by YCraft·Simulation
Images © YCraft. Used for product review; image policy.
Fluid earns its place in the toolfarm library for running its Navier-Stokes simulation live in the After Effects timeline rather than through a separate render step, and for staying resolution-independent so the physics behaves the same across composition sizes.
Fluid is a GPU-accelerated 2D fluid simulation plugin for After Effects, built on Navier-Stokes physics. It reads a layer's alpha shape and releases fluid along its exact contour, so logos, text, and graphics flow naturally. Every frame evolves from the previous one, with gravity, wind, buoyancy, vorticity, and turbulence working together to shape the motion.
Any alpha-based layer can act as a collider, with Bounce and Friction shaping the response, and invisible colliders let you guide the flow with hidden boundaries. A second independent emitter creates dual-stream collisions with per-source color control. Keyframe the Source Point and Fluid reads its motion as emission velocity, and you can paste a mask path as Source Point keyframes for curved flow animations.
The simulation runs in real time on the GPU, directly in the After Effects timeline, with no pre-rendering or external pipeline. Choose from Standard, High, Ultra, and Extreme quality levels, and the physics stays identical across all composition sizes. Fluid is available on Windows and macOS.
Fluid is best for after Effects artists generating 2D fluid effects from layers such as logos, text, and graphics, including logo reveal and text dissolve workflows.
Fluid is completely free to download and use.
Fluid supports After Effects 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026. It runs on Windows 10 and 11 with an OpenCL 1.2-capable GPU, and on macOS 11 Big Sur or newer with a Metal-capable GPU on either Apple Silicon or Intel hardware. For memory, 8 GB of RAM is the minimum, with 16 GB or more recommended for large compositions. Keep in mind that real-time performance may vary based on your system configuration and capabilities.
Fluid needs a compatible GPU on each platform. On Windows 10 or 11 it requires an OpenCL 1.2-capable GPU, and on macOS 11 Big Sur or newer it requires a Metal-capable GPU, running on either Apple Silicon or Intel. For memory, 8 GB of RAM is the minimum, and 16 GB or more is recommended for large compositions. Because the simulation is GPU-driven, real-time performance may vary based on your system configuration and capabilities.
Fluid runs its GPU-accelerated Navier-Stokes simulation live in the After Effects timeline, with no pre-rendering or external pipeline required. The simulation runs in real time, though real-time performance may vary based on your system configuration and capabilities. To balance speed and detail, you can choose between Standard, High, Ultra, and Extreme quality levels, keeping previews fast at lower settings and producing sharper detail at higher ones. The simulation is also resolution-independent, so the physics stays identical across all composition sizes.
Fluid is listed as free in this catalog. Pricing and licensing terms can change over time, so check the developer's page for the current details before you commit it to a project. Beyond licensing, the plugin ships with a bundled documentation file covering the full parameter reference, tips, recipes, and troubleshooting, which is a useful next stop once you have it installed and want to learn the controls.
Fluid includes a bundled file called "Fluid — Documentation & Help" that provides a full parameter reference, 21 tips and tricks, recipes, and a troubleshooting guide. For bug reports, feedback, and support questions, contact details are listed in the Support section of that documentation. Together this gives you a single reference for the plugin's controls and support contacts, so you can look up parameters and resolve issues from one place.
Also in Simulation for After Effects.
by Motion Boutique
Motion Boutique Newton is a 2D physics engine for After Effects that turns 2D layers into simulations of real-world objects. Adjust density, friction, bounce, and gravity, then refine results with editable keyframes.
by MotionDesk
Soft Body 2 is an After Effects plugin that creates soft objects with collisions. It offers two engines, Quick and Advance, works with shape layers, text and pre-comps, and can bend images and layers.
by Motion Boutique
Newton 4 is a native 2D physics plugin for After Effects from Motion Boutique. It turns a composition into an interactive physics playground, transforming 2D layers into physical objects with realistic motion.
by grape design
Fluxion is a GPU-based particle plugin for After Effects that generates a vector field from a mask and makes particles flow along that field. It supports custom layer particles and 3D.
by MotionDesk
PhysicDesk is a real-time 2D physics simulator for After Effects that runs inside the viewport. Build scenes with dynamic, static, and animated bodies, then bake the resulting motion into native After Effects keyframes.
by Motion Boutique
Motion Boutique Newton is a 2D physics engine for After Effects that turns 2D layers into simulations of real-world objects. Adjust density, friction, bounce, and gravity, then refine results with editable keyframes.
by MotionDesk
Soft Body 2 is an After Effects plugin that creates soft objects with collisions. It offers two engines, Quick and Advance, works with shape layers, text and pre-comps, and can bend images and layers.
by Motion Boutique
Newton 4 is a native 2D physics plugin for After Effects from Motion Boutique. It turns a composition into an interactive physics playground, transforming 2D layers into physical objects with realistic motion.
by grape design
Fluxion is a GPU-based particle plugin for After Effects that generates a vector field from a mask and makes particles flow along that field. It supports custom layer particles and 3D.
by MotionDesk
PhysicDesk is a real-time 2D physics simulator for After Effects that runs inside the viewport. Build scenes with dynamic, static, and animated bodies, then bake the resulting motion into native After Effects keyframes.
by Zaebects
Physarum is a native After Effects plugin from Zaebects that simulates organic growth. Built for motion designers, it uses an organic algorithm and can interact with composition layers to produce a countless number of results.
