Best Particle System Plugins for After Effects

Stardust

paid

Modular 3D particle system with node-based workflow for After Effects

Plexus 3

paid

Build generative 3D particle networks with lines, facets, and effectors

Splash

paid

Creates procedurally animated liquid trails and blobs on moving layers

Bang

freemium

Modular particle system for creating 3D procedural muzzle flashes

Furikake

paid

CPU-optimized particle plugin for large-scale motion graphics and VFX

Handy Particles Pro

freemium

Create particle systems with custom shapes and export to Rive

Vectory

freemium

Transforms images into dynamic particle networks based on brightness

Particle Pro

freemium

Create particles from text, shapes, and masks using Stardust presets

Aura

paid

Generates animated geometric shapes in 3D space using procedural waves

Mettle Flux

paid

Creates volumetric fractal flames for space scenes and atmospheric effects

Nebulosity

freemium

Generate volumetric nebulas, galaxies, and clouds with GPU acceleration

Physarum

freemium

Simulates organic growth patterns using expression-driven masks

InkBloom

paid

Procedural watercolor ink bleeding simulation for After Effects.

Newton 4

freemium

Apply realistic 2D physics to After Effects layers with gravity and collisions