Cavalry review

Cavalry is the most capable free tool on this list for kinetic type. It is a procedural 2D animation app: you adjust one value and a whole system of shapes, letters or duplicated elements responds, which is exactly how many repeating typographic loops are built. The feature list names Text Animation, Duplicator, Falloffs, Magic Easing and Lottie Export, and Data Import lets you connect a spreadsheet to drive animations at scale, useful for data-driven titles or many language versions. Rendering is real-time, so you scrub without waiting for previews. Since Canva brought Cavalry in-house it is completely free to download and use for individuals, and the FAQ says it is free in a full, not watered-down, way. You need a Canva account to sign in, and enterprise features such as SSO come through Canva Enterprise. The learning curve is closer to After Effects than to Canva, so it suits designers who are ready to think in rigs and procedures.

Who it is for

Designers who want professional motion graphics for free

Price

Free for individuals; enterprise access through Canva Enterprise.

Fully optimized for macOS and Windows. Runs natively on Apple silicon and Intel. Completely free to download and use.
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 11, 2026.

Key features

• Text Animation listed among core features
• Real-time rendering with no preview lag
• Data Import to connect a spreadsheet and animate at scale
• Lottie Export for web and app animation
• Duplicator, Falloffs and Magic Easing for procedural motion

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Free for individuals with no restrictions, according to the vendor FAQ
• Strength: Native on Apple silicon and Intel Macs and on Windows
• Strength: Free for students and schools through Canva Education
• Weakness: Requires a Canva account
• Weakness: Procedural node thinking takes time to learn
• Weakness: SSO and admin controls only through Canva Enterprise

Key facts

• Price: Free for individuals
• Platforms: macOS and Windows
• Owner: Canva

Where it ranks

Cavalry is No. 2 in our Best Text Animation Software verdict.