EZGIF vs Placeit

EZGIF and Placeit 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.

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EZGIF vs Placeit at a glance

EZGIFPlaceitsmooth.video
PriceFree, with adsSingle purchases, or a subscription from US$89.69 a yearFree
WatermarkNeverOn previews, until you buyNever

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

EZGIF

Account
Not needed
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

Placeit

What you can change
Text, colours, images and music in the template
Formats
MP4 for videos, PNG for designs
Product mockups and logo generator
Yes

When Placeit fits better

You sell merch and need photo mockups of your designs on shirts, mugs and phones, or want a logo generated for you along with matching assets. smooth.video only animates.

Placeit 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.

You need one intro or logo animation rather than a subscription, want it to move your way, or need it on a transparent background.

Open the editor

Start from a template

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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 use my own logo?
Yes. Import it as an image, remove its background in one click if it has one, and animate it.
Does smooth.video make mockups?
No. It animates: intros, logo reveals, titles and social posts. For product mockups, Placeit is the better tool.
Is there a watermark?
No. The download is free and clean.