Launch Video Maker vs Animoto
Published 28 September 2026. Animoto's prices, features and terms are from its own pages, checked on 28 September 2026 (see Sources). Paid prices are the ones Animoto's pricing page showed a UK visitor, in pounds, on 28 September 2026.
Short answer: Animoto is a drag-and-drop video maker built around templates, your own photos and clips, and a licensed music library. It is a good fit if you have photos and footage, want to make videos regularly, and like assembling them yourself. The paid plans are a monthly or yearly subscription. Launch Video Maker is a one-off purchase that writes a motion reel from your website, with facts you approve and music generated for it, for £9 to £49.
| Launch Video Maker | Animoto | |
|---|---|---|
| What you do | Give us your web address, approve the facts, pick a look and music or let us choose | Choose a template, add your photos and clips, pick styles and music in a drag-and-drop editor |
| Time | A few minutes of yours; no fixed turnaround published, and we email you when it's ready | As long as you spend building it |
| Cost | £9, £29 or £49 per video, VAT included, no subscription | Free; Basic £15 a month (£6 a month billed yearly); Professional £24 (£12); Professional Plus, three users, £65 (£31) |
| What you get | A motion reel in one of 22 looks with generated music and sound effects; 16:9, 9:16 or 4:5; 3 free edits | Free: 720p with a "Made with Animoto" watermark. Basic: 1080p, no watermark. Professional: 4K, your logo and colours, 3,000 licensed tracks, Getty Images stock, voice-over |
| Business use | Use it anywhere to promote your business once you've paid, paid ads included | Professional allows commercial use; Animoto's terms and help centre differ on Basic; no broadcast TV, radio or cinema |
| Who it suits | A one-off launch reel without designing it | Regular photo and clip videos, made yourself |
What Animoto gives you
Animoto's pricing page lists video templates, your own photos and video clips, and video and text styles, all in a drag-and-drop editor. The free plan makes videos with an Animoto watermark at 720p and includes 50 licensed music tracks. Basic removes the watermark and adds 1080p with unlimited downloads. Professional adds your logo and colours, 3,000 licensed music tracks, over a million licensed Getty Images photos and videos, 4K and voice-over. Professional Plus covers three users, over 100 million Getty Images items and a licence to resell to businesses.
What about the free plan? Its help centre says free videos carry a "Made with Animoto" watermark throughout, and there is no free trial of the paid plans (you can take one month and cancel instead). Animoto's terms add that free accounts cannot download, share by link or embed their videos.
Using it for a business
Animoto's terms allow commercial use on Professional and say Basic videos can be used for personal or commercial purposes, but a help-centre article says Free and Basic are for personal use. If business use matters, Professional is the plan both agree on. The terms also rule out broadcast TV, radio and cinema, and Animoto's music cannot be used apart from an Animoto video.
Where Animoto is the better choice
- Your story is in photos and clips. A shop's products, an event's crowd, a property's rooms: Animoto is built around your own media.
- Video is a monthly habit. A subscription pays off with volume.
- A voice-over or a stock library matters. Professional includes both, and we do neither.
- You want to assemble it yourself. The editor gives you that control.
Where Launch Video Maker is the better choice
- You need one launch reel, not a subscription. Pay once per video.
- Your product is software or a website. We work from your pages, screenshots and brand, and animate them in a designed look; see the looks.
- You want the words written for you. We draft from your site, and only facts you approve go on screen.
- No website yet? Our builder takes a short form, your logo and the facts you write.
Verdict by use case
- An event with lots of photos: Animoto, or both. See launch videos for events.
- A SaaS or app launch: us. See launch videos for SaaS.
- An estate agent's weekly listings: Animoto, since the work is regular and photo-led.
Questions
- Does Animoto's free plan have a watermark?
- Yes. Animoto's help centre says free videos carry a "Made with Animoto" watermark throughout, at 720p. Basic and above remove it.
- How much does Animoto cost?
- On 28 September 2026 Animoto's pricing page showed a UK visitor Basic at £15 a month or £6 a month billed yearly, Professional at £24 or £12, and Professional Plus at £65 or £31. Prices depend on where you are.
- Is Launch Video Maker a subscription?
- No. You pay once per video: £9, £29 or £49, VAT included, with 3 free edits after delivery.
Sources
All checked on 28 September 2026.
- Animoto: Pricing (plans, UK prices in pounds, features per plan)
- Animoto Help: Free plan (watermark, no free trial)
- Animoto: Terms of service (commercial use by plan, broadcast exclusion, music)
- Animoto Help: What plan do I need to sell or monetise my videos?