Top 7 AI Rotoscoping Tools: Free and Paid Available in 2025

With AI tech moving forward at breakneck speed, new tools are becoming more and more accessible across every aspect of our daily lives. This includes the world of art, VFX, and animation, where a once arduous and tiresome process is now made quicker and more straightforward with the help of AI tools.

In this article, we'll discuss what is rotoscoping as well as the top AI rotoscoping tools available, both free and paid. These innovative tools are perfect for those who have always wanted to try rotoscoping for fun but were put off by the complexity of the technique. With these tools, you can achieve great results and streamline the process.

Let's take a closer look!

What is Rotoscoping?

Rotoscoping is a technique that artists use to isolate objects from the footage to add visual effects and to remove video background and other VFX animation. This technique, combined with a green screen, brings to life most of the special effects you see in your favorite movies.

Before AI, rotoscoping was done manually by drawing over the image frame by frame to outline the object. Later, with computers, VFX artists started using tablets to trace masks accurately. You can mask in less time without compromising quality, thanks to artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Top 7 AI Rotoscoping Tools Overview

Here, you'll find free and paid plug-ins, web-based online rotoscoping tools and services, and built-in tools in your favorite video editing software.

• Boris FX Silhouette

  

  We'll kickstart the list with one of the most sophisticated rotoscoping tools in the market: Silhouette, the professional roto and paint plug-in by Boris FX.

  With Silhouette, you can effortlessly craft intricate mattes and masks using precise B-Spline, X-Spline, and Magnetic Freehand shapes. But that's not all! The plug-in seamlessly integrates point tracking, planar tracking, and the power of Mocha Pro planar tracking, which made it the secret weapon of many Academy Award-winning films such as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Top Gun: Maverick, Dune, and The Mandalorian.

  Pros:

  • Industry-standard rotoscoping tools.

  • Features tools from Boris FX Mocha Pro, Sapphire, and Particle Illusion.

  • Cross-platform plug-in and standalone app.

  Cons:

  • Steep learning curve as most professional tools.

  • Price.

• Boris FX Mocha Pro

  

  Mocha Pro might well be the game-changer for video editing you're looking for. Compatible with popular software like DaVinci Resolve, After Effects, Premiere Pro, and Vegas Pro, Mocha Pro empowers you to rotoscope with remarkable efficiency, and thanks to the Bezier Splines with magnetic edge-snapping assistance, you can achieve stunning results with fewer keyframes. With Mocha Pro by Boris FX, you can elevate your visual content and take your rotoscoping workflow to the next level.

  Pros:

  • Industry-leading planar tracker.

  • Comprehensive toolset for rotoscoping, masking stabilization, and object removal.

  • Features PowerMesh and Mega plate modules.

  Cons:

  • Steep learning curve.

  • Resource-intensive.

• Runway ML

  

  RunwayML green screen is a unique web-based that makes the rotoscoping process incredibly fast using machine learning technology. Runway will detect the shape and draw the mask frame by frame with a simple click on the object you want to rotoscope.

  

  Runway offers a free and paid version of its service. The limited free version gives you 125 credits to try, and you can upgrade to a paid membership to continue using Runway with monthly credits. The paid version allows video editor exports in 4K and green screen alpha matte. The paid version memberships start at $15 monthly.

  Runway is a tool that will save you plenty of time when you need to rotoscope on a tight deadline.

  Pros:

  • No high specs required, so most computers can run it smoothly.

  • Easy to use.

  • No editing knowledge needed.

  • It offers more tools like color grade, slow motion, blur, and motion tracking.

  Cons:

  • 4k and alpha mattes are only available in the premium paid plans.

  • Upload can be slow sometimes, depending on your connection.

  • No offline features.

• Unscreen

  

  This rotoscoping tool is perfect for beginners or hobbyists who want a quick solution to upgrade their visual content. With Unscreen, you only need to upload your video clips and wait until it processes them. Then, the software will automatically create a new video without the green screen on the background 100% automatically.

  

  Unscreen is free but offers multiple paid options according to the length in minutes of all the videos that you need to process.

  Pros:

  • 100% automatic.

  • Easy to use and fast background removal.

  • Downloads in GIF, PNG, or single frames.

  • No need to register or sign in to use it.

  • It allows you to add fun backgrounds and upload your own.

  Cons:

  • Limited customization and masking.

  • Watermark in the free version.

  • Results can be inaccurate with rough edges.

• Mask Prompter 2.0

  

  Mask Prompter is a powerful paid plug-in for Adobe After Effects that uses artificial intelligence to rotoscope subjects to apply effects, change the background, or remove something from the scene without the slow process of drawing manually. Mask Prompter uses machine learning and AI models like Meta's SAM 2 to detect shapes and create mattes and alpha channels by specifying points and boxes around the subject.

  

  The single-user license of Mask Prompter is $49.99, and it offers a trial version for you to test its features before buying the license.

  Pros:

  • Easy to use tool.

  • Uses points or boxes to mask an object.

  • A fully functional trial version is available to test the plug-in (with a watermark).

  • Reasonably priced.

  Cons:

  • Only available for After Effects and Adobe Premiere Pro.

  • Some stability issues with the GPU mode.

  • Mask Prompter requires a lot of resources.

  • Windows systems require Nvidia graphics for the GPU version of the plug-in.

• Magic Mask

  

  This tool is included with DaVinci Resolve video editing and composition software.

  The downside is that it only comes with the Studio version of the software, but on the plus side, once you upgrade to the Studio version, you'll unlock many more features, including more GPU acceleration, advanced noise reduction, professional HDR scopes, Stereoscopic 3D, more Resolve FX and of course Magic Mask.

  

  Magic Mask is powered by DaVinci Neural Engine, which uses machine learning to help with your roto work from the Color page in DaVinci Resolve.

  DaVinci Resolve Studio is $295. It’s an excellent choice to upgrade if you’re already familiar with the software and use it in your daily job.

  Pros:

  • Rotoscope from the Color Page in DaVinci Resolve.

  • Delivers professional results.

  • Powered by DaVinci Neural Engine.

  Cons:

  • Only available in the Studio version.

  • Pricey.

• Roto Brush 3

  

  Roto Brush is a built-in tool to speed up your rotoscope process in After Effects, minimizing the frame-by-frame hand drawing work in a user-friendly environment. The latest version, Roto Brush 3, features improved accuracy, faster performance, and a refined edge tool to fine-tune the mask when isolating complex objects such as fur or hair.

  

  After Effects is $20.99 monthly, also included in the Creative Cloud All Apps plan for $54.99.

  Pros:

  • Accurate masking.

  • Included in After Effects.

  • It speeds up the process significantly.

  Cons:

  • Only available in After Effects.

  • Steep learning curve.

Final Thoughts

Thanks to advancements in the new tech and the endless availability of online tools, rotoscoping has come a long way. AI rotoscoping is now accessible to beginners, VFX artists, and advanced artists alike, which can greatly improve their workflow and help them upgrade their content.

As you saw, there are several options available, such as web-based tools for content creators who need to remove a video background or green screen and more advanced plug-ins for visual designers who work with sophisticated software. As humans, we always strive to make challenging tasks easier, so there’s no doubt we’ll be able to use even more powerful AI rotoscoping tools in the near future.

Good luck!