Does smooth.video have characters?

No. It animates text, images, video, shapes and drawings. To animate a character, bring it in as an image, or as a layered PSD to move its parts separately.

Can I add a voiceover?

Yes, recorded elsewhere: add the audio file to the scene and line it up with the animation on the timeline.

Is there a limit on exports?

No. Export as many times as you want, at any size.

Do I place every photo by hand?

Yes, each photo is an element you place and animate. Start from a photo template to go faster: replace the pictures and keep the motion.

Yes. Add an audio file you have the rights to, and it plays under the animation in the exported MP4.

Animaker vs Animoto

Animaker and Animoto 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

Animaker vs Animoto at a glance

	Animaker	Animoto	smooth.video
Price	Free plan, 1080p from the Starter plan at US$19 a month billed yearly	Free plan, then Basic, Professional and Professional Plus	Free, no paid plan
Account	Required	Required	Not needed
Watermark	On free plan exports	On the free plan	Never
Export resolution	1080p on Starter, 2K on Pro, 4K on Enterprise	720p free, 1080p on Basic, 4K on Professional	Any size, 4K included

As of September 2026. Plans change, so check those of Animaker and Animoto before you decide.

Animaker

Exports: Counted each month: 10 on Starter, 30 on Pro
Where your files live: In your Animaker account
Characters and lip-synced voiceover: Yes
AI video from a prompt: Yes

When Animaker fits better

Your video tells a story with characters that walk, talk and react to a voiceover, or you want an AI to draft the whole video from a prompt. smooth.video has no characters and no voiceover.

Animaker vs smooth.video

Animoto

How you build: Templates made of drag-and-drop blocks
Licensed music and Getty Images stock: Yes
Screen and webcam recording: Yes

When Animoto fits better

You want a slideshow put together in minutes from a pile of photos, with licensed music and stock images included. smooth.video places everything by hand and has no music library.

Animoto vs smooth.video

When smooth.video fits better

Your video is made of text, logos, photos, shapes and numbers, you'd rather not count exports, and you want 4K or a transparent overlay without paying for a plan.

You want control over how each photo and title moves, a 4K export, or a clean file, without paying for a plan or creating an account.

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

Does smooth.video have characters?: No. It animates text, images, video, shapes and drawings. To animate a character, bring it in as an image, or as a layered PSD to move its parts separately.
Can I add a voiceover?: Yes, recorded elsewhere: add the audio file to the scene and line it up with the animation on the timeline.
Is there a limit on exports?: No. Export as many times as you want, at any size.
Do I place every photo by hand?: Yes, each photo is an element you place and animate. Start from a photo template to go faster: replace the pictures and keep the motion.
Can I add music?: Yes. Add an audio file you have the rights to, and it plays under the animation in the exported MP4.
Is there a watermark?: No, at any resolution.