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Motion Graphics & Animation

Adobe After Effects vs Cavalry

Adobe After Effects and Cavalry are both listed here under Motion Graphics & Animation. Adobe After Effects: Adobe's motion graphics and visual effects app, with an AI Assistant (public beta), AI-powered Object Matte and a large plugin ecosystem. Cavalry: Real-time 2D motion design app, free with a Canva account. Version 2.8 adds an MCP server for Claude and an AI Studio window.

This page puts the two listings side by side using the details on each tool's page: plans, free-plan status, platforms, features, integrations and links to the official pages. Prices are as of Oct 2026, so verify them on the vendor's site before you buy.

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Side by side

Adobe After EffectsCavalry
Plans and pricing

US$22.99/month on an annual plan billed monthly; Creative Cloud Pro lists US$69.99/month. The AI Assistant uses credits, per Adobe's help centre.

Free to download and use for individuals, per Cavalry's site. Needs a Canva account. Enterprise access is via Canva Enterprise or Education (SSO).

Free plan

Free trial only

Yes

Plan details
  • After Effects single-app plan includes Adobe Express Premium, per Adobe's page.
  • Adobe says AI Assistant uses credits for most AI-powered creative actions and that credit rates are introductory and may change.
  • Cavalry's FAQ says it is free for individuals with no restrictions.
  • A Canva account is required to use the current version.
  • Legacy Scene Group licences keep working until the subscription period ends.
Platforms

macOS, Windows

macOS, Windows

Key features
  • Motion graphics and visual effects: titles, intros, transitions and compositing
  • AI Assistant (public beta, Window > Assistant): organises projects, works with compositions, text and shape layers, writes and explains expressions, generates images and video with Adobe Firefly and partner models
  • AI-powered Object Matte: one-click AI subject selection with manual refinement and propagation across frames
  • Motion Graphics templates and Essential Graphics
  • Large third-party plugin ecosystem
  • Real-time rendering with procedural rigs
  • Connect a spreadsheet (including Canva Sheets) to animate data at scale
  • MCP server (2.8): a local server that lets Claude carry out tasks in Cavalry
  • AI Studio window (2.8): video background removal, vector generation, image-to-layer splitting; needs a Canva premium plan
  • Lottie export, text animation, duplicators and falloffs
Integrations

Adobe Creative Cloud.

Canva account and Canva Enterprise SSO; Lottie export.

Agent-ready (MCP / API)

Partly. Adobe's AI Assistant (public beta) acts on your project from natural-language requests and asks permission before changes by default. No MCP server or external agent interface is listed for After Effects.

Yes. Cavalry 2.8 (30 Sep 2026) has an official MCP server that runs locally and connects to Claude; you switch it on in Preferences and install the Cavalry connector in Claude. Claude is the only supported assistant at this time, per Cavalry's docs.

Who it's for

Pro: editors and motion designers

  • Motion designers and editors who need the most plugin and template support
  • Motion designers who want to try an AI assistant that works across a whole project

Pro: editors and motion designers

  • Motion designers who want a fast, procedural alternative to keyframing everything by hand
  • Designers who need data-driven or Lottie output
Official pages
Last verified

Oct 15, 2026

Pricing checked Oct 15, 2026

Oct 15, 2026

Pricing checked Oct 15, 2026

Everything above comes from each tool's listing and its cited official pages. "Not listed" means the listing has no information for that row.

Which one fits

Drawn only from the facts in the two listings. This is not a ranking.

Choose Adobe After Effects if…

  • Motion designers and editors who need the most plugin and template support
  • Motion designers who want to try an AI assistant that works across a whole project

The Adobe After Effects listing says another tool may suit you better if you are:

  • Beginners who just need a quick animated title

Choose Cavalry if…

  • Motion designers who want a fast, procedural alternative to keyframing everything by hand
  • Designers who need data-driven or Lottie output
  • Free plan: the Cavalry listing shows a free plan; the Adobe After Effects listing shows a free trial only.
  • Agent access: Cavalry is marked "Yes" (Cavalry 2.8 (30 Sep 2026) has an official MCP server that runs locally and connects to Claude; you switch it on in Preferences and install the Cavalry connector in Claude. Claude is the only supported assistant at this time, per Cavalry's docs); Adobe After Effects is marked "Partly".

The Cavalry listing says another tool may suit you better if you are:

  • Anyone who wants ready-made templates and a one-click result
  • People who need a clear company licence (Enterprise goes through Canva)

Read the full listings

Other tools to look at

  • Jitter: Browser-based motion design tool for animating social posts, product shots and UI, with Figma import and video, GIF and Lottie export.
  • Autograph (Maxon): Maxon's free motion graphics and VFX compositing app, with a built-in MCP server for AI assistants.
  • Rive: Design and animate interactive graphics in one editor and ship them to web, mobile and games.

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