GIPHY GIF Maker vs Animoto
GIPHY GIF Maker and Animoto 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
GIPHY GIF Maker vs Animoto at a glance
| GIPHY GIF Maker | Animoto | smooth.video | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, with ads | Free plan, then Basic, Professional and Professional Plus | Free |
| Account | Required to create a GIF | Required | Not needed |
- Price
- GIPHY GIF MakerFree, with ads
- AnimotoFree plan, then Basic, Professional and Professional Plus
- smooth.videoFree
- Account
- GIPHY GIF MakerRequired to create a GIF
- AnimotoRequired
- smooth.videoNot needed
As of September 2026. Plans change, so check those of GIPHY GIF Maker and Animoto 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.videoAnimoto
- Watermark
- On the free plan
- Export resolution
- 720p free, 1080p on Basic, 4K on Professional
- How you build
- Templates made of drag-and-drop blocks
- Licensed music and Getty Images stock
- Yes
- Screen and webcam recording
- Yes
When Animoto fits better
You want a slideshow put together in minutes from a pile of photos, with licensed music and stock images included. smooth.video places everything by hand and has no music library.
Animoto vs smooth.videoWhen 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 want control over how each photo and title moves, a 4K export, or a clean file, without paying for a plan or creating an account.
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 upload my GIF to GIPHY afterward?
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.
Do I place every photo by hand?
Yes, each photo is an element you place and animate. Start from a photo template to go faster: replace the pictures and keep the motion.
Can I add music?
Yes. Add an audio file you have the rights to, and it plays under the animation in the exported MP4.
Is there a watermark?
No, at any resolution.
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