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 download my video for free?

Yes, always: as an MP4, a WebM, a GIF or a still image, at the size you set.

Can I add a voiceover?

Yes, recorded elsewhere: add the audio file and line it up on the timeline. There's no text-to-speech.

Animoto vs Wideo

Animoto and Wideo 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 Wideo at a glance

	Animoto	Wideo	smooth.video
Price	Free plan, then Basic, Professional and Professional Plus	Free plan, then Basic at US$19 a month billed yearly, or US$59 monthly	Free, no paid plan
Account	Required	Required	Not needed
Watermark	On the free plan	Wideo branding on the free plan	Never
Export resolution	720p free, 1080p on Basic, 4K on Professional	Up to 1080p, on Pro	Any size, 4K included

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

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

Wideo

Download as a file: Paid plans only: MP4 and GIF
Video length on the cheapest plans: 1 minute free, 90 seconds on Basic
Interactive videos, text-to-speech: Yes

When Wideo fits better

You make marketing videos and presentations as a team, want interactive videos or an AI voice, generate videos from a spreadsheet through Zapier, or publish straight to YouTube or HubSpot.

Wideo 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 want a short animated video as a file you can put anywhere, today, in full HD or 4K, without a plan and without branding.

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 download my video for free?: Yes, always: as an MP4, a WebM, a GIF or a still image, at the size you set.
Can I add a voiceover?: Yes, recorded elsewhere: add the audio file and line it up on the timeline. There's no text-to-speech.