POP Captions is a free After Effects plugin by L22Design that animates text captions. It places all controls on a single layer, syncs font attributes, and offers options for automatic word count and background animation.
Developed by L22Design.
About POP Captions
POP Captions is an After Effects plugin from L22Design for animating captions. Select a text layer and click to make it pop, with all controllers kept on a single layer. Font and font size stay synced between layers, eliminating the need to edit the background layer separately. A checkbox can automatically calculate how many words to pop based on the text layer’s word count, and another controls whether the caption background animates. Background and text colors are set individually. Version 2.0 (released January 21, 2026) adds compatibility with After Effects 2026, 2025, 2024, and 2023 and fixes a bug affecting non‑English language versions.
Features
- All controllers kept on a single layer
- Font and font size synced between layers, so the background layer doesn’t need separate edits
- Checkbox to automatically calculate how many words to pop based on the word count of your text layer
- Checkbox to control whether the caption background animates
- Individual control over background and text colors
Best for
Animating captions on text layers in After Effects.
Frequently asked questions
Which After Effects versions does POP Captions support?
POP Captions lists compatibility with After Effects 2026, 2025, 2024, and 2023.
Is POP Captions free to use?
The catalog marks POP Captions as free; no purchase is required according to this entry.
Does POP Captions work in After Effects set to a language other than English?
Version 2.0 fixes a bug that previously prevented the expressions from working in non‑English language versions of After Effects.
How does POP Captions decide how many words to pop?
A checkbox option automatically calculates the number of words to pop by reading the word count of the selected text layer.
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