GIPHY GIF Maker vs Imgflip

GIPHY GIF Maker and Imgflip 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 Imgflip at a glance

Price
GIPHY GIF MakerFree, with ads
ImgflipFree, or Pro at US$11.95 a month billed yearly
smooth.videoFree
Motion
GIPHY GIF MakerCaptions and stickers that appear and disappear
ImgflipText and images moved at points in time
smooth.videoEntrances and keyframes on a timeline

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

GIPHY GIF Maker

Account
Required to create a GIF
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
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

Imgflip

Watermark
imgflip.com on free GIFs, removed with Pro
GIF size
Up to 360×360 from a video and 500×500 from images, on the free plan
Text and images
1 text and 1 image per GIF on the free plan
Where your files go
Hosted on imgflip.com, public unless marked private
Meme templates, YouTube links
Yes

When Imgflip fits better

You're making a meme: a classic template or a clip from a YouTube video with a caption, posted to Imgflip's community in a minute. smooth.video has no meme library and doesn't read links.

Imgflip 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.

The GIF isn't a meme: a product announcement, an animated banner, a sticker for a newsletter. It needs to be bigger than 500 pixels, carry more than one line of text, and come out clean.

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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 templates

Open one, change the words, export. Every element stays editable.

Logo reveal

1080×1080

A name that pops into place

Bold statement

1080×1920

Three lines, one point

Count-up stat

1080×1080

A number that climbs

Lower third

1920×1080

Name and title, on cue

Quote card

1200×630

A line worth sharing

Product drop

1080×1350

An announcement that lands

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.

Can I make memes?

You can put a caption over any image or video you add, but there's no library of meme templates: bring your own picture.

Can my GIF have sound?

No, a GIF file can't hold sound. For an animation with music, export an MP4: the audio you added is included.

Is there a limit on text or images?

No. Add as many texts, images and shapes as the animation needs.

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