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Both cover motion graphics & animation and video editing. Here is what separates them on price, billing, what you can take with you, and coverage.
| Blender | Powtoon | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | From $15 |
| Pricing model | Free | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | Not stated | Annual only |
| Free trial | Not stated | None |
| API | Yes | Not stated |
| Data export | Not stated | Not stated |
| Their cut | Not stated | Not stated |
| Runs on | macOS, Windows, Linux | Web |
| Covers | Motion Graphics & Animation, Design & Graphics, Video Editing | Motion Graphics & Animation, Video Editing |
| 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 |
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
Animated explainers from templates
Powtoon builds the whiteboard and cartoon explainer style that training departments have used for a decade, and it has since bolted on avatars, dubbing and text to speech from other vendors. Templates carry most of the work. The house style is recognisable enough that a viewer who has seen one Powtoon will know they are watching another.
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.