Guides

Alternatives to Rotato: After Effects, Cinema 4D, Placeit and more

We asked our users what apps and mockup generators they used before Rotato. Turns out there’s a ton of great options for making 3D mockups and animations.

If you've tried searching for mockups, you've most likely realized it: there are a lot of different services out there. And not just different services, but also different kinds of services. 3D and 2D. Still and animation. Photoshop files (PSDs), Figma and Sketch templates, Adobe XD has a 3D transform you could use for showcasing and UI, and the list goes on and on. We made a list of some of the most prominent ways to create mockups for showcasing, so let's take a look.

3D alternatives

3D is only still just emerging for mockups. Unless you plan to spend a few weeks getting up to speed on some of the traditional 3D packages and then even longer on actually modeling.

After Effects

Price

US$20.99/mo with Creative Suite (~US$250/year)

3D devices included

Preset animations

Available for

macOS and Windows

Screenspace

Upload designs to Screenspace's server, and their server park renders in less than an hour.

Price

US$399 per month for animations, US$10 per month for stills

3D devices included

12 and growing

Preset animations

Nine and growing

Available for

Browsers

Videohive

Ready to use templates, most even include music

Price

Around US$40 per template

3D devices included

Typically 1 per template

Preset animations

Typically 5-6 per template

Available for

After Effects

Rotato

Animations and still rendering, on-device

Price

Unlimited trial, Pro $69

3D devices included

30+

Preset animations

10+ & 30+ templates

Available for

macOS

Threed.io

Simple and easy to use web app

Price

Free

3D devices included

1

Preset animations

No animation

Available for

Browsers

Morflax Things

Polished and simple

Price

$15/month & free limited plan

3D devices included

12+

Preset animations

No animation

Available for

Browsers

Adobe Dimension

Photorealistic 3D mockups of a wide range of products

Price

US$20.99/mo with Creative Suite (~US$250/year)

3D devices included

One phone, one laptop

Preset animations

No animation

Available for

macOS and Windows

Cinema 4D

One of the most straightforward 3D packages out there

Price

US$1,500-3,500

3D devices included

Some, depending on the choice of package

Preset animations

Available for

macOS and Windows

2D alternatives

  • Mockuphone. A wide range of devices. Free.
  • Angle. Hundreds of static angles and various devices. USD$79.
  • Mockuups studio. Real hands using phones. USD$9/month.
  • PlaceIt. Tons of templates, including videos. USD$29/month.
  • Envato Elements. Thousands of mockups. Including video templates. USD$16.50.