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.

Can I use my own logo?

Yes. Import it as an image, remove its background in one click if it has one, and animate it.

Does smooth.video make mockups?

No. It animates: intros, logo reveals, titles and social posts. For product mockups, Placeit is the better tool.

Animoto vs Placeit

Animoto and Placeit 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

Animoto vs Placeit at a glance

	Animoto	Placeit	smooth.video
Price	Free plan, then Basic, Professional and Professional Plus	Single purchases, or a subscription from US$89.69 a year	Free, no paid plan
Watermark	On the free plan	On previews, until you buy	Never

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

Animoto

Account: Required
Export resolution: 720p free, 1080p on Basic, 4K on Professional
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

Placeit

What you can change: Text, colours, images and music in the template
Formats: MP4 for videos, PNG for designs
Product mockups and logo generator: Yes

When Placeit fits better

You sell merch and need photo mockups of your designs on shirts, mugs and phones, or want a logo generated for you along with matching assets. smooth.video only animates.

Placeit vs smooth.video

When smooth.video fits better

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.

You need one intro or logo animation rather than a subscription, want it to move your way, or need it on a transparent background.

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

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.
Can I use my own logo?: Yes. Import it as an image, remove its background in one click if it has one, and animate it.
Does smooth.video make mockups?: No. It animates: intros, logo reveals, titles and social posts. For product mockups, Placeit is the better tool.