Powtoon vs Rive

Powtoon and Rive 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 Rive at a glance

PowtoonRivesmooth.video
PriceFree plan, then Lite from US$15 a month billed yearlyFree plan, then Cadet at US$9 per seat a month billed yearlyFree, no paid plan
AccountRequiredRequiredNot needed

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

Powtoon

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

Rive

Exports on the free plan
None
Output
.riv files for runtimes, plus video and images
Interactivity and state machines
Yes
Runtimes for apps, websites and games
Yes
Rigging, meshes, real-time collaboration
Yes

When Rive fits better

The animation lives in a product and reacts to people: a button that responds to hover, a character that follows the cursor, a loading state driven by your app's data. That takes a runtime, and smooth.video doesn't have one.

Rive 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 ends up in a video, a post, an email or a slide, and plays the same way every time: a logo reveal, a product teaser, an animated stat, a GIF.

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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 smooth.video export Lottie or .riv files?
No. It exports video (MP4 and WebM), GIF and images.
Can I put a smooth.video animation on a website?
Yes, as a video or a GIF. It plays the same way for everyone, without reacting to the cursor or to clicks.