5 After Effects plugins/extensions that actually save time on real projects. Tested tools that improve speed, workflow, and creativity.

Over the past few years, I’ve extensively tested numerous After Effects plugins. Most of them look impressive on the surface, but barely make a difference in real projects.

But these 5? These are the ones that actually stay installed on my computer because they save time on almost every edit.

1. GEOlayers3

Have you ever tried animating maps in After Effects and immediately regretted it? Typically, it involves taking screenshots, creating fake camera moves, and having little to no flexibility.

That’s exactly why GEOlayers 3 is such a game-changer. It lets you design and animate real maps directly inside After Effects. Countries, cities, roads, rivers, routes, everything comes in as editable shape layers. 

You can zoom, pan, and rotate maps in full 3D. And the best part is that you animate with real geodata, not static images. 

Also, styling in GEOlayers is insanely flexible. You can change colors, line thickness, fonts, hide or show specific features, and even add hillshading, all inside After Effects.

If you do documentaries, explainers, travel videos, or any kind of visual storytelling, GEOlayers 3 saves hours and opens up creative options you simply don’t get otherwise.

Once you use it, there’s honestly no going back.

2. AI Color Match Pro

You have two clips – one looks warm and cinematic, while the other is flat and ungraded. Now, if you try to manually match the second flat clip to the first one, it’s going to take a lot of time and require some serious color grading skills.

But here’s the good news.

You don’t have to do any of that, because with AI Color Match Pro, you can easily match the colors of two clips with just one click.

This plugin works with After Effects, and it does exactly what the name says. It uses Artificial Intelligence to match the color of one clip to another.

Basically, it looks at your reference footage, analyzes its color tone, lighting, and overall mood, and then applies the same look to your target footage automatically. 

The AI model used in this process runs locally on your computer. That means AI Color Match Pro doesn’t require an internet connection to work. So even if you are an editor working under a strict Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), you can safely use this plugin without worrying about data breaches or leaks.

3. AE Face Tools

Have you ever tried adding face filters or props in After Effects and immediately hated your life? Because usually it means manual tracking, and results that never feel accurate.

That’s exactly where AE Face Tools comes in.

Instead of tracking eyes frame by frame or dealing with long workflows, all you do is draw a simple circular mask on the face and hit Track Mask.

And that’s it.

AE Face Tools handles the tracking and alignment automatically.

It works as an extension of After Effects’ built-in face tracking, but massively expands what you can do with it. Face replacement, makeup effects, emojis, eye replacements, HUD-style face scans, cleanup tools, and stabilization.

Everything sticks perfectly to the face and stays fully customizable at any moment. If you work with face effects, filters, or creative social media edits, AE Face Tools is easily a must-have After Effects extension.

4. AEJuice I Want It All Bundle

As an After Effects user, you already know how much time goes into building transitions, text animations, and effects from scratch. That’s exactly where the AEJuice I Want It All Bundle comes in.

It gives you access to thousands of transitions, presets, motion elements, text animations, VFX, and sound effects, all inside one ecosystem. Everything works through the AEJuice Pack Manager, so you can drag and drop assets directly into After Effects.

The total value of the I Want It All Bundle is more than $8,000; however, its actual price is just $149. And if you use the promo code EDITINGCORP10 at checkout, you’ll get an extra 10% off.

If you work on YouTube videos, short-form content, ads, or client projects and care about speed and control, this bundle gives you a ridiculous amount of creative tools in one place.

5. AE GPT

Ever wished After Effects could just understand what you want instead of hunting through menus or stacking expressions manually?

Well, AE GPT turns that wish into reality.

It’s an AI-powered assistant plugin that you can use inside After Effects to generate scripts, expressions, and even creative ideas, simply by typing what you want in plain language.

The plugin interprets your prompt and gives you the code or solution on the spot, which means no Googling, no manual scripting, and no guesswork. 

If you ever find yourself stuck tweaking expressions or building automation manually, AE GPT speeds up the process and feels like having a motion-design co-pilot sitting beside you.

Also, check out: