Rive vs SVGator
Rive and SVGator 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
Rive vs SVGator at a glance
| Rive | SVGator | smooth.video | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free plan, then Cadet at US$9 per seat a month billed yearly | Free plan, then Starter at US$20 and Pro at US$24 a month, billed yearly | Free, no paid plan |
| Account | Required | Required | Not needed |
- Price
- RiveFree plan, then Cadet at US$9 per seat a month billed yearly
- SVGatorFree plan, then Starter at US$20 and Pro at US$24 a month, billed yearly
- smooth.videoFree, no paid plan
- Account
- RiveRequired
- SVGatorRequired
- smooth.videoNot needed
As of September 2026. Plans change, so check those of Rive and SVGator before you decide.
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.videoSVGator
- Watermark
- On animated exports on the free plan
- Video and GIF export
- Pro plan
- Transparent video
- MOV or WebM, on Pro
- Video and audio in the scene
- No
- Animated SVG, Lottie, React Native, Flutter
- Yes, from Starter
- Interactive animations
- Yes, from Starter
When SVGator fits better
The animation goes on a website or in an app as code: a lightweight animated SVG, an icon that reacts to hover, a Lottie file or a Flutter widget. smooth.video only exports video, GIF and images.
SVGator vs smooth.videoWhen smooth.video fits better
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.
The animation goes into a video, a social post, an email or a slide, uses photos, footage or music next to shapes, and you want the file without paying for a plan.
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 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.
Is there a watermark?
No, on any format.
Can smooth.video export animated SVG?
No. It exports MP4, WebM, GIF, PNG, JPG and WebP.
Can an AI assistant make the animation?
Yes. The .smooth format is published at smooth.video/llms.txt: give it to an assistant, describe what you want, and open the file it writes.
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