Pencil2D vs Plotagon

Pencil2D is free, open-source software for creating hand-drawn 2D animations. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux and, according to the homepage, FreeBSD. The project provides stable builds for Windows 7 or later, macOS 10.14 or later on Intel, and both 32-bit and 64-bit Linux. Artists can switch between raster and vector workflows for sketching, inking and painting. A timeline manages keyframes, while dockable tool and color windows accompany an unlimited canvas with a camera field. Onion skin displays drawings before and after the current keyframe, with controls for drawing count and transparency. Sound can be imported through a sound layer, although waveform display is still pending. Exports include MP4, WEBM, AVI, GIF, APNG and PNG image sequences. Video importing, text tools and shape tools are not implemented. Pencil2D is free for commercial use. Help is available through its forum, Discord, tutorials, FAQ and user manual.

Plotagon is a visual tool for creating animated videos for fan fiction, original narratives, social stories, training, education, and advertising. Users arrange ideas in a storyboard, then generate videos from a timeline containing audiovisual material. The listed creative controls cover scenes, dialogue, actor actions, camera angles, intertitles, audio, voice recording, and emotion animations. Its library contains more than 200 virtual locations, alongside a multilingual voice library; creators can also record their own voices. Plotagon offers Studio Mobile, Story Mobile, and Studio Desktop, the classic Windows app. Studio features listed as absent from Story include more than two actors in supported scenes, independent actor emotes, newer multilingual voices, and an ad-free experience. Android, iOS, and Windows apps are available. Selected scenes and character tools can be used without a subscription, while other content and advanced features require one. Listed plans include Academic at $3 a month and Standard at $7 a month. Mobile apps need internet access for subscription checks and downloads.