EZGIF vs Clipchamp
EZGIF and Clipchamp 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
EZGIF vs Clipchamp at a glance
| EZGIF | Clipchamp | smooth.video | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, with ads | Free, with Premium or Microsoft 365 for extras | Free |
| Account | Not needed | Microsoft account required | Not needed |
| Watermark | Never | Never | Never |
- Price
- EZGIFFree, with ads
- ClipchampFree, with Premium or Microsoft 365 for extras
- smooth.videoFree
- Account
- EZGIFNot needed
- ClipchampMicrosoft account required
- smooth.videoNot needed
- Watermark
- EZGIFNever
- ClipchampNever
- smooth.videoNever
As of September 2026. Plans change, so check those of EZGIF and Clipchamp before you decide.
EZGIF
- 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 colors, 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 makes GIFs; it doesn't edit, compress or convert them.
EZGIF vs smooth.videoClipchamp
- 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.videoWhen 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.
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.
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 compress a GIF in smooth.video?
No. A short GIF with a modest size and few colors 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 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.
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