Honest comparison · 2026-10
A free After Effects alternative with built-in Lottie export
Kiln Motion follows After Effects' model of compositions, layers, keyframes, effects and a render queue, and adds Lottie import and export without plugins.
Try Kiln Motion free Runs in your browser. No account.
At a glance
| Kiln Motion | After Effects | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, open source | Subscription |
| Compositions, keyframes, easing | Yes | Yes |
| Effects | 300+ | Hundreds, plus plugins |
| Expressions | Yes | Yes |
| Lottie export | Built in | Via Bodymovin plugin |
| Third-party plugins | No | Yes |
| Project format | Readable JSON | Binary .aep |
Where Kiln Motion is a good fit
- Animated titles, lower thirds and logo reveals.
- Lottie animations for websites and apps.
- Simple keying and compositing.
Where you may still want After Effects
- Third-party plugins such as Element 3D and Trapcode.
- Very heavy 3D or particle work.
Guides
Make a Lottie animationAnimate shapes and text and export Lottie JSON for websites and apps directly. Built-in Lo…Edit a Lottie fileImport a Lottie JSON animation, change colours, text and timing on a real timeline, and ex…Animate textAnimate text letter by letter or word by word with text animators, keyframes and presets, …Animate a logoImport an SVG or PSD logo and build a logo reveal with shape animation, masks and glows, t…Make a lower thirdDesign an animated name and title lower third with shape and text layers, then export it w…Remove a green screenKey out a green or blue screen, clean up the edges and spill, and composite a new backgrou…