Making the work
Growing an audience
Running the business
Both cover motion graphics & animation and video editing. Here is what separates them on price, billing, what you can take with you, and coverage.
3D, motion and compositing, free forever
A full desktop editor without a studio price
Blender | Filmora | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | From $49.99 |
| Pricing model (they differ) | Free | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | Not stated | Not stated |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| API | Yes | Not stated |
| Data export | Not stated | Not stated |
| Their cut | None | None |
| Runs on (they differ) | macOS, Windows, Linux |
Shaded rows are where the two answers disagree and both listings have answered. A row where one side has not stated a fact is left plain, because silence is not a difference.
3D, motion and compositing, free forever
Blender models, animates, simulates, renders, composites and cuts video, and the Blender Foundation gives all of it away under the GPL with no tier above it. For motion graphics it is the free answer to a monthly subscription, and the ceiling is the artist rather than the licence. The learning curve is what it costs instead, and that is a real price.
Our note
The honest comparison is not against a cheaper subscription but against time: Blender costs nothing and asks for weeks. If motion graphics is a recurring part of the work that trade is worth making, and if it comes up twice a year it is not.
Only on this side
A full desktop editor without a studio price
Filmora is Wondershare's video editor and the one a lot of creators land on after outgrowing a phone app and balking at a professional subscription. The timeline, keyframes, masking and motion tracking are all there, with an asset library and AI tools layered over the top. It runs on Mac and Windows and a free version exports with a watermark, so the editor can be judged properly before paying. Assets and AI credits are sold as separate add-ons.
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.
| macOS, Windows |
| Covers | Motion Graphics & Animation, Design & Graphics, Video Editing | Video Editing, Motion Graphics & Animation |
|---|
| Works with | Nothing in particular | Nothing in particular |
|---|
| Founded | Not listed | Not listed |
|---|
| Reader rating | No reviews yet | No reviews yet |
|---|
| Live deals | None right now | None right now |
|---|
Our note
Check what is in the plan and what is an add-on before comparing the yearly price with anything else, because the assets and AI credits are billed on their own. DaVinci Resolve is free and more capable if you are willing to spend the time learning it.