This holiday season embraces new beginnings with the latest update of VSDC Video Editor! We’ve listened to your feedback and decided to focus on enhancing the tools you love most—all while laying the groundwork for even more exciting innovations coming next year!

The update introduces such features as an upgraded Text Conversion tool, a standalone Blur Background effect, new Color Grading opportunities, a more user-friendly template preview window and more. Additionally, we’ve curated a special holiday gift for you: a festive collection of templates featuring both free and premium Christmas-themed backgrounds to add magic to your videos, along with a variety of abstract backgrounds designed for every season.

Read further and learn more about VSDC 9.4!

Don’t forget to install the new 9.4 version

Upgraded Text Conversion Tool

What you loved most about the previous update is now even better! Say goodbye to the hassle of closing and reopening the window of the text conversion tool if you don't see results. Take full advantage of the preview window, accessible in all tool modes!

We’re confident you’ll also appreciate the presets we’ve designed for the Free Shape, Curve Line and Text Blocks modes. They are ideal for creating text animations like Stroke Text, Text Reveals and more, with options to select the method and speed of text appearance. No need to manually adjust the settings — just choose the preset that works best for your text!

Additionally, you’ll find the template window, available for Free Shape and Text Blocks. It allows you to preview templates before applying them for Fade-in and Fade-out!

100+ Background Templates

What’s Christmas without greeting cards and beautiful holiday videos? Our new templates feature two collections of Christmas backgrounds: one free and one premium, both perfect for bringing holiday joy into life! Choose from designs with Christmas trees, gift wrap styles and many more. Be sure: it’s a wonderful opportunity to impress everyone with colorful posts on social media and beyond!

And when the holidays are over, you may find yourself in need of versatile backgrounds for presentations or other projects. We’ve got you covered with 10 collections of abstract animated templates.

Take a moment to explore these stunning designs and tell us—what do these abstract backgrounds evoke for you? After all, the beauty of abstraction lies in letting everyone see what they want to see.

Quick Access Toolbar

Now you have even more options to customize your workspace in VSDC! With the new Quick Access toolbar all root folders of the template window are just a click away, so you can keep your frequently used folders always at your fingertips.

What’s more, you can fully personalize the icons in this panel! Choose your favorite from our library or import your own icon. Want larger icons? You can do that too! Just right-click on the panel and activate the “Large icons” option.

Color Grading Enhancement

For those who love playing with colors in the Color Grading panel we have an exciting new feature! Now you can add the Color Grading effect directly to the timeline. This is the perfect way to quickly apply your custom color adjustments to multiple videos. Simply tweak the settings in the Color Grading panel, click the new button in the lower-left corner and add the effect to your current object on the timeline. From there you can easily copy and apply it to other files or save it in the template window to use for future editings!

Of course, we’ve taken care of bugs and fine-tuned minor issues, ensuring the program is now more stable and reliable than ever before! It’s fully prepared and eagerly awaits the exciting transformations we have in store for the coming year!

VSDC Team wishes you happy holidays filled with joy, boundless creativity and continued success in all your endeavors!

Your feedback drives our progress, so don’t hesitate to share your thoughts with us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or connect with us on Facebook, X, Reddit, Discord and YouTube.

Thank you for being part of our journey—we’re excited to create more amazing moments together!

Intro

In 2024 the options range for creating visual effects is incredibly diverse and it becomes more and more challenging to identify the top choices.

Here you can find a guide to the top visual FX software that will help you to add originality to your projects. Whether you're looking for advanced compositing tools, powerful 3D animation capabilities, or user-friendly interfaces, this article will help you navigate the options and find the software that best suits your needs and preferences.

Each program is reviewed based on its features, ease of use, and suitability for different levels of expertise. You will learn about intuitive solutions for beginners, like VSDC Video Editor, and sophisticated tools for professionals, like Houdini, to make the right choice.

Key Takeaways

This article covers the following key points.

• What are Visual Effects?
• How Do Visual Effects Work?
• Best Visual Effect Programs
  • VSDC Video Editor
  • Autodesk Maya
  • 3Ds Max
  • Blender
  • Houdini
  • Cinema 4D
  • Adobe After Effects
  • Nuke
  • Fusion
• How to Choose Right Visual Effects Software
• Conclusion
• FAQ
  • What kind of special effects can I create with this software?
  • I'm a beginner. What software is easiest to learn?
  • I'm a professional editor. What software do industry professionals use?

What are Visual Effects?

Visual effects, or VFX, are special tools used in various fields and media formats to create vivid visual impact. They are integral to film and television, video games, advertising, music clips, etc. Using free visual effects software even amateurs can create truly incredible videos.

There are lots of different visual effects, such as green screen, or chroma keying, motion capture, compositing, rotoscoping, matte painting, using which creators make their viewers mesmerize what they watch.

As technology advances, VFX capabilities are growing and providing greater creative opportunities for both professionals and enthusiasts.

How Do Visual Effects Work?

Utilizing these effects, filmmakers and content creators can transport viewers to fantastical worlds, integrate real and fantastical elements and produce breathtaking visual outcomes. With VFX software it is possible to create a unique style and unusual atmosphere, improve image quality, remove unwanted objects, create complex animations, etc.

In advertising VFX can highlight key product features and make products more memorable and engaging for viewers. For example, the Samsung “Galaxy Z Fold 5” advertisement uses special effects to create smooth transitions between different product features, blending practical effects with digital enhancements to showcase the phone's foldable screen.

Let’s also remember some films where visual effects are used. James Cameron's film "Avatar: The Way of Water" showcases advanced visual effects, particularly with its underwater scenes and new technology for realistic water simulations and marine life. In "The Marvels", visual effects enhance the superpowers of characters and create complex space battles.

With visual effects, videos are more attention-grabbing. That is how they work.

Best Visual Effect Programs

Different visual FX software is widely spread on the Internet. Everybody has lots of opportunities for trying their hand at making video content. We will introduce some of the most well-known and popular visual effects programs and cover both simple and accessible options, where most functions are available for free, such as VSDC Video Editor, as well as more complex programs that require a subscription for regular use, such as Autodesk Maya or Houdini.

VSDC Video Editor

VSDC Video Editor is a lightweight software that allows you to install it even on outdated PCs. In this program you can import and export a broad range of formats and codecs. Besides, it is possible to handle large files and complex projects without any slowdowns.

In this program you can professionally create a wide range of visual effects, including segmentation to isolate objects from the background, VHS effects for adding noise, retro color tweaks, classic camera shake simulation, etc., particle effects such as trace paths or smoke trails, lighting effects for dramatic illumination, echo effects for simulating delays with trailing copies, motion blur effects to mimic the blur of fast-moving objects, and many more.

VSDC Video Editor stands out as one of the best visual effects programs, not only because it allows you to create lots of its effects for free, eliminating the need for a paid version, but also due to its intuitive interface that makes the editing process easy for users of different levels.

Learn more

Autodesk Maya

Autodesk Maya is a product designed by Autodesk software corporation. It can be named one of the best compositing software for creating not only visual effects, but also for 3D models for video games, television, and more. You can create particle effects, fluid dynamics, cloth simulation, rigid and soft body dynamics, etc.

This software offers customization through scripting with MEL and Python. It also integrates with other Autodesk products and third-party plugins.

Unfortunately, Autodesk Maya doesn’t have a free version, but it offers a free trial period for potential users. For commercial use Maya requires a paid subscription that may be expensive for those on budget.

For users who are new to visual effects or looking for a more user-friendly option, software like VSDC Video Editor would be a more suitable choice.

3Ds Max

3ds Max is another product designed by Autodesk. This 3D software is used for modeling, animation, and rendering. Here you can create particle effects, volumetric effects, fluid dynamics, cloth simulations, etc. Comprehensive lighting and shading options for photorealistic results, and animation capabilities, including motion capture and character rigging are also possible.

Despite the strong merits of this program, several challenges may occur during your work in it. Its high licensing fees can be prohibitive for individual users. Besides, it requires powerful hardware, and users may have such difficulties as slow processing times, lag during complex operations, and crashes when handling large files.

It does not have a free version, but you can use a trial period to determine if the program meets your needs before purchasing a paid version.

Blender

Blender is a free visual effects software. You can use various VFX features here, including automatic and manual tracking, camera reconstruction, real-time preview of tracked footage and 3D scenes, as well as support for planar tracking and tripod solvers.

Because of its advanced functionalities requiring high-end hardware for optimal performance and a potentially complicated user interface, this software may present challenges for less experienced users and those with less powerful systems. However, Blender has a large user community and many tutorials available online. With some effort and time, you can learn to use the program effectively.

Houdini

Houdini is one of the best visual effects programs known for its advanced procedural workflow, which facilitates faster content creation, shortens project timelines, and offers greater flexibility for complex tasks. Houdini FX provides high performance and realistic dynamic simulation tools, enabling the creation of particle effects, fluid simulations, cloth simulations, and more.

Mastering all these features can be challenging, particularly for beginners, and creating effects can place a significant demand on system resources. The high cost of the software may also be a barrier for individual users.

Cinema 4D

Cinema 4D is a 3D modeling, animation, and rendering software. It is known for its user-friendly interface and wide variety of capabilities, including visual effects. You can create complex particle simulations, simulate realistic interactions between objects, try MoGraph effects, X-Particles integration, and more.

The disadvantage of this program is that some advanced simulations may require additional plugins or software for more specialized needs. The program is compatible with both PCs and Macs, but its system requirements may be too high for consumer level computers. Besides, its subscription may be quite expensive for users, as it does not offer full free access like Blender or a free version like VSDC Video Editor. Moreover it is not possible to purchase Cinema 4D online, you will need to contact a licensed distributor to purchase the software.

Adobe After Effects

Adobe After Effects is a leading visual effects program for creating motion graphics and visual effects. It allows for the design and animation of dynamic text, shapes, and graphics, has excellent compositing capabilities, supports particle effects and includes keying techniques to remove backgrounds from footage, such as green screen, or chroma keying. After Effects also offers time manipulation capabilities for slow motion, time-lapse, and time remapping, and provides tools for color correction and grading.

As with many of the programs already described above, a free trial version is available, which allows you to use the full functionality of the program for a limited period of time. After the end of the trial period a subscription is required to continue using the program.

Nuke

Nuke is a compositing and visual effects software used in film and television production that offers a wide choice of capabilities including green screen, retouching and correction, particle simulation, color grading, 3D compositing for working with 3D objects and cameras. It also handles depth and stereoscopic effects, allowing for multi-layered and multi-channel image processing, and provides rotoscoping tools.

The base version of Nuke is available for free, but more advanced features are restricted to the paid version.

Fusion

Fusion is a powerful compositing and visual effects software where users can create such visual effects as chroma keying, or green screen, remove backgrounds, try rotoscoping, particle effects 3D compositing for integrating 3D models with 2D footage, detailed color correction and grading, tracking and stabilization of camera and object movements, and more.

Despite its considerable advantages, Fusion has a smaller library of third-party plugins compared to other software, which may limit the range of available effects and functionalities.

How to Choose Right Visual Effects Software

The answer to this question depends on your experience level, budget and needs.

If you are new to visual effects software, you need to choose one with an accessible interface and clear functionality.

If you're already a pro, you can try more sophisticated programs discussed above, read user reviews about them and then make your choice.

Conclusion

We've reviewed a number of the most popular 2024 software, where you can create visual effects. Which one you choose is up to you. Of course, many of them are rather expensive and can be difficult to put into practice, that is why we recommend you to start with something that is easier to understand and more affordable, like VSDC Video Editor, and then decide whether or not to switch to other software taking into account feedback from users who have purchased a particular subscription.

Our testing revealed that VSDC Video Editor is also the least demanding on your computer's resources, making it an excellent choice for less resource-intensive video editing and for users with moderate hardware. For more complex 3D modeling and effects, programs like Maya, 3Ds Max, or Blender are preferable, although they come with higher system requirements and greater complexity.

We hope that this article was useful to you and you will choose a software that will really meet your needs and expectations.

FAQ

What kind of special effects can I create with this software?

You can create a great variety of visual effects that enhance your video content. The most popular of them are compositing which combines multiple layers of video and images to create complex scenes, chroma keying (green screen) that enables the removal or replacement of backgrounds to place subjects into different environments, motion tracking that lets you follow the movement of objects or cameras within a scene, particle effects that simulate elements like fire or rain, and many more.

I'm a beginner. What software is easiest to learn?

If you are new to visual effects software, you need to choose software with an accessible interface and clear functionality, for example, VSDC Video Editor. This software also has a free version in which most functions are available, so unlike other products presented in this article, you will not need to purchase a paid version.

I'm a professional editor. What software do industry professionals use?

As a professional editor, industry standards often include software like Houdini and Adobe After Effects. For visual effects and compositing, Adobe After Effects and Nuke are commonly used, while Autodesk Maya and Blender are preferred for 3D animation and VFX. However, VSDC Video Editor is a strong alternative that offers a range of professional-grade editing tools, including advanced visual effects, motion tracking, and color correction, at a more accessible price.

Change is all about improvement, and this process wouldn't be possible without your input. After carefully reviewing your feedback, we’ve addressed several key issues and introduced updates designed to improve your editing experience.

We are thrilled to announce that VSDC 9.3 is here, and we can't wait to share all the exciting new features with you. In this version you’ll discover a new text conversion utility for transforming text, fresh ready-made templates for perspective titles, wedding slideshows and LUTs (Look-Up Tables), significant enhancements to the Wizard, an automatic blur background function, an auto-detect function for sprites, numerous interface updates, and much more.

Don't miss out! Download the latest version today and experience these upgrades firsthand.

Download VSDC Video Editor 9.3

Text Conversion Utility

Say goodbye to the tedious process of manually crafting curves, shapes and other elements to style your text. Our new text conversion utility simplifies everything. With just a few clicks VSDC automatically transforms your text into curves, allowing you to create animations for word outlines, shapes for letter transformations, text blocks for dynamic appearances, such as by word or letter, and even tracking points to animate highlights along letter contours and apply effects like Lens Flare or Bokeh Glare.

From there, just customize the parameters and styles to achieve the exact look you desire. Whether you're designing dynamic titles or intricate animations, this function saves you time and gives professional results.

New Ready-Made Templates

The templates window has never been bigger! Our beautifully designed nine wedding slideshow templates will help you preserve cherished moments and emotions of your special day. Simply add your best pictures and videos, and the perfect slideshow is ready.

In this window you will also find new perspective text templates that elevate your designs to new heights. With over 10 distinctive templates you can create titles in dynamic styles that are sure to grab attention. Your text will move, transform and leave a lasting impression, ensuring it stands out and engages your audience like never before.

Additionally, we are excited to introduce 140 new LUTs, conveniently categorized into five groups: Cinematic Moods, Filmic Tones, Sunset Waves, Aqua Depths and Light to Night. Cinematic Moods and Filmic Tones will help you to create a special atmosphere in your videos, Sunset Waves will infuse your videos with the cozy glow of sunsets over the sea or ocean, Aqua Depths dives into refreshing blues, perfect for beach scenes or underwater footage and, finally, the Light to Night collection will allow you to create dramatic shifts in mood for storytelling that spans different times of day.

Wizard Enhancement

And how our Wizard has been changed! Now you can see all available transitions in one place and use them there to add smoothness in your projects. We've also revamped its interface to make it more intuitive and customisable, placing all the important tools at your fingertips for a fast and efficient workflow.

Fill Background Function

Have you ever found it challenging to fill in black bars by duplicating and blurring the object you’re editing to match the colors seamlessly? Now this process is fully automated! Simply set the fill background function to our new Blurred Background option in the properties window, and the program will handle it for you. It's fast, convenient and useful when working with videos in portrait mode or with footage that doesn't match your project's aspect ratio.

Auto-Detect Function for Sprites

In almost every video tutorial you're asked to manually set NO for ‘Use as a container’ and YES for ‘Show effects’. You wonder, why isn't this the default setting? We heard you! But we've taken it a step further by introducing an auto-detection feature for sprites that selects the correct settings for you.

More User-Friendly Functionality

VSDC now offers more capabilities than ever before. Convenient toggles have been added to various settings in the properties window, allowing for quick switches between “Yes” and “No,” and even impacting the Key Editor in some cases.

We've also significantly improved the precision for effects like Zoom, Rotate, Perspective, Skew, etc., allowing you to set more accurate numerical options for better results.

Exciting news for color enthusiasts: Color Grading wheels are now easier to use, allowing you to fully control the color tones in your projects. This improvement ensures smoother adjustments, whether you're fine-tuning details or balancing overall color.

We are sure all of you appreciate the possibility to use over 10 presets for panel configurations in Panes Manager, which was not possible before. It will help you to optimize the interface to your needs and save it for using by default.

And another opportunity that will surely surprise you is that the program now remembers your last selection in the template tree and the file extension in the file explorer window, saving your time and effort for searching necessary objects.

Of course, that is not it about our new version. More info you will know from our new how-to articles on the official page and YouTube tutorials.

Experience the capabilities and user-friendly features of VSDC 9.3 today!

Download VSDC Video Editor 9.3

We invite you to share your thoughts — your idea could inspire our next update. Our VSDC support team is always available at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You can also connect with us on Facebook, X, Reddit or Discord.

Are you ready to explore new heights with the latest major VSDC update? Finally, Version 9.2 is here! Packed with groundbreaking features, including the new AI-powered Segmentation tool, this update offers precise object removal, advanced color correction, and a variety of effects to elevate your videos. Plus, our latest innovation — VSDC Cloud Service for storing and sharing your media files and projects.

Among other features, 9.2 introduces over 300 new transitions, a pack of customizable wedding templates, long-awaited queued export feature and extended frame rate support. And finally, with the improved Resample effect and enhanced Cutting and splitting window, VSDC equips you with everything you need to produce high-quality videos. Update now and explore each new feature of the latest update below!

Download VSDC Video Editor 9.2

Free AI-Powered Video Segmentation

We are happy to introduce our AI-powered Segmentation tool in our latest VSDC release, now available at no cost. Designed to streamline your video editing process, Segmentation allows you to highlight static or moving objects for precise object removal, performing color correction within a particular area, and the application of various effects like censorship and masking—all with a few clicks.

This tool is powered by AI models, available for free download, ensuring smooth and continuous performance: there are four items for you to choose based on their characteristics. AI models give users complete control over the segmentation details, enabling precise adjustments up to frame-by-frame tweaks. Experiment with blending modes for unique visual styles and adjust contours to create eye-catching frozen frames or stylish recoloring effects.

While the Segmentation tool can handle unlimited regions, making it highly versatile, it is resource-intensive. For optimal performance, we recommend using the hardware acceleration feature during editing (but please, note that to access hardware acceleration at the export stage, an upgrade to VSDC Pro is needed). Transform your videos into visually stunning narratives with our new AI-powered Segmentation tool — where creativity meets efficiency!

VSDC Cloud Service

And something brand-new! Introducing the latest addition to our lineup: VSDC Cloud Service! It’s a streamlined file management system that allows you to store, share, and edit your projects and media files directly in the cloud. This not only boosts productivity but also saves valuable space on your device and secures your projects with options for automatic or manual saves.

With VSDC Cloud, you can also optimize teamwork, share and collaborate on files or projects and keep your work up-to-date and accessible from anywhere, enhancing cooperation with easy link sharing and updates.

New Wedding Templates Pack

Great news! We are launching the VSDC Store, your go-to spot for exclusive template packs. And we’re ready to introduce our first collection: the wedding season is in full play, so it is a pack of ready-made high-resolution premium wedding video templates! Each of the 20 high-resolution models is designed to keep your precious wedding memories, all customizable with a variety of options from color adjustments to the extraction of individual elements.

Explore detailed descriptions and previews of each template on the VSDC Store official page, where you can also download the pack directly. Each purchase comes with an instructional video and access to a unique font created by our team available for both personal and commercial use. Ready to try these stunning wedding templates? Visit our download page right now and start creating!

Over 300 New Transitions

You asked, we delivered! Here’s our new transition collection, featuring 13 sets of more than 300 ready-made transitions. Preview them directly in the program before making a purchase, and once you're ready, buy access and activate them using the “Activate template” option. We've also added a section in the VSDC Store where you can preview transitions, read descriptions, and select your desired set. And yes, you can always craft custom transitions in VSDC for free using YouTube tutorials and your editing skills, but this pre-made pack is designed to save you both time and effort. Much better, right?

Queued Export Feature

Working on multiple projects simultaneously? Save time with our new queued export feature! It’s easy to use: just save your projects and then open them in the VSDC Video converter. Adjust profile (that is going to be applicable to all projects) and line up several exports at once. Now, you can relax or turn your attention to other tasks, different from editing. Your exports will process in the background—no monitoring needed!

Subtitles Enhancements

We’ve made working with subtitles much easier: Now you can convert subtitles into editable text objects, allowing you to apply effects and manipulate each text segment individually. Plus, you can add an external contour to your subtitles, adjust its thickness, and use keyframes for dynamic color changes, giving your subtitles a fresh and unique look.

Extended Frame Rate Support

We've expanded support for frame rates in your projects, now accommodating 90, 100, 144, 240, and 300 fps. Additionally, we've extended support for higher resolutions, allowing you to create and export projects up to 8K. But please, note: to avoid unsatisfying results, make sure the framerate of the source file matches the output video to avoid unsatisfying results.

Resample Effect Improvement

We've upgraded the Resample effect by adding flipping functionality and a coordinate center. These new features enable you to create fantastic textures and produce unique visual effects for backgrounds, adding an extra layer of creativity to your projects.

Cutting and Splitting Window

We've enhanced the convenience of the Cutting and Splitting window by enabling you to toggle the display of both the storyboard and waveform. Displaying these features requires your PC's resources, so disabling them can improve your workflow. What's more, this window now remembers your settings, making it easier to work next time without the need for repeated adjustments!

Timeline Management

Improve your timeline management by enabling the "Use Shift to set work area" button in the “Timeline options” to define your work area more conveniently. This feature makes the work area stay in place when you move the cursor along the timeline, unless you press the Shift button — no need to set it once again.

Explore the Latest VSDC Release

Ready to upgrade your editing toolkit? Experience the new features of VSDC 9.2 and see how they can enhance your video projects, from professional endeavors to personal creations. You can download the latest update from our official website. If you need any assistance or have questions, our VSDC support team is readily available at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Also, follow us on Facebook and X for updates, and visit our Youtube channel for practical tutorials and start creating with VSDC!

Download VSDC Video Editor 9.2