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 bring my VistaCreate designs in?

Yes, as images: download your design or its parts as PNG, add them to a scene and animate them.

Can I schedule posts from smooth.video?

No. Export the video and post or schedule it with the tool you already use.

Animoto vs VistaCreate

Animoto and VistaCreate 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 VistaCreate at a glance

	Animoto	VistaCreate	smooth.video
Price	Free plan, then Basic, Professional and Professional Plus	Free plan, Pro at US$10 a month billed yearly	Free, no paid plan
Account	Required	Required	Not needed
Export resolution	720p free, 1080p on Basic, 4K on Professional	HD downloads on Pro	Any size, 4K included

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

Animoto

Watermark: On the free plan
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

VistaCreate

Built for: Every kind of design: posts, flyers, print, presentations
Motion: Presets: move, fade, scale, zoom, wobble, flash, shake, spin
Templates and stock: 100,000+ templates and Depositphotos stock
Social media scheduling: Yes

When VistaCreate fits better

You need lots of matching posts, flyers and print files from a big template and stock library, resized in one click and scheduled to your social accounts, with a simple animation on top.

VistaCreate 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.

The animation matters more than the layout: an intro, a lower third, an animated stat, a Reel. You want the timing and motion exactly right, and a 4K or transparent export for free.

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 bring my VistaCreate designs in?: Yes, as images: download your design or its parts as PNG, add them to a scene and animate them.
Can I schedule posts from smooth.video?: No. Export the video and post or schedule it with the tool you already use.