Can I open After Effects or Premiere Pro projects?

No. smooth.video opens its own .smooth projects, and imports images, video, audio and layered PSD files.

Can I use the exports in Premiere Pro or After Effects?

Yes, as regular video files. MP4 imports everywhere; for transparency, export a WebM and check that your version reads it.

Yes. It runs in your browser with no server doing the work, so there's no subscription and no watermark.

Can I use a smooth.video animation in Clipchamp?

Yes. Export an MP4 and add it to your Clipchamp project like any other clip.

Does it work on Mac, Linux and Chromebook?

Yes. It runs in a recent browser, whatever the computer.

Yes, completely: 4K, transparent WebM and GIF included, with no account.

After Effects vs Clipchamp

After Effects and Clipchamp 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

After Effects vs Clipchamp at a glance

	After Effects	Clipchamp	smooth.video
Price	From US$22.99 a month on an annual plan, 7-day free trial	Free, with Premium or Microsoft 365 for extras	Free, no paid plan
Account	Adobe account required	Microsoft account required	Not needed
Transparent video	Yes	No	Free, as WebM

As of September 2026. Plans change, so check those of After Effects and Clipchamp before you decide.

After Effects

Install: Desktop app
How you animate: Keyframes, graph editor, effects and expressions across compositions
3D, visual effects, tracking: Yes
Plugins and scripting: Yes

When After Effects fits better

You need 3D, particles, motion tracking, rotoscoping, compositing over footage, expressions or plugins, or you hand project files to a studio that works in After Effects. smooth.video does none of that.

After Effects vs smooth.video

Clipchamp

Watermark: Never
Export resolution: 1080p free, 4K with Premium or Microsoft 365
Formats: MP4, GIF under 15 seconds, M4A audio
Built for: Editing videos: trimming, transitions, stock footage
Screen recorder, AI voiceover, subtitles: Yes

When Clipchamp fits better

You're putting a video together from clips: trimming, arranging, adding transitions, stock footage, an AI voiceover or subtitles, and you already use Windows or Microsoft 365. smooth.video isn't a video editor.

Clipchamp vs smooth.video

When smooth.video fits better

You need a title, a lower third, a logo sting or an animated stat for this week's video, you don't open After Effects every day, and a monthly subscription for a few seconds of animation doesn't add up.

You want the text or the logo to move exactly the way you picture it, need a transparent overlay or a 4K export, or you'd rather not sign in to make a ten-second animation.

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 open After Effects or Premiere Pro projects?: No. smooth.video opens its own .smooth projects, and imports images, video, audio and layered PSD files.
Can I use the exports in Premiere Pro or After Effects?: Yes, as regular video files. MP4 imports everywhere; for transparency, export a WebM and check that your version reads it.
Is it really free?: Yes. It runs in your browser with no server doing the work, so there's no subscription and no watermark.
Can I use a smooth.video animation in Clipchamp?: Yes. Export an MP4 and add it to your Clipchamp project like any other clip.
Does it work on Mac, Linux and Chromebook?: Yes. It runs in a recent browser, whatever the computer.
Is it free?: Yes, completely: 4K, transparent WebM and GIF included, with no account.