Adobe Animate vs Animoto
Adobe Animate and Animoto side by side, as of September 2026: what each one costs, what it's made for, and when smooth.video, a free animation tool that runs in your browser with no account, does the job instead.
- Free
- No signup
- No watermark
Adobe Animate vs Animoto at a glance
| Adobe Animate | Animoto | smooth.video | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | US$22.99 a month on an annual plan, 7-day free trial | Free plan, then Basic, Professional and Professional Plus | Free, no paid plan |
| Account | Adobe account required | Required | Not needed |
- Price
- Adobe AnimateUS$22.99 a month on an annual plan, 7-day free trial
- AnimotoFree plan, then Basic, Professional and Professional Plus
- smooth.videoFree, no paid plan
- Account
- Adobe AnimateAdobe account required
- AnimotoRequired
- smooth.videoNot needed
As of September 2026. Plans change, so check those of Adobe Animate and Animoto before you decide.
Adobe Animate
- Install
- Desktop app for Windows and macOS
- Development
- Maintenance mode: fixes, no new features
- How you animate
- Frame-by-frame drawing, tweens, bone rigging
- Interactive output
- HTML5 Canvas, WebGL, SVG, sprite sheets
- Photoshop files
- PSD and Illustrator layers imported
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 has no frame-by-frame drawing, no bones and no HTML5 output.
Adobe Animate vs smooth.videoAnimoto
- Watermark
- On the free plan
- Export resolution
- 720p free, 1080p on Basic, 4K on Professional
- How you build
- Templates made of drag-and-drop blocks
- Licensed music and Getty Images stock
- Yes
- Screen and webcam recording
- Yes
When Animoto fits better
You want a slideshow put together in minutes from a pile of photos, with licensed music and stock images included. smooth.video places everything by hand and has no music library.
Animoto vs smooth.videoWhen 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.
You want control over how each photo and title moves, a 4K export, or a clean file, without paying for a plan or creating an account.
Open the editor- Free, full stop
- No plan, no trial, no credits, no export limit.
- No account
- Open the page and the editor is already there.
- Nothing is uploaded
- Your files are read and rendered by your own browser.
- No watermark
- Every export is clean, at any size, 4K included.
Start from a template
See all 203 templatesOpen one, change the words, export. Every element stays editable.
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.
Do I place every photo by hand?
Yes, each photo is an element you place and animate. Start from a photo template to go faster: replace the pictures and keep the motion.
Can I add music?
Yes. Add an audio file you have the rights to, and it plays under the animation in the exported MP4.
Is there a watermark?
No, at any resolution.
Or skip the decision.
smooth.video is free, opens in a tab and exports without a watermark. Try it while you compare.
Open the editor- Free
- No signup
- No watermark