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Film & TV · head to head

Adobe After Effects vs Lens Studio

Adobe After Effects logo

Adobe After Effects

Film & TV

Visual effects and motion graphics software

From
$22.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Lens Studio logo

Lens Studio

AR/VR & Metaverse

Create AR experiences for Snapchat and beyond

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Lens Studio has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Adobe After Effects the Internet Archive's capture of Adobe's After Effects page on 1 January 2022 priced the standalone app at US$20.99 per month, with the full Creative Cloud All Apps bundle at US$52.99 per month; current prices may differ.; Lens Studio performance limited to 10,000 triangles maximum for reliable cross-device rendering
  • They diverge on capability: Adobe After Effects covers Motion graphics, Lens Studio covers Visual scripting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Adobe After Effects and Lens Studio actually diverge.

Attributes where Adobe After Effects and Lens Studio differ
AttributeAdobe After EffectsLens Studio
Starting price$22.99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, MacosWeb (Lens Studio editor), iOS (via Snapchat), Android (via Snapchat), Web (via Camera Kit), Spectacles AR glasses
CategoryFilm & TVAR/VR & Metaverse
Founded19902011

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Adobe After Effects

  • Motion graphics
  • Visual effects
  • 2D and 3D compositing
  • Animation tools
  • Keying and rotoscoping
  • Color correction
  • Text animation
  • Particle systems

Only in Lens Studio

  • Visual scripting
  • ML templates
  • 3D tracking
  • Hand tracking
  • Snapchat
  • Spectacles
  • Camera Kit
  • Ar support

Both cover

  • Windows support
  • Macos support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Adobe After Effects

  • Motion graphics creationnot Lens Studio
  • Visual effects compositingnot Lens Studio
  • Title sequencesnot Lens Studio
  • Commercial advertisingnot Lens Studio
  • Social media contentnot Lens Studio

Lens Studio

  • VR Gamingnot Adobe After Effects
  • AR Marketingnot Adobe After Effects
  • Virtual Trainingnot Adobe After Effects
  • 3D Visualizationnot Adobe After Effects
  • Immersive Experiencesnot Adobe After Effects

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Adobe After Effects

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Adobe's After Effects page on 1 January 2022 priced the standalone app at US$20.99 per month, with the full Creative Cloud All Apps bundle at US$52.99 per month; current prices may differ.

Lens Studio

  • Performance limited to 10,000 triangles maximum for reliable cross-device rendering
  • File size capped at 8 MB restricting content complexity and asset quantity
  • Lens activation time must stay under 650 ms for ad deployment on Snapchat
  • Memory constraints limit number of segmentation and ML effects per Lens
  • Particle effects and scripts using Update Event require careful optimization to avoid exceeding device capabilities

Pricing, plan by plan

Adobe After Effects

$22.99/month
  • After Effects Single App$22.99/month
    • Motion graphics and VFX
    • 3D design space
    • Data-driven animation

Lens Studio

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Lens Studio review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Adobe After Effects if

  • You need motion graphics.
  • You work on Windows, Macos.
  • You also want visual effects.
Adobe After Effects review

Choose Lens Studio if

  • You need visual scripting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web (Lens Studio editor), iOS (via Snapchat), Android (via Snapchat), Web (via Camera Kit), Spectacles AR glasses.
  • You also want ml templates.
Lens Studio review

Questions people ask

Is Adobe After Effects or Lens Studio better?
Neither clearly leads. Adobe After Effects starts at $22.99/month and Lens Studio at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Adobe After Effects or Lens Studio?
Lens Studio has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $22.99/month for Adobe After Effects and Free for Lens Studio.
Does Adobe After Effects or Lens Studio run on more platforms?
Adobe After Effects runs on Windows, Macos. Lens Studio runs on Web (Lens Studio editor), iOS (via Snapchat), Android (via Snapchat), Web (via Camera Kit), Spectacles AR glasses.
Can I use Lens Studio for free?
Yes. Lens Studio has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Adobe After Effects starts at $22.99/month.
What is Adobe After Effects best used for?
Adobe After Effects is most often used for motion graphics creation, visual effects compositing, title sequences, commercial advertising. Of those, motion graphics creation and visual effects compositing are not what Lens Studio is typically brought in for.
What can Adobe After Effects do that Lens Studio cannot?
Adobe After Effects covers Motion graphics, Visual effects, 2D and 3D compositing, Animation tools. Lens Studio covers Visual scripting, ML templates, 3D tracking, Hand tracking. Both handle Windows support, Macos support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Lens Studio: Is Lens Studio free to download and use?

Yes, Lens Studio is completely free to download and use for creating and publishing Lenses on Snapchat. Creators can distribute Lenses via Snapcode with no payment required. Paid advertising options are available starting at $50 per day for promoted distribution.

Source
Lens Studio: What platforms can Lens Studio Lenses be deployed to?

Lens Studio supports deployment to Snapchat mobile apps on iOS and Android, web and third-party apps via the Camera Kit SDK, and AR glasses via Spectacles. Developers build once and deploy to all platforms from the same project.

Source
Lens Studio: Does Lens Studio support AI and generative features?

Yes, Lens Studio 5.0 includes the GenAI Suite for generating 2D and 3D assets from text or image prompts. It also supports SnapML for running custom machine learning models directly in AR experiences without additional coding.

Source
Lens Studio: What are Lens Studio's technical performance requirements?

Lens Studio recommends maximum 10,000 triangles rendered for best cross-device performance, Lens files must be under 8 MB, and Lens activation time must be under 650 ms for ads on Snapchat.

Source
Lens Studio: Does Lens Studio support version control and collaboration?

Yes, Lens Studio 5.0 Beta supports Git version control tools, enabling multiple developers to work on projects simultaneously.

Source
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