Remotion vs Placeit

Remotion and Placeit 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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Remotion vs Placeit at a glance

RemotionPlaceitsmooth.video
PriceFree for individuals and companies of up to 3 people, then a company licenseSingle purchases, or a subscription from US$89.69 a yearFree for everyone

As of September 2026. Plans change, so check those of Remotion and Placeit 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

Placeit

Watermark
On previews, until you buy
What you can change
Text, colours, images and music in the template
Formats
MP4 for videos, PNG for designs
Product mockups and logo generator
Yes

When Placeit fits better

You sell merch and need photo mockups of your designs on shirts, mugs and phones, or want a logo generated for you along with matching assets. smooth.video only animates.

Placeit 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 need one intro or logo animation rather than a subscription, want it to move your way, or need it on a transparent background.

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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.
Can I use my own logo?
Yes. Import it as an image, remove its background in one click if it has one, and animate it.
Does smooth.video make mockups?
No. It animates: intros, logo reveals, titles and social posts. For product mockups, Placeit is the better tool.
Is there a watermark?
No. The download is free and clean.