How to Install After Effects Plugins

Adobe After Effects is a powerful tool for video editors, motion designers, and visual effects artists. While it comes packed with incredible features, sometimes you need extra tools to push your creativity further. That’s where After Effects plugins come in. These plugins extend the software’s capabilities, offering advanced effects, automation, and improved workflow efficiency. Whether you’re looking to add cinematic color grading, realistic particle simulations, or AI-powered enhancements, plugins help bring your vision to life.

If you’re new to installing After Effects plugins, don’t worry – it’s easier than you might think. Sometimes a third-party plugin will come with an installer. Other times, just the executable. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the installation process on both Windows and Mac, explain the differences between key plugin folders, and highlight some of the best tools available.

What Are After Effects Plugins?

After Effects plugins are third-party add-ons that expand the functionality of Adobe After Effects. These tools allow users to add new effects, automate tasks, and improve workflow efficiency. Many professionals rely on plugins for everything from realistic motion blur to high-end compositing techniques.
There are three main types of additional software you can integrate with After Effects:

• After Effects Plugins – Installed directly into After Effects, these enhance its core functions, offering advanced effects and automation.
• After Effects tool – Standalone applications or scripts that complement After Effects by providing additional features.
• After Effects extensions – HTML5-based panels that integrate into After Effects’ interface, offering customized workflow solutions.

With thousands of plugins available, choosing the right ones can significantly improve your creative process.

How to Install After Effects Plugins on Windows

Installing plugins on Windows is usually straightforward. Most plugins come with an installer that automatically places the files in the correct locations. However, if you need to install them manually, follow these steps:

1. Find Your After Effects Installation Folder

By default, After Effects is installed in the following location:

C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects [Version]\

2. Locate the Plug-Ins Folder

Navigate to:

C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects [Version]\Support Files\Plug-ins\

This is where most third-party plugins are placed but some plugins might need to be placed in the Common folder instead, which we’ll discuss later.

3. Install the Plugin

• If the plugin comes with an installer, run it and follow the on-screen instructions.
• If you have a .zip or .rar file, extract its contents and place the plugin file (.aex) inside the Plug-Ins folder.

4. Restart After Effects

Once the files are in place, restart After Effects so it can detect the new plugin. You’ll usually find it under the Effects & Presets panel.

How to Install After Effects Plugins on Mac

Mac users follow a similar process, though the file paths differ slightly.

1. Find Your After Effects Installation Folder

On Mac, the default installation path is:

/Applications/Adobe After Effects [Version]/

2. Locate the Plug-Ins Folder

Navigate to:

/Applications/Adobe After Effects [Version]/Plug-ins/

3. Install the Plugin

• If the plugin has an installer, run it and follow the instructions.
• If it’s a manual installation, drag and drop the plugin file (.plugin) into the Plug-Ins folder.

4. Restart After Effects

Just like on Windows, you’ll need to restart After Effects for the plugin to appear.

Plug-Ins Folder vs. Common Folder: What’s the Difference?

When installing plugins, you may notice another location called the Common folder. So what’s the difference between the Plug-Ins and Common folders?

Prior to After Effects CS6, all plugins went into the After Effects Plug-Ins folder located within the After Effects folder. This makes sense except that when After Effects is updated to a different version, the entire older After Effects folder along with its plugins gets deleted. In addition, with the introduction of the Creative Cloud app, updating After Effects became a frequent exercise so this setup quickly became inconvenient.

To work around this, Adobe created a Common folder which resides outside of the After Effects folder. Instead of loading plugins from it’s Plug-Ins folder, it now loads them from the external Common folder, allowing you to update After Effects as often as you like, while still maintaining your plugins. This setup even allows you to have multiple versions of After Effects installed, each loading your one set of plugins conveniently installed in the universal Common folder.

The drawback to this is that there is confusion between the two folders. Some users place the same plugin in both folders creating plugin loading conflicts. Others place a license file in the wrong folder and the plugin remains unlicensed.

• Plug-Ins Folder: This is where most third-party effects are stored. Plugins placed here are only available to the specific After Effects version they are installed in.
• Common Folder: Found under C:\Program Files\Adobe\Common\, this folder allows plugins to be shared across multiple Adobe applications, including different versions of After Effects.

If you work with multiple versions of After Effects, or frequently update your app, installing plugins in the Common folder can help maintain consistency across your projects. This is also the recommended folder for plugins as of CS6.

For example, on a Windows computer, using After Effects 2024, the plugin common folder path would like something like this:

C:\Program Files\Adobe\Common\Plug-Ins\7.0\MediaCore\MyPlugin.aex

Richard Rosenman After Effects Plugins

Speaking of plugins, when it comes to high-quality After Effects plugins, Richard Rosenman’s After Effects plugins stand out. Used by professionals worldwide, these plugins are known for their unique effects, efficiency, and cutting-edge capabilities. Whether you’re working on motion graphics, film post-production, or visual effects, Richard Rosenman plugins offer advanced features that enhance creativity and streamline workflows.

Some of the most popular plugins from Richard Rosenman include:

• DOF PRO – A cinematic & photorealistic depth of field plugin for After Effects.
• IK Studio – Character rigging and animation IK plugin for After Effects.
• Particle Projection – A unique particle projection plugin for After Effects.
• Motion Mosaic –  A layer-controlled mosaic generating plugin for After Effects.

These plugins save time and effort, create unique effects not otherwise possible without a plugin, and allow artists to achieve stunning results with minimal manual tweaking.

Troubleshooting Plugin Installation Issues

If your plugin isn’t showing up in After Effects, here are a few common solutions:

• Check the Plugin Location – Ensure the file is in the correct folder and you haven’t confused the Plug-Ins folder with the Common folder.
• Verify Compatibility – Some plugins only work with specific versions of After Effects. The compatibility specs are often on the developers website.
• Run After Effects as Administrator – On Windows, this can resolve permission issues.
• Reinstall the Plugin – If all else fails, try removing and reinstalling the plugin.

Final Thoughts

Installing After Effects plugins is a relatively painless process that can dramatically enhance your workflow and creativity. Whether you’re adding new visual effects, automating tedious tasks, or improving rendering efficiency, the right plugins make all the difference.

For the best experience, always download plugins from trusted sources and check compatibility with your After Effects version. If you’re looking for top-tier tools, Richard Rosenman’s plugins are a fantastic choice, trusted by professionals around the globe. You can check out the full collection here.

Now that you know how to install After Effects plugins, go ahead and explore the vast world of creative possibilities!