Adobe After Effects
What Adobe After Effects is
Adobe After Effects is motion design and visual effects software for animating text, graphics, and illustrations and compositing effects for film, TV, video, and the web. It can animate still images and text for title sequences and credits, and its 3D workspace combines 3D shapes with 2D graphics. AI Object Matte isolates a moving subject, with refinement brushes for stray pixels; object tracking and Content-Aware Fill help remove unwanted elements across video frames. Compositions can be imported into Premiere through Adobe Dynamic Link without intermediate rendering, while layered Photoshop PSD files keep their layers on import. Projects can be rendered in the app’s Render Queue or with Adobe Media Encoder. Adobe recommends a dedicated video editing app such as Premiere for editing video clips. After Effects runs on Windows and macOS, and activation, subscription validation, and online services require internet access and registration. Adobe provides free training guides through its portal and within the app, as well as instructor-led video courses. A seven-day trial is listed, but there is no free plan.
Who it suits
After Effects suits motion designers and visual effects creators working with animation, compositing, and 3D elements alongside 2D graphics. It is less suited to editing video clips, for which Adobe recommends a dedicated editing app.
What it does well
- Animates text, still images, and illustrations
- 3D workspace combines 3D shapes and 2D graphics
- AI Object Matte isolates moving subjects
- Links compositions to Premiere without intermediate rendering
- Includes free training guides
What to know first
- No free plan
- Seven-day trial
- Internet access and registration required for activation and online services
- Adobe recommends another app for editing video clips
Limits
The free trial lasts seven days, and there is no free plan. The students-and-teachers plan is listed at $19.99 a month for the first year when billed annually monthly, then US$39.99 per month; eligibility is required.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Creative Cloud Pro for students and teachers | Annual, billed monthly; first year, then US$39.99/mo · 20+ apps including After Effects · 4,000 monthly generative credits · 100GB cloud storage · eligibility required | $19.99 a month |
| After Effects | Annual, billed monthly · After Effects · Adobe Express Premium · Frame.io for Creative Cloud · 100GB cloud storage · 25 monthly generative credits | $22.99 a month |
| Creative Cloud Pro | Annual, billed monthly; introductory price for the first 3 months, then US$69.99/mo · After Effects · 20+ apps · 4,000 monthly generative credits · 100GB cloud storage | $34.99 a month |
| After Effects for teams | Annual, billed monthly; per license · After Effects · Adobe Express Premium · Frame.io for Creative Cloud · 100GB cloud storage · 25 monthly generative credits | $37.99 a month |
| Creative Cloud Pro for teams | Annual, billed monthly; per license · After Effects · 20+ apps · 4,000 monthly generative credits · 100GB cloud storage | $99.99 a month |
As adobe.com lists them, read 12 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Getting started
- Open the After Effects website
- Start the seven-day free trial
- Choose an After Effects, Creative Cloud, teams, or eligible students-and-teachers plan
- Install on Windows or macOS
- Provide internet access and registration for activation and subscription validation
Verdict
After Effects focuses on animation and visual effects, with useful links to Premiere and Photoshop workflows. Check its internet and registration requirements, and use a dedicated editor for video clips.
Questions
Does After Effects have a free plan?
No. It offers a seven-day free trial, but no free plan.
Which platforms does After Effects support?
It supports Windows and macOS.
What does the students-and-teachers plan cost?
It is listed at $19.99 a month, billed annually monthly, for the first year, then US$39.99 per month. Eligibility is required.
Can After Effects edit video clips?
Adobe recommends using a dedicated video-editing application such as Premiere for editing video clips.
Does it integrate with Premiere and Photoshop?
Yes. Dynamic Link brings compositions into Premiere without intermediate rendering, and layered Photoshop PSD files retain their layers when imported.
Is After Effects node-based?
No. Node-based compositing is listed as unsupported.
Facts from Adobe After Effects's own pages
- 3D workspace
- Its 3D workspace supports creating, combining, and animating 3D shapes alongside 2D graphics. · adobe.com, 12 Oct 2026
- AI matte
- AI Object Matte can isolate a moving subject with a hover and click, with refinement brushes for stray pixels. · adobe.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Editing limit
- Adobe recommends using a dedicated video editing app such as Premiere for editing video clips. · adobe.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Founded
- 1982 · adobe.com, 23 Sept 2026
- Free plan
- No · adobe.com, 20 Sept 2026
- Headquarters
- San Jose, California, USA · adobe.com, 23 Sept 2026
- Motion graphics
- It animates still images, illustrations, and text for motion graphics, including title sequences and credits. · adobe.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Photoshop integration
- Layered Photoshop PSD files can be imported with their layers intact. · adobe.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Premiere integration
- After Effects compositions can be imported into Premiere using Adobe Dynamic Link without intermediate rendering. · adobe.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- After Effects is motion design and visual effects software for animating text, graphics, and illustrations and compositing effects for film, TV, video, and the web. · adobe.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Rendering
- Projects can be rendered in the app with Render Queue or outside it with Adobe Media Encoder. · adobe.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Security and compliance
- Adobe says it integrates security activities into its product lifecycle and undergoes independent audits for compliance with industry standards and regulations. · adobe.com, 12 Oct 2026
- System requirements
- The current requirements page lists Windows and macOS and says internet access and registration are required for activation, subscription validation, and online services. · helpx.adobe.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Tracking and cleanup
- The product includes object tracking and Content-Aware Fill to remove unwanted elements across video frames. · adobe.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Training and support
- Adobe offers free training guides through its After Effects Training Portal and within the app, plus instructor-led video training courses. · adobe.com, 12 Oct 2026
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