by Plugin Everything·Motion Graphics
Images © Plugin Everything. Used for product review; image policy.
TextBox 2 earns its place in the aescripts library as a native plugin that keeps a shape locked to your text automatically, cutting out the parenting, mattes and expressions that usually go into backing text. Its compatibility runs from CS6 through After Effects 2026, with added support for Apple silicon and Multi-Frame Rendering along the way.
TextBox 2 is a native plugin for After Effects that builds a customisable shape behind your text and keeps it sized to the text automatically. Because the shape is applied directly to the text layer, there's no need for parenting, mattes or expressions to hold everything together.
Shape modes include auto, square, circle and polygon, with customisable expansion across width, height and each individual edge, negative expansion, and individual edge rounding. Full transform controls let you animate the box independently from the text, and rotation is compatible with parented transforms. Gradient options cover linear and radial fills with individual gradient opacity, alongside matting, border options, and border dashes with butt and rounded line caps.
It works with vertical, horizontal and paragraph text, is compatible with motion blur, and supports 8, 16 and 32bpc. Additional controls include Trim Paths, locking ascenders and descenders so the box height stays consistent while text animates, individual round-corner percentages, and multi-threading performance. Typical uses include animating text in and out, adding backgrounds to text, and creating lower thirds, subtitles or closed captions.
TextBox 2 is best for animating text in and out, adding backgrounds to text, and creating lower thirds, subtitles or closed captions.
TextBox 2 is completely free to download and use.
TextBox 2 lists compatibility with After Effects 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020, along with CC 2019, CC 2018, CC 2017, CC 2015.3, CC 2015, CC 2014, CC and CS6. That range covers current releases as well as older Creative Cloud and CS6 installs. If you're on a version outside this list, check the developer's page for the latest compatibility details before installing.
TextBox 2 added support for Multi-Frame Rendering (MFR) in After Effects 2022 with version 1.2.3, and earlier included MFR support for AE 18.1 in version 1.2.2. If you rely on Multi-Frame Rendering in a recent After Effects build, running an up-to-date version of TextBox 2 keeps that support in place. Version 1.2.6 is the most recent release noted here, dated October 2022. Check the developer's changelog for the exact version details.
TextBox 2 gained a universal binary for Apple silicon (M1 and later) in version 1.2.4, released in February 2022, so it can run natively on newer Apple silicon Macs. If you're setting it up on an M-series machine, make sure you're on version 1.2.4 or newer for native support. Later releases, up to version 1.2.6, continued to refine activation and licensing. The developer's page has full download and version information.
TextBox 2 is listed as free in this catalog, so there's no purchase figure to report here. Licensing terms can change over time, and the plugin has gone through several license framework updates across its version history. Recent updates also improved online activation and error messaging for activation issues. For current licensing and activation details, check the developer's page on aescripts before you download and install.
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