After Effects vs Visme
After Effects and Visme 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.
After Effects vs Visme at a glance
| After Effects | Visme | smooth.video | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | From US$22.99 a month on an annual plan, 7-day free trial | Free plan, then Starter at US$12.25 and Pro at US$24.75 a month, billed yearly | Free, no paid plan |
| Account | Adobe account required | Required | Not needed |
| Transparent video | Yes | No, transparent PNG only | Free, as WebM |
As of September 2026. Plans change, so check those of After Effects and Visme 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.videoVisme
- MP4 and GIF download
- Pro plan
- Video size
- Up to 1366×1366
- Motion
- Entrance and exit presets, custom animations, motion paths
- Charts from data, interactive presentations, forms
- Yes
When Visme fits better
You make whole presentations, infographics and reports, with charts built from data, interactive publishing, forms and a team that approves the brand. smooth.video makes the animated pieces, not the document.
Visme vs smooth.videoWhen 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 an animated stat, chart or title as a video or a GIF, sharper than 1366 pixels or on a transparent background, and don't want a plan just to download it.
Open the editorStart from a template
See all 172 templatesQuestions
- 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 put the animation in a presentation?
- Yes. Export an MP4 or a GIF and insert it into PowerPoint, Keynote or Google Slides.
- Can I import data into a chart?
- No, you type the values in. It suits a handful of figures, not large datasets.
- Is there a watermark?
- No, and every download is free.