ It does not render to an animated GIF directly, but generates single images
• ✓ Runs on Windows locally
• ✓ Is gratis, so it does not have a subscription model.

Timeline with keyframes in OpenToonz:

Disadvantages:

• It cannot deal with SVGs very well. From 3 SVGs I imported, 2 of them were not displayed as expected, i.e. different than in Firefox and Inkscape. This seems to be due to conversion from SVG to PLI when you add the drawing to OpenToonz.
• It once said "run out of contiguous physical memory" in a scene with 1 text element only and a machine with 96 GB of RAM. That was unexpected.
• It sometimes hangs and crashes. So save often and have a good backup system or version control.
• Some actions do not have undo. Again, save often and have a good backup system or version control.

At the time of writing, this is the result of an SVG import into OpenToonz (left) and the original in Inkscape (right), ignore the red dotted line:

Answer 5

Simple 2D infographic-esque animations can be created through various free and paid software options available today, such as these examples:

Adobe After Effects (Paid):

Adobe After Effects is a professional-grade animation and motion graphics program, popularly used to create infographic-like animations. With access to tools and templates designed specifically to do just this task, After Effects provides precise control for more complex projects with more intricate needs for animation control.

Vyond (Paid) offers similar capabilities.

Vyond (formerly GoAnimate) is an easy and user-friendly animation software perfect for creating 2D animations quickly and simply, perfect for making explainer videos, presentations and infographics. Providing premade templates as well as access to an extensive library of characters and assets for easy creations - Powtoon Freemium can also offer this capability!

Powtoon is an online platform designed for creating animated presentations and explainer videos, with user-friendly templates designed for infographics. Both freemium versions as well as premium versions are available; to get you started quickly..

Biteable is an online video animation tool with easy usage, providing templates and animations suitable for infographic creation. Both free and premium versions are available.

Animaker (Freemium):

Animaker is an online animation software designed for creating infographics and explainer videos, offering drag-and-drop capability with templates available both free and paid versions. Animaker supports various languages. There's even an AI version called Animaker AI! Moovly (Freemium) offers additional templates suited for creating infographics if the need arises!

Moovly is an online animation platform which makes creating infographic-style animations simple, providing templates and an extensive library of assets. Free and paid versions are both available; for the latter option Tinkercad (Free) stands out.

Tinkercad is an accessible web tool ideal for making simple 2D animations and graphics quickly and efficiently, ideal for educational or DIY infographic projects. Pencil2D (Free and Open Source): Another helpful alternative that offers similar functionality is available as a separate download.

Pencil2D is an open-source 2D animation software available at no charge to everyone, designed specifically to produce basic 2D animations such as infographics. When combined with Canva (Freemium), however, Pencil2D becomes even more feature rich as an alternative animation solution for infographic creation and infographic animation.

Ideal for producing simple infographics featuring animated elements.

At no charge and with various free and paid versions available, there's bound to be software suitable to your needs and skill level. When creating simple infographic-like animations using Vyond or Powtoon tools like these may suffice more easily than expensive programs like Adobe After Effects for more straightforward infographic-esque projects.