GIPHY GIF Maker vs Clipchamp

GIPHY GIF Maker 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.

Open the editorFree, no signup, nothing to install

GIPHY GIF Maker vs Clipchamp at a glance

GIPHY GIF MakerClipchampsmooth.video
PriceFree, with adsFree, with Premium or Microsoft 365 for extrasFree
AccountRequired to create a GIFMicrosoft account requiredNot needed

As of September 2026. Plans change, so check those of GIPHY GIF Maker and Clipchamp 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

Clipchamp

Watermark
Never
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.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 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

Start from a template

See all 172 templates

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.
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.