For 2D work, drawing feel and timeline control matter more than a long feature list.
What 2D animators should test first
A good 2D tool should make rough passes, clean-up, timing adjustments, and export checks feel direct. If brush response or timeline editing feels slow, the rest of the feature list matters less.
Buying signals
Look for useful onion skin controls, reliable audio sync, flexible frame timing, project organization, and export formats that match your delivery channel.