Audio and video · Independent · 22 Oct 2026

storytold/effectcraft

EffectCraft: An open-source motion graphics and compositing tool written by scratch in pure Rust

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EffectCraft: Motion graphics studio. Open-source motion graphics and visual effects in Rust.

In simple English

This program helps you create animated titles, motion graphics and visual effects. You arrange layers, animate them with keyframes, apply built-in effects and export your final video. It runs on your computer or in a web browser without needing paid software. It is free to use, and the project files are stored in a clear text format that is easy to read.

What it is

EffectCraft is a desktop and web application for motion design and compositing built entirely in Rust. It offers timeline editing, 306 built-in effects, 3D cameras, a render queue and an MCP (Model Context Protocol, a way for artificial intelligence tools to talk to applications) server for automated tasks.

What it is good for

Solo creators and video editors who want a free alternative to commercial motion graphics suites. It removes the need for expensive subscriptions when building animated overlays, social media clips or Lottie web animations.

Stars7.6k
LicenceApache-2.0
Latestv0.14.0 (2026-10-21)checked 22 Oct 2026
Last code change2026-10-22
Written inRust
Setup effort
2 / 5
Payoff
5 / 5
Good
  • Includes over three hundred built-in effects and a graph editor for precise animation control.
  • Saves projects as clean versioned JSON files that you can easily track in git.
  • Offers built-in Lottie import and export for web animations without extra plugins.
Watch for
  • Requires the Rust programming language toolchain if you want to build it from source.
  • Still in early alpha development and not yet fully recommended for important client work.
  • Some Linux window managers have trouble with drag-and-drop media imports.
Replaces

Adobe After Effects

Works well with

storytold/filmcraft

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Install
git clone https://github.com/storytold/effectcraft
cd effectcraft
cargo run --release -p effectcraft

Independent: reviewed for Repo Radar outside the daily editions. Every independent repository

On Stack Radar: Design & Creative › Video Creation & Editing › Animation & Motion.

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