Best Visual Effects (VFX) Software for Mac of 2025

Craft stunning cinematic titles and captivating intros, while seamlessly transitioning between scenes. Remove unwanted elements from your footage, ignite flames, or conjure up a rainstorm. Bring your logo or character to life with animation, all through After Effects, the leading software for motion graphics and visual effects. You can animate titles, credits, and lower thirds, either by starting from scratch or utilizing the extensive presets available within the application. Whether through spins, swipes, or slides, your text will dynamically engage the audience. Merge videos and images to turn your creative visions into reality, selecting from a plethora of thrilling effects and effortlessly eliminating unwanted objects or characters. Dive into immersive VR experiences that transport your viewers directly into the heart of the action. With the power of keyframes and expressions, you can set any element in motion, or simply begin with presets for distinctive outcomes. Additionally, create intricate compositions in Premiere Pro, leveraging Dynamic Link to streamline your workflow without the need for intermediate rendering. Import assets from a variety of Adobe applications like Photoshop, Illustrator, Character Animator, Adobe XD, and Animate to enrich your projects further. The possibilities for innovation and creativity are boundless, waiting for you to explore them.

Blender is an open-source 3D creation suite available for free, encompassing the entire 3D production process—covering modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing, motion tracking, video editing, and even 2D animation. Its integrated Cycles engine is a powerful unbiased path-tracer that delivers breathtakingly realistic renders. The extensive modeling capabilities of Blender simplify the creation, transformation, and modification of models efficiently. VFX experts proclaim it to be “probably the best tracker in the market.” Additionally, Blender features robust camera and object tracking functionalities that allow users to import raw video, track it, create masks, and visualize camera movements in real time within the 3D environment, thus removing the need for frequent software switching. With its exceptional rigging and animation tools, Blender has gained popularity among filmmakers, leading to its use in various short films, commercials, television series, and feature-length movies. This versatility has made it an essential tool for artists and creators striving to bring their visions to life.

VideoPad Master's Edition Windows allows you to create movies and edit videos in many formats, including avi, MP4,.3gp and.divx. The intuitive user interface makes it easy to create videos and movies. Drag and drop video clips. You can choose from more than 50 visual effects and transitions, including chroma keys or green screen technology. Fine tune color and visual effects. Send your friends a video and burn it to DVD.

DaVinci Resolve serves as a comprehensive post-production software that combines high-end editing, color correction, visual effects, and audio post-production within a single application. The user-friendly interface caters to novices while also providing sophisticated tools for industry professionals, making it a favored choice among filmmakers, television editors, and content creators alike. Renowned for its Emmy-winning color grading functionalities and superior audio processing through Fairlight, DaVinci Resolve stands out in the industry. The software is designed with specialized workspaces for various tasks—editing, color grading, visual effects, and audio—allowing users to transition effortlessly between different aspects of their projects. Additionally, its robust features are augmented by AI-driven tools and real-time collaboration options, which enable teams to work together on the same project simultaneously, eliminating the hassles of file transfers or conversions. With regular updates and a growing community, DaVinci Resolve continues to evolve, ensuring that it meets the ever-changing needs of digital content production.

HitFilm Pro stands out as the premier software for artists and video editors around the globe. There's no need to switch between different applications for video editing and visual effects, as HitFilm combines editing, compositing, titling, and 3D capabilities all in one comprehensive package. Everything essential for video creation is conveniently located in a single platform. Our video editing software is recognized as industry-leading, featuring robust chroma key, particle effects, and text tools, alongside the largest toolkit for visual effects available. We collaborate with top industry names to provide you with cutting-edge technology and innovative tools, including Foundry’s advanced 3D camera tracking, Boris FX’s professional titling tools, and compatibility with VideoCopilot’s After Effects plugins. Experience the efficiency of our powerful video editing software that propels your projects forward with speed. With a blend of industry-standard features and our proprietary technology, HitFilm Pro’s video editing suite equips you with all the necessary resources to produce engaging and vibrant edits, ensuring you can unleash your creativity without limitations.

HitFilm offers a no-cost video editing platform that comes equipped with high-quality VFX capabilities, enabling users to produce stunning videos, films, or gaming content. It's an ideal solution for novices, aspiring filmmakers, gamers, YouTubers, and any creative individual operating on a budget. With your talent and passion, we provide the essential tools you require, completely free of charge. Our philosophy is simple: you shouldn’t have to pay to express your creativity. By doing so, we become a part of your creative journey, which is truly exciting. Access the most robust free video editing and VFX software available for both Mac and PC, and become a member of our thriving network of 6 million filmmakers and content creators. Interested in enhancing your skills? Our masterclass tutorials on editing and VFX cater to every type of creator. You can design your own 3D superhero characters or transport your audience to a uniquely twisted Wild West adventure. We are committed to fostering opportunity and equality within the creative sector, and alongside our community, we continuously develop effective, accessible tools, comprehensive training, and reliable support for all creators. Together, we can redefine what is possible in the world of content creation.

Natron serves as a highly capable digital compositor, adept at fulfilling all your 2D and 2.5D requirements. Its advanced OIIO file formats and OpenFX framework contribute to its reputation as the most adaptable open-source compositor available for the visual effects industry. The software boasts a consistent interface and functionality across various operating systems, including MacOS, Linux, and Windows. With its robust keying, roto/rotopaint, and 2D tracking tools, Natron has become a foundational asset for contemporary film projects that incorporate visual effects. At first glance, Natron presents a sophisticated graphical user interface that operates on a flexible and intuitive multi-platform node-based system. While it may initially appear as a straightforward compositing tool, Natron is rich with complexity, enabling your creative vision to flourish in unprecedented ways. Additionally, its versatile Roto and Rotopaint toolkit allows for the creation of limitless layers of masks, mattes, and shapes, further enhancing its functionality for artists and designers. In essence, Natron is not just a software solution; it is a gateway to unlocking new realms of visual storytelling.

Lightworks 2022 - There's a Lightworks for everyone! Free: For anyone taking their first steps into video editing and creative content creation. Lightworks Free is a powerful and highly featured, yet easy-to-use, editing platform for small or one-off projects. Create: A brand new editing product for content creators, corporate marketers and educators. With hundreds of titles, effects & motion graphics built-in, Lightworks Create is built to make awesome looking videos with ease. Pro: Hollywood-level editing for broadcasters and filmmakers, post houses and video pro. Lightworks Pro has been used to create some of the best films in cinema history and is used by A-list editors to this day.

Stay updated on the newest offerings in Red Giant Complete, where Trapcode integrates advanced 3D particle systems directly into After Effects. You can utilize particle emitters to simulate effects like fire, water, smoke, and snow, or design futuristic visuals and interfaces using particle grids and three-dimensional shapes. By subscribing to Red Giant, you gain additional options for inputting 3D geometry through the import of Cineware .c4d files. This allows you to incorporate Cinema 4D files, including animations, into your particle systems or as 3D models within After Effects. Additionally, Magic Bullet provides a comprehensive suite of plugins for color correction, finishing touches, and achieving cinematic looks. Equipped with powerful real-time color grading, video denoising, and cosmetic retouching tools, you can elevate the quality of your footage directly on your editing timeline. Furthermore, Universe includes a range of video transition and effects plugins tailored for both editors and motion graphics designers, expanding your creative possibilities even further.

Flame® offers a comprehensive suite of tools for 3D visual effects (VFX), finishing, and color grading. This advanced software facilitates 3D compositing and editorial finishing, allowing for an efficient and integrated creative workflow. With its powerful capabilities, users can achieve faster compositing, cutting-edge graphics, and precise color correction. AI-driven tools enable the extraction of mattes for the human body, head, and face, streamlining color adjustments, relighting, and digital beauty enhancements. Quickly isolate skies and key objects, which enhances grading and VFX tasks considerably. Users can edit, composite, and color correct all within a singular environment, eliminating the need to switch between different software applications. This fosters rapid creation and iteration, leading to more productive interactions during client sessions. Additionally, Flame provides tools designed for swift and engaging visual effects finishing alongside 3D compositing. It features a timeline-centric assistant station fully compatible with Flame, which is essential for collaborative VFX workflows. Furthermore, the software supports real-time color grading, facilitating creative look development with ease and precision. This cohesive environment ultimately elevates the quality and efficiency of visual storytelling.

Artists and designers who want total creative freedom and flexibility can instantly access 15 Chaos®, products with one license. V-Ray®, Collection allows you to freely move between 3D applications. You can apply your own blend of fluid simulation, photorealistic rendering, and real-time scene exploration to any given project. You can move freely between 3D applications. You can easily share content and collaborate seamlessly with others. You can instantly access the latest releases and take advantage technology. There's no need to manage multiple versions or expiration dates. A single license is the easiest and most cost-effective way to have everything. Revolutionary designs. Moving stories. Amazing art. V-Ray can help you realize your vision. V-Ray is the industry's best 3D renderer. Create photorealistic imagery or animation. V-Ray Collection includes V-Ray to these top 3D modeling and design programs: 3ds Max. Maya. SketchUp. Rhino. Revit. Modo. Cinema 4D. Unreal. Houdini. Nuke. Blender.

Sapphire plug-ins enable the creation of breathtaking organic aesthetics that surpass the capabilities of any built-in effect tools provided by host applications. Among the prominent features are more than 270 effects and over 3000 presets, a robust effect and transition builder, alongside integrated tracking and masking powered by the award-winning Mocha software. The exceptional image quality, control, and rapid rendering speed of Sapphire contribute to significant time efficiency, allowing creators to concentrate on what truly matters: making an impactful impression that keeps viewers engaged. Mac users will be thrilled with the arrival of Metal GPU acceleration in Sapphire 2021, which enhances over 60 effects. With Metal acceleration, dramatic improvements in speed are possible; for instance, S_Rays can render more than four times faster compared to CPU-only processing. Although performance can fluctuate based on the specifications of the GPU, host application, operating system version, and specific Sapphire effects, Sapphire 2021 with Metal acceleration typically achieves rendering speeds that are 20% quicker than when using CPU alone, making it an essential tool for professionals aiming to elevate their work. This makes Sapphire an indispensable asset in the toolkit of any creative professional.

Silhouette, an award-winning VFX tool recognized by both the Academy and Emmy Awards, is a top-tier, GPU-accelerated compositing software that offers unparalleled non-destructive paint and roto capabilities tailored for feature films and visual effects teams. Since its inception in 2005, Silhouette has played a crucial role in the production of some of Hollywood’s most iconic film and television projects, such as Avatar, Black Panther, and Stranger Things, among others. It is proudly endorsed by the Netflix Post Technology Alliance in the VFX category, positioning itself as the go-to artist tool for Roto, Paint, and Tracking. The latest release, Silhouette 2020.5, transcends conventional roto and cleanup methods, providing a professional stereoscopic-enabled node-based compositing environment with an impressive array of 146 nodes specifically crafted for various finishing tasks. Available as a standalone application for macOS, Windows, and Linux, Silhouette also offers flexible floating license options for enterprises. Additionally, the introduction of the new Silhouette Paint plug-in enhances the functionality of the paint tools, which are now seamlessly integrated into a multi-host plug-in compatible with Adobe and OFX platforms, and is provided free of charge to all owners of Silhouette 2020. This advancement underscores Silhouette's commitment to evolving and meeting the dynamic needs of visual effects professionals in the industry.

Optics serves as the ultimate digital toolkit for photography enthusiasts. Developed by expert visual effects artists from the film industry, it aims to replicate various optical camera filters, unique lenses, different film stocks and their accompanying grain, lens flares, optical lab techniques, color correction methods, as well as effects related to natural light and photography. By utilizing Optics, you can elevate your images to new heights, with the software currently available as a plug-in for Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, as well as a standalone application compatible with both macOS and Windows platforms. With Optics, users can explore a vast library of 160 filters and an extensive range of presets that enhance creative possibilities. The software allows for film-style color grading and the transformation of images from realistic to otherworldly with stunning lighting effects. Moreover, all filters can be applied selectively to specific areas of the image through user-friendly yet advanced masking controls. It also features a layering system for utilizing multiple filters simultaneously, along with a built-in painting tool for precise touch-ups, making it an indispensable resource for anyone looking to refine their photographic artistry. This comprehensive functionality ensures that every user can achieve their desired aesthetic with ease and precision.

Streamlining tight deadlines has become more manageable than ever before. The most comprehensive collection of plugins in the post-production sector offers nearly 350 creative effects across 20 categories, over 4000 presets, integrated Academy Award-winning Mocha for advanced planar tracking and masking, a beat reactor that syncs visual effects with music, and an FX Browser for easy navigation. Editors and creative professionals depend on Continuum to efficiently complete their projects. The 2021 iteration marks the largest release in the collection's extensive history, introducing over 80 new effects, more than 1000 professionally-crafted presets, 3 additional Unit categories, substantial enhancements to particle illusion, a new keying effect, improved Mocha planar tracking, and additional features. The Cinematographer’s Toolkit offers users 80 new effects, 3 fresh Continuum Units, and an impressive array of over 1000 new presets that evoke the classic charm of shooting on film. With the user-friendly FX Editor, artists can easily browse through presets and craft personalized options directly within the interface, making it a breeze to replicate iconic Hollywood aesthetics with just a single click. This innovative approach not only enhances efficiency but also inspires creativity among users.

INSYDIUM Fused is a comprehensive collection that encompasses all of our plugins and products, providing everything necessary to produce breathtaking particle effects, create lifelike terrains, and complete modeling projects up to the final render. This package also includes a wealth of 3D resources, extensive training materials, dedicated technical support, and a repository of content files. By acquiring INSYDIUM Fused, you gain access to X-Particles, which is the premier particle engine designed for Cinema 4D, alongside TerraformFX, Mesh Tools, Cycles 4D, and a variety of other tools. X-Particles stands as a vital element in any artist's toolkit, adept at addressing diverse particle requirements such as cloth, smoke, fire, fluids, grains, and dynamics. This seamless integration allows designers to transition effortlessly between motion graphics and VFX, all within a singular cohesive system. With INSYDIUM Fused, you can craft exceptional ParticleFX ranging from solar systems and FUI to holograms, medical visualizations, and even abstract art. The multitude of options for combining emitters and modifiers expands your creative possibilities, enabling you to push boundaries and explore new artistic dimensions. Whether you're a seasoned professional or an aspiring creator, this collection is designed to elevate your workflow and inspire your projects.

Riveo, developed by Forge and Form, stands out as a video and FX composer tailored for iPhone and iPad users, merging professional tools with user-friendly interfaces to empower creators to produce visually stunning content on their mobile devices. This innovative application features fluid simulations, dynamic motion effects, customizable layered filters, and unique "Future Text" options that incorporate bevels, gradients, authentic shadows, and reflections. Transitions are reimagined, moving beyond mere cross-fades, while a comprehensive set of professional tools facilitates time remapping, color adjustments, and intricate keyframe animations, balancing ease of use with advanced capabilities. Among its numerous features are AI-powered subtitle generation and masking, text animations, 4K output, support for 60 frames per second, a variety of filters and stickers, voice recording, GIF creation, precomposing options, RGB curve adjustments, integrated music, custom shapes, stock footage, AI-generated images, mesh gradients, and rapid editing, all of which can be previewed through camera integration. Templates and enhancements driven by AI aid in the creative process, offering a streamlined experience without sacrificing the ability to customize designs to meet individual preferences. Furthermore, Riveo's user-centric approach ensures that both novice and experienced creators can find value and inspiration within its robust feature set.

3DEqualizer4 stands as the leading 3D tracking tool in the contemporary visual effects landscape, seamlessly blending live-action footage with top-tier digital effects. It has become an essential component of the modern post-production industry, utilized by nearly all significant players in the field worldwide. Many companies have depended on 3DEqualizer since its inception over two decades ago, with some even relying on it exclusively for their projects. This prominence is just the beginning of its influence; 3DEqualizer's applications span the entirety of the visual effects sector, so when you head to the cinema to enjoy the latest blockbuster filled with stunning effects, there's a strong possibility that our work played a part in its creation. Moreover, the value of an exceptional product is amplified by the presence of dependable support, which is crucial for professional clientele. The insights gained from utilizing 3DEqualizer in real-world production scenarios enhance our understanding of client needs, ensuring we consistently deliver top-notch results that meet and exceed expectations. This ongoing relationship between our tool and its users fosters a deeper connection to the artistic visions being brought to life in every project.

The Trapcode Suite integrates advanced 3D particle systems directly into After Effects, allowing users to employ particle emitters for generating effects such as fire, water, smoke, and snow, alongside the construction of intricate technological visuals, including particle grids, text, and 3D shapes. You can merge various particle systems within a single 3D environment and develop emitters that can produce additional emitters, leading to impressive visual outcomes. Thanks to GPU acceleration, the Trapcode plugins enable rapid attainment of stunning results. The suite is equipped with a physics engine that offers an array of robust behaviors, forces, and environmental controls. Notably, Particular breathes life into particles through innovative flocking and predator/prey dynamics, enhancing realism with a blend of bounce and air physics. Both Particular and Form provide functionalities for crafting organic fluid simulations, where particle systems interact to yield captivating visuals, thus expanding creative possibilities for artists and designers seeking to push the boundaries of their work.

Mocha Pro is an acclaimed software solution recognized globally for its capabilities in planar tracking, rotoscoping, and object removal. Integral to the workflows of visual effects and post-production, it has garnered prestigious accolades such as Academy and Emmy Awards for its significant impact on the film and television sectors. Recently, Mocha Pro has been employed in blockbuster hits like The Mandalorian, Stranger Things, and Avengers: Endgame, among others. The latest advancement in Mocha introduces PowerMesh, which features an innovative sub-planar tracking engine designed for visual effects, rotoscoping, and stabilization. This new technology allows for tracking on warped surfaces while maintaining precision, effortlessly handling complex organic shapes even through occlusions and blurs, all within Mocha’s user-friendly layer-based interface. It is not only easy to use but also quicker than many traditional optical flow methods. Users can apply it to source files for authentic match moves, transform data into AE Nulls to enhance motion graphics, render a mesh for stabilized or reversed plates in compositing, and even export dense tracking data for compatibility with other applications, further expanding its versatility and utility in modern visual effects production.

Export your particle effects as static animations on sprite sheets, animation strips, or as image sequences in PNG format; alternatively, if you're developing for iPhone or iPad, you can utilize the PVRTC format (available on Mac only). For those programming games with the robust Blitzmax language, the effects can be directly integrated using the TimelineFX Module. You can generate an endless variety of particle effects such as explosions, smoke, fire, water, steam, bubbles, and many others! Configuring animations for seamless looping is as simple as a single mouse click, and with an additional click, you can also create seamlessly tiling animations suitable for animated textures, featuring effects like smoke, fire, explosions, water, flares, and clouds. Moreover, a vast collection of free effects is available for download to enhance your projects. With 24 attributes to fine-tune your particle emitters, you can manipulate their behavior over time with precision using intuitive graphs. This level of control allows for the creation of intricate and dynamic effects tailored to your specific needs.

Motion is an exceptional motion graphics application that simplifies the creation of cinematic titles in 2D, 3D, and 360° formats, along with seamless transitions and realistic effects, all in real time. Leveraging its advanced Metal engine and enhanced performance on Apple silicon Macs, Motion empowers users to develop and playback effects at remarkable speed. Tailored for editors, the intuitive interface and outstanding performance enable the real-time creation and playback of titles, transitions, and effects without the hassle of rendering. You can visualize your designs instantly, eliminating any guesswork. The modern design interface aligns with Final Cut Pro's aesthetic, allowing you to concentrate fully on your projects. Finding assets is straightforward with visual content browsers, and crafting motion graphics is made easy with a clear layers list, an extensive timeline, and an efficient keyframe editor. Furthermore, the interface is customizable to fit your personal workflow preferences, ensuring a smooth and productive creative experience. With these features, Motion stands out as a versatile tool in the realm of motion graphics.

Zibra AI, established in 2021, is a pioneering Ukrainian deep-tech firm specializing in AI-driven solutions for visual effects (VFX) and 3D creation tailored for gaming, television, film, and more. Our innovative suite of tools empowers creators to effortlessly integrate high-quality, real-time VFX and OpenVDB effects into any engine, effectively democratizing the creative landscape and enhancing efficiency. Alongside our custom creative services, we are committed to advancing the field through targeted research and development initiatives. Our team, composed of passionate gaming aficionados and seasoned professionals in 3D programming, VFX production, and physics, leverages extensive experience from top gaming and technology companies to manage your projects with exceptional precision, ensuring that you receive exactly what you envision. Furthermore, our approach fosters collaboration and communication, making the creative process as smooth as possible.

Experience real-time rendering that exceeds HD quality with the innovative Conduit Effect System, allowing the seamless integration of numerous high-quality effects such as keyers, blurs, and tone curves while still in live editing mode. Similar to high-end video effects platforms, PixelConduit employs a node-based interface that excels at crafting intricate effects. Its user-friendly interface is modern and ergonomically designed to align perfectly with your desktop environment. This lightweight application can be effortlessly incorporated into your existing workflows. Additionally, Conduit serves as plugins for leading video and graphics software like Final Cut Pro and After Effects, enabling you to create an effect once and utilize it anywhere. Every aspect of PixelConduit is meticulously crafted for real-time performance alongside superior color accuracy. With flexible user interface options and advanced capabilities for extensions, PixelConduit is perfectly suited for diverse video-related tasks, including live effects, dynamic video installations, and post-production activities such as compositing and process automation. Overall, its adaptability makes PixelConduit an invaluable tool for any video professional looking to enhance their creative projects.

Fusion’s curve editor employs splines to facilitate smooth transitions between keyframes, allowing for interpolation as linear, bezier, or b-splines. This capability enables the application of custom curves that can loop, reverse, or ping pong among keyframes, resulting in intricate animations. Furthermore, you can manipulate, expand, and compress groups of keyframes to generate remarkable variations in motion. The replicate tool is designed to effortlessly produce rows of duplicated objects, filling various patterns with ease. By merely adjusting parameters on these replicated items, you can craft animations that appear both complex and polished. Additionally, there are options for randomization that introduce subtle differences, leading to animations that possess an organic quality that other systems may struggle to achieve. You can also create stunning particle effects that shimmer, swirl, and twinkle by employing physics properties such as avoidance, gravity, and bounce, with each behavior contributing to the natural movement of the particles. In essence, the combination of these features allows for the creation of visually dynamic animations that captivate and engage viewers.