Can I compress a GIF in smooth.video?

No. A short GIF with a modest size and few colours stays light; to shrink it further, run the exported file through a GIF optimizer such as EZGIF's.

Can I turn a video into a GIF?

Yes. Add the video to the scene, put text or stickers on top if you like, and export the whole thing as a GIF.

Are my files uploaded?

No. Everything, the GIF export included, runs in your browser, so your images and videos never leave your computer.

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.

EZGIF vs Brush Ninja

EZGIF 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

EZGIF vs Brush Ninja at a glance

	EZGIF	Brush Ninja	smooth.video
Price	Free, with ads	Free with ads, membership at US$7 a month or US$48 a year	Free
Account	Not needed	Only for membership	Not needed

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

EZGIF

Watermark: Never
Makes a GIF from: An uploaded video or a set of images
Moving text: Text shown on a range of frames, without motion
Where your files go: Uploaded to its servers, kept up to an hour after last use
Compression and optimization: Yes: lossy, fewer colours, fewer frames, target file size
Format conversion: GIF, WebP, APNG, AVIF, MP4, WebM and more

When EZGIF fits better

You already have the GIF or the clip and need to do something to it: cut it, change its speed, reverse it, shrink it under a size limit, or convert it to WebP, APNG or AVIF. smooth.video does none of that.

EZGIF vs smooth.video

Brush Ninja

How you animate: Frame-by-frame drawing, with onion skin
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

The GIF doesn't exist yet: an animated headline for an email, a badge for a website, a demo for a README. You want to build it from text and images, make things move, and keep your files on your computer.

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 compress a GIF in smooth.video?: No. A short GIF with a modest size and few colours stays light; to shrink it further, run the exported file through a GIF optimizer such as EZGIF's.
Can I turn a video into a GIF?: Yes. Add the video to the scene, put text or stickers on top if you like, and export the whole thing as a GIF.
Are my files uploaded?: No. Everything, the GIF export included, runs in your browser, so your images and videos never leave your computer.
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.