Powtoon vs Adobe Express

Powtoon and Adobe Express 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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Powtoon vs Adobe Express at a glance

PowtoonAdobe Expresssmooth.video
PriceFree plan, then Lite from US$15 a month billed yearlyFree plan, Premium at US$9.99 a monthFree, no paid plan

As of September 2026. Plans change, so check those of Powtoon and Adobe Express before you decide.

Powtoon

Account
Required
Watermark
On free plan videos, and on all but 5 exports a month on Lite
MP4 download
Paid plans only
Export resolution
720p on the free plan, 1080p on paid plans
Animated characters and props
Thousands, with a character builder
PowerPoint import
Yes
Team review and brand locking
Yes

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.

Powtoon vs smooth.video

Adobe Express

Built for
Every kind of design: social posts, flyers, PDFs, presentations, video
Motion
In, Loop and Out presets, with duration, speed and intensity
Transparent video
Not supported
Photoshop files
PSD and Illustrator files placed linked or converted
Where your files live
In Adobe's cloud, 5 GB on the free plan
Templates and stock
100,000+ templates and Adobe Stock
Generative AI
Firefly, with monthly credits

When Adobe Express fits better

You need matching flyers, posts and presentations from a huge library of templates and stock, you work with Photoshop and Illustrator files that stay linked, or you want AI to generate images. Animation is a finishing touch.

Adobe Express vs smooth.video

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.

The animation is the deliverable: an intro, a lower third, an animated stat, a Reel. You want to decide exactly where each element is at each moment, and a transparent export to put over video.

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Start from a template

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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.
Can I bring my Adobe Express designs in?
Yes, as images: download your design or its parts as PNG, add them to a scene and animate them in smooth.video.
Can I animate a Photoshop file?
Yes. Drop the PSD into the editor and each layer becomes its own element, in place, ready to animate.