What It Does

Pixel Sorter 3 applies the pixel sorting glitch effect, a technique that reorganizes pixel rows or columns by luminance, hue, or other values, producing that distinctly digital distortion seen in music videos, title sequences, and broadcast work. It was the first plugin to bring this effect into After Effects, and version 3 added full Premiere Pro support.

The effect has appeared in high-profile productions including The Peripheral main title sequence and projects for Travis Scott, Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs 2, and Ghost in the Shell. It’s GPU-accelerated, so it renders live without exporting to another application.

Key Features

Mask Constraints. You can use masks to limit where sorting occurs, giving you precise control over which areas of the frame get affected. Useful for isolating a subject or protecting certain regions of the image.

Noise Section. A dedicated noise module adds granular detail to the sorting effect, letting you push it from clean glitch into something more textured and organic.

Mirror Sort. Sorts pixels symmetrically from a center point, which makes it much easier to create smooth, loopable animations, a common need for VJ loops and broadcast bumpers.

Floating Particles. A separate mode generates the illusion of particles drifting off the image, extending the glitch aesthetic into something closer to a disintegration effect.

Stretch Mode. Stretches sorted pixel runs rather than simply reordering them, producing a different visual quality that works well for more extreme distortion looks.

Multi-host support. The same developer sells separate licenses for Nuke and DaVinci Resolve. If you already own the After Effects and Premiere version, you get roughly 50% off those licenses.

Who It’s For

Motion designers and video editors working on music videos, title sequences, game trailers, or any project calling for digital distortion aesthetics. The Premiere Pro integration means editors can apply it directly to timeline clips without roundtripping to After Effects. VJs and live performance artists will also find the looping tools relevant.

It’s less suited to editors who only need occasional glitch overlays and would rather use a preset pack. Pixel Sorter is a full effect plugin that rewards time spent learning its parameters.

Pricing

  • Single User License: $49.99 (one-time purchase, no subscription)
  • Free Trial: Available, with output capped at 960x540 and watermarked until a license is entered
  • Upgrades: Free for v2 purchasers after June 5, 2023; $25 for earlier v2 owners; $35 for v1 owners
  • Bundle discount: 10% off when buying two or more plugins at checkout (excludes floating and upgrade licenses)
  • Cross-host discount: Existing AE and Premiere license holders get approximately 50% off Nuke or DaVinci Resolve licenses

Pricing is a one-time fee with no ongoing subscription required.