What It Does

Squash & Stretch applies classic cartoon animation principles to any layer in After Effects without manual keyframing. Pick a behavior from the gallery, click to apply, and the plugin generates editable keyframes via Bezier Warp with matching sound effects. You control deformation amount, motion intensity, timing, and rotation through four main sliders.

Key Features

Four core sliders. Oomph controls motion intensity. Squash/Stretch adjusts deformation amount (set to zero for pure motion without distortion). Flip and Rotate handle orientation independently.

Behavior gallery. Preview animations before applying. The free version includes 40 behaviors; Pro unlocks 130. Covers bouncing, landing, squishing, launching, and more.

Sound effects. 135 included in the free version, 200+ in Pro. Effects sync to animation timing automatically or can be used standalone. Useful for animatics and client presentations that need audio.

Built-in utilities. Text Exploder breaks text into individual character layers. Precompose & Crop creates nested comps with automatic trimming. Stagger Layers offsets timing in order or randomly. Create Parent Null generates a controller null for grouped animation.

Editable output. All behaviors produce standard keyframes you can adjust manually after application.

Who It’s For

Motion designers working on explainer videos, logo animations, icon animations, or character work get the most from this. Adding secondary motion to a shape layer or bouncing text usually takes several minutes of manual keyframing; this does it in seconds.

The free version is genuinely usable for occasional work. Pro is worth it if squash-and-stretch is a regular part of your output.

Pricing

  • Free: 40 behaviors, 135 sound effects
  • Pro: $39.99 one-time. 130 behaviors, 200+ sound effects, access to add-on bundles.

Add-on bundles (Glitch, Broadcast, Cartoon) require Pro and cost $9.99 each. V1 owners purchased after July 1, 2025 get V2 Pro free; earlier buyers receive an automatic discount at checkout. Compatible with After Effects 2015 through 2026.