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.

Can I draw in smooth.video?

Yes, with a simple brush: the drawing becomes an image you can move, scale, rotate and fade on the timeline. It isn't made for drawing each frame.

Yes. Add an audio file and it's included in the MP4 or WebM. A GIF can't carry sound.

No, and there's nothing to join.

Adobe Animate vs Brush Ninja

Adobe Animate and Brush Ninja 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.

Open the editorFree, no signup, nothing to install

Adobe Animate vs Brush Ninja at a glance

	Adobe Animate	Brush Ninja	smooth.video
Price	US$22.99 a month on an annual plan, 7-day free trial	Free with ads, membership at US$7 a month or US$48 a year	Free, no paid plan
Account	Adobe account required	Only for membership	Not needed
How you animate	Frame-by-frame drawing, tweens, bone rigging	Frame-by-frame drawing, with onion skin	Presets and keyframes on one timeline

As of September 2026. Plans change, so check those of Adobe Animate and Brush Ninja before you decide.

Adobe Animate

Install: Desktop app for Windows and macOS
Development: Maintenance mode: fixes, no new features
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 does none of that.

Adobe Animate vs smooth.video

Brush Ninja

Layers: None
Video with sound: WebM, for members
Formats: GIF, image sequence, and WebM for members
Lesson plans for teachers: Yes

When Brush Ninja fits better

You want to draw every frame, like a flipbook, in a tool made for children and classrooms, with stickers, sound effects and lesson plans ready to go.

Brush Ninja vs smooth.video

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.

The animation is made of things that move: a title, a photo, a logo, a sticker, a chart. You want sound in the video, more than one layer, and no ads, without a membership.

Open the editor

Start from a template

See all 172 templates

Logo reveal

1080×1080

A name that pops into place

Lower third

1920×1080

Name and title, on cue

Bold statement

1080×1920

Three lines, one point

Product drop

1080×1350

An announcement that lands

Count-up stat

1080×1080

A number that climbs

Quote card

1200×630

A line worth sharing

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.
Can I draw in smooth.video?: Yes, with a simple brush: the drawing becomes an image you can move, scale, rotate and fade on the timeline. It isn't made for drawing each frame.
Can I add sound?: Yes. Add an audio file and it's included in the MP4 or WebM. A GIF can't carry sound.
Are there ads?: No, and there's nothing to join.