GIPHY GIF Maker vs Placeit
GIPHY GIF Maker 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.
GIPHY GIF Maker vs Placeit at a glance
| GIPHY GIF Maker | Placeit | smooth.video | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, with ads | Single purchases, or a subscription from US$89.69 a year | Free |
As of September 2026. Plans change, so check those of GIPHY GIF Maker and Placeit 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
- 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.videoPlaceit
- Watermark
- On previews, until you buy
- 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.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 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 editorStart from a template
See all 172 templatesQuestions
- 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 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.