Powtoon vs Kapwing
Powtoon and Kapwing 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
Powtoon vs Kapwing at a glance
| Powtoon | Kapwing | smooth.video | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free plan, then Lite from US$15 a month billed yearly | Free plan, then Pro from US$16 a month billed yearly | Free, no paid plan |
| Account | Required | Required to save a project | Not needed |
| Watermark | On free plan videos, and on all but 5 exports a month on Lite | On free plan exports | Never |
| Export resolution | 720p on the free plan, 1080p on paid plans | 720p on the free plan, 1080p and 4K on Pro | Any size, 4K included |
- Price
- PowtoonFree plan, then Lite from US$15 a month billed yearly
- KapwingFree plan, then Pro from US$16 a month billed yearly
- smooth.videoFree, no paid plan
- Account
- PowtoonRequired
- KapwingRequired to save a project
- smooth.videoNot needed
- Watermark
- PowtoonOn free plan videos, and on all but 5 exports a month on Lite
- KapwingOn free plan exports
- smooth.videoNever
- Export resolution
- Powtoon720p on the free plan, 1080p on paid plans
- Kapwing720p on the free plan, 1080p and 4K on Pro
- smooth.videoAny size, 4K included
As of September 2026. Plans change, so check those of Powtoon and Kapwing before you decide.
Powtoon
- MP4 download
- Paid plans only
- 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.videoKapwing
- Projects
- Deleted after 3 days on the free plan
- Where your files live
- In Kapwing's cloud
- AI subtitles, translation, dubbing
- Yes
- Real-time collaboration
- Yes
When Kapwing fits better
You edit talking videos and need subtitles, translations or dubbing in many languages, or several people edit and comment in the same project. smooth.video has no subtitle generator and no shared workspace.
Kapwing vs smooth.videoWhen 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.
You're making the animated pieces of a video, like titles, lower thirds, logo stings or animated stats, want them at full quality without a watermark, and don't need a team workspace.
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 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.
Does smooth.video generate subtitles?
No. You can type captions as text elements and time them on the timeline, but nothing is transcribed automatically.
How long are my projects kept?
As long as you keep the files. The editor autosaves the project you're working on in your browser; save it as a .smooth file to keep it on your computer and reopen it later, on any machine.
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