RoughAnimator - animation app

• Price: $7.99

Last verified 31 Jul 2026

4.6 2907 ratings · App Store

1. 5/5Really awesome app!!!

   Hey! I’m an avid animator and have been using this app as my main software for animation when not on my laptop! Despite it being a “rough animation” program (pun intended! 😋) it’s been a huge help for making quick simple test animatics, or even more complex videos, albeit more time consuming! I noticed in an un-sent review I mentioned something about the video import messing with the drawing function, but considering I don’t recall getting irritated with anything in the past months or year, I think it’s most likely fixed now! So thanks so much!!! I really love that you’re occasionally adding new features to help with production, and I absolutely love the keyframe camera! If I could make a suggestion, would it be possible to maybe add keyframes to the other layers, like if you move a layer, or something on the layer, you can choose to use the keyframes to auto-tween the movement of the drawing, or the layer that drawing is on? It doesn’t have to be fancy, it can be just like the camera keyframes, but for the rest of the layers! That’s the only thing I can think of right now. Thanks so much for making this app! I’m sure I’ll be using it for as long as I have an iPad or iPhone! Thanks again!!!❤️💖👍

   Invader-mobile · 31 Jul 2026

2. 5/5The only animation software for iPad

   This tool is the perfect tool for making clips of animations for a finalized product. Note that this program alone will likely not be enough to finish an entire project in, but the one thing it is very good at is making animations. This is a raster animator, which means there is no key framing and motion tweens, so be aware of that, but if you are looking for a cel animation program, look no further than rough animator! The timeline is simple, but well displayed, makes sense and is easy to use. The brushes that come default feel similar to most Japanese animation and drawing tools (paint tool sai and CSP are my my reference points) and respond greatly to he Apple Pencil. The settings are quite deep as well so you can customize the app to work however you want. Out of every animation app I've tried to use, this is the only one that really does the job and the only one that is worth the cost. Just be aware that this program is light and fast. You should be using this to get basic animation drafts out or even lines and base colors for professional products. The audio control is lacking, and there is no easy way to make a "camera shift" like in flash. But if you're a seasoned animator, you should know that scenes should get compiled into SV or Premier and finalized there. If you are interested in a professional grade animation software, you can't find anything better than this. If you're looking to get a start in cel animation, this is a great place to start with its streamlined GUI. And my note to the developer: keep up the good work. This is the most fun program to animate in on any device. I just pick up the iPad and start drawing. It's so fast, easy, and fun to use! Great job!!!

   Masuda_taka · 31 Jul 2026

3. 4/5Fantastic app with one distracting problem

   First of all, I absolutely love this app to death- it's extremely user friendly and to my knowledge it's the only one that actually allows audio scrubbing on the ipad. That being said, there's a bit of a problem with the audio settings, which can be intrusive at best and downright startling/painful at worst, if you have very sensitive hearing (as I do). For some reason, if you select a frame or chunk of frames in your animation while you have audio enabled, it will play a preview of the audio wherever you are on the timeline. While I understand that this feature is there to remind the user where in the audio they are, as someone with audio processing issues I find it very startling and distracting to work with, and this feature cannot be turned off without muting the audio entirely. It really discourages me from using the app more than i already do, and I don't... entirely understand its purpose when simply scrubbing can provide the user with the same ability to remember what part of the audio they are working with. Overall I recommend the app, but I would be incredibly grateful if the creator would consider a way to disable this feature so I and others with hearing issues can work more efficiently.

   IntrovertReviewer · 31 Jul 2026

4. 5/5I like it, I just wish I could use it, edited.

   Edit: I recently got this app again and it works without a hitch, it could be because bugs were fixed, or it could be that I am using a newer iPad and an Apple Pencil now, either way it is a good app. Old review: I am not sure if it’s my device or the application itself but the zooming is so laggy, and I have to constantly pinch about five times to get it to zoom in and out of my canvas. It’s aggravating to me because when I am drawing like a lot of people I zoom in and out constantly, (not to mention rotate the canvas every which way) which also requires a lot of time to actually work. Like I said, I am not sure if it’s just my device, I use a IPad mini 4. And an Adonit Pixel. Other then that the application seems pretty straightforward, I would use it a lot, especially since the interface seems pretty easy to use. But this is coming from someone that hasn’t had much screen time with it considering the “problems” I’ve been having. I have read some good reviews and bought this app, eh.. Some regrets? A little. I’d prefer to buy a nine dollar animation app then brake a 400 something dollar iPad out of aggravation with this app. LOL! )(didn’t ever actually brake it though Thank goodness) That’s just my opinion though. And it could just be my devise, I didn’t see anyone else having this problem so. Other then my problems it seems like a good application. I just wish I knew the issues I would have with it before I bought it. Thanks for hearing me out, and if this issue of mine is resolved I may eventually download it again, until then I will find another app that is easer for me to work with. I was just trying out apps anyway. So I am still giving a five star review to the developers just in case it is just my devise and not the application. (: Jaywood, C.M.K.

   Jaywood, C.M.K. · 31 Jul 2026

5. 5/5Like animating on paper, but better

   I was trained in animation on paper, and RoughAnimator was very intuitive and easy for me to pick up. It honestly feels just like animating on paper, but more convenient. This isn’t a motion graphics or rig animation program, but its the best app I’ve found for doing purely hand-drawn animation. The brush engine, while simple, even feels more responsive and natural than in other iPad drawing apps I’ve used. I just have ONE gripe! The play/preview button is right above the frame forward/back buttons, so when I’m drawing with one hand while flipping the drawings with the other, I accidentally press the play button ALL the time. PLEASE consider giving users the ability to customize the button layout, or at least choose between more than one prefab layout. I don’t think the play button needs to be right under your thumb, it’s not the kind of thing you need to be able to hit frequently without looking, like the frame flip buttons are. Otherwise, fantastic job on this essential animation app!

   éclatante · 31 Jul 2026

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