GIPHY GIF Maker vs Adobe Animate

GIPHY GIF Maker 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.

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GIPHY GIF Maker vs Adobe Animate at a glance

GIPHY GIF MakerAdobe Animatesmooth.video
PriceFree, with adsUS$22.99 a month on an annual plan, 7-day free trialFree
AccountRequired to create a GIFAdobe account requiredNot needed

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

GIPHY GIF Maker

What you get
A GIF uploaded to your GIPHY channel, public unless you set it to private
Starting point
A video under 15 seconds, images, or a YouTube link
Motion
Captions and stickers that appear and disappear
Sticker library
The whole GIPHY sticker library
Other exports
No

When GIPHY fits better

You want your GIFs out in the world: reaction GIFs or brand stickers on a GIPHY channel people can share from, with GIPHY's sticker library at hand while you make them.

GIPHY GIF Maker 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 need a GIF for an email, a website, a README or a slide, built from your own text and images, and you'd rather keep it off a public platform and skip the account.

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.

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Questions

Can I upload my GIF to GIPHY afterwards?
Yes. Export the GIF from smooth.video, then upload it to your GIPHY channel like any other GIF.
Can I make a GIF from a YouTube video?
Not from a link. Add a video file from your computer to the scene and export it as a GIF.
Is my GIF public?
No. Nothing is uploaded: the GIF is made in your browser and saved to your computer.
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.