Top 10 After Effects Plug-ins: The Toolfarm Top 10 Votes for 2018 Are Tallied…

This year we had a fantastic voter turn out in the 2018 Toolfarm Top 10 Plug-in Awards. These are the top plug-ins and products of 2018 as voted by our Adobe After Effects, Premiere Pro, CINEMA 4D, Final Cut Pro X, Avid Media Composer, and DaVinci Resolve Users!

These are, basically, the MUST-HAVE plug-ins for Adobe After Effects!

We’re going to tell you a bit about each plug-in below. We are also drawing names this week for prizes and we’ll be contacting the winners so if you voted, watch your email.

10. (Tie) Red Giant Effects Suite and Boris Sapphire

The two products that are tied for number 10 are both fantastic bundles with lots of effects. Name it and you can probably make it with one of these bundles. Sapphire was #10 last year too and Effects Suite was #7 last year.

Red Giant Effects Suite

Create Exquisite Lens Flares, Water Effects, Holograms and More with Effects Suite

Whether you’re creating an underwater adventure, a futuristic computer interface, or unique text effects, Red Giant Effects Suite is set of indispensable professional-level plug-ins for every After Effects artist. The Effects Suite plug-ins are easy to use and will increase your creative options.

This Suite was discontinued in 2020.  However, most of the plug-ins are now in the VFX Suite.

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Boris Sapphire

Sapphire is the most in demand, unequaled, work-horse plug-in suite for visual effects.

Sapphire 2019 is the latest major upgrade for the legendary suite of VFX plug-ins. Key features include a totally revamped and enhanced LensFlare and Flare Designer, new PixelSort digital glitch art effect, new WhipLash transition, new animating shape tool for Effect and Transition Builder, new Mocha Essentials workspace with new spline tools like magnetic edge snapping, and is optimized for maximum CPU and GPU performance.

There is a subscription and a perpetual license available.

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To download a trial version, click on the product page.

8. Mt. Mograph Motion

Mt. Mograph Motion is new to our list this year! Congrats to Mt. Mograph!

Mt. Mograph Motion

Meet Your Animation Wingman

Motion v2 has 20 powerful tools and hundreds of controls. Motion is used by professionals around the world to create high-end motion graphics in Adobe After Effects.

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6. (Tie) Boris Continuum and Red Giant Universe

Continuum and Universe and both great effects packages that can boost your motion graphics and VFX to the next level. Continuum was #6 last year as well.

Boris Continuum

The most comprehensive visual effects and motion graphics plug-ins collection available!

Continuum 2019 is the latest major upgrade for the most comprehensive plug-in collection on the market. Key features include the rebirth of Particle Illusion, the famed motion graphics generator, new Title Studio image-processing shaders such as glows, rays, and blurs for visually-stunning titles and lower thirds, new Mocha Essentials workspace with 4 new spline tools like magnetic edge snapping and geometric shapes for faster tracking and masking, new point-driven parameter tracking powered by Mocha, and overall GPU-acceleration.

There is an annual subscription and a perpetual license available.

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To download a trial version, click on the product page.

Red Giant Universe

Universe is new to the top 10 this year. Congrats to Red Giant!

Video transition and effects plugins for editors and motion graphics artists

Red Giant Universe is a collection of 79 GPU-accelerated plugins for editors and motion graphics artists.

The new version of Universe was released last month. It is subscription only.

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5. Boris Mocha Pro

Mocha Pro was also number 5 last year. It’s amazing how consistent these have been year after year.

Boris Mocha Pro

A powerful and fast plug-in version of the award-winning motion tracking software driven by the mocha Planar Tracking Engine

Mocha pro has the ability to track even the toughest and most problematic shots, even following objects that go off screen, become obscured by another object, or lose focus, because it tracks “pixel patterns”, not points. Available as a Standalone or Plug-in.

There is an annual subscription and a perpetual license for Mocha Pro.
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To download a trial version, click on the product page.

4. Red Giant Magic Bullet Suite

Magic Bullet Suite was also number 4 last year.

Red Giant Magic Bullet Suite

Powerful Color Correction, Grading, and Film Looks for Editors and Filmmakers

Magic Bullet Suite brings together seven of Red Giant’s powerful, intuitive tools for real-time color correction and cinematic looks right to the timeline of your favorite non-linear editor. Plus, professionally remove noise, add grain, and fix skin tones with natural-looking results. Several of the plug-ins in Magic Bullet Suite come with gorgeous presets, allowing you to effortlessly enhance and correct your footage, accurately reproducing the look of film stocks or lens filters.
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To download a trial version, click on the product page.

3. Video Copilot Optical Flares for After Effects

Optical Flares was number 2 last year and fell a spot to number 3.

Video Copilot Optical Flares for After Effects

Developed for generating and animating organic-looking lens flares in Adobe After Effects with unbelievable ease and speed!

Optical Flares has an intuitive, elegant interface that makes designing beautiful, realistic, and complex lens flares a joy. Open GL acceleration allows artists to quickly and easily generate flares and add finishing touches to motion graphics and live action footage. Every flare is completely customizable so the options are limitless. Plus, over 90 minutes of After Effects training with Andrew Kramer is included so new users can get comfortable quickly. Optical Flares is an affordable way to add sophistication and magic to your motion graphics and visual effects!

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2. Video Copilot Element 3D

Last year Element 3D was at number 3 and it climbed a spot to number 2. Congrats to Video Copilot for claiming both #2 and #3 once again!

Video Copilot Element 3D

Lightning-fast 3D Particle Array System and Text Generating System for Motion Design and Visual FX Artists

Video Copilot Element 3D allows users to import OBJ file or 3D objects created in Cinema 4D into Adobe After Effects and clone, manipulate, and distribute them with its unique particle array system. Element 3D’s user interface is well-designed and easy to use, and the Open GL rendering allows users to quickly create beautiful 3D text and complex particle arrays with dynamic reflections, shadows, and texture mapping, all inside of After Effects! This plug-in is great for new users, as it’s easy to jump right in and it’s a lot of fun to explore, but has deep and complex features that will allow artists to create never-ending variations. It is a lot of speed and power at a modest price!

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1. Red Giant Trapcode Suite

It was a tight race for the positions, with a couple of ties. Trapcode Suite was the clear winner with over 60% of the vote! In the 2017 Toolfarm Top 10, Trapcode Suite also took first place. Congratulations to Red Giant and Trapcode!

Red Giant Trapcode Suite

The industry-standard package for motion graphics in After Effects.

Trapcode Suite brings the power of 3D particle systems right into After Effects. Use particle emitters to create fire, water, smoke, snow, and other organic visual effects, or create technological marvels and user interfaces with immortal particle grids and 3D forms. Combine multiple particle systems into one unified 3D space for visually stunning results. With GPU acceleration, Trapcode plug-ins help you get beautiful results fast.

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To download a trial version, click on the product page.

We’ll be sharing the other categories one by one over the next few weeks. Thank you to everyone who voted! Stay tuned!