After Effects how-to

How to install, find and uninstall After Effects plugins

Updated 2026-11-03 · by the mouzeclick team

To install an After Effects plugin, quit After Effects and run the installer or manager app from the plugin's maker. Red Giant, for example, installs through the Maxon App. Choose the download for your system, then reopen After Effects and search for the effect by name. If the maker ships loose files and a readme instead, copy them to the exact folder the readme names.

Red Giant and Universe are installed and managed by the Maxon App. Its trial runs 14 days.
Video Copilot's free FX Console needs After Effects CC or later (CC2014 included, no CS6).
Maxon says Red Giant support varies by tool and host version. Check before you install.
The Adobe help text we could verify on 3 November 2026 does not publish plug-in folder paths, so follow the maker's readme.
mouzeclick's panels are extensions, not plug-ins. One button installs them on Windows and Mac. In-app updates are Windows only for now.

How do I install an After Effects plugin?

Close After Effects and run the plug-in maker's installer or manager app. Then reopen After Effects and look for the effect by name. Do the checks below first: they catch problems an installer won't warn you about.

Check what you downloaded. A plug-in is an effect that runs inside After Effects. Scripts, presets and panels install differently, so confirm the type first. The next section shows how.
Check the host version. Read the maker's requirements before you install. Video Copilot lists FX Console for Adobe After Effects CC and above, CC2014 included, with no CS6. Maxon says Red Giant support can vary by tool and by host version.
Pick the download for your system. Video Copilot offers separate Windows and Mac downloads for FX Console. Maxon says all its products work on both macOS and Windows.
Quit After Effects. We close it before every install so no files are in use while the installer copies them.
Run the maker's installer or manager. For Red Giant this is the Maxon App, which installs and manages Red Giant and Universe. If you get loose files and a readme instead, copy the files to the exact folder the readme names, and nowhere else.
Activate, then reopen After Effects. Enter the licence or start the trial where the maker asks for it. Then open After Effects and search for a word from the tool's name.

Keep the original installer or zip. If the plug-in misbehaves later, you can reinstall the same build to rule out a bad copy.

Still choosing what to install? Our roundup of the best After Effects plugins for 2027 compares them by job. Our page on which After Effects plugins Reddit recommends sums up 15 threads.

Is it a plugin, a script, a preset or an extension?

Look at the file type first, because only a true plug-in goes in a plug-ins folder. Scripts, animation presets and panels each install their own way. A file installed by the wrong route won't show up where you expect it.

What you got	File you'll usually see	Where to read next
Plug-in (an effect)	`.aex`, or an installer	This page
Script	`.jsx`	How to install After Effects scripts
Animation preset	`.ffx`	How to install After Effects presets
Extension (a panel)	`.zxp`, or installed by an app	Plugin vs script vs extension, explained

Adobe describes animation presets as configurations of layer properties and animations that you create and reuse. A preset is not a plug-in, so don't put an .ffx file where an installer expects effect files.

Panels are different again. mouzeclick's panels, for example, are extensions. They open under Window › Extensions and are not effect plug-ins. If a download contains more than one of these file types, install each one by its own route.

Which After Effects plugins come with their own installer?

The big toolkits use their own installer or manager app, so you never choose a folder yourself. We checked the makers' own pages on 3 November 2026. Where a page didn't say something, the table says "Not published". We make mouzeclick, so its row is labelled as ours.

Tool	How it installs	Windows / Mac	Host requirement
Red Giant (Maxon): Trapcode, Magic Bullet, Universe	The Maxon App installs and manages Red Giant and Universe. 14-day trial through the same app.	Windows and macOS	Varies by tool and host version. Version numbers are not published on the page we checked.
FX Console (Video Copilot)	Free download, with separate Windows and Apple files. Install steps are not published.	Windows and Mac	After Effects CC and above, CC2014 included, no CS6
mouzeclick (we make it)	The app's Install After Effects bridge button. Not a plug-in.	Windows and Mac. The workspaces are Windows only.	No published minimum. Try it in your version.

Red Giant. Maxon calls Red Giant a toolkit for motion graphics, visual effects and post-production that runs as plug-ins inside host apps. The subscription includes Trapcode Particular and Form, Magic Bullet Looks, keying and VFX tools such as Real Lens Flares, text and transition tools, and the Universe library. On 3 November 2026 the newest release shown on Maxon's Red Giant page was Red Giant 2027.0. That page gave no price. Install and manage everything from the Maxon App rather than copying files by hand.

FX Console. Video Copilot's FX Console page lists V1.0.7 for After Effects. Its notes mention extra UTF language support for AE2026 and new macOS Catalina support. The entry carries the date May 1st, 2018, yet it mentions AE2026, so treat the page as a running changelog rather than a dated release. Our FX Console install and shortcut guide covers it in detail.

Where is the After Effects plugins folder?

The plugins folder is wherever the maker's installer or readme puts it, and that is the only path to trust. We checked Adobe's help pages on 3 November 2026. The text we could verify does not publish plug-in folder paths for Windows or macOS, so we won't print one from memory.

Here is what to do instead:

If there is an installer or manager app, let it choose. The Maxon App, for example, handles where Red Giant goes.
If there is a readme, copy the path exactly. Use the folder it names, even if a folder with a similar name looks more likely.
If you have more than one After Effects version installed, check which version the readme refers to before you copy anything.
Keep a note of what you copied and where. You'll need it to uninstall cleanly or to move to a new computer.

Also check Adobe's After Effects system requirements page. It sets the minimum specs your computer needs to install and run After Effects at all. A plug-in can't fix a host that doesn't meet them.

Where is the After Effects plugin location on a Mac?

On a Mac, use the Mac download and the maker's Mac instructions. The location is the one its installer or readme gives. As on Windows, the Adobe text we could verify does not publish the path, so we don't guess it here.

A few things are different on a Mac, and they are worth checking before you blame the folder:

Mac and Windows builds are separate files. Video Copilot offers a Windows download and an Apple download for FX Console. On a Mac, install the Apple file.
Old builds can lag behind macOS. Video Copilot's V1.0.7 notes for FX Console add macOS Catalina support and tell Mac users to install the latest Mac plug-in. If a plug-in stopped loading after a macOS update, reinstall the maker's newest Mac build first.
Apple Silicon. Video Copilot says its plug-ins were updated for native Apple M1 compatibility, with After Effects running natively on M1 Macs. If you copied an older version from a previous Mac, replace it with the current download.
Toolkits use the same manager on both systems. Maxon says all its products work on macOS and Windows, and the Maxon App installs Red Giant on either.

If you also run mouzeclick on a Mac, its panels don't go in any plug-ins folder. See the four-step Mac install for mouzeclick, which covers the one-time macOS permission prompts.

Why are my After Effects plugins not showing up?

Check the usual suspects first: the file isn't a plug-in, it's the wrong build for your system or version, or After Effects was open during the install. Work through these seven fixes in order. Each one rules out a cause before you reinstall anything.

It isn't a plug-in. A .jsx script, an .ffx preset or a panel will never appear as an effect. Use the table in the section on file types above, and install it by its own route.
Your After Effects version isn't supported. FX Console needs After Effects CC or later and does not run in CS6. Maxon says Red Giant support varies by tool and host version, so check that tool's compatibility list.
You installed the wrong build. Windows and Mac files are separate. On a Mac, install the maker's latest Mac build, especially after a macOS update.
After Effects was open during the install. Quit it fully, run the installer again and reopen After Effects.
The files went to the wrong folder. Reinstall with the maker's installer if there is one. If you copied by hand, compare where you put the files with the readme, letter for letter.
The licence or trial isn't active. Open the maker's app and check. Maxon's trial runs through the Maxon App, and only the latest releases are available as trials, so an older Red Giant release can't be trialled.
You're searching for the brand, not the tool. Red Giant is a toolkit, and Universe is a library of many plug-ins. Search for a word from the tool's own name, such as Particular or Looks, not the company name.

If the item is a panel rather than an effect, it's an extension problem rather than a plug-in problem. Our page on why a panel goes missing explains where extensions install.

How do I uninstall an After Effects plugin?

Remove it the way it came in: with the maker's manager app or uninstaller, or by deleting only the files the readme told you to add. Do it with After Effects closed.

Toolkits. The Maxon App installs and manages Red Giant and Universe, so manage them there instead of deleting files by hand.
Manual installs. Delete exactly what you copied, using the note you kept when installing. Don't delete folders you didn't create.
Licences. If the maker activates licences per computer, release the licence before wiping or selling the machine, so you can activate it on the next one.
Check it's gone. Reopen After Effects and search for the tool's name. If it still appears, a second copy may be installed elsewhere, for example under another After Effects version.

For mouzeclick, a key runs on one computer at a time. To move it, release the old computer from the account page or inside the app.

How do mouzeclick's After Effects panels install? (we make it)

mouzeclick's After Effects tools are extensions, not .aex plug-ins, so there's no plug-ins folder step. The app installs them with one button, on Windows and on Mac.

Install mouzeclick and paste your key. The Windows and Mac download links are in your key email and on your account page. There's no driver. On a Mac, Apple has not notarized the app yet, so macOS asks you to allow it once. You then turn mouzeclick on under Accessibility and Input Monitoring.
Press Install After Effects bridge on the app's Tool wheel page. One bridge panel serves Premiere Pro and After Effects at once.
Restart After Effects.
Open any panel from Window › Extensions. Keep mouzeclick running while you work.

On Windows and Mac you get the 15 After Effects extensions, Search effects and the After Effects Tool wheel, with 114 tools in 13 groups. The mouse app, the three wheels and the gestures also run on both. Some panels need more. mousecut, mouzegrade and mouzmic need mouzeclick installed on the same computer. mouzelayer needs mouzeclick running with an activated licence, plus the internet for map data.

Windows only. The After Effects and Premiere Pro workspaces, captions, Retakes, cloud sync and in-app updates. On Windows, mouzeclick installs both workspaces, which open from Window › Extensions › mouzeclick workspace. Its updates also keep the extension files up to date by themselves. In-app updates are Windows only for now.

mouzeclick publishes no minimum After Effects version, so check yours with the 3-day trial. It needs no card, and every Premiere Pro and After Effects tool works fully. After that, it's one plan: $25 a month, $249 a year, or $499 once for one of the first 100 lifetime keys. Details are under pricing.

How do I find an installed plugin faster?

Search for it from a single box instead of scrolling through categories. Two tools do this: Video Copilot's free FX Console, and mouzeclick's Search effects.

FX Console. Video Copilot lists quick access to effects and presets, effect shortcuts and overrides, and a snapshot tool. Since V1.0.1 it has a custom shortcut key and settings you can import and export.
mouzeclick Search effects. It lists every installed effect and transition, audio and plug-ins included, and it works in After Effects. Your 12 most recent picks come first, then exact and word-start matches. Enter applies the effect. Shift+Enter applies it and pins it to the Tool wheel. See the Search effects feature list.
The Tool wheel. Open it with F10 or a held right button. In After Effects, an effect picked with nothing selected makes its own adjustment layer, and each action is one undo step.

Search effects also works as a quick install check. It lists every installed effect, so if a new plug-in's effects appear in its results, the plug-in is installed.

Install the After Effects bridge and try every panel free for 3 days. One plan with everything included, $25 a month, or $249 for a year.

See the price

Questions people ask

Do I need to restart After Effects after installing a plugin?

Plan on it. The makers' pages we checked don't publish install steps, so we close After Effects before every install and reopen it afterwards. It's also the first thing to try when a new effect is missing. mouzeclick's own setup does need a restart: after pressing Install After Effects bridge in the app, restart After Effects before you open the panels from Window › Extensions.

Do After Effects plugins work on Apple Silicon Macs?

It depends on the maker and the build you install. Video Copilot says its plug-ins were updated for native Apple M1 compatibility, with After Effects running natively on M1 Macs. If you moved an old copy over from an Intel Mac, download the maker's current Mac build instead. For any other plug-in, check its maker's page, because one company's support says nothing about another's.

Will Red Giant plugins also work in Premiere Pro and Resolve?

Many will. Maxon lists After Effects, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Apple Motion, Final Cut Pro, Avid Media Composer, Autograph and Cinema 4D as Red Giant hosts, and says support varies by tool and host version. Universe, Magic Bullet and Primatte Keyer run natively in a Premiere Pro timeline. Magic Bullet Looks also lists Unreal Engine. Check each tool's own compatibility list before you rely on it.

Is there a free trial of Red Giant before I install it?

Yes. Maxon offers a 14-day free trial through the Maxon App. The trial includes Red Giant, Cinema 4D, Redshift and the full Maxon One suite. Only the latest releases are available as trials, so you can't trial an older version to match an older After Effects. Maxon's Red Giant page gave no price when we checked on 3 November 2026.

Is FX Console a plugin or a script, and is it free?

Video Copilot calls FX Console a plug-in for After Effects, and it's free. The page offers separate Windows and Mac downloads. It needs Adobe After Effects CC or later, including CC2014, and it does not run in CS6. The latest version listed is V1.0.7, with notes on extra UTF language support for AE2026 and macOS Catalina support.

Why does a plugin load on my office PC but not on my laptop?

The two computers differ somewhere: operating system, After Effects version or licence. Check that you installed the Windows or Mac build that matches the laptop, and that the maker supports that After Effects version. Then confirm the licence or trial is active on the laptop, not just the office machine. Finally, reinstall from the maker's installer rather than copying files across.

Does mouzeclick put anything in the After Effects plugins folder?

No. mouzeclick's After Effects tools are extensions, not effect plug-ins. The app installs them when you press Install After Effects bridge, on Windows or Mac, and they open under Window › Extensions. The two workspaces are Windows only. In-app updates, which refresh the extension files by themselves, are also Windows only for now. We make mouzeclick, so weigh this answer with that in mind.

Which After Effects plugins are worth installing according to Reddit?

We wrote a separate page for that. It sums up 15 Reddit threads about After Effects plugins, with links to every thread and the opinions paraphrased. mouzeclick is not affiliated with Reddit. For our own comparison, with prices as each maker shows them, see the best After Effects plugins for 2027 roundup. Both are linked under related pages below.

How do I tell whether a download is a plugin or a preset?

Look at the file type. Plug-ins usually arrive as an installer or as .aex files. Animation presets are .ffx files, which Adobe describes as configurations of layer properties and animations you create and reuse. Scripts are .jsx files. Panels arrive as .zxp files or are installed by an app. Each one installs its own way, so match the method to the file.

Sources

Checked on 2026-11-03. Prices and features change: each link goes to the maker's own page.