Can I generate many videos from a spreadsheet?

Not automatically. A script or an AI assistant can write one .smooth file per row, but each one is opened and exported by hand in the editor.

Can an AI assistant make the video?

Yes. The whole format is published at smooth.video/llms.txt: point ChatGPT, Claude or another assistant at it, describe the animation, and open the file it gives you.

Do I need to install anything?

No. The editor and the export both run in your browser.

Do I place every photo by hand?

Yes, each photo is an element you place and animate. Start from a photo template to go faster: replace the pictures and keep the motion.

Yes. Add an audio file you have the rights to, and it plays under the animation in the exported MP4.

Remotion vs Animoto

Remotion and Animoto 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.

Open the editorFree, no signup, nothing to install

Remotion vs Animoto at a glance

	Remotion	Animoto	smooth.video
Price	Free for individuals and companies of up to 3 people, then a company license	Free plan, then Basic, Professional and Professional Plus	Free for everyone

As of September 2026. Plans change, so check those of Remotion and Animoto before you decide.

Remotion

How you make a video: React code
What you need: Node.js, a code editor and some React
Rendering: On your machine, a server or AWS Lambda
Transparent video: WebM or ProRes 4444
Videos generated from data, at scale: Yes
AI assistants: Agent skills and a Claude Code plugin

When Remotion fits better

You generate videos from data, personalize them for each user, render them on servers, embed a player in your app, or build your own video product. smooth.video has no API and no server rendering.

Remotion vs smooth.video

Animoto

Account: Required
Watermark: On the free plan
Export resolution: 720p free, 1080p on Basic, 4K on Professional
How you build: Templates made of drag-and-drop blocks
Licensed music and Getty Images stock: Yes
Screen and webcam recording: Yes

When Animoto fits better

You want a slideshow put together in minutes from a pile of photos, with licensed music and stock images included. smooth.video places everything by hand and has no music library.

Animoto vs smooth.video

When smooth.video fits better

You want one video, not ten thousand: you'd rather see it and drag things into place than write components, or the person making it doesn't code.

You want control over how each photo and title moves, a 4K export, or a clean file, without paying for a plan or creating an account.

Open the editor

Start from a template

See all 172 templates

Logo reveal

1080×1080

A name that pops into place

Lower third

1920×1080

Name and title, on cue

Bold statement

1080×1920

Three lines, one point

Product drop

1080×1350

An announcement that lands

Count-up stat

1080×1080

A number that climbs

Quote card

1200×630

A line worth sharing

Questions

Can I generate many videos from a spreadsheet?: Not automatically. A script or an AI assistant can write one .smooth file per row, but each one is opened and exported by hand in the editor.
Can an AI assistant make the video?: Yes. The whole format is published at smooth.video/llms.txt: point ChatGPT, Claude or another assistant at it, describe the animation, and open the file it gives you.
Do I need to install anything?: No. The editor and the export both run in your browser.
Do I place every photo by hand?: Yes, each photo is an element you place and animate. Start from a photo template to go faster: replace the pictures and keep the motion.
Can I add music?: Yes. Add an audio file you have the rights to, and it plays under the animation in the exported MP4.
Is there a watermark?: No, at any resolution.