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 import my PowerPoint?

No. Export your slides as images, add them to a scene and animate them there.

Can I put a smooth.video animation in a presentation?

Yes. Export an MP4 or a GIF and insert it into PowerPoint, Keynote or Google Slides.

Is there a watermark?

No, and the download is free too.

After Effects vs Powtoon

After Effects and Powtoon 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 Powtoon at a glance

	After Effects	Powtoon	smooth.video
Price	From US$22.99 a month on an annual plan, 7-day free trial	Free plan, then Lite from US$15 a month billed yearly	Free, no paid plan
Account	Adobe account required	Required	Not needed

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

After Effects

Install: Desktop app
How you animate: Keyframes, graph editor, effects and expressions across compositions
Transparent video: Yes
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

Powtoon

Watermark: On free plan videos, and on all but 5 exports a month on Lite
MP4 download: Paid plans only
Export resolution: 720p on the free plan, 1080p on paid plans
Animated characters and props: Thousands, with a character builder
PowerPoint import: Yes
Team review and brand locking: Yes

When Powtoon fits better

You're making an explainer with characters and scenes, turning a PowerPoint deck into a video, or working with a team that reviews videos and locks the brand. smooth.video has no characters, no PowerPoint import and no shared workspace.

Powtoon 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 need a short animated piece, like a title card, a stat, a product demo with a cursor or a social post, and a file you can download right away, with no watermark and no plan.

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 import my PowerPoint?: No. Export your slides as images, add them to a scene and animate them there.
Can I put a smooth.video animation in a presentation?: Yes. Export an MP4 or a GIF and insert it into PowerPoint, Keynote or Google Slides.
Is there a watermark?: No, and the download is free too.