BlastFX vs Particle Illusion

BBlastFX8.5Visit Particle Illusion8.3Visit

Higher score B BlastFX #3 in Game Particle Effect Editors 8.5/10 Paid ✓ 1 of 1 features Visit BlastFX

vs

Particle Illusion #4 in Game Particle Effect Editors 8.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 1 features Visit Boris FX

• BlastFX fits best

  Artists making standalone effects and exportable sprites

• Particle Illusion fits best

  VFX artists adding particles to video and compositing work

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Side by side

Feature	BBlastFX 8.5/10 Visit ↗	Particle Illusion 8.3/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.5	8.3
Ranking	#3 in Game Particle Effect Editors	#4 in Game Particle Effect Editors
Best for	Artists making standalone effects and exportable sprites	VFX artists adding particles to video and compositing work
Pricing model	Paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	$19.99 one-time	$195/yr
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features BlastFX 1/1 · Particle Illusion 0/1
GPU simulation	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Specs
Engine integration	Standalone	Not checked yet
Supported engines	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Export formats	Sprite sheet, PNG image sequence, animated GIF, uncompressed AVI	Not checked yet
Editor platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Not checked yet
Particle limit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Layer multiple emitters and adjust particle motion, shape, color, and trails. Preview timing with timeline scrubbing, playback, and loop controls. Export sprite sheets, PNG sequences, animated GIFs, or AVI video.	Thousands of preset emitters plus fluid simulation and particle forces Mocha tracking and masking are available in the plugin workflow Integrates with major video and compositing applications
Cons	Standalone exports require a separate workflow for use in a game engine. There is no free plan; access starts with a $19.99 one-time purchase. The desktop app is limited to Windows, macOS, and Linux.	Its video and compositing focus is less direct for game-effect authoring The Pro monthly plan starts at $25 per month Desktop support is limited to Windows and macOS
Our verdict	BlastFX is a standalone desktop editor for designing layered 2D particle effects and preparing them for game, animation, UI, trailer, or pixel-art work. Its control set is aimed at artists who want to shape an effect visually rather than… Read the review →	Particle Illusion is a desktop 2D and 3D particle generator for motion graphics artists, visual-effects creators, editors, and designers. It is available as a standalone application and as a plugin within Boris FX Continuum. The product… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• BlastFX — where it wins

  • Layer multiple emitters and adjust particle motion, shape, color, and trails.
  • Preview timing with timeline scrubbing, playback, and loop controls.
  • Export sprite sheets, PNG sequences, animated GIFs, or AVI video.

  Where it doesn't

  • Standalone exports require a separate workflow for use in a game engine.
  • There is no free plan; access starts with a $19.99 one-time purchase.
  • The desktop app is limited to Windows, macOS, and Linux.

• Particle Illusion — where it wins

  • Thousands of preset emitters plus fluid simulation and particle forces
  • Mocha tracking and masking are available in the plugin workflow
  • Integrates with major video and compositing applications

  Where it doesn't

  • Its video and compositing focus is less direct for game-effect authoring
  • The Pro monthly plan starts at $25 per month
  • Desktop support is limited to Windows and macOS

• BBlastFX8.5/10 · Paid

  A detailed desktop particle editor for building effects and exporting them as animation assets.

  Visit BlastFXFull verdict →
• Particle Illusion8.3/10 · Free plan

  A particle generator with deep compositing workflows, better suited to video than game-effect authoring.

  Visit Boris FXFull verdict →