15 Best After Effects Plugins for Amazing Videos

 

Cristian, here.

I am running a video post production agency called Veedyou Media.

So I am editing videos on a daily basis, or working with other editors and clients.

As a power After Effects and Premiere Pro user, I know how important is to have access to the absolute best plugins but also to templates, transitions, LUTs, presets, title templates and all kind of Premiere assets.

With faster workflows, higher client expectations, and frequent Adobe updates, choosing the best After Effects plugins has become more important than ever.

And if you can get your hand on a couple of good After Effects plugins it will make your work as a video editor much easier and your videos will look way cooler.

At the end of the day, if you can turn in your work in time and make the client extra happy you have done a great job.

I understand that creating professional-looking videos take time, which might be in short supply if you’re working under a strict deadline.

In no time you’ll be inundated by hundreds of options if you go looking for plugins on search engines.

I don’t want you to waste time looking.

So, as a professional video editor, here are my top 15 After Effects plugins to create awesome videos.

1. Deep Glow Plugin

The glow effects that other plugins offer are outdated and unimaginative.

To impress the audience, you need a true celebration of colors that the Deep Glow Plugin offers.

The plugin comes with a heap of new styles that’ll create awesome glow effects.

Apply beautiful deep color glows to texts and shapes. Also, the plugin allows the users to combine digital effects.

The plugin permits easy customization and corrections.

The glow spread, glow ratio, and other elements can be adjusted to bring out the glow effect the user desires.

Deep Glow is one of the most popular glow plugins among motion designers working on UI, titles, and neon-style animations.

2. Flow Plugin

Are you frustrated about the time you spend on the After Effects graph editor? Here is a plugin that’ll make your job a lot easier.

The Flow Plugin frees the users from the clutches of the graph editor.

The plugin provides a user-friendly interface to customize animation curves.

The Flow Plugin comes with 25 pre-defined curves to make your task quick and effortless.

That said users can create new motion curves and share the presets with other animators.

3. Mocha Pro Plugin

Why settle for the second-best when the best After Effects plugin for tracking is available at an affordable price.

The Mocha Pro Plugin is feature-rich and more advanced than its previous versions.

This plugin makes challenging tasks such as planar tracking, object removal, masking, and rotoscoping simple and easy.

The Mocha Pro plugin was used in some of the best Hollywood blockbusters and Academy Award-winning movies.

Users can learn about the features and functions of the plugin from the training manual on the official website.

Mocha Pro continues to be one of the most reliable solutions for complex tracking tasks.

4. Red Giant Trapcode Particular Plugin

The Red Giant Trapcode Particular Plugin is a must-have for all After Effects users.

User reviews and testimonials suggest the Red Giant product is way better than any other AE particle plugin available online.

This plugin allows you to create custom particles which can be then used to construct clouds, snow, smoke, rain, and other shapes.

Furthermore, you can combine multiple effects to create complex animation.

The latest versions are faster, GPU-accelerated, and optimized for modern hardware.

5. Element 3D (Video Copilot)

Working with 3D objects in After Effects no longer needs external 3D software.

Element 3D by Video Copilot allows users to import, animate, and render 3D models directly inside After Effects in real time.

This powerful After Effects plugin is ideal for logo animations, cinematic intros, product visualizations, and motion graphics projects.

Element 3D supports popular 3D formats and gives users full control over materials, textures, lighting, and reflections.

The plugin’s GPU-accelerated rendering ensures smooth performance, even when working with complex 3D scenes.

Video Copilot provides extensive video tutorials that walk users through setup, animation, and advanced rendering techniques.

With features like custom shaders, particle replication, and environment mapping, Element 3D gives creators professional-grade 3D capabilities without leaving After Effects.

6. Superluminal Stardust 1.5.0

Creating stunningly beautiful motion graphics took days a couple of decades ago. Not anymore.

Now, you can design futuristic 3D graphics – particle effects – in a matter of seconds with Superluminal Stardust.

Particles, 3D models, and graphic effects are combined into one neat plugin.

Users can apply one or combine these effects to create dynamic graphics in one place.

The plugin comes with hundreds of presets that make your task of creating complex effects quite easily.

The Superluminal Stardust plugin is available for Windows and Mac. The makers also provide a free update to the customers.

7. Motion Array Adobe Integrations

Impressed by the assets library of Motion Array?  Do you wish to access all that Motion Array has to offer?

Pick the Motion Array Adobe Integrations plugin and gain full access to templates, effects, music, and stock footage inside After Effects.

This integration significantly improves workflow speed by eliminating the need to switch between browser and editor.

The plugin offers a powerful search feature with filters so that no time is wasted in finding what you need.

The plugin allows seamless workflow, even when multiple assets are downloading in the background.

With this plugin, you won’t have to visit the Motion Array website again.

To add an asset – template, effect, music, video, and more – just drag and drop from the control panel.

8. Plexus 3 Plugin

Are you having trouble creating generative forms and shapes?

The Plexus 3 Plugin is here to solve your problem and save your time.

With this plugin, users can create awesome 3D particles, shapes, and digital assets.

Users can adjust various parameters to create interesting graphics that could add style and dynamism to the video.

The Plexus 3 plugin is also known for its user-friendly control panel.

Organizing Plexus Objects, adding effects, and rendering is quick and easy.

If you want to create, visualize, and manipulate data on After Effects, then Plexus 3 is the plugin for you.

9. Parrot Plugin

Parrot Plugin – a suitable name for the function this plugin performs.

This awesome After Effects plugin frees the users from the cumbersome task of copying and pasting keyframes.

Unlike other plugins, this one enables the users to create a master animated layer and then pass it on to other layers.

The Parrot Plugin helps simplify complex tasks. Plus, it’ll reduce repetitive work, thereby saving time and effort.

This is a must-have plugin for any After Effects user. Users will never have to use null layers again.

The plugin allows users to work with each animation point of an element separately.

Parrot is especially useful for UI animations, explainer videos, and social media templates where consistency matters.

10. Random Text Generator Plugin

The ‘random numbers in the background’ scene of the Matrix movies is one of the most iconic scenes that sci-fi fans remember.

To create such an effect in your tech or si-fi videos use the Random Text Generator Plugin.

The plugin allows you to create shapes, lines, and grids and choose numbers or alphabets randomly.

You can also adjust the parameters to create cool effects, change direction, and more.

The animation created with the plugin can be used in a wide range of video projects.

11. Cineblur Instagram Plugin

We have seen many hilarious uses of animal filters on photos, video calls, etc.

Instagram has a huge library of color filters that users can apply with a click.

The Cineblur Instagram plugin lets users add filters to their videos with ease.

This is a handy plugin to have because you can certainly use many popular color filters in your projects.

Moreover, the Cineblur Instagram Plugin is free. So why not give it a try.

12. Red Giant Magic Bullet Colorista V

Color correction option directly on the editing timeline is a wonderful feature that can save time while working on a video project.

This plugin is the latest version of the popular color correction and grading tool.

The brilliant features allow users to get the best out of their video in just a few clicks.

The plugin guarantees the best results for everyone including beginners.

With the Red Giant Magic Bullet Colorista V plugin, you’ll never have to leave the editor page for coloring and grading.

The plugin has been tested by some of the biggest names in the movie industry.

13. AfterCodecs

AfterCodecs is a great After Effects plugin to have.

One of the biggest headaches of many video editors is encoding the video to the right format.

The AfterCodecs plugin makes coding possible in the most possible and latest formats.

The plugin features codes for HAP / H264 / H265 / ProRes and more.

It eliminates the need for outdated QuickTime dependencies.

The plugin is available for both Mac and Windows.

14. Lenscare Plugin

Lenscare Plugin is a small plugin that does big work.

Normally, computers require considerable time to create ‘Depth of Field’ effects with the traditional tracing technique.

The Lenscare plugin reduces rendering time and creates high-quality DoF effects in no time.

Also, the Out of Focus feature of the plugin creates a realistic blur effect without the depth input.

The plugin also comes with other functionalities that After Effects users will find to be very useful.

15. PQ FUI Toys 3

Enhance your videos with simple motion graphic elements creating using PQ FUI Toys 3 plugin.

The pre-made After Effects comp is a massive time saver.

The adjustable parameters allow users to tweak the pre-made comps to create new graphics.

The plugin also makes available a user guide for After Effects beginners to master graphics creation in no time.

The PQ FUI Toys 3 is a useful plugin that every AE user should have.

Final Thoughts

All of these After Effects plugins are relevant, supported, and widely used.

If you want to speed up your workflow, improve animation quality, and deliver better results to clients, these tools are well worth considering.

Mastering the right plugins — combined with experience and creativity — is what separates good videos from great ones.