GIPHY GIF Maker vs SVGator
GIPHY GIF Maker and SVGator 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 SVGator at a glance
| GIPHY GIF Maker | SVGator | smooth.video | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, with ads | Free plan, then Starter at US$20 and Pro at US$24 a month, billed yearly | Free |
| Account | Required to create a GIF | Required | Not needed |
- Price
- GIPHY GIF MakerFree, with ads
- SVGatorFree plan, then Starter at US$20 and Pro at US$24 a month, billed yearly
- smooth.videoFree
- Account
- GIPHY GIF MakerRequired to create a GIF
- SVGatorRequired
- smooth.videoNot needed
As of September 2026. Plans change, so check those of GIPHY GIF Maker and SVGator 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.videoSVGator
- Watermark
- On animated exports on the free plan
- Video and GIF export
- Pro plan
- Transparent video
- MOV or WebM, on Pro
- Video and audio in the scene
- No
- Animated SVG, Lottie, React Native, Flutter
- Yes, from Starter
- Interactive animations
- Yes, from Starter
When SVGator fits better
The animation goes on a website or in an app as code: a lightweight animated SVG, an icon that reacts to hover, a Lottie file or a Flutter widget. smooth.video only exports video, GIF and images.
SVGator 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.
The animation goes into a video, a social post, an email or a slide, uses photos, footage or music next to shapes, and you want the file without paying for a plan.
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.
Can smooth.video export animated SVG?
No. It exports MP4, WebM, GIF, PNG, JPG and WebP.
Can an AI assistant make the animation?
Yes. The .smooth format is published at smooth.video/llms.txt: give it to an assistant, describe what you want, and open the file it writes.
Is there a watermark?
No, on any format.
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