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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.

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Best for
Pro: editors and motion designers
Free plan
Free trial only
Agent-ready (MCP / API)
Partly
Platforms
macOS, Windows
Last verified
Oct 15, 2026

Overview

After Effects is Adobe’s motion graphics and visual effects app, and many of the plugins in this section run inside it. Adobe’s help centre now documents two AI features: an AI Assistant, which is in public beta, and an AI-powered Object Matte for rotoscoping.

What the AI features do

Adobe describes the AI Assistant as a panel (Window > Assistant) where you type what you want in plain language. Its documented tasks include organising a project, creating compositions, editing text and shape layers, working with Motion Graphics templates and Essential Graphics, explaining or writing expressions, and generating images and video with Adobe Firefly and partner models. By default it asks permission before it changes your project. Adobe says it uses credits for most AI-powered actions and that credit rates are introductory. Object Matte combines one-click AI subject selection with manual refinement and propagation across frames. Both are beta or recent features, so check Adobe’s pages for availability in your region and plan.

Who it fits

After Effects suits motion designers and editors who want the broadest plugin and template support, and motion designers who want an assistant inside the app. It is a lot for someone who only needs a quick animated title; Jitter or Cavalry may be a lighter start.

What it costs

Adobe’s page lists US$22.99 a month for the single-app plan on an annual plan billed monthly, and Creative Cloud Pro at US$69.99 a month. Check the vendor page for current plan details.

Who it's for

A good fit if you are…

  • 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

Another tool may suit you better if you are…

  • Beginners who just need a quick animated title

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. As of Oct 2026, verify.

  • 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.

Prices as of Oct 2026 (checked Oct 15, 2026), verify before buying. Source: vendor pricing page.

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

Integrations: Adobe Creative Cloud.

Agent-ready? 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.

Pros and good to know

Drawn from the vendor's own documentation and public sources.

Pros

  • AI Assistant in public beta can reorganise projects, write expressions and generate images and video inside the app (Adobe)
  • AI-powered Object Matte for faster rotoscoping (Adobe)
  • Large ecosystem of plugins, scripts and templates
  • Plugins and templates are commonly built for its project format

Good to know

  • Subscription pricing on the page we saw
  • Needs an Adobe account
  • The AI Assistant is a beta feature that uses credits and is available only in regions where Adobe's Creative AI services are supported

Alternatives

  • 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.
  • Autograph (Maxon): Maxon's free motion graphics and VFX compositing app, with a built-in MCP server for AI assistants.
  • Apple Motion: Apple's Mac motion graphics app for titles, effects and Final Cut Pro templates, one-time or in Creator Studio.
  • DaVinci Resolve: Professional editing, colour, VFX, motion graphics and audio in one app, with a free version and a DaVinci AI Neural Engine in Studio.

Compare with…

Sources

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