Can I animate a chart from a spreadsheet?

No, you type the values in. smooth.video suits a handful of figures; for charts built from real data, Cavalry is the better fit.

Can I open Cavalry projects?

No. smooth.video opens its own .smooth files and imports images, video, audio and layered PSD files.

Do I need to install anything?

No. The editor and every export run in your browser.

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.

Cavalry vs Animoto

Cavalry 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

Cavalry vs Animoto at a glance

	Cavalry	Animoto	smooth.video
Price	Free for individuals	Free plan, then Basic, Professional and Professional Plus	Free
Account	Canva account required	Required	Not needed

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

Cavalry

Install: Desktop app for Mac and Windows
How you animate: Keyframes plus procedural tools: duplicators, falloffs, behaviours
Transparent video: WebM, ProRes 4444, plus APNG, GIF and WebP
Animation driven by spreadsheets: Yes
Rigging, dynamics, scripting: Yes
Lottie and SVG export: Yes

When Cavalry fits better

You build complex motion design: hundreds of shapes driven by one rig, charts animated from a spreadsheet, dynamics, scripts, or Lottie and ProRes deliverables. smooth.video has none of that.

Cavalry vs smooth.video

Animoto

Watermark: On the free plan
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

When smooth.video fits better

You need an animated title, a logo reveal or a social post today, on any computer, including one where you can't install software, and you don't need procedural systems to get there.

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

Can I animate a chart from a spreadsheet?: No, you type the values in. smooth.video suits a handful of figures; for charts built from real data, Cavalry is the better fit.
Can I open Cavalry projects?: No. smooth.video opens its own .smooth files and imports images, video, audio and layered PSD files.
Do I need to install anything?: No. The editor and every export run in your browser.
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.