Canva makes motion graphics and animation app Cavalry free
It’s official everyone!!
We’re thrilled to share the news that Cavalry is now free!
Download it and start creating today at https://t.co/MtSu9KODS5 pic.twitter.com/qg1AM1B4dS
— Cavalry (@cavalry__app) April 16, 2026
You wait years for a free professional motion graphics tool, then two come along at once.
Just a day after Maxon made VFX and motion graphics software Cavalry available free, Canva has done the same thing for Cavalry, its 2D animation and motion design tool.
The full version of Cavalry is now available free to individual artists, including for use on commercial projects, although studios need a paid Canva account to use it.
A next-gen 2D motion graphics tool inspired by 3D software
First released in 2020, and originally developed by Scene Group, Cavalry is a procedural animation app “combining the power and flexibility of 3D with the ease of use of 2D”.
Although a pure 2D animation tool, it supports workflows that will be familiar to 3D animators, including keyframing, curve editing, deformation, rigging, scattering and instancing.
The developers’ backgrounds are also in 3D motion graphics: the team is a spin-off from Mainframe North, which developed MASH, Maya’s motion graphics toolset.
You can get a feel for what it can do in our story on Cavalry 2.6.
It’s a recent acquisition for Canva, which bought the software just six weeks ago.
Entire feature set now available free to individual artists
Canva has now done what it did with its other range of professional graphics software, the Affinity tools, and made Cavalry available for free.
Cavalry always had a free edition, but it was capped at HD resolution and lacked advanced tools, limiting its use for professional work: for that, you needed a £192/year Pro subscription.
That has now changed: the free version now has “no restrictions”, and is available for use on commercial work – at least for individual artists.
Free Canva account needed to use Cavalry 2.7 and beyond
To use the latest version, Cavalry 2.7, you need a free Canva account: the software prompts you to log in when you launch it.
Exiting subscribers can continue to use Cavalry 2.6 until the end of their subscription term without a Canva account, but will not be able to access any new features released in future.
Studios that need SSO (Single Sign-On) access will need a paid-for Canva Enterprise subscription, which are priced on enquiry.
Price and system requirements?
Cavalry is comaptible with Windows 10+ and macOS 12.0+. It is free to individual artists.
Read more about Cavalry’s features on the product website
(Includes Canva’s FAQs on the free edition: at the foot of the page)
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