The Best Free Storyboard Software for Students in 2025
Storyboarding has become a creative language for the digital generation. From classroom presentations to YouTube channels and game projects, students everywhere are turning ideas into visuals. But professional storyboard tools are often expensive or complicated — that’s where Murphy changes the game. We provide free storyboard software for students.
Murphy is a free digital storyboard creator designed especially for students. Powered by AI, it helps you create storyboards for animation, education, film, and even social media — all in one simple platform. Whether you’re a design student, a gamer, or a beginner filmmaker, Murphy helps you visualize your imagination effortlessly.
What Students Can Create Using Free Storyboard Software
Murphy is more than just a storyboard tool — it’s a creative playground for students. Here’s what you can do with it
1. Plan Social Media Campaigns
Create storyboards for Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, or TikTok videos. Murphy helps you plan each shot visually so your content flows naturally. Perfect for media students or aspiring influencers looking to enhance their storytelling.
2. Generate AI Storyboards for Games and Projects
Need visuals for a school project, animation, or game? Murphy’s AI-powered storyboard generator can turn written ideas into complete story sequences. You can even design characters using its AI character maker — a game changer for concept art or gaming storyboards.
3. Create Educational Videos and Tutorials
Teachers and students can storyboard lesson plans, educational videos, or explainer animations easily. Visual learning helps make presentations engaging and easier to understand.
4. Enhance Your Social Media Career
With Murphy’s Free storyboarding templates, students can plan creative content strategies. You can storyboard tutorials, mini-vlogs, or campaigns that showcase your storytelling skills — an essential skill for digital creators.
5. Design Comics, Manga, and Graphic Novels
Love storytelling through comics? Murphy helps you storyboard a comic panel-by-panel. Choose templates, build scenes, and generate characters using AI — perfect for manga artists or visual storytellers.
6. Make Funny Memes and Animated Shorts
Murphy isn’t all about school — it’s for fun, too! You can storyboard funny memes, short skits, or mini-animations for your friends or social media.
7. Turn Group Memories into Ghibli-Style Animations
Transform your favorite moments — a college trip, festival, or farewell — into a Ghibli-inspired storyboard. Use Murphy’s AI tools to visualize emotions, environments, and cinematic styles.
8. Create Books and Visual Stories
Writers can use Murphy to visualize their stories or novels before writing. Each frame can act as a visual chapter outline, helping authors structure scenes better.
9. Develop Game Storyboards
For game design students, Murphy is the ultimate game storyboard tool. Map out gameplay, levels, or dialogues visually before coding begins.
10. Build a Creative Portfolio
Every student can create a stunning visual portfolio using Murphy storyboards — a perfect addition for internships, design schools, and creative jobs.
In short, Murphy turns student creativity into stunning visuals — from comics to classrooms, games to graduation projects.
Top 5 Free Storyboard Software for Students (and Why Murphy Tops the List)
1. Murphy – The Best Free AI Storyboard Creator for Students
Best for: Students who want an AI-powered, all-in-one storyboard platform that’s 100% free.
Description:
Murphy is an innovative digital storyboard creator designed especially for students, creators, and educators. It lets you create, design, and animate storyboards for films, animation, social media, games, and educational projects — all in one platform. With AI assistance, you can generate AI characters, scenes, and layouts in seconds.
Unlike other tools that limit features behind paywalls, Murphy offers everything for free — making it the top choice for students in 2025.
Key Features:
- 100% Free for all students
- AI storyboard generator
- Pre-made storyboard templates (film, comic, game, educational)
- Drag-and-drop editor
- Export storyboards in PDF, PNG, or video formats
- Real-time collaboration
- Built-in AI character maker
Why Students Love It:
Because Murphy isn’t just software — it’s a creative companion that helps students bring imagination to life instantly.
2. Storyboard That – Easy Storyboarding for Education
Best for: Classroom use and beginner-level storyboarding.
Description:
Storyboard That is one of the most popular tools in schools and colleges. It’s great for educational projects, presentations, and storytelling assignments. The drag-and-drop interface allows students to create storyboards without needing design skills. The free version offers limited scenes and characters, while the paid plan unlocks advanced features.
Key Features:
- Simple drag-and-drop layout
- Library of characters, props, and scenes
- Pre-designed storyboard templates
- Collaboration for classrooms and group projects
Limitations:
The free plan includes watermarks and limited exports — but it’s still a strong starting point for beginner storytellers.
3. Canva – Free Storyboard Templates and Design Tools
Best for: Students who want stylish visuals with flexible templates.
Description:
While Canva isn’t a dedicated storyboard tool, it offers hundreds of free storyboard templates that can be customized for projects, films, or marketing ideas. Students can add text, icons, and visuals easily, making Canva great for visual presentations and content planning.
Key Features:
- Huge library of storyboard templates
- Drag-and-drop design interface
- Collaboration features for student teams
- Easy export in multiple formats (PDF, PNG, MP4)
Limitations:
It lacks AI storyboard automation and camera-shot planning tools. But for creative presentation-style storyboards, Canva works beautifully.
4. Boords – Professional Storyboarding Made Simple
Best for: Film, animation, and media students.
Description:
Boords is a browser-based storyboard and animatic creator loved by professional animators and students alike. It allows users to plan scenes, add timing, and export storyboards as PDFs or videos. The free trial offers basic features, while paid plans unlock more collaboration and storage.
Key Features:
- Intuitive storyboard layout
- Frame-by-frame editing
- Add notes, dialogue, and timing
- Export as animatic or PDF
Limitations:
The free version is limited, but it’s ideal for students learning cinematic storytelling.
5. StudioBinder – Film-Grade Storyboards for Students
Best for: Film and production students who want professional visuals.
Description:
StudioBinder is widely used in the film industry for production planning, but it also offers a free storyboard feature for students. It helps you organize shots, camera angles, and notes — ideal for short films, documentaries, and media school projects.
Key Features:
- Shot planning and visual layout tools
- Integration with script breakdown and scheduling
- Easy collaboration and sharing
- Professional storyboard exports
Limitations:
The free plan is basic, and the learning curve is slightly higher — but it’s worth it for serious film students.
Key Features of Murphy – Free Digital Storyboard Creator
What makes Murphy different from other storyboard software? It’s designed for students, by creators, with simplicity and creativity at its core.
1. 100% Free for Students
No subscriptions, paywalls, or hidden features. Every tool on Murphy is free — forever.
2. AI-Based Storyboard Generation
Type your scene description, and Murphy’s AI will generate matching visuals instantly. Perfect for quick project deadlines.
3. Built-in AI Character Maker
Create unique characters in seconds — ideal for animation, comics, or game storyboards.
4. Pre-Built Storyboard Templates
Murphy includes ready-to-use storyboard templates for film, education, gaming, and comics — so you never start from scratch.
5. Drag-and-Drop Interface
A simple and intuitive interface that anyone can use — even without design experience.
6. Export in Multiple Formats
Download or share your storyboard as a PDF, PNG, or video for easy submission or presentation.
7. Collaboration Tools
Work on the same project with your friends or classmates in real time.
8. Cloud-Based Access
No downloads required — use Murphy anywhere, anytime, on any device.
How AI-Powered Tools Like Murphy Are Revolutionizing Storyboarding for Students
AI isn’t replacing creativity — it’s amplifying it.
Murphy’s AI-based storyboard features help students focus on ideas rather than technical design.
- AI scene suggestions speed up storytelling.
- Automatic layout generation organizes scenes for clarity.
- AI character makers bring imagination to life without hours of drawing.
From film studies to content creation, Murphy’s AI tools save time, spark creativity, and teach students visual thinking — a skill every creator needs in 2025.
How to Make a Storyboard Online for Free Using Murphy
Creating a storyboard doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming — especially with Murphy, free storyboard software for students. Whether you’re planning a short film, a comic, an animation, or even a game sequence, Murphy simplifies every step of the process. Here’s a step-by-step guide to get you started:
1. Open Murphy — No Installation Required
Start by visiting Murphy in your browser. There’s no need to download software, sign up for a paid plan, or deal with complicated setups. This makes it perfect for students who need to jump straight into storyboarding without wasting time on technical barriers.
2. Choose a Storyboard Template
Murphy offers a wide variety of pre-designed storyboard templates for different purposes:
- Film & Video Projects – plan scenes, camera angles, and transitions.
- Comics & Graphic Novels – organize panels and dialogue.
- Animation – structure sequences frame by frame.
- Educational Projects – visualize lessons, experiments, or tutorials.
Selecting a template gives you a ready-made layout, so you can focus on your story instead of starting from a blank canvas.
3. Add Scenes and Describe Each Shot
Now, start building your storyboard by adding individual scenes. For each frame:
- Describe what’s happening in the scene.
- Add notes on actions, emotions, or camera directions.
- You can plan complex sequences like fight scenes, dialogue-heavy interactions, or even transitions for social media videos.
This step ensures your storyboard is clear, organized, and visually coherent, helping both you and your audience understand your vision.
4. Use the AI Character Maker
Here’s where Murphy stands out: its AI-powered character creation tool.
- Generate characters instantly based on descriptions.
- Customize outfits, poses, and facial expressions.
- Add backgrounds or props automatically using AI suggestions.
This is a perfect example of How AI is Revolutionizing the Storyboarding Process — students can bring ideas to life without spending hours on drawing or design. The AI does the heavy lifting, letting you focus on storytelling.
5. Edit, Arrange, and Personalize
With Murphy’s drag-and-drop editor, you can:
- Reorder frames easily to adjust story flow.
- Edit text, captions, and dialogue boxes.
- Resize or reposition characters and props for the perfect visual composition.
This step is all about fine-tuning your storyboard so it reflects exactly what you imagine.
6. Preview and Export Your Storyboard
Once your storyboard is ready, preview it in full to ensure smooth transitions and correct sequencing. Then, you can export your project in multiple formats:
- PDF or PNG for print or submissions.
- Video to create a short animatic or presentation-ready sequence.
Your storyboard is now professional-quality and ready to share with teachers, classmates, or collaborators.
Pro Tip
Students can use Murphy to create not only academic projects but also social media content, animated shorts, comics, and game storyboards — all in just a few minutes, thanks to AI-assisted features.
FAQs: Free Storyboard Software for Students
1. What is a storyboard and why do students need it?
A storyboard is a visual representation of a story or project, broken down scene by scene. Students use storyboards to plan animations, films, comics, games, or even presentations. It helps organize ideas, visualize sequences, and communicate concepts clearly.
2. Is Murphy really free for students?
Yes! Murphy is 100% free for students and educators. All features, including AI character creation, storyboard templates, and export options, are fully accessible without any hidden fees or premium plans.
3. Can I use Murphy to make storyboards for animations or films?
Absolutely. Murphy offers animation-friendly templates and allows students to plan camera angles, sequences, and characters. You can also create animatics by exporting storyboards as short videos.
4. How can AI help me in creating a storyboard?
Murphy’s AI-powered features, like the AI character maker and scene suggestions, speed up the storyboard process. AI can generate characters, props, and layouts based on your descriptions, saving hours of manual design. This is a prime example of How AI is Revolutionizing the Storyboarding Process.
5. Can I create game storyboards with Murphy?
Yes! Murphy lets students plan game levels, dialogues, and story arcs visually. With AI characters and scene layouts, you can pre-visualize your game before coding or designing.
6. Do I need design skills to use Storyboard?
No design experience is required. Storyboards provide drag-and-drop interface, templates, and AI tools make storyboarding simple and beginner-friendly for students of all levels.
7. Can I collaborate with classmates on a storyboard?
Yes. Murphy supports real-time collaboration. Students can share projects, edit together, and review storyboards collectively — ideal for group projects or classroom assignments.
8. How do I export my storyboard from Murphy?
Murphy allows you to export your storyboard as a PDF, PNG, or video. This makes it easy to submit projects, create presentations, or share your storyboard online.
9. Can Murphy be used for educational projects or tutorials?
Definitely. Students and teachers can create educational videos, lesson visualizations, and tutorials using Murphy’s storyboard templates and AI tools, making learning more engaging.
10. How does Murphy compare to other free storyboard software?
Unlike many free tools that limit features or add watermarks, Murphy provides:
- AI-based character and scene generation
- Pre-built storyboard templates for film, games, and animation
- Multi-format export options
- 100% free and student-friendly
It’s designed to be the most versatile and accessible storyboard tool for students in 2025.
