Whether you’re a seasoned animator or just starting out, there are a variety of animation apps available for the iPad that can help you create your next masterpiece.

Here we picked 10 of the best iPad animation apps that will let you unleash your creative potential. Take a look at the list below and install any of the best animation apps on your iPad.

Top 10 Animation Apps for iPad

1. FlipaClip

FlipaClip is one of the best apps for making cartoon-themed animations on iPad.

The app has different types of tools like Brushes, Lasso, Ruler, Text, Fill and Eraser. You can create animations in any resolution up to 1920 × 1920. While creating the animation, you can add up to 10 layers. The app even allows you to add audio clips from the offline library.

What’s more, contests and challenges are posted frequently in the app. You can join them for free and win prizes. With Apple Pencil support and social media sharing, you can create and share something different.

The app is available for free, but you need to get the Pro version to access all the features.

FlipaClip Features

• Draw with practical tools like Brushes, Lasso, Fill, Paint Buckets, Eraser, Ruler shapes, and insert Text with multiple font options all for free
• Animating frame-by-frame is super easy with an intuitive animation timeline and practical tools
• Custom canvas sizes – up to 1920×1920!
• Post to TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, or Tumblr
• Apple Pencil is supported

2. Animation Desk

Animation Desk is a perfect tool for animating, storyboarding, and sketching. It is considered as the best animation app for iPad by many iPad users.

The app allows you to draw frame by frame from scratch, or create animations and animatic storyboards upon videos, images, Photoshop layers. The app has onion skin colors, 9 different layers and over 46 brushes. With Apple Pencil, you can easily draw just like you draw on paper.

In addition to the great tool, there is a big community of talented animators. You can get inspired by their work or share your work for them to get inspired.

You can download the app for free, but the Pro version subscription starts from $3.99 per month.

Animation Desk Features:

• Frame-by-frame editing
• Create animations with different aspect of ratio, FPS, and duration
• Export PSD layers, PDF, GIF (up to 640×480 px)， and videos

3. Animation Creator HD 

Animation Creator HD is one of the best paid drawing and animation apps for those who choose to draw, but do not yet have enough skills or talent.

In fact, Animation Maker has the simplest, yet most classic and powerful tools for drawing and storytelling. In the app, you can import UHD 4K quality videos and edit them without any hassle. Also, you can feel like a real director or editor – adjust everything from the frame sequence to the frequency.

In addition, Animation Creator HD has some advanced tools like Audio Manager Tool, Animation Cleanup Tool, Ink Flow Effect Pens, Onion Skin and many more.

The app is priced at $3.99.

Animation Creator HD Features

• Ultra HD 4K, 1920×1080, 1280×720 & more!
• No limits, Infinite frames and animations
• Select/Cut/Copy/Paste/Scale
• ‘Onion Skinning’, overlay of previous/next frame

4. RoughAnimator

RoughAnimator is an animation application that lets you draw things and then play them back to create animations. It has advanced drawing tools as well as some basic video tools to help you create those animations.

Just like Animation Desk, you can draw animation frame by frame. The app has features like onion skinning, preview playback, and custom brushes. However, what makes me impressed is that RoughAnimator projects can be imported to Adobe Flash/Animate, After Effects, and Toon Boom Harmony. It is one of the few iPad animation apps that can be used by both professionals and beginners.

The app costs $4.99 on the App Store.

RoughAnimator Features

• Timeline with unlimited layers and easily adjustable exposure length of individual drawings, for pose-to-pose or straight-ahead animating
• Import audio for lip syncing
• Import video for rotoscoping animation
• Export animation to QuickTime video, GIF, or image sequence
• Supports Apple Pencil, Logitech Crayon, Adonit & Wacom Bluetooth styluses

5. Animatic

Animatic by Inkboard is one of the best apps for creating hand-drawn animations on iPad. Like RoughAnimator, it is suitable for both professionals and beginners.

Animatic is very easy to use. Start a new animation and the app dumps you in front of a blank canvas. When you’re done scribbling down an initial drawing, hit the plus button and you’ll be given a fresh frame to fill in, with a faded version of the previous sketch for reference. Make subtle changes in each drawing and before you know it you’ve got a flip-book style looping animation on your hands!

You can export animations to any format you like, such as GIF, MP4, and PSD format. If you export in PSD format, you have the privilege to edit them in Adobe applications.

Animatic by Inkboard costs $9.99 on the App Store.

Animatic Features

• Easy to use frame editor
• Export animations to animated GIFs, video, and PSD
• Flexible onion-skinning
• Repeat frames

6. Animation Desk Classic 

Animation Desk Classic is an animation app for iPad that allows you to create hand-drawn frame animation.

The main workspace included in the app is called the animation desk. Inside it, you can find the paint tools, the drawing board, frame panel, the playback controls for the animation and more.

Turning your sketches into animations is a simple procedure that can be done in just a few steps. Furthermore, Animation Desk Classic renders all your frames quickly and smoothly and lets you preview the animation in real-time.

Animation Desk Classic Features

• Cut, copy, paste tool
• Add recordings and soundtracks
• Onion skinning
• Export videos, PDF storyboards, and ad.Package

7. Animation & Drawing by Do Ink

Animation & Drawing by Do Ink is an ideal animation app for beginners and students.

First of all, Do Ink Animation and Drawing is easy to use and does not require any initial skills in drawing. Second, despite its simplicity, you have access to some fancy animation tools. For more experienced artists there are also more advanced features, but still the app is more suitable for those just starting out in animation.

Children will simply work on the app, because it immediately has basic geometric shapes – stars, rectangles, circles, etc. The brush sets allow effective hand drawing, and the eraser will help correct flaws. For best results, you can work on different layers, scale elements, or group them into a single element.

In the app, you can export your work in formats like H.264, PNG and save it to your camera roll for easy access. The app supports all aspect ratios like HD (16×9), SD (4×3), and square (1×1).

Animation & Drawing by Do Ink is priced at $4.99.

Animation & Drawing by Do Ink Features

• Easy-to-use, yet powerful vector drawing tools
• Flipbook-style animating – great for beginning animators
• Keyframe animating – graduate to powerful animation techniques
• Extensive collection of reusable art “props” (static and animated)

8. Stop Motion Studio

Stop Motion Studio is one of the simplest animation apps for iPad.

The app has the simplest user interface and easy to create animation tools. The Stop Motion Studio app has pre-built templates, text cards, titles and more to instantly add to your video. You can also make your own template. Editing options like video filters, fading effects, rotoscoping, and green screen editing are available. You can also import songs from the library or you can create a soundtrack with the built-in music player. In addition to animating videos, it also has a built-in image editor.

Stop Motion Studio Features

• Overlay mode showing the differences between frames
• Copy, paste, cut, and insert frames at any position
• Interactive timeline so you never get lost, even if you have hundreds of frames
• Save to your photo library or share to YouTube in 4K or 1080p

9. FrameFervor

FrameFervor lets you create real life doodles, animated gifs, hand drawn animations, and anything else you can imagine (as long as it moves).

The most interesting and easy thing you can do in the app is to overlay animations, drawings, and stickers on excerpts from movies or clips. You can create funny GIF animations with videos that you have filmed yourself, with your friends or pets. You’ll have the simplest drawing tools at your fingertips: brushes, erasers and stamps.

FrameFervor Features

• Hand Drawn frame-by-frame
• Keyframe interpolation
• Scale, Translate, and Rotate drawings
• Export to GIF or Movie

10. Animation Kit

Animation Kit is one of the simplest animation apps for iPad.

In the app, you can easily draw in color palettes, add simple shapes and text, and create simple animations. The app is suitable for beginners as it is easy to learn and master. There are no advanced features in the app so it is not recommended for professional animators.

You can share your work with people in the community. In the new update, they have added the new tool – particle tool. With this, you can add any number of particles to embellish your animation.

The app is available for free on the App Store.

Animation Kit Features

• Tutorials that teach how to make stop-motion and keyframe animations
• Draw and sketch with beautiful color palettes
• Create moving characters by animating various body parts
• Create tweening animations for position, size, rotation, and transparency
• Pre-made graphics and characters

Which Is the Best iPad Animation App?

These are the best animation apps for iPad or iPad Pro. You just have to choose the app that interests you the most, which will be your assistant and companion in the world of animation. Do not hesitate, start right now, we do not doubt that you already have many ideas!