Clipchamp vs Adobe Animate

Clipchamp and Adobe Animate 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

Clipchamp vs Adobe Animate at a glance

ClipchampAdobe Animatesmooth.video
PriceFree, with Premium or Microsoft 365 for extrasUS$22.99 a month on an annual plan, 7-day free trialFree, no paid plan
AccountMicrosoft account requiredAdobe account requiredNot needed

As of September 2026. Plans change, so check those of Clipchamp and Adobe Animate before you decide.

Clipchamp

Watermark
Never
Export resolution
1080p free, 4K with Premium or Microsoft 365
Formats
MP4, GIF under 15 seconds, M4A audio
Transparent video
No
Built for
Editing videos: trimming, transitions, stock footage
Screen recorder, AI voiceover, subtitles
Yes

When Clipchamp fits better

You're putting a video together from clips: trimming, arranging, adding transitions, stock footage, an AI voiceover or subtitles, and you already use Windows or Microsoft 365. smooth.video isn't a video editor.

Clipchamp vs smooth.video

Adobe Animate

Install
Desktop app for Windows and macOS
Development
Maintenance mode: fixes, no new features
How you animate
Frame-by-frame drawing, tweens, bone rigging
Interactive output
HTML5 Canvas, WebGL, SVG, sprite sheets
Photoshop files
PSD and Illustrator layers imported

When Adobe Animate fits better

You draw frame by frame, rig characters with bones, or deliver interactive HTML5 Canvas content, games or sprite sheets. smooth.video does none of that.

Adobe Animate vs smooth.video

When smooth.video fits better

You want the text or the logo to move exactly the way you picture it, need a transparent overlay or a 4K export, or you'd rather not sign in to make a ten-second animation.

You used Animate for banners, animated logos or social posts, you'd rather not pay for a tool that no longer gets new features, and your animation is made of text, images and shapes that move rather than drawings.

Open the editor

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Questions

Can I use a smooth.video animation in Clipchamp?
Yes. Export an MP4 and add it to your Clipchamp project like any other clip.
Does it work on Mac, Linux and Chromebook?
Yes. It runs in a recent browser, whatever the computer.
Is it free?
Yes, completely: 4K, transparent WebM and GIF included, with no account.
Is Adobe Animate discontinued?
No. Adobe announced its end in February 2026 and reversed the decision the next day: Animate stays available, with security and bug fixes but no new features.
Can I open .fla files?
No. Export your artwork from Animate as PNG images, then animate them in smooth.video.
Can I make HTML5 banner ads?
Not as HTML5: smooth.video exports video, GIF and images. Where an ad slot takes a GIF or an MP4, a banner made here works.