Our verdict: After Effects is the standard tool for animated titles, logo animations, lower thirds and compositing. It is not a video editor: you build short shots layer by layer and usually finish the edit in Premiere Pro. It is demanding on hardware and only sold by subscription, after a 7-day trial that needs a payment method.
About Adobe After Effects
After Effects is Adobe's app for motion design and visual effects. You animate text, shapes and Illustrator artwork with keyframes, key out green screens with the built-in Keylight effect, track motion and composite layers, then send the result to Premiere Pro or export it.
There is no free version. The 7-day free trial starts when you check out a plan with your Adobe account, and billing begins when it ends: $22.99 per month on an annual plan billed monthly, which includes Adobe Express Premium, Frame.io, 100 GB of cloud storage and 25 monthly generative credits. Adobe refunds the first charge if you cancel within 14 days; later cancellation of an annual plan costs 50% of the remaining months.
What it does well
- Keyframe animation. Animate position, scale, opacity, masks and effects over time.
- Motion graphics. Titles, intros, transitions and logo animations built from layers.
- Green screen keying. Keylight and other keying effects remove colored backgrounds.
- Illustrator import. Bring vector artwork from Illustrator and animate it.
- Premiere Pro workflow. Shares projects with Premiere Pro for finishing the edit.
Who it is for
Good fit
Motion designers, video editors and marketers who make animated titles and effects shots.
Look elsewhere
People who just want to cut and join clips; a timeline editor like Premiere Pro or Shotcut is simpler.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Industry standard for motion graphics
- Huge choice of tutorials, templates and plugins
- Tight link with Premiere Pro and Illustrator
Cons
- Subscription only, trial needs a payment method
- Steep learning curve
- Needs a powerful PC with 16 GB of RAM
How to install Adobe After Effects
Start the trial on adobe.com: sign in or create an Adobe account, pick a plan and enter payment details. Install the Creative Cloud desktop app and install After Effects from it. Cancel before day 8 if you do not want to pay. Adobe lists 16 GB of RAM, an AVX2-capable CPU and a GPU with at least 4 GB of memory as the minimum.
Questions about Adobe After Effects
Is Adobe After Effects free?
No. Adobe offers a 7-day free trial that needs an Adobe account and a payment method. After the trial, billing starts at $22.99 per month on an annual plan billed monthly unless you cancel; Adobe refunds the first charge if you cancel within 14 days.
Can After Effects replace a video editor?
Not really. It works on short compositions layer by layer. Most people edit the full video in Premiere Pro and use After Effects for titles and effects shots.
Is there a free alternative to After Effects?
Natron is a free open-source compositor, and Blender can also do motion graphics and visual effects.
