A free, simple alternative to Adobe Animate

Adobe Animate, the heir to Flash, is made for frame-by-frame drawing, character rigging with bones and interactive HTML5 Canvas content. Since February 2026 it's in maintenance mode, with security and bug fixes but no new features, and it still takes a subscription. If what you make is motion graphics rather than drawn animation, like titles, logo reveals, banners and social posts, smooth.video does it in your browser for free.

Open the editorFree, no signup, nothing to install

smooth.video vs Adobe Animate

smooth.videoAdobe Animate
PriceFree, no paid planUS$22.99 a month on an annual plan, 7-day free trial
InstallNothing, runs in the browserDesktop app for Windows and macOS
AccountNot neededAdobe account required
DevelopmentNew features keep comingMaintenance mode: fixes, no new features
How you animatePresets and keyframes on one timelineFrame-by-frame drawing, tweens, bone rigging
Interactive outputNo, video and images onlyHTML5 Canvas, WebGL, SVG, sprite sheets
Photoshop filesEach PSD layer becomes an elementPSD and Illustrator layers imported

Adobe Animate as of September 2026. Plans change, so check theirs before you decide.

How it works

  1. 1

    Open smooth.video in your browser. Nothing to download.

  2. 2

    Bring in your artwork as images or a layered PSD, or start from a template, and animate each piece on the timeline.

  3. 3

    Export an MP4, a GIF or a transparent WebM.

Start from a template

See all 7 templates

When smooth.video fits better

You used Animate for banners, animated logos or social posts, you'd rather not pay for a tool that no longer gets new features, and your animation is made of text, images and shapes that move rather than drawings.

When Adobe Animate fits better

You draw frame by frame, rig characters with bones, or deliver interactive HTML5 Canvas content, games or sprite sheets. smooth.video does none of that.

Questions

Is Adobe Animate discontinued?
No. Adobe announced its end in February 2026 and reversed the decision the next day: Animate stays available, with security and bug fixes but no new features.
Can I open .fla files?
No. Export your artwork from Animate as PNG images, then animate them in smooth.video.
Can I make HTML5 banner ads?
Not as HTML5: smooth.video exports video, GIF and images. Where an ad slot takes a GIF or an MP4, a banner made here works.