Top 10 Best Free Storyboarding Software | Ultimate Guide

Best Storyboarding Software 

What makes good storyboarding software?

The basis of our list of the best storyboarding software are the features and tools that facilitate creativity and efficiency. These features make the storyboarding process more enjoyable and more effective for projects. Here are a few key things to think about when picking the best option for your project:

• Ease of use: A good storyboarding software should be simple and intuitive to use, even for inexperienced filmmakers.

• Customization options: The ability to customize layouts, add notes and comments, import assets, and collaborate with team members is crucial for efficient teamwork.

• Feedback & Commenting features: The ability to give and receive feedback and comments is crucial for making revisions and improvements in the pre-production process.

• Integration with other software: If you're working with specific editing or design software, it's important to choose a storyboarding software that integrates well with them.

• Affordability: As with any project, budget is an important factor. It's important to find a storyboarding software that fits your budget without compromising on features.

Best Storyboard Software Overall

1. StudioBinder

StudioBinder is a powerful storyboarding software for filmmakers and creatives who want to simplify their production process. Its Storyboarding Feature easily integrates with other features within the StudioBinder suite of filmmaking tools like shot listing and scheduling, helping you link storyboards to scripts and shot lists effortlessly. 

This makes the pre-production process more efficient and effective. With this user-friendly platform, you can visualize every scene, plan out every shot detail, and share your ideas with your team and collaborators for feedback. 

Key features:

• Intuitive storyboard interface for easy storyboard creation and scene visualization.
• Integrated script-to-storyboard functionality to streamline pre-production.
• Ability to import physically drawn storyboards.
• Collaboration tools for team comments and task assignments.
• Export options for sharing storyboards in PDFs or mobile-responsive links.
• Image editing tools for enhancing storyboard panels.

What’s missing:

• Limited offline access, which requires an internet connection for full functionality.

Pricing:

StudioBinder's pricing offers flexibility for various needs. The Free plan allows one user to manage a single project, perfect for exploring basic features. 

The Starter plan at $49/month supports two users with 10 projects and 50 GB storage, ideal for small teams. 

The Indie plan, priced at $99/month, expands to three users, 25 projects, and 75 GB of storage for more complex production planning. 

At $149/month, the Professional plan provides advanced features with 100 GB of storage for three users. 

An annual subscription option saves 15% on any plan.

PanelForge is a robust storyboarding software designed for professional animators and storyboard artists. Its dynamic timeline feature makes it easy to create multiple panels, which is great for creating animatics, add music and sound design, and perfecting the narrative pacing of your scenes. With PanelForge's advanced features, you can easily create animations of characters and objects within your storyboards as well.

Key features:

• Layered 2D canvas drawing workspace with Photoshop brush import.
• User-friendly 3D stage layout design with standard geometry and camera controls.
• Intuitive timeline editing with set panel timings and add multiple audio tracks for complete animatics for.
• Share stories with various export options and provide editable 3D scenes for collaboration.

What’s missing:

• Limited collaboration options compared to other software on this list.

Pricing:

PanelForge offers two plans: the Studio plan at £1000 annually, ideal for any project size with unlimited panels and priority support, and the Indie plan from €6/month for smaller projects, supporting up to 500 panels with community forum support.

Best Storyboard Progtam for Indies

4. Plot

Plot is a user-friendly storyboarding software designed for filmmakers creating indie films and video creators. Its intuitive drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to create detailed storyboards and follow the storyboard dos and don’t with customizable panel layouts. 

With its built-in shot list feature, you can seamlessly transition from storyboarding to shot listing, saving you time and effort during pre-production planning.

Key features:

• Use built-in brushes, shapes, and clipart to create illustrations, or upload your own images. No drawing skills required.
• Create, review, and add comments to storyboards on mobile devices.
• Share projects with unlimited colleagues and clients for seamless review, comments, and edits, regardless of their experience level.

What’s missing:

• Lacks advanced tools for highly artistic drawings.
• Does not support customized layouts or branded exports.
• Requires an internet connection; offline work is not supported.

Pricing:

Plot offers a free 14-day trial with essential features, while advanced features are available through tiered pricing plans.

The Solo plan at $9.99/month offers unlimited storyboards with no collaborators, the Pro plan at $14.99/month includes 5 collaborators and a team upgrade option, and the Business plan at $19.99/month provides unlimited collaborators and team upgrades, all with unlimited storyboards.

Best Storyboarding Software for Creatives

5. Milanote

Milanote is a visual collaboration platform that offers versatile features for creatives, including storyboarding. With its drag-and-drop interface and endless space, you can easily create detailed and visually appealing storyboards and implement any storyboard idea and technique with creative freedom and space.

Key features:

• Use the pen tool for detailed sketches or quick concept drawings, emulating the feel of paper.
• Easily rearrange frames and update content quickly to focus on storytelling.
• Start with flexible storyboard templates to save time or customize layouts as you like.
• Over 500,000 free professional photos through Pexels for your boards.
• Add videos, GIFs, PDFs, and more to create interactive storyboards.
• Built-in commenting, sharing, and notifications streamline teamwork.

What’s missing:

• Lack of a feature to view project history.
• Does not support collecting photos within the platform.
• May pose challenges for video professionals who require quick iterations or need to handle various versions of storyboards.

Pricing:

Milanote offers a free plan with no time limit, allowing for 100 notes, images, or links, 10 file uploads, and unlimited shared boards. 

The individual plan costs $9.99 per month when billed annually or $12.50 when billed monthly, offering unlimited notes, images, links, file uploads, and shared boards. 

For teams, there's a plan priced at $49 per month, billed annually, accommodating up to 10 people with the same unlimited features, and offering a 50% savings

Good Storyboard Software for Designers

6. Canva

Canva is a versatile graphic design platform that offers storyboarding templates and tools for creating visually appealing storyboards. With its drag-and-drop interface and extensive library of images, icons, and graphics, you can easily create professional-looking storyboards without any drawing skills. It also allows for collaboration with team members through real-time commenting and sharing features.

Key features:

• Access storyboard templates for every theme, complete with illustration and speech bubble sets, easily searchable by keywords.
• Explore millions of images, icons, and illustrations; customize with colors and fonts using a drag-and-drop tool.
• Select from millions of high-quality stock photos and illustrations, or drag and drop your own images swiftly from your desktop.

What’s missing:

• Lacks some of the advanced design functionalities found in professional graphic design and storyboarding software.
• Canva is primarily an online tool, which can limit users without a stable internet connection.

Pricing:

Canva offers a free version with limited features, while advanced features are available through tiered pricing plans.  

Canva Pro is $120/year for premium tools and content.

Canva Teams is $100/year per person, minimum of 3, for teamwork.

Canva Enterprise entails custom pricing for comprehensive solutions for bigger productions and teams.

Best Storyboard Programs

7. Boords

Boords is a cloud-based storyboarding software designed for creative teams in film, TV, and advertising. With its drag-and-drop interface and built-in storyboard templates, you can easily create professional-looking storyboards. Its collaboration tools allow for real-time sharing and commenting on projects with team members, making it ideal for remote teams.

Key features:

• Intuitive storyboarding tools such as drag-and-drop features, AI image generation, and a vast image library for quick storyboard creation.
• Real-time updates, comments, and approvals to keep your team in sync.
• AI-powered tools enhance creativity by enabling custom character development, generating expressive scene images, and producing unlimited scene variations effortlessly.
• Export in various formats including presentation links, PDFs, shot lists, and MP4 animatics for easy production handoff.

What’s missing:

• Limited PDF layout options for customizing final storyboard visuals.
• Accessing archived storyboards without unarchiving would be beneficial.

Pricing:

Boords offers a free 7-day trial, with advanced features available through tiered pricing plans. 

Lite plan costs $9/month, billed annually. Perfect for small projects with a single user. Includes up to 5 storyboards and 50 AI image credits.

Standard plan costs $44/month, billed annually. Ideal for custom storyboarding with up to 3 teammates ($13/month each). Includes unlimited storyboards and 200 AI image credits.

Workflow plan costs $89/month, billed annually. Designed for comprehensive pre-production with unlimited teammates ($13/month each). Offers unlimited AI image credits and sharing links.

Best Storyboard App

8. makeStoryboard

makeStoryboard is a free, open-source storyboarding software designed for animators and filmmakers. With its user-friendly interface and simple drawing tools, you can easily create detailed storyboards without any technical skills. Its collaboration feature allows for real-time sharing of projects with team members, making it ideal for remote teams.

Key features:

• Customize frames to meet project needs with options for field adjustments and automatic numbering.
• It supports various flexible aspect ratios, including 16:9, 9:1, 1:1, 4:3, 4:5, 1.91:1, 1.85:1, and 2.39:1, catering to all popular team preferences.
• Manage multiple storyboard versions and save progress or backups efficiently.
• Share projects at any stage with colleagues, co-creators, or customers
• Options to add logos and colors

What’s missing:

• Limited advanced illustrator features compared to other dedicated storyboarding software.

Pricing:

makeStoryboard is $12 USD/ Month for individuals (10 storyboards) and $48 USD / month for a team of 10 users with the ability to add more users for a fee.

Best Storyboarding and Screenwriting Integration 

9. Celtx

Celtx is a comprehensive pre-production software that offers storyboarding, screenwriting, and project management tools. With its built-in storyboard feature, you can easily create detailed and professional-looking storyboards while seamlessly integrating with your script. Its collaboration tools make it easy to share and work on projects with team members.

Key features:

• Upload images, add notes, define shots, and arrange sequences with simple drag-and-drop functionality.
• Upload your existing sketches or create new images with Celtx’s drawing tools to enhance your storyboard tiles.
• Easily connect your script and storyboard with Celtx filmmaking tools, keeping everything in sync between storyboard frames and script actions.

What’s missing:

• Limited drawing tools compared to other dedicated storyboarding software.
• Limited layout options for final storyboard presentation.

Pricing:

Celtx offers a free version with limited features, while advanced features are available through tiered pricing plans. Keep in mind, the storyboarding feature falls under 'Story Development Tools which is only first available in the Writer Pro tier.

Writer: $14.99/month. Ideal for beginners with entry-level writing features. Includes up to 3 projects and unlimited comments.

Writer Pro: $24.99/month. Perfect for professionals needing advanced writing, episodic, and story development tools. Offers unlimited projects and comments.

Team: $59.95/month for up to 5 members. Provides comprehensive writing and planning tools, including private projects, unlimited projects, comments, story development, and production planning tools.

Most Detailed Storyboarding Tools

10. Photoshop

While primarily used for photo editing and graphic design, Photoshop can also be used as a powerful tool for storyboarding. With its wide range of drawing tools and layering capabilities, you can create highly detailed and customized storyboard panels. Its integration with other Adobe Creative Suite software allows for seamless workflow between storyboarding and post-production.

Key features:

• Extensive drawing and customization tools for creating detailed storyboard panels.
• Integration with other Adobe Creative Suite software such as After Effects and Premiere Pro.
• Allows for the incorporation of photos and images into storyboards. 
• Professional-level editing and design features.

What’s missing:

• Limited storyboard-specific features compared to other dedicated software.
• Higher learning curve for those not familiar with Adobe Creative Suite.
• Live sharing and commenting features not available.

Pricing:

Photoshop is available through Adobe Creative Cloud subscription plans. The Photography plan, which includes Photoshop and Lightroom, costs $9.99/month. The All Apps plan, which includes access to all Adobe apps including Photoshop, costs $52.99/month.

Storyboarding is a crucial part of developing a visual story, all while ironing out details before heading into production or principal photography. All of these options come with different features and capabilities, making some better suited for specific types of projects. Think about what you need from storyboarding software and pick one that fits your requirements and budget.

Up Next

How to Make a Storyboard

With a storyboarding software in mind, it’s time to dive into the process and details of storyboarding to fully paint the picture of the story you want to tell.

Up Next: How to Make a Storyboard →