A free alternative to Powtoon
Powtoon makes animated presentations and explainers, with thousands of animated characters and props, PowerPoint import, AI voiceovers and team review. On its free plan, videos carry a watermark, stop at 720p and can't be downloaded as MP4. smooth.video is simpler and free: animate text, images and shapes on a timeline, and download the file at any size.
- Free
- No signup
- No watermark
smooth.video vs Powtoon
| smooth.video | Powtoon | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, no paid plan | Free plan, then Lite from US$15 a month billed yearly |
| Account | Not needed | Required |
| Watermark | Never | On free plan videos, and on all but 5 exports a month on Lite |
| MP4 download | Always | Paid plans only |
| Export resolution | Any size, 4K included | 720p on the free plan, 1080p on paid plans |
| Animated characters and props | No | Thousands, with a character builder |
| PowerPoint import | No | Yes |
| Team review and brand locking | No | Yes |
- Price
- smooth.videoFree, no paid plan
- PowtoonFree plan, then Lite from US$15 a month billed yearly
- Account
- smooth.videoNot needed
- PowtoonRequired
- Watermark
- smooth.videoNever
- PowtoonOn free plan videos, and on all but 5 exports a month on Lite
- MP4 download
- smooth.videoAlways
- PowtoonPaid plans only
- Export resolution
- smooth.videoAny size, 4K included
- Powtoon720p on the free plan, 1080p on paid plans
- Animated characters and props
- smooth.videoNo
- PowtoonThousands, with a character builder
- PowerPoint import
- smooth.videoNo
- PowtoonYes
- Team review and brand locking
- smooth.videoNo
- PowtoonYes
Powtoon as of September 2026. Plans change, so check theirs before you decide.
When smooth.video fits better
You need a short animated piece, like a title card, a stat, a product demo with a cursor or a social post, and a file you can download right away, with no watermark and no plan.
When Powtoon fits better
You're making an explainer with characters and scenes, turning a PowerPoint deck into a video, or working with a team that reviews videos and locks the brand. smooth.video has no characters, no PowerPoint import and no shared workspace.
How it works
Open smooth.video. No account to create.
Add your titles, screenshots, icons and numbers, and animate each one in turn.
Download an MP4 for your slides, your website or your video, or a GIF for an email.
Start from a template
See all 203 templatesOpen one, change the words, export. Every element stays editable.
- 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.
Questions
Can I import my PowerPoint?
No. Export your slides as images, add them to a scene and animate them there.
Can I put a smooth.video animation in a presentation?
Yes. Export an MP4 or a GIF and insert it into PowerPoint, Keynote or Google Slides.
Is there a watermark?
No, and the download is free too.
Powtoon compared with other tools
- Jitter vs Powtoon
- Canva vs Powtoon
- After Effects vs Powtoon
- Renderforest vs Powtoon
- Animaker vs Powtoon
- Powtoon vs Vyond
- Powtoon vs Biteable
- Powtoon vs EZGIF
- Powtoon vs GIPHY GIF Maker
- Powtoon vs Imgflip
- Powtoon vs CapCut
- Powtoon vs Kapwing
- Powtoon vs VEED
- Powtoon vs Clipchamp
- Powtoon vs Adobe Express
- Powtoon vs Adobe Animate
- Powtoon vs Apple Motion
- Powtoon vs Remotion
- Powtoon vs Mojo
- Powtoon vs Rive
- Powtoon vs LottieFiles
- Powtoon vs Linearity Move
- Powtoon vs SVGator
- Powtoon vs Cavalry
- Powtoon vs InVideo
- Powtoon vs FlexClip
- Powtoon vs Animoto
- Powtoon vs Placeit
- Powtoon vs Visme
- Powtoon vs VistaCreate
- Powtoon vs Wideo
- Powtoon vs FlipaClip
- Powtoon vs Brush Ninja
- Powtoon vs Lottielab
- Powtoon vs Motionity
Try it before you settle on Powtoon.
It opens in a tab, works without an account, and exports without a watermark.
Open the editor- Free
- No signup
- No watermark