What is it:
Flipaclip is a free, ad-supported animation app that is very easy to use, but can be used to create sophisticated animations.
Who is it for:
Flipaclip is for anyone who wants a free tool to get started creating animations. It’s not a substitute for ToonBoom or other tools used to create cartoons like The Simpsons, but is good for making short clips.
What Kids Like:
Flipaclip is very easy to use. We have tried many animation apps, and this is the one we still use. There is no real learning curve to get started. Anyone can make at least a crude animation within a minute of installing. There are not as many features in Flipaclip, compared to professional tools, but this makes the interface easier to figure out.
What Parents Like:
I like that there is a screen-based activity other than games, something to stimulate creativity and explore different methods of expression.
Also, after seeing what my kids are creating, it’s clear that playing around with Flipaclip is giving them a crash course in composition, storytelling, and perspective drawing.
And the fact that it’s free is great. I don’t want to invest in any creative tool unless I’m certain that the kids will not get bored of it after the initial flash of inspiration. The full version of Flipaclip is around $10 and there are other, cheaper specific upgrades, such as:
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Add more layers $1.99
Remove watermark $2.99
Add your own audio $2.99
Back up projects $0.99
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What the Critics Think:
Some reviews at APK Pure, which gives Flipaclip an 8.7 rating
Common Sense Media gives it 4/5 stars
Google Play reviews give it 4.4/5
And the Apple app store reviews give it 4.6/5
Concerns/Flaws:
The only real criticism is the ads, which seem to pop up a little too often and don’t always seem appropriate for young kids. You can upgrade to the premium version for $10. Or, if you’re still making up your mind, you can just turn on airplane mode, which disables ads but doesn’t interfere with the app.
Who Made it / History:
According to the Flipaclip site:
Our story begins with three brothers who liked to create. They started their life in Argentina and later moved to the United States. Creativity was always on their mind especially when it came to video and stop motion animation. This whole process was much harder without smartphones but they used an old VHS camera to make their movies.
This creative energy was always looking for a new challenge and this is where the idea of FlipaClip came from. All they needed was a little spark to get started. Samsung was having a contest to promote the new Galaxy Note. The brothers came together to make something they would have wanted growing up. They sketched it up and built the first version in one month!
The first version had just a few features like the timeline and the canvas but they believed that this app could bring inspiration and innovation to every creative in the world.
The Flipaclip app was created by Visual Blasters LLC in Miami and was first released in 2012. It is still regularly updated.
Where Can I Get it:
You may want to check out the Flipaclip YouTube channel, TikTok channel, or Instagram