As a blogger with years of experience in using storyboarding software, I understand how important it is to have the right tools to bring your creative ideas to life. Storyboarding is an essential part of the pre-production process in any animation, film, or video project.
It allows you to plan out and visualize your ideas, sequence your shots, and organize your project timeline. Storyboarding software has made the process more accessible and efficient, enabling users to create, share, and collaborate on their projects.
In this blog post, I’ll be sharing the top 15 storyboard software in 2023, categorized by user needs.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Storyboarding is a technique used in the pre-production process to visualize and plan out shots, scenes, and sequences for film, animation, and video projects. Storyboarding software is a tool that makes this process easier and more efficient.
It provides users with features such as drawing tools, collaboration options, timeline organization, and asset libraries. In today’s digital age, there are countless options to choose from.
Here, we’ve narrowed down the top 15 storyboarding software, divided into five categories based on user needs.
Top 5 Storyboarding Software for Beginners
Storyboard software for beginners is user-friendly and easy to use, providing essential features to create a basic storyboard. When choosing software, look for features like drag-and-drop assets, pre-made templates, and easy exporting options.
1. Storyboard That:
Storyboard that is a cloud-based software that provides users with customizable templates, an extensive library of characters and backgrounds, and drag-and-drop functionality. Its simple interface makes it a great option for beginners. Additionally, it offers free and paid versions, with the paid version providing more features and exporting options.
2. Canva:
Canva is a versatile graphic design software that provides users with an extensive library of templates and graphics to create a storyboard quickly. It’s easy to use and offers features such as drag-and-drop functionality, collaboration options, and exporting in various formats.
3. Trello
Trello is a project management tool that offers features like boards, lists, and cards, making it a great option for creating a storyboard for simple projects. It also provides drag-and-drop functionality, collaboration options, and easy exporting options.
4. Boords
Boords is a web-based storyboard software that offers pre-made templates, an asset library, and drag-and-drop functionality. Its simple interface makes it easy to use and navigate, making it a great option for beginners.
5. Plot
Plot is a storyboard software that offers features like drag-and-drop functionality, customizable templates, and easy exporting options. It’s easy to use and provides an extensive asset library, making it a great option for beginners.
Top 5 Storyboarding Software for Professional Animators
Professional animators require storyboard software that is more advanced than what beginners use. They need software that can create precise, detailed storyboards with features that support their animation pipeline.
Some of the essential features to consider when choosing storyboard software for professional animators are drawing tools, advanced camera controls, animatics, 3D integration, and exporting options.
Here are the top 5 storyboard software for professional animators:
1. Toon Boom Storyboard Pro:
This software is one of the most popular storyboard software for professional animators. It is packed with advanced features that allow users to create precise storyboards.
Toon Boom Storyboard Pro has powerful drawing tools, 3D integration, advanced camera controls, animatics, and export options. It is compatible with most animation software, making it an excellent choice for animators who use multiple software.
2. Adobe Premiere Pro
This software is primarily video editing software, but it also has powerful storyboard features. Adobe Premiere Pro has advanced editing tools, audio editing, motion graphics, and animation tools.
It allows users to create storyboards and animatics that they can easily import into their animation software.
3. Sketchboard.io
Sketchboard.io is a cloud-based storyboard software that is perfect for professional animators. It has advanced drawing tools, 3D integration, advanced camera controls, and animatics. It also allows multiple users to work collaboratively in real-time, making it an excellent choice for animators working on a team.
4. Storyboarder
Storyboarder is an open-source storyboard software that has many advanced features. It has a simple and easy-to-use interface that makes it ideal for professional animators. Some of its features include advanced drawing tools, camera controls, animatics, and export options.
5. FrameForge Previz Studio
FrameForge Previz Studio is a 3D storyboard software that is perfect for professional animators. It has powerful 3D modeling tools that allow users to create detailed and accurate storyboards. It also has advanced camera controls, animatics, and export options.
Top 5 Storyboarding Software for Collaborative Teams
Collaborative teams require software that enables them to work together on a project seamlessly. This also applies to storyboarding, where multiple team members need to share their ideas and work together to create the final storyboard. Here are the top 5 storyboard software for collaborative teams:
1. Miro
Miro is an online whiteboard and collaboration tool that enables teams to work together in real time. It is an excellent tool for storyboarding as it allows teams to create a digital canvas that everyone can access and contribute to. Miro’s built-in templates make it easy to create storyboards, and its integration with other collaboration tools such as Slack, Trello, and Google Drive makes it an ideal choice for teams.
2. Milanote
Milanote is a visual collaboration tool that is perfect for storyboarding. It offers a range of templates and tools that allow teams to create storyboards quickly and easily. Its drag-and-drop interface makes it simple to use, and its real-time collaboration feature enables teams to work together on a project from anywhere in the world.
3. Notion
Notion is an all-in-one workspace that combines note-taking, project management, and task management features. It is a great tool for collaborative storyboarding as it allows teams to create pages for each project and invite other team members to contribute. Notion also supports a range of media types, including images, videos, and audio, making it an excellent choice for creating multimedia storyboards.
4. Asana
Asana is a project management tool that is ideal for collaborative storyboarding. Its board feature makes it easy to create storyboards, and its real-time collaboration feature allows team members to share their ideas and work together on a project. Asana also integrates with a range of other collaboration tools, including Slack, Google Drive, and Dropbox, making it a versatile choice for collaborative teams.
5. Airtable
Airtable is a spreadsheet-database hybrid that is perfect for collaborative storyboarding. It allows teams to create a database of their ideas and organize them into tables, making it easy to manage and track progress. Airtable also supports real-time collaboration, allowing team members to work together on a project from anywhere in the world.
Top 5 Storyboarding Software for Mobile Devices
Storyboarding on the go has never been easier with the emergence of mobile devices. With the right software, you can now create storyboards from anywhere and at any time. Here are my top 5 picks for the best storyboard software for mobile devices:
1. Procreate
If you’re an iPad user, Procreate is a great option for storyboard creation. With its intuitive interface and wide range of brushes and tools, It’s not just a great drawing app but also a great storyboard app. You can easily create layers, add text, and even record time-lapse videos of your work.
2. Storyboard Composer
This app is specifically designed for storyboarding and is available for both iOS and Android devices. It comes with an extensive library of characters, props, and backgrounds that you can use to create your storyboard. It also has a built-in camera that allows you to take reference photos and import them directly into your storyboard.
3. Conceptboard
This app is perfect for collaborative teams as it allows multiple users to work on the same storyboard in real time. You can easily add comments, make changes, and even chat with your team members within the app. Conceptboard is available for both iOS and Android devices.
4. Adobe Capture
This app is not just for storyboard creation but for creative professionals in general. It allows you to capture images, colors, and shapes and turn them into custom brushes, patterns, and vector graphics that you can use in your storyboard. Adobe Capture is available for both iOS and Android devices.
5. Storyboard Studio
This app is specifically designed for creating storyboards and animatics. It comes with an extensive library of characters, backgrounds, and props, as well as a range of tools for creating panels and adding text. Storyboard Studio is available for iOS devices.
Factors to Consider When Choosing the Best Storyboarding Software
When choosing the best storyboard software for your needs, there are several factors to consider. Here are some of the most important ones:
- Budget – Storyboard software can range from free to thousands of dollars. Consider how much you’re willing to spend on storyboard software and choose one that fits your budget.
- Platform compatibility – Make sure the software you choose is compatible with the platform you’re using. Some software is designed specifically for Mac or Windows, while others are cross-platform.
- Level of experience – Consider your level of experience with storyboarding and animation. Some software may be more suitable for beginners, while others may be more advanced and require more experience.
- Collaboration – If you’re working with a team, consider software that allows for collaboration and real-time editing.
- Integration with other software – Consider software that integrates well with other software you may be using, such as editing or animation software.
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
Storyboard software is an essential tool for any animator or filmmaker. With so many options out there, it’s important to choose one that fits your needs and budget.
For beginners, I recommend starting with free software such as Storyboarder or Boords.
For professional animators, Toon Boom Storyboard Pro and Adobe Premiere Pro are great options.
For collaborative teams, Miro and Milanote our top picks. For mobile devices, Procreate and Storyboard Composer are great choices
