Can I bring my Adobe Express designs in?

Yes, as images: download your design or its parts as PNG, add them to a scene and animate them in smooth.video.

Can I animate a Photoshop file?

Yes. Drop the PSD into the editor and each layer becomes its own element, in place, ready to animate.

Is there a watermark?

No. Every export is free and clean, transparent WebM included.

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.

Adobe Express vs Adobe Animate

Adobe Express and Adobe Animate 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 Express vs Adobe Animate at a glance

	Adobe Express	Adobe Animate	smooth.video
Price	Free plan, Premium at US$9.99 a month	US$22.99 a month on an annual plan, 7-day free trial	Free, no paid plan
Photoshop files	PSD and Illustrator files placed linked or converted	PSD and Illustrator layers imported	Each PSD layer becomes an element to animate

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

Adobe Express

Built for: Every kind of design: social posts, flyers, PDFs, presentations, video
Motion: In, Loop and Out presets, with duration, speed and intensity
Transparent video: Not supported
Where your files live: In Adobe's cloud, 5 GB on the free plan
Templates and stock: 100,000+ templates and Adobe Stock
Generative AI: Firefly, with monthly credits

When Adobe Express fits better

You need matching flyers, posts and presentations from a huge library of templates and stock, you work with Photoshop and Illustrator files that stay linked, or you want AI to generate images. Animation is a finishing touch.

Adobe Express vs smooth.video

Adobe Animate

Install: Desktop app for Windows and macOS
Account: Adobe account required
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

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

When smooth.video fits better

The animation is the deliverable: an intro, a lower third, an animated stat, a Reel. You want to decide exactly where each element is at each moment, and a transparent export to put over video.

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.

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

Can I bring my Adobe Express designs in?: Yes, as images: download your design or its parts as PNG, add them to a scene and animate them in smooth.video.
Can I animate a Photoshop file?: Yes. Drop the PSD into the editor and each layer becomes its own element, in place, ready to animate.
Is there a watermark?: No. Every export is free and clean, transparent WebM included.
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.