CapCut vs Rive
CapCut and Rive 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
CapCut vs Rive at a glance
| CapCut | Rive | smooth.video | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free version, with CapCut Pro for premium features | Free plan, then Cadet at US$9 per seat a month billed yearly | Free, no paid plan |
| Account | Sign-up asked for in the online editor | Required | Not needed |
- Price
- CapCutFree version, with CapCut Pro for premium features
- RiveFree plan, then Cadet at US$9 per seat a month billed yearly
- smooth.videoFree, no paid plan
- Account
- CapCutSign-up asked for in the online editor
- RiveRequired
- smooth.videoNot needed
As of September 2026. Plans change, so check those of CapCut and Rive before you decide.
CapCut
- Export resolution
- Up to 1080p free, 4K and 60 fps with Pro
- Premium templates, effects and fonts
- Pro needed to export them
- Built for
- Editing videos: cuts, transitions, filters, effects
- Phone and desktop apps
- Yes
- AI tools, music and sticker library
- Yes
When CapCut fits better
You're editing footage: cutting clips, adding transitions, filters, trending sounds and effects, on your phone as much as on a computer. smooth.video isn't a video editor, and it has no app.
CapCut vs smooth.videoRive
- Exports on the free plan
- None
- Output
- .riv files for runtimes, plus video and images
- Interactivity and state machines
- Yes
- Runtimes for apps, websites and games
- Yes
- Rigging, meshes, real-time collaboration
- Yes
When Rive fits better
The animation lives in a product and reacts to people: a button that responds to hover, a character that follows the cursor, a loading state driven by your app's data. That takes a runtime, and smooth.video doesn't have one.
Rive vs smooth.videoWhen smooth.video fits better
You need the graphics, not the edit: an animated title, a stat, a logo reveal or a lower third, in 4K or on a transparent background, and you'd rather not unlock Pro for a font or a template.
The animation ends up in a video, a post, an email or a slide, and plays the same way every time: a logo reveal, a product teaser, an animated stat, a GIF.
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 use a smooth.video animation in CapCut?
Yes. Export an MP4 and import it into your CapCut project like any other clip.
Can I edit my footage in smooth.video?
Only lightly: add a video file to the scene and put text, shapes and images on top. For cutting and arranging footage, a video editor is the better tool.
Do I need to sign in?
No. The project you're working on is autosaved in your browser, and you save it as a .smooth file to keep it or open it on another computer.
Can smooth.video export Lottie or .riv files?
No. It exports video (MP4 and WebM), GIF and images.
Can I put a smooth.video animation on a website?
Yes, as a video or a GIF. It plays the same way for everyone, without reacting to the cursor or to clicks.
Is there a watermark?
No, on any format.
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