Hey mooreil,

All sorts of different software are used for animations. A lot of professional studios use programs like Maya and Zbrush. These are rather expensive, so if you are looking to start animating I recommend using the free animating software called (Blender). I use it, professionals use it, it’s a great software. If you want to get started learning how to use Blender, check out BlenderGuru’s tutorials on YouTube. 

Best,
The Anonymous