Adobe Express vs Placeit

Adobe Express and Placeit 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.

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Adobe Express vs Placeit at a glance

Adobe ExpressPlaceitsmooth.video
PriceFree plan, Premium at US$9.99 a monthSingle purchases, or a subscription from US$89.69 a yearFree, no paid plan

As of September 2026. Plans change, so check those of Adobe Express and Placeit 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
Photoshop files
PSD and Illustrator files placed linked or converted
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

Placeit

Watermark
On previews, until you buy
What you can change
Text, colours, images and music in the template
Formats
MP4 for videos, PNG for designs
Product mockups and logo generator
Yes

When Placeit fits better

You sell merch and need photo mockups of your designs on shirts, mugs and phones, or want a logo generated for you along with matching assets. smooth.video only animates.

Placeit 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 need one intro or logo animation rather than a subscription, want it to move your way, or need it on a transparent background.

Open the editor

Start from a template

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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.
Can I use my own logo?
Yes. Import it as an image, remove its background in one click if it has one, and animate it.
Does smooth.video make mockups?
No. It animates: intros, logo reveals, titles and social posts. For product mockups, Placeit is the better tool.