by aescripts batchframe·Workflow
Images © aescripts batchframe. Used for product review; image policy.
Auto Crop 3 earns its place in the aescripts library for handling composition cropping as a native plugin that works without precomposing, then adding project-panel batch cropping and KBar support on top.
Auto Crop 3 is a native After Effects plugin that crops compositions to fit their contents. It works on the current composition directly, with no need to precompose first, and can also crop several compositions at once when they are selected in the project panel.
Beyond a straight crop, it offers an option to expand the composition before cropping so that layers sitting outside the composition bounds are included. The Script UI panel can be customized, and the plugin supports KBar. A startup script exposes a function that lets crops run from external sources. Apple silicon support is also included.
Auto Crop 3 runs across a wide span of After Effects releases, from CS6 through the 2026 version, including CC 2019 and year-numbered releases such as 2021, 2023 and 2025. A demo video is available.
Auto Crop 3 is best for after Effects artists who need to crop compositions down to fit their contents, including several compositions at once.
Auto Crop 3 is completely free to download and use.
Auto Crop 3 is compatible with a broad range of After Effects versions, from CS6 up to the 2026 release. That span includes CC, CS6, CC 2014, CC 2015, CC 2015.3, CC 2017, CC 2018 and CC 2019, along with the year-numbered releases 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026. If you are on an older or newer build, check the developer's page to confirm the current supported list before installing.
Auto Crop 3 includes Apple silicon support, which was added in an earlier update alongside a refreshed licensing framework. On the Windows side, a later release fixed a crash, so keeping the plugin current is worthwhile if you have run into stability issues. For the exact build that matches your machine and operating system, the developer's page lists the latest version and its notes.
Auto Crop 3 does not require precomposing. As a native plugin it crops the current composition directly. It can also expand a composition before cropping so that layers positioned outside the composition bounds are included. When a composition is selected in the project panel you can crop it from there, and several selected compositions can be cropped at once. That covers both single-comp work and batches without extra composition setup.
Auto Crop 3 supports KBar, so a crop can be assigned to a KBar button. A startup script also exposes a function that allows crops to be run from external sources. The Script UI panel itself can be customized as well. These options sit alongside the standard workflow of cropping the current composition or cropping multiple compositions selected in the project panel.
Auto Crop 3 is listed as free in this catalog. Licensing terms can change over time, so for the current arrangement and any registration steps it is best to check the developer's page directly. The plugin has gone through several licensing-related updates over its history, including work on floating licenses and notarization for macOS, so confirming the up-to-date details there will give you the clearest picture.
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