Sapphire alternatives

Paid 29 alternatives

Official website

Sapphire plugins enable you to make visually appealing organic looks unrivaled by any host native effects tools in the industry. It comes packed with many features, including a robust Effect and Transition Builder, more than 3000 presets, and 270 effects, as well as integrated masking and tracking with Mocha.

Creators can leverage Sapphire’s top-notch image quality and render speed to save a huge amount of time and concentrate their energy on stuff that really matters to them to offer engaging experiences to the audience. It is aimed towards pros and allows them to deliver stunning results. All the effects are GPU-accelerated to accelerate rendering with NVIDIA CUDA technology for Linux and Microsoft Windows as well Metal technology for macOS.

Explore the library of thousands of preset effects curated by professional artists to ensure maximum satisfaction. The effects are well-received among the user base, thanks to the user-friendly experience coupled with a speedy workflow and uniform naming structure, which makes it simple for artists and editors to begin producing amazing effects. Sapphire-supported hosts include SGO Mistika, Blackmagic Resolve, VEGAS Pro, The Foundry Nuke, Adobe After Effects, and Avid Media Composer.

Ranked alternatives

1
Autodesk SmokePaid
Autodesk Smoke is a video effects solution that connects FX and editing tools to assist production companies in maximizing productivity by merging node-based compositing tools with an editing workflow. One of its features is Timeline-based creative workflow which allows you to place your creative work across a track-based, easy-to-use nonlinear-editor workflow containing robust visual FX tools that come in handy in a lot of situations.
Another advantage is that you can create sophisticated effects while not leaving the timeline with ConnectFX node-based compositing. The solution combines shading tools, keying, transformation, lightning, tracking, and deformation in an interactive 3D workspace. There are several other features present within Smoke, and these include Smoke and FCP X, 3D text and geometry, and Dynamic trimming.
Autodesk Smoke alternatives
2
RealflowPaid
Realflow is a powerful application for dynamics and fluid simulation that comes packed with various tools to make it easy for you to manipulate visualization of the behavior of rigid bodies and fluids and their interlinkage with the surroundings. The solution was and remains the best option for creating highly precise and realistic fluid simulation effects in the industry, and it has gained a large userbase ever since its founding.
Realflow has been used in the creation of some of the biggest blockbuster movies in Hollywood, like “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Lords of the Rings: Return of the King”, and “Sweeny Todd”. Apart from these titles, it has also helped in the making of multiple animations, advertisements, and short films.
Realflow alternatives
3
NUKEPaid
NUKE is a Film Editing and VFX solution that helps with Review, Compositing, and Editorial. It has been around for 20 years and, since then, has enabled teams to collaborate to bring pixel-perfect results at high speed without compromising on quality and creativity. Thanks to its wide array of tools, it can be used for different productions like episodic content, blockbusters, and short-form. The Nuke family provides unmatched performance and power to fulfill the requirements of modern production work. You can handle an unmatched scope of work due to its resolution-independent and graph processing.
Other valuable features are the efficiency, collaboration, and speed through which you can work together with others from anywhere and anytime. Use its next-gen toolkits, fluid workflows, and GPU acceleration to experience like never before. Nuke is completely customizable and open and is compatible with major operating systems along with low hardware requirements and support for industry standards such as Pyside, OCIO, python API, and Alembic.
NUKE alternatives
4
MotionStudio 3DPaid
MotionStudio 3D is an animation software that allows you to apply stunning effects, 3D animation, and custom 3D titles in your animations. It is bundled with simple yet powerful tools for motion blur, 3D graphics, particle effects, animated text, and more, providing you with everything you need to make your movie a success.
The solution offers Real-time 3D graphics, which allows everyone to create visual effects, 3D graphics, and animations on the fly. Use the Preview panel to arrange and playback 3D creations without hassle. Another reason for choosing MotionStudio 3D is the Dynamic 3D titles and text, which allows everyone to tell their story in the desired way. With hundreds of presets, artists can implement excitement and impact in their movies in no time at all.
Add drama and amazingness to your graphics and productions with the professional particle system, which simplifies simulating natural elements such as snow, fire, bubbles, and smoke. Other features include Cool 3D titles, EasyPalette, Intuitive Interface, Broad format support, High-speed preview, Alpha Channels, Realistic particle systems, Depth of field adjustments, Realistic Motion Blur, Import 3D models, raster, and vector graphics.
MotionStudio 3D alternatives
5
SpeedTree CinemaPaid
SpeedTree Cinema is a leading 3D Vegetation Modeling software preferred by many artists in the industry. It has received many awards and enables you to animate, model, and texture photoreal as well as stylized vegetation for matte, VFX, or arch/vi paintings without problems. You can shape and model the desired type of vegetation by utilizing a mixture of fine-tuned and procedural art controls.
Use textures to bring beauty to your models in a few seconds using export scripts for famous renderers and DCCs. Take a look and tune new wind effects and create stunning and visually appealing animated growth sequences to capture the attention of the viewer. The solution comes packed with an Art Director Tool, which makes it easy to shape the tree, no matter if shaping is done to a single twig or entire branch levels.
Other features include Shell Geometry, Built-in Spine Forces, Material variance, Decoration Generators, Pruning, Faster AO Computation, Interval Generation Algorithm, Leaf Collision, Mesh Cutout System, PBR Materials and Workflow, and Bifurcation Generation Algorithm.
SpeedTree Cinema alternatives
6
Massive PrimeFree
Massive Prime is industry-leading and well-regarded software that helps you in directing, authoring, and rendering custom autonomous agents for visual effects and animation. It makes it easy for artists to create realistic crowd scenes in real-time. It comes with an intuitive UI that enables you to create AI-enabled agents without writing a single line of code. Use the solution to deliver natural and realistic crowd performances and watch your revenue grow.
The best feature is that you can create custom agents instantly and with great ease. Artists of all skill levels can create challenging behavioral patterns for AI-controlled agents in a short time. The AI toolset allows the artist to construct custom AI logic for the desired behavior they want to simulate. There is an option that lets you save these “brain parts” for reuse and share them across multiple projects and behaviors.
Another advantage of Massive Prime is that it can be used to accomplish professional, film-quality visuals for your agents. Utilize the rigid body dynamics, high-resolution geometry, dynamic hair and fur, and powerful cloth tools to give life to the characters. Other highlights include No “black box” functionality, Integration into popular CG pipelines, and creation of realistic crowd performances without the hassle.
Massive Prime alternatives
7
SGO MistikaPaid
SGO Mistika is a suite of top-notch products designed to help with media content creation. They can be used for various purposes, including VR, Grading, S3D, Finishing, VFX, and HDR. The solutions are developed on years of production, research, and development experience and enable facilities with new levels of workflow efficiency, creative power, and performance to deliver for a client.
The company separated functionalities of its Hero Suite Mistika Ultima into multiple software to answer particular industry needs and created advanced workflow applications. The product lineup include mistika review, mistika boutique, mistika workflows, mistika ultima, and mistika vr. The products are compatible with multiple operating systems such as Mac, Windows, and Linux.
SGO Mistika alternatives
8
Final Effects CompletePaid
Final Effects Complete is a software developed by Boris FX that allows you to add stunning effects to your titles with full creative freedom. You can explore its effects library and experiment with different ones to see what works best for you. Preview each created project and tune those needing optimizations.
The features include a BCC Beat Reactor, which allows you to animate effects to the sound of music, 120 filters and 800 presets, and the option to generate 3D particle animations in no time at all. Other newly added functionalities include Integrated Pixel Chooser for masking options, stylized filters like 3D Relief, Vector Blur, Kaleida, Glass, and Auto-animating transitions such as Light Wipe, Blur Dissolve, and Glass Wipe.
Final Effects Complete alternatives
9
Synapse CompositorFree
Synapse Compositor is an Open Source node-based compositor for Microsoft Windows and Linux operating systems. It comes with an intuitive interface with multiple functionalities that you can use in your projects. It is suitable for several use cases and can be used by artists of all levels without issues. Besides the usual options, you will also find zoom in and zoom out buttons. What differentiates Synapse Compositor from the rest is that it requires no payment, and because of that, you can use it an unlimited amount of times without restrictions.
Synapse Compositor alternatives
10
ButtleOFXFree
ButtleOFX is an easy-to-use and simple compositing solution influenced by TuttleOFX, which is a sustainable, freeware, and modular processing architecture. You can use ButtleOFX to create stunning effects for videos and photos; all made possible thanks to its many features.
The highlights include a visually appealing to create effects without bothering with graphs, Parameters Editors for effects customization, multiple workspace layouts based on your requirements, and an integrated to find pictures for importing, and a beautiful Graph editor to link nodes. The solution was developed by a couple of hard-working teams from the IMAC engineering school in a span of two years. The purpose behind its creation was to provide efficient and simple compositing software.
ButtleOFX alternatives
11
PhotoAnimFree
PhotoAnim is a great tool that enables artists to animate photos and create videos. You can use it to share or publish Interactive WebGL animations on its official site. The software has three basic modes named Movie Mode, Animate mode, and Image edit mode. The Movie mode gives you the ability to extract the subject from text, background, draw shapes, and image corrections, and the animate mode allows for warping or skeletal animation on several regions, and finally, the movie mode lets you manipulate the position of the camera and produce video.
The special feature which differentiates it from the rest is the option to convert a few flat images into 3D objects. The source image can be either a drawing or a photo, as well as text or simple shapes. This flexibility paves the path to a broad range of 3D applications ranging from cartoons to presentations to logos to animated text.
PhotoAnim alternatives
12
SnowmixFree
Snowmix is the best-in-class open source video mixer that is not only fast but also a flexible command-line tool that makes it easy for you to mix live audio and video feeds dynamically. It comes with built-in support for mixing and overlaying videos, texts, graphics elements, and images in 3D and 2D, along with supporting the combining of audio sources.
It has a huge set of features that have been added to make the life of an artist simpler and easier. The highlights include support for chroma keying, unlimited amount of regular video feeds, support for indexed images allowing for quick image-based animation, rectangular clipping for virtual and regular video feeds, managing PAR for regular video feeds, and independent volume and muting controls for every audio element.
Snowmix alternatives
13
Dead DeerFree
Dead Deer is a freeware 3D demo maker, 3D modeler, and 3D game maker developed to help you create games. You can use the scripting language to make interactions in pseudo-C with the animation and utilize your own shaders to synthesize the rendering. The solution supports GLES20, Direct3D9, OpenGL, FLSL, ShaderModel3, ShaderModel5, Direct3D11, and METAL for iOS and OSX. The software is compatible with Android, Linux, Microsoft Windows, and Mac. Other features include Raspberry PI, 3D, OpenGL, Web ASM, Direct3D, UWP, Google VR, Web ASM, Oculus, and Steam VR.
Dead Deer alternatives
14
Adobe Illustrator CCPaid
Adobe Illustrator CC is the fastest-growing vector graphic software created for professional graphic designers and artists. The software comes with a wide variety of tools, effects, and filters to help designers to quickly create graphic designs for websites, video games, mobile apps, and logos, etc. Its tools, which work with vector graphics, can also create designs, sketches, and illustrations for product packaging, clothing, and more.
As a vector designing tool used by all types of media and can produce artworks with pixel-perfect accuracy. Just like most of the leading vector design software, it also comes with a vast library of templates. Each template on this software created by an expert team, and you can easily choose and modify each one without any limitation. Furthermore, Adobe Illustrator CC allows you to access more than 90 million images, videos, and other creative assets that make it better than others.
There is also has built-in and ready-made presets, and with these presets, designers can start their work from blank pages instead of templates. Adobe Illustrator CC also offers core features such as snap to pixel capability, images in brushes, touch workspace, CSS extractor tool, file packaging, anchor point enhancement options, and custom design, etc.
Adobe Illustrator CC alternatives
15
Corel Draw X6Paid
Corel Draw X6 is a patch version of Corel Draw and can handle large-sized files. It has a huge collection of standard vector editing tools and an intuitive color palette system, and a fun set of vector shaping tools that allow you to distort basic vectors into more organic shapes. There’s also support for object styles, which can be applied to any element on your canvas, including text. Its other interesting features include the ability to draw placeholder content for page layouts, built-in support for application scripting, and advanced fill options that allow you to fill an object with bitmap artwork. One interesting point is that Corel Draw will open Microsoft Publisher files.
Corel Draw X6 Suite is a standalone product that includes 10,000 clipart files, 1,000 high-resolution stock images, 1,000 fonts, and 350 templates, as well as Corel’s alternative to Photoshop, Photo-Paint X6, and website development tool. Its new version includes enhancements to the Font list, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite x6.4, and a fix for spot colors. In addition, SVG export and SVG round-tripping (importing SVG files exported from CorelDRAW) was improved, and transformations applied to embedded bitmaps in CorelDRAW X6 are now preserved / re-applied when editing the bitmap in Corel PHOTO-PAINT X6.
Corel Draw X6 alternatives
16
MacawFree
Macaw is a professional web design tool for both designers and developers, being the first web design tool to blend the fluid and intuitive interface of an image editor with a powerful design-to-code engine. Its development team claims that you can create responsive web designs using the web as your medium. It was developed to rapidly create wireframes, prototypes, and mock-ups and provide the static HTML, CSS, and JavaScript needed to get your designs on the web quickly.
Macaw’s design environment is powered by a real-time layout engine called Stream, allowing elements to be manipulated like image editors like Adobe’s Photoshop. This application offers a list of browser-safe fonts and a curated list of Google Web Fonts, but you can add Typekit fonts and enable System Fonts. Behind the scenes, Stream calculates all of the properties necessary to place the elements into a static document flow. Using the Alchemy design to code engine, it analyses your design to generate smart, usable HTML and CSS with the click of a button.
Macaw alternatives
17
Tumult Hype 2.5Freemium
Tumult Hype 2.5 is an amazing tool for creating HMTL5 websites. If you are not a web developer looking for a website creator that could solve all your issues, this is just the perfect option. Besides, this tool features websites that will load within seconds on any platform like PC, Laptop, Smartphone, or iPad.
Its framework is based on an animation system which means that now you can have animation effects for your websites without even going through the back-end code or having knowledge about GUI. This platform lets you add content, move or arrange spaces just by simple dragging. Similarly, if you want to see some attractive curves in your websites, it can also be done with fewer clicks.
Tumult Hype 2.5 alternatives
18
Corel AfterShot Pro 2Paid
Corel’s AfterShot Pro 2 lets you enhance and manage your photos professionally. This application utilizes 64-Bit performance, up to 4x faster than other RAW image manipulation applications. It is the best way to unlock the flexibility of shooting RAW images. With unparalleled speed, power, and a sleek new interface, it is a RAW converter, photo editor, and a complete high-speed photo management application. The latest version of this non-destructive photo editor and high-speed photo manager offers advanced image adjustments and rapid RAW conversion and handling capabilities.
This 64-bit application can handle much larger images than before, with 250 RAW camera profiles and a new batch processing workflow. Its OpenCL support lets you tap into GPU-based power boosts. It features imaging adjustments include versioning, selective adjustments, local contrast, Athentech Imaging Noise Removal, lens correction, and a complete set of HDR tools.
Corel AfterShot Pro 2 alternatives
19
DaVinci ResolvePaid
DaVinci Resolve is an advanced 64-bit video finishing tool, multitrack editor, and color correction software, offering a collaborative workflow. It offers 32-bit floating-point image processing and uses a unique YRGB color space for grading. It uses node-based processing where each node can have color correction, power windows, and effects applied. It is highly scalable and supports up to eight GPUs working together, and offers powerful delivery options for versioning, finishing, and delivery at any resolution. It can share sequences and round trip projects with Final Cut Pro X, Media Composer, and Premiere Pro CC.
At the same time, VFX shots from Fusion and After Effects CC can be dropped directly into the timeline for final grading and finishing. DaVinci Resolve combines professional non-linear video editing with the world’s most advanced color corrector, so now you can edit, color correct, finish and deliver all from one system. It is a completely scalable and resolution-independent platform to be used on set, in a small studio, or integrated into the largest Hollywood production. From creative editing and multi-camera television production to high-end finishing and color correction, it features the creative tools, compatibility, speed, and legendary image quality you need to manage your entire workflow.
DaVinci Resolve alternatives
20
VectornatorPaid
Vectornator is the leading vector design software that is very effective in making layouts with geometric shapes, gradients, textures, and patterns. The software is pretty much easier to operate and is the ideal vector software for all designers. You can use Vectornator on your computer or on your iPad or iPhone. You have the leverage of using powerful gesture controls to change your node types or change the types of all your nodes with just one finger on the screen.
Vectornator can be used to make screen layouts, like for websites, banners, and flyers. You also have the ability to create hand-drawn cartoons, illustrations, or 3D scenes. With Vectornator, you draw shapes that then show on your screen. You can rotate them, move them around and edit them with the selected layer having a layer tool. Vectornator has powerful export options, so you can easily reuse your designs. You can easily export your designs to Photoshop, Illustrator, or any other vector-based design program.
Vectornator alternatives
21
Gravit DesignerPaid
Gravit Designer is a full-featured graphic design for Windows, lets you create logos, illustrations, icons, and much more. The application dispenses powerful drawing and text tools, high-quality raster effects and brushes, that are crucial to making compelling designs. You can work on your designs with all the convenience of modern GUI, unlimited undo/redo capability, and handy drawing assistants.
You have the reliability to access existing Google Drive files, and there is also an option to create a new one. There is a lot of option to choose between distortions, filters, color adjustments, shadows, and much more. You can start designing immediately after installing Gravit Designer. It has an intuitive visual interface that lets you create vector artwork in all its forms.
You can enjoy creating stunning vector graphics with Gravit Designer. Gravit Designer has a built-in photo-realistic image editor and supports importing and exporting images in multiple file formats. The application also has support for various vector graphics formats. The touch interface provides every bit of functionalities from the desktop and web versions, including iPad, Microsoft Surface, and more to add.
Gravit Designer alternatives
22
Boxy SVGPaid
Boxy SVG is the best vector graphics editor software that is useful in creating icons, logos, illustrations, and other elements. It comes with the robust feature of exporting artwork to several formats, including SVG, JPG, PNG, PDF, and HTML5 Canvas. More likely, you can share all of your work on social media. You have the leverage of a fine control element, allowing you to make changes in your designs, and there are no tedious dialog boxes.
With Boxy SVG’s intuitive interface and customizable tools allow for easy access to adjustment layers. All of your illustrations can be created quickly and easily. Boxy SVG provides you with all the features that make it easy to create high-quality illustrations. The dynamic interface allows users to have accessibility to editing tools like shaping, gradient, coloring, lining, sketching, and much more. This flexible graphing designing software provides hundreds of tools to create compelling illustrations and apply Layer Styles with the Adjustment Layers.
Boxy SVG alternatives
23
Affinity DesignerPaid
Affinity Designer is an agile vector designing tool that is built for your windows system, emulating your sketching experience. It has all of Sketch’s power, but with updated features like support for curved shapes and smart scaling, which make it easier to draw large items without losing quality. Affinity Designer is much easier to use than Sketch, and it also provides easy vector drawing tools such as shapes and guides. It comes with smart scaling, so you can draw huge items without losing quality.
Affinity Designer, made by the same people who brought you Affinity Photo for photo editing, is a vector design program that is designed to. Affinity Designer seems to be so reliable, and if you are thinking of making a modern vector design app that mimics Sketch, then the program can be the valid choice for you. Furthermore, Affinity Designer has the ability to read Sketch files, so you can easily bring your designs from Sketch to Affinity Designer.
Affinity Designer alternatives
24
LunacyPaid
Lunacy is pretty functional in graphic design software for windows that can be crucial in animations, 3-D models, and game development. The software is facilitating you via providing robust tools for creating logos, designing the layout of brochures or magazines. It also has tools to create icons and graphics. It also can help with marketing products by creating advertisements or logos for them.
This utility provides you the ability to create animations and backgrounds for websites. Developers and users may choose to share projects via online filesharing sites such as Dropbox or Google Drive. It provides complete compatibility with sketching and facilitates you with Built-in icons, photos, vector illustrations, and more. Lunacy is also good for stock photography, including photos taken automatically by cameras on mobile devices. After creating a project, one can save it as a file and open it back up to see the finished product
Lunacy alternatives
25
SketchPaid
Sketch is an alluring digital sketching platform that provides complete flexibility to freelancers from around the globe to showcase their talent and earn some revenue for sure. Sketch is facilitating you with all the tools that are intended to provide a flexible and collaborative design process, whether it be developer handoff, playable prototypes, and some artworks.
There is great support for syncing, so you can keep all of your documents together, and everyone has the reliability to access things they need having version history support. This handy utility comes with a user-friendly interface, which is valuable for providing comprehensive features and that are accessible too right from your macOS application.
You have the ultimate collaboration support, so as a team member, you can transparently see out other ideas in a unified place. The other amazing thing about this great designing utility is its open designing process that makes all set from stakeholders to give feedback and share prototypes for testing. Moreover, you have complete customization support for your workflow with the help of plugins, integrations, and more, so you have a complete tendency to make your design more accessible with functionalities.
Sketch alternatives
26
PenpotPaid
Penpot is a free-to-use and open-source designing and prototyping platform, helping you to create beautiful mockups for your designs. It contains a wide variety of components that you can mix and match to make your mockup more unique. This tool is perfect for anyone who needs an effective design process. You can use the components to create your own mockups, or you can download an existing one.
With this graphic designing tool, you have the ability to drag the components into the workspace to start creating your mockup. You can create solid interactions, present worthy proposals with your teams, and, more likely, remain top of your design with user testing. There is rich collaboration support, allowing you to invite your team member and carry out the designing discussions. All members of your team can work on the design in real-time and give feedback, ideas, and comments on the existing design.
Penpot alternatives
27
sK1Free
sK1 is a robust vector graphic software that is open source and designed for Windows, GNU/Linux, and macOS platforms. This software is sufficient to use for both novice and professionals. It features a GUI which resembles other illustration programs. The software is easy to use and has a powerful plugin architecture. This advanced vector graphic software is specially created for professional graphic standards.
The software comes with a free render system to generate scalable graphics of any size, a wide range of vector tools, a built-in scripting interface, and many other features. sK1 is highly extensible through plugins, providing the capability to add new commands or input and output filters. The command-line interface makes it possible to generate vector graphics of any size and automate repetitive tasks. sK1 project seems to be easy to use, and options Auto-Size or ideal line width makes it suitable for beginners.
sK1 alternatives
28
particleIllusionFree
particleIllusion is a top-notch application that enables you to create animated particles to make your videos glow. The solutions work seamlessly with several apps such as 3D Studio, After Effects, Pro Premiere, and MediaStudio. What makes it unique is the high speed at which the effects are implemented which is made possible with the use of OpenGL acceleration which helps with the development of the program.
Another advantage is the appearance of reality that it can access, and this is great as you can apply professional and credible effects inside your videos such as steam, mist, or fire. The program can be expanded by using the webpage along with several related pages, and you can also explore tons of libraries containing many animations developed in particles and available for free usage.
particleIllusion alternatives
29
LiconcompFree
Liconcomp is a robust and open-source solution for Microsoft Windows that enables live content compositing to display screens for LED installations, digital signage, scoreboards, making it useful in many different situations. It is programmed with the functionality to compose camera images, videos, and text and play them back on the fly.
The solution is best for the playback of material on huge screens as well as LED perimeter systems, LED walls, scrolling LED displays, and screens in custom formats. It is able to merge various content such as tickers or videos and render them to the screen without hassle. Other features include presentation of videos, playback of several elements like video, text simultaneously, which can be implemented with arbitrary UI by a coder, and presentation of images, feeds, and camera images from external players.
Liconcomp alternatives