Animation Desk
kdan.com
What it is
Animation Desk is software for creating animations, cartoons, and animatics on Android, iOS, and Windows. Its tools include paint brushes, layers, onion skinning, sound effects, and frame-rate settings. Work can begin with video clips, photos, or pre-built animation templates, with stock collections, batch frame pasting, and effects for video and images available for editing; some features depend on app version. The product is aimed at beginners, students, learners, and professional animators making rough animation, animatic sketches, or storyboards. Finished work can be exported as video, GIF, PDF, PSD, or image sequences, and editable projects can be exchanged among the Android, iOS, and Windows apps. The iOS listing also describes export to Photoshop for further editing. Animation Desk is free to download, and a free plan is listed. Animation Desk Pro for iOS is $2.49 a month, billed annually at $29.99. Creativity 365 for Individuals is $4.99 a month, billed annually at $59.99. KDAN says the product will remain available under existing paid plans but will not receive proactive new feature development or routine version maintenance updates.
Spec sheet
- What it does
- Animation Desk is 2D software for frame-by-frame animation, cartoons and animatics.Read 15 Oct 2026 · kdan.com
- Purpose
- Animation Desk is software for creating animations, cartoons, and animatics.Read 29 Sep 2026 · kdan.com
- Intended users
- KDAN describes it for beginners, students and learners, and professional animators creating rough animations, animatic sketches, and storyboards.Read 29 Sep 2026 · kdan.com
- Free plan
- YesRead 22 Sep 2026 · kdan.com
- Integrations
- GetApp records iMovie as a user-mentioned integration, rated 5.0 from one integration review.Read 15 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
- Compliance
- KDAN’s trust center states GDPR compliance plus ISO 27001, ISO 27017 and ISO 27018 compliance or certification.Read 15 Oct 2026 · kdan.com
- Support
- KDAN lists Animation Desk support for iPhone, iPad, Android, and Windows and gives [email protected] as a contact address.Read 29 Sep 2026 · support.kdan.com
- Headquarters
- Tainan City, TaiwanRead 28 Sep 2026 · kdan.com
- Founded
- 2009Read 28 Sep 2026 · kdan.com
- Company
- KDAN says it was founded in 2009; the About page does not state a headquarters location.Read 29 Sep 2026 · kdan.com
- API and SDK context
- TechCrunch reports that Kdan offers APIs and SDKs for enterprise integration and customization across its technology portfolio.Read 15 Oct 2026 · techcrunch.com
- Apple user complaints
- App Store reviewers describe drawing glitches, limited undo behavior, missing palm rejection or stabilizer features and free-tier tool restrictions.Read 15 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
- Audio
- Windows support documentation explains importing sound clips and saving or exporting animations with sound.Read 15 Oct 2026 · support.kdan.com
- Availability and downloads
- KDAN’s product page links downloads for iOS, Android, and Windows and says Animation Desk is free to download on those stores.Read 29 Sep 2026 · kdan.com
- Beginner workflow
- The maker positions it for beginners using video clips, photos or ready-made animation templates.Read 15 Oct 2026 · kdan.com
- Cloud storage
- A free Kdan ID includes 500 MB storage, while Animation Desk Pro includes 500 GB according to the comparison and pricing pages.Read 15 Oct 2026 · support.kdan.com
- Company headquarters
- KDAN’s LinkedIn profile lists Irvine, California as headquarters, while its About page describes the company as founded in Taiwan and operating from Tainan.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
- Company identity
- The legal company name is Kdan Mobile Software Ltd., founded in 2009.Read 15 Oct 2026 · kdan.com
- Company size
- LinkedIn lists KDAN at 201–500 employees.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
- Documentation
- KDAN provides tutorials for frame control, colors, selection tools, live-action video, layers, onion skin and export, plus a support knowledge base.Read 15 Oct 2026 · kdan.com
- Drawing and animation tools
- The product page lists paint tools, onion skinning, sound effects, layers, and frame rate settings.Read 29 Sep 2026 · kdan.com
- Drawing tools
- Android listing features brushes, erasers, color palettes, zoom and canvas rotation.Read 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
- Editing features
- The product page lists stock collections, batch frame pasting, and special effects for videos and photos, and notes some features are limited to particular app versions.Read 29 Sep 2026 · kdan.com
- Export and project compatibility
- Animations can be exported as video, GIF, PDF, PSD, or image sequences, and editable projects can be exchanged across Animation Desk on Android, iOS, and Windows.Read 29 Sep 2026 · kdan.com
- Export formats
- Supported exports listed by the maker include video, images, GIF, Photoshop PSD, PDF and ad.package.Read 15 Oct 2026 · kdan.com
- Frame tools
- The app includes onion skinning, a frame viewer or timeline, copy and paste, and layers.Read 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
- Funding news
- TechCrunch reported a $16 million Series B in July 2021 and total funding of $23.5 million at that time.Read 15 Oct 2026 · techcrunch.com
- GetApp support score
- GetApp lists customer support at 3.3 out of 5 from four reviews.Read 15 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
- Google Play distribution
- The Android listing reports more than 1 million downloads and an update dated May 31, 2024.Read 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
- Import formats
- The comparison guide lists video, images, PSD layers and ad.package as importable materials on iOS and Windows editions.Read 15 Oct 2026 · support.kdan.com
- Limit: advertising and tutorials
- G2 reviewers complain about ads for other Kdan products and limited tutorials for independent video projects.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
- Limit: crashes and saving
- G2 reviewers report slow performance, crashes, occasional unsaved results and lack of autosave that can lose work.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
- Maintenance change
- A September 21, 2026 notice says Animation Desk remains downloadable but KDAN will no longer proactively add features or provide routine maintenance updates.Read 15 Oct 2026 · support.kdan.com
- Praise: beginner usability
- G2 reviewers repeatedly describe the app as easy to learn, fun and suitable for animation beginners.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
- Praise: free tier
- G2 reviewers praise the free version for offering enough tools to create useful animations before paying.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
- Professional workflow
- The product page describes rough animation, animatic sketches and storyboards for professional projects.Read 15 Oct 2026 · kdan.com
- Rating on Apple App Store
- 4.2 out of 5 from 16K ratingsRead 15 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
- Rating on G2
- 4.6 out of 5 from 11 reviewsRead 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
- Rating on GetApp
- 4.5 out of 5 from 4 reviewsRead 15 Oct 2026 · getapp.com
- Rating on Google Play
- 3.2 out of 5 from 16.2K reviewsRead 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
- Security and compliance
- KDAN’s Trust Center says the company complies with GDPR and ISO 27017 and is ISO 27001 certified; it identifies CCPA and HIPAA claims as currently applicable to DottedSign.Read 29 Sep 2026 · kdan.com
- Security controls
- KDAN says it uses firewalls, VPNs, load balancers, access controls, OAuth for third-party clients, TLS 1.2 or later and encrypted backups on AWS.Read 15 Oct 2026 · kdan.com
- Service maintenance
- KDAN says Animation Desk will remain available under existing paid plans, but it will no longer proactively provide new feature development or routine version maintenance updates.Read 29 Sep 2026 · support.kdan.com
- Support coverage
- The support center contains topic groups for frame management, editing, cloud transfer and import/export, with multiple articles in each group.Read 15 Oct 2026 · support.kdan.com
- Video and image inputs
- The product page says users can make animations with video clips, photos, or pre-built animation templates.Read 29 Sep 2026 · kdan.com
Plans and prices
Strong points and limits
Strong points
- Exports video, GIF, PDF, PSD, or image sequences.
- Editable projects transfer among Android, iOS, and Windows.
- Can start from video clips, photos, or templates.
- Includes onion skinning, layers, and sound effects.
Limits
- Some editing features vary by app version.
- No proactive new feature development is planned.
- Routine version maintenance updates will not be provided.
Who it suits
Animation Desk suits learners and professional animators creating rough animation, storyboards, or animatics. It is available on Android, iOS, and Windows, with editable projects exchangeable across those apps.
Verdict
Animation Desk offers drawing, animation, and export tools across three platforms, with a free plan and paid options. KDAN says new feature development and routine version maintenance will not continue.
Where Specifiction places it
- Cartoon Maker Software#1 of 319.3
- 2D Character Animation Software#2 of 489.3
- Animation Software#10 of 1069.1