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.
- Free
- No signup
- No watermark
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 |
- Price
- After EffectsFrom US$22.99 a month on an annual plan, 7-day free trial
- VismeFree plan, then Starter at US$12.25 and Pro at US$24.75 a month, billed yearly
- smooth.videoFree, no paid plan
- Account
- After EffectsAdobe account required
- VismeRequired
- smooth.videoNot needed
- Transparent video
- After EffectsYes
- VismeNo, transparent PNG only
- smooth.videoFree, 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 is 2D only, with no particles, tracking or scripting.
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 editor- Free, full stop
- No plan, no trial, no credits, no export limit.
- No account
- Open the page and the editor is already there.
- Nothing is uploaded
- Your files are read and rendered by your own browser.
- No watermark
- Every export is clean, at any size, 4K included.
Start from a template
See all 203 templatesOpen one, change the words, export. Every element stays editable.
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 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. A chart here is made of shapes you size by hand and numbers you type, which can count up as they appear. It suits a handful of figures, not a dataset.
Is there a watermark?
No, and every download is free.
Or skip the decision.
smooth.video is free, opens in a tab and exports without a watermark. Try it while you compare.
Open the editor- Free
- No signup
- No watermark