FREE ANIMATION PRE-PRODUCTION
Lock the story before
you animate a single frame.
Storyflow is a free AI canvas for animation pre-production. Plan the storyboard, the beats, and the character design on one board, so the story and the sequences are locked before the expensive work of animating begins. No download, no credit card.
Free plan
No credit card
Story locked first
Used by creative professionals at:
Artlist
Pixar
Nike
Red Bull
The North Face
Porsche
Start from a ready-made template
Pick a board to see what you can build, then let AI fill it in. Every template is a real, editable starting point on the same infinite canvas.
Storyboard
Lay out your shots frame by frame with images and notes, then reorder them until the sequence reads like the finished cut.
What is animation pre-production?
Animation pre-production is the planning that has to be right before animation starts, because animating is slow and expensive, and fixing the story later means redoing frames. It covers the script, the beat board, the storyboard, the character and world design, and the sequences that map how the film flows before it moves.
These pieces are visual and interconnected, and they usually live across a storyboard tool, a sketchpad, a character design folder, and a script. Keeping the story locked means holding all of that together, which a stack of separate tools makes hard.
Storyflow puts animation pre-production on one infinite canvas. Generate a storyboard from the script, lay out the beats, and pin character and world design next to the scenes, so the whole story is one board you can see and lock before you commit to animating.
One honest note on scope: Storyflow plans and organizes animation pre-production, it is not 2D or 3D animation software and not a full animatic timeline editor. It gets the story, boards, and design locked, and you take that into your animation tool of choice.
HOW IT WORKS
Plan animation pre-production in four steps.
The AI drafts the boards and the story locks on one canvas.
01
Open a free canvas
Sign up in seconds, no credit card, and your infinite canvas opens in the browser.
02
Describe the story or paste a script
The AI drafts the beats and a storyboard from what you give it.
03
Board and design
Lay out the sequences and pin character and world design beside them.
04
Lock and share
Share a view-only link for sign-off, then take the locked story into your animation tool.
The story, boarded and locked.
Storyboard, beats, and character design on one board.
AI builds the storyboard and beats
Board the story fast
Paste the script and the AI drafts the beats and a storyboard, so you start from a real board.
See the storyboard maker →
Character and world design
Design beside the story
Pin character sheets and world design next to the scenes they appear in, all on one board.
See the AI character profile generator →
Sequences you can reorder
Map how the film flows
Lay out the sequences as cards and rearrange them until the story reads before it moves.
See story structure software →
Free plan, no credit card
Plan animation for free
Plan as many animation projects as you want on the free plan, with unlimited boards and no expiry.
See filmmaking software →Free animation pre-production, no expiry.
Plan as many animation projects as you want on an unlimited canvas, with no credit card.
Unlimited boards on an infinite canvas
Basic AI usage to build storyboards and beats
3 starter frameworks built in
20 file uploads for design and references
LOCK THE STORY
Everything you settle before you animate.
Storyflow keeps the boards, beats, and design on one canvas.
The story, boarded
Get the film right on paper
Beats and structure: Lay out the beats so the story works before it moves.
Storyboard the scenes: Board every scene and sketch over the frames.
Sequences: Order the sequences until the film flows.
Design in the same place
The look beside the story
Character sheets: Pin character design next to the scenes they appear in.
World and color: Collect world design and color references on the board.
Grab references: Capture frames from YouTube or Vimeo for the look.
The AI drafts the boards
Board faster
From a script: The AI drafts the beats and storyboard from your script.
Iterate quickly: Ask for a new sequence or a tighter act and it updates.
You direct it: Edit every frame so the film is yours.
Lock and hand off
Take a locked story into production
Share for sign-off: Send a view-only link so the team approves the boards.
Export the boards: Export a clean PDF of the storyboard and beats.
Into your animation tool: Take the locked story into your 2D or 3D pipeline.
Explore templates for your project
Every template opens as a real, editable board on the infinite canvas. Pick the closest fit and make it your own.
Storyboard
Lay out your shots frame by frame with images and notes, then reorder them until the sequence reads like the finished cut.
HOW WE COMPARE
Storyflow vs StudioBinder, Boords, and Milanote.
A fair look at where each fits. Storyflow keeps the boards, beats, and design on one free canvas.
Storyflow
Recommended
Free plan with unlimited boards
AI builds the storyboard and beats
Storyboard, beats, and character design together
Infinite visual canvas
View-only share link, no sign-up
200+ frameworks for every format
StudioBinder
Free plan with unlimited boards
AI builds the storyboard and beats
Storyboard, beats, and character design together
Infinite visual canvas
View-only share link, no sign-up
200+ frameworks for every format
Boords
Free plan with unlimited boards
AI builds the storyboard and beats
Storyboard, beats, and character design together
Infinite visual canvas
View-only share link, no sign-up
200+ frameworks for every format
Milanote
Free plan with unlimited boards
AI builds the storyboard and beats
Storyboard, beats, and character design together
Infinite visual canvas
View-only share link, no sign-up
200+ frameworks for every format
What creators are saying
Join early creators getting structured workspaces and AI that remembers their projects
“Storyflow has sped up my workflow by at least 3x, which means more flow state and more projects I can actually ship. It truly changed the way me and my team create.”
Reilin Joey
Director & YouTuber
“One prompt gets me a structured board. But the tactics are my favorite. I run my YouTube scripts through them and my intros and retention got better. It's amazing.”
Justkay
YouTuber & Freelance Filmmaker
“I used to juggle five apps to plan a project. Now I describe what I am making and get boards, lists, and a schedule. All in one place.”
George
@fernwehchronicles
Animation pre-production, answered.
What animators ask about planning in Storyflow.
It is the planning done before animation starts: the script, beat board, storyboard, character and world design, and the sequences that map how the film flows. Getting it right matters because animating is slow and expensive. In Storyflow you build all of it on one canvas so the story is locked first.
Lock the story before you animate.
Open a free canvas, board the story, and pin the design. Free plan, no credit card.