Premation vs Friction
Friction is a free, open-source motion graphics application for Windows, macOS and Linux that makes vector and raster animations for web and video, with animated SVG export and an expression editor that takes ECMAScript.
Across the 9 areas below, Friction is ahead on 3, the two are level on 3, and Premation is ahead on 3. The 3 are listed first: a comparison you can trust is one that says where it loses.
Pick Friction if
- You need animated SVG for the web. Friction exports SVG with SMIL animation; Premation imports SVG and does not export it.
- You need Linux. Friction publishes a Linux build; Premation has none in 0.9.0.
- You want to write expressions in ECMAScript. Premation's expression language is its own and is not general JavaScript.
Pick Premation if
- You need 3D layers with cameras and lights, or video tools such as motion tracking, captions and speed ramps.
- You want After Effects' model and shortcuts, text animators with selectors, bones and IK, and .aep files opened as a conversion.
- You need Lottie, GIF, HDR or ProRes 4444 with alpha from the same project.
Feature by feature
- Animated SVG
- FrictionSVG export with SMIL animation, for a supported subset of features
- PremationSVG import, including animated SVG; no SVG export. Vector output is Lottie
- Friction
- If the deliverable is an animated .svg file, Friction writes it and Premation does not.
- Platforms
- FrictionWindows, macOS and Linux
- PremationmacOS and Windows; no Linux build in 0.9.0
- Friction
- Expressions
- FrictionECMAScript in parameters and effects
- PremationIts own sandboxed language with After Effects-style helpers; not general JavaScript
- Friction
- Timeline and graph editor
- FrictionMultiple scenes, timelines and graph editors
- PremationCompositions, a timeline, one graph editor for value and speed
- Even
- Release stage
- Friction1.0.0 release candidate
- Premation0.9.0, pre-1.0
- Even
- Effects
- FrictionPath, text and raster effects; shader effects marked experimental
- Premation206 effects across ten folders, 10 layer styles, 38 blend modes
- Premation
- 3D
- FrictionA 2D application
- PremationClassic 3D with cameras, lights, shadows, glTF meshes, depth of field
- Premation
- Export formats
- FrictionVideo and audio through FFmpeg, image sequences, SVG; no GIF export
- Premation18 formats including GIF, WebM and ProRes 4444 with alpha, HDR10 / HLG, EXR and Lottie
- Premation
- Price and licence
- FrictionFree, GPL-3.0
- PremationFree, AGPL-3.0
- Even
The Premation column is checked against the editor’s source at v0.9.0. The Friction column describes the product as its own site and documentation presented it on 2026-10-05; if something there has changed, tell us and this page changes.