Autodesk Flow Studio Launches Freemium AI VFX Tools at SIGGRAPH 2025
At SIGGRAPH 2025, Autodesk, Inc. unveiled a significant shift in its pricing strategy for Autodesk Flow Studio, the professional-grade AI-powered VFX and animation platform formerly known as Wonder Studio. In a move designed to democratize access to high-end creative tools, the company has introduced its first-ever free tier and slashed the price of its Lite plan by 50%, reducing it from $20 to $10. This initiative marks a pivotal moment, aiming to remove financial barriers for independent filmmakers, digital content creators, marketers, and new users globally, allowing them to leverage sophisticated artificial intelligence for animation and visual effects previously exclusive to large Hollywood productions. The announcement comes just one year after Autodesk’s acquisition of Wonder Dynamics, the innovator behind the technology.
Autodesk Flow Studio harnesses the power of AI to streamline complex visual effects tasks, including motion capture, camera tracking, and character animation. This automation allows creators to dedicate more energy to storytelling rather than getting bogged down in intricate technical setups. Users can effortlessly integrate computer-generated characters into live-action scenes with just a video clip and a few clicks, making advanced 3D animation and VFX capabilities accessible to a broader audience. Furthermore, the platform allows for the export of AI-generated assets—such as clean plates, 3D scenes, alpha masks, and camera tracks—to other industry-standard tools like Maya, Blender, or Unreal Engine for further editing and refinement. This interoperability significantly accelerates animation and VFX workflows, freeing up valuable time for creative exploration and innovation.
Diana Colella, executive vice president of Media & Entertainment at Autodesk, emphasized the company’s vision behind this strategic shift. “Making Autodesk Flow Studio more accessible to everyone reflects our belief in a creator-first future,” she stated, “where AI empowers more artistic expression, not replaces it. By lowering the cost barrier, more storytellers are now able to explore the ways new AI-powered tools can help them bring their ideas to life, regardless of where they are along their creative journey.” This approach underscores Autodesk’s commitment to fostering a more inclusive creative ecosystem.
The expanded offering introduces a flexible tiered model designed to accommodate users ranging from first-time experimenters to established professional studios. The new Free and Standard tiers join the existing Lite, Pro, and Enterprise options, providing creators with greater flexibility to select a plan that aligns with their specific creative needs and ambitions. The Free tier includes essential tools like AI Mocap and Live Action, while more advanced functionalities, such as Wonder Animation and Wonder Tools, remain exclusive to the paid subscriptions. For larger organizations, the Enterprise tier offers scalable access to AI-powered workflows, complete with enhanced support and robust data controls, enabling them to integrate new technologies while preserving established creative processes and roles within professional production environments.
Nikola Todorovic, co-founder of Wonder Dynamics, now an Autodesk company, highlighted the long-standing ambition to make their technology widely available. “Running AI models at scale has traditionally been very challenging for tech startups,” he explained. “Our original mission was always to make our technology free and affordable to as many creatives as possible, but we had limited resources as a startup. Now, as part of Autodesk, we’re able to offer Flow Studio as a freemium product, powered by robust infrastructure and cloud partners – so more artists can tell more stories, no studio lot or multimillion-dollar budget required.”
This global launch of the free tier and flexible pricing model also formalizes Autodesk Flow Studio’s full integration into the broader Autodesk ecosystem. This ensures alignment with Autodesk’s standard policies and processes, delivering a more unified, consistent, and scalable user experience. Additionally, Autodesk has included the Pro tier of Flow Studio in its Media & Entertainment Collection at no extra cost, offering existing customers a low-risk pathway to explore AI-powered workflows. This move reflects Autodesk’s dedication to guiding its clientele through the evolving landscape of AI in media and entertainment with tools that are both accessible and capable of scaling with their creative aspirations.