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.

Can I draw in smooth.video?

Yes, with a simple brush: the drawing becomes an image you can move, scale, rotate and fade on the timeline. It isn't made for drawing each frame.

Yes. Add an audio file and it's included in the MP4 or WebM. A GIF can't carry sound.

No, and there's nothing to join.

Cavalry vs Brush Ninja

Cavalry and Brush Ninja 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 Brush Ninja at a glance

	Cavalry	Brush Ninja	smooth.video
Price	Free for individuals	Free with ads, membership at US$7 a month or US$48 a year	Free
Account	Canva account required	Only for membership	Not needed
How you animate	Keyframes plus procedural tools: duplicators, falloffs, behaviours	Frame-by-frame drawing, with onion skin	Presets and keyframes on one timeline

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

Cavalry

Install: Desktop app for Mac and Windows
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

Brush Ninja

Layers: None
Video with sound: WebM, for members
Formats: GIF, image sequence, and WebM for members
Lesson plans for teachers: Yes

When Brush Ninja fits better

You want to draw every frame, like a flipbook, in a tool made for children and classrooms, with stickers, sound effects and lesson plans ready to go.

Brush Ninja 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.

The animation is made of things that move: a title, a photo, a logo, a sticker, a chart. You want sound in the video, more than one layer, and no ads, without a membership.

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.
Can I draw in smooth.video?: Yes, with a simple brush: the drawing becomes an image you can move, scale, rotate and fade on the timeline. It isn't made for drawing each frame.
Can I add sound?: Yes. Add an audio file and it's included in the MP4 or WebM. A GIF can't carry sound.
Are there ads?: No, and there's nothing to join.