Animoto vs Magisto: Which One is Best?

Last Updated on December 8, 2023 by Ewen Finser

In this post, we will be comparing Animoto vs Magisto to find out which video software is best and what you need to know before making your decision.

Bottom Line Up Front (TL:DR): I personally prefer the more flexible and easy to use interface provided by Animoto here. While I think it’s objectively slightly better, Magisto is a great service as well (and one I still use if I’m on my iPhone – just not as well suited as a business app video editor).

Main Differences Between Animoto vs Magisto

The main differences between Animoto and Magisto are:

• Animoto is easier to use, whereas Magisto offers more manual features
• Animoto allows users to fully edit images and video, whereas Magisto autogenerates animated videos
• Animoto offers better tutorials and support compared to Magisto
• Magisto offers a better mobile app compared to Animoto

You can’t move on social media for video content (animated vidoes or live action), and for a good reason — as consumers, we can’t get enough of it.  

It doesn’t matter whether it’s a snippet of the latest Netflix release or a funny cat video; there are tons of clips out there! 

This is hardly surprising when you consider the stats; they really do speak for themselves: 

• 82% of Twitter users consume video content on Twitter. 
• 85% of Americans who use the internet watch videos online. 
• Over half a billion (yes, you heard correctly) watch videos on Facebook every single day! 

So, what does this mean for online marketers? 

Well, video clips empower entrepreneurs to communicate a strong message in a short amount of time, sometimes within seconds. In fact, 93% of businesses say they’ve managed to land a new customer through the power of video. Impressive, right? 

But despite consumer popularity, video marketing is something that’s still (in our opinion) underutilized.  

Why? 

For a lot of marketers, the thought of shooting and editing a video clip or compiling images together is somewhat intimidating. This is especially true of those with little (or no) video editing experience.  

This is just one of the reasons why so many video editing platforms have popped up on the market.  

In light of that, we’re going to cut through the noise by directly comparing two of the more popular video editing tools; Animoto and Magisto.  

Hopefully, by the end of this review, you’ll have a better idea of which software best suits the needs of your business.  

Does that sound good to you? Fabulous! Let’s delve into this a little deeper… 

Animoto vs Magisto Video Editing Software Compared

Who’s Animoto? 

Okay, so we already know they’re a video editing program.  

But, more specifically, Animoto is a cloud-based service. In addition to being able to polish video clips, users can also make beautiful slideshows using their own images. 

Best of all, Animoto’s users can use this video editing software either on their computer or from the convenience of their mobile device as a mobile video editor. This makes it ideal for busy entrepreneurs on the run.  

What About User Experience? 

Yes, you can edit your videos using Animoto’s tools for free. But, a watermark will appear on these clips. As such, if you’re taking video marketing seriously, Animoto’s free version isn’t a viable option. A tacky watermark on your clips does nothing other than weakening your brand awareness — not cool.  

So, if you opt for Animoto, we recommend biting the bullet and shelling out for one of their paid-for plans. This automatically removes the watermark from your videos.  

With one of their paid-for packages, you can start creating professional-looking videos in next to no time. The interface is clean and straightforward, it’s nothing short of intuitive. You should be able to get to grips with the dashboard within minutes. 

To edit a new video, just click the blue ‘CREATE’ button. This kick starts your video creation journey, which again, is pretty simple.  

Animoto’s editor boasts an easy-to-use drag and drop interface, which streamlines the entire video editing process. So rest assured, completing your editing tasks is pretty quick and straightforward. 

But, if you do run into issues, you can easily find answers to frequently asked questions over on Animoto’s Help Center. Here, you’ll find plenty of tips, ideas, and solutions to a ton of queries. You can even request feedback on your videos! 

Animoto also has a ‘Social Video Marketing Community’ over on Facebook. So, if you become an Animoto user, you’ll be able to access this group and get plenty of tips and inspiration on how to improve the quality of your video marketing campaigns. Not to mention, you’ll also meet other like-minded entrepreneurs and video editors — win-win!  

Animoto vs Magisto: Animoto’s Key Features 

You’ll be pleased to hear, Animoto boasts a whole suite of impressive features, including: 

You have the option of choosing to create either a memories video (also known as a slideshow) or a marketing video. Needless to say, marketing videos are a little more sophisticated. These are the clips you can add fancy effects to. This works wonders for communicating the vibe of your brand. You can also edit individual clips for things like titles, volume, filters, duration, text effects, watermarks, etc. 

You can also choose from either a 1:1 aspect ratio or a 16:9 aspect ratio. Most impressively, you can insert your own narration over your footage with their one-click voice-over tool — nifty, right? 

Although you can edit all of the above, there are a fair few things you can’t. For instance, you can’t edit the brightness, stabilization, saturation, (amongst other things) on individual clips.  

As such, you’re limited as to the extent you can customize and edit your video content.  

If you have any experience with video editing, you’ll find this frustrating.  

So, don’t purchase Animoto thinking you’ll get something as sophisticated as Adobe Premiere. Instead, Animoto is better suited to beginners looking to create polished videos for smaller projects.  

But, in fairness to Animoto, they’re continually adding to their platform and making improvements. They’ve also promised to release new features soon, so who knows, perhaps these limitations will be lifted in the near future?   

What we do love about Animoto is that users can peruse over one million stock assets! They’ve partnered with Getty Images, as such, Aniomoto customers get exclusive access to professional-looking stock photos and videos. (FYI this feature is only available with Animoto’s Professional and Business plans). 

Users also get beautiful and versatile video templates. These designs are sleek and sophisticated, perfect for marketing your brand. Best of all, they’re incredibly flexible, so in next-to-no time you’ll have customized your videos to reflect the vibe of your brand.  

Last but not least, downloading your finished video and sharing it on social media channels is a breeze. You also have the option of emailing or embedding your video into a project directly from Animoto’s dashboard. Also, when it comes to saving your footage, you can download the videos in HD at 1080p. That’s pretty impressive stuff.  

How Good is the Animoto App? 

As we’ve already said, Animoto has an app.  

In comparison to their desktop version, the functionality of the app is limited. Unfortunately, you can only make slideshow videos with the mobile app — i.e., you can’t create marketing ones. Urgh. 

But, if you only need to edit slideshow-style videos while you’re on the go, the Animoto app has you covered. It’s easy to upload photos from your phone and get to work.  

Plus, your Animoto online video editing account syncs across all your devices. So, you can start a project on your laptop and then pick it up again on your phone.  

How Much Will Animoto Set Me Back? 

This is always a sticky subject. After all, when it comes to making an investment in your business, it has to coincide with your budget.  

Unfortunately, one of Animoto’s major drawbacks is its pricing. For most solopreneurs, the monthly subscription charges seem a tad steep…for what you get for your money.  

This forces you to upgrade to one of their more expensive bundles. But, if you can afford to do so, it’s certainly worth investing in their annual plan, as you’ll save a whopping 50%!

The personal subscription plan is $5 a month, which entitles you to all their standard features. Yes, that’s very reasonable, but you have to put up with Animoto’s logo plastered all over your videos. 

If you have a ton of videos you need to edit (or if you’re planning on shooting more videos), you’ll get decent value for money. After all, it’s still undoubtedly cheaper than hiring a pro to do it for you.  

So, what do you get with Animoto’s packages? 

The Professional Plan (Their most popular bundle) 

This will set you back $33 a month (billed annually), and you’ll get access to all their standard features, plus: 

• High-quality video (HD 1080p) 
• 3,000+ commercially-licensed music tracks 
• No Animoto branding on your videos 
• You can add your logo as a corner watermark 

The Business Plan 

This is Animoto’s most comprehensive package and, therefore, the most expensive option, costing $49 a month (billed annually). This entitles you to everything in the Pro plan as well as: 

• License to resell to businesses 
• Accounts for up to 3 users 
• A 30-minute consultation with a video expert 

Animoto vs Magisto: What About Magisto? 

Okay, so how does Animoto compare to Magisto? 

Well, for a start, 60,000 business owners and video editors use this tool, and the odds are they can’t all be wrong! 

Magisto is another video editing software that makes the video creation process incredibly simple. In fact, they break it down into three steps:  

1. First off, upload your video and image files 
2. Then, choose the theme of your video 
3. Finally, just select your background music 

Voila, you’re done! It really is that straightforward.  

Also, just like Animoto, Magisto’s video editor is available on both web and mobile editing apps. 

Magisto’s User Experience 

As you can tell, Magisto offers a pretty intuitive video editing experience. It’s an AI-powered solution, which means you plug in your requirements, and the software magically produces a marketing video for you!  

Within minutes you can populate a video optimized for any of the following marketing mediums: 

• Social media 
• Email marketing 
• Content marketing/ blogging 
• Video platforms 

You have the option of starting entirely from scratch. Or you can pick one of Magisto’s premade templates. This is an excellent helping hand for laying the foundation of your video.   

But it’s worth noting that like Animoto, Magisto doesn’t allow you to modify individual clips. Although with Animoto, you can alter individual photos, you don’t have that luxury with Magisto.  

So, when it comes to editing specific pictures, Animoto takes the edge with the ability to fully edit videos.

That doesn’t mean you can’t edit anything in Magisto. For instance, you can highlight videos, insert titles, rotate your videos, and hide things. But of course, these modifications apply to the entire video. Because as we’ve said, you can’t edit specific photos or clips. It’s worth noting, you can also change the order of transitions and pictures inside of the completed video. 

Some users also complain that although you get a free seven-day trial, you have to provide your credit card details to kick things off. Some users find this a tad uncomfortable. 

Again, Animoto comes up trumps here too. As reportedly, they don’t require a credit card for you to access their trial, plus it’s double the length (14 days).  

But rest assured, you WON’T be charged unless you continue using Magisto after your trial period is over. A bit like Amazon Prime! 

Magisto’s Key Features 

Like Animoto, Magisto also offers users a plethora of appealing features. For instance: 

You can choose from a variety of video themes to help customize your work. You can also discover content shared by other users on Magisto’s platform. This comes in handy if you’re ever in need of some inspiration! 

One of the best things about Magisto is the variety of music on offer. There are tons of license-free tracks for you to add to your videos.  

Then once you’re happy with your finished work, it’s easy to export the video and share it on social media. It’s pretty easy to create professional-grade videos. The highest resolution Magisto offers (like Animoto) is 1080p, which again, is pretty impressive! 

More uniquely to Magisto is its video content distribution feature. This allows you to host live videos on your site using Magisto’s native player! That’s a pretty neat resource to have up your sleeve.   

Magisto also provides users with data analytics and audience insights. When you harness the power of this kind of data, you’ll get a better feel for the type of audience your content attracts.  

You can also pinpoint whereabouts your viewers drop off. With this info at your fingertips, you can work to improve the quality of your content and boost user engagement. But it’s worth noting, Magisto’s analytics feature is only available with their ‘Business’ plan, which costs $34.99 a month. 

The Magisto App 

Like we’ve already mentioned, Magisto also offers users a mobile app that works with both Android and iOS devices.  

You may be relieved to hear that unlike Animoto, Magisto’s mobile app boasts the majority of its desktop functionality.  

So, it’s safe to say that when it comes to who has the best app. The answer is most definitely Magisto. 

How Much Will Magisto Set Me Back? 

Again you’ll be happy to hear, Magisto is much cheaper than Animoto…at least the ‘Professional’ plan is. This only costs $9.99 a month, then the next tier up from this is the ‘Business’ plan, which is priced at $19.99 a month.  

Similar to Animoto, you can purchase a whole year’s access upfront or pay monthly. Suffice to say, the annual plan is priced lower than the monthly subscription.  

Like most SaaS, the more expensive the payment plan, the more extensive the features. For example, you’re limited to creating five-minute-long videos with the ‘professional’ program. Whereas, with the business plan, you can produce videos lasting up to ten minutes. 

Here’s a quick breakdown of Animoto’s pricing plans: 

The Magisto Premium Plan ($9.99 a month) 

This bundle is best suited to customers who want to share videos and slideshows with their family or friends.  

This is what you’ll get: 

•  Use of up to 60 photos and 60 videos 
•  You can create videos lasting a max. of 2:30 minutes 
•  Access to premium editing styles 
•  An unlimited number of downloads 

The Professional Plan ($19.99 a month) 

This certainly amps things up a notch. It’s ideal for entrepreneurs wanting to dabble in video editing and video tools.  

You’ll get all the following goodies: 

•  Advanced editing features 
•  You can create videos lasting up to five minutes long 
•  Professional editing styles 
•  720p HD downloads 
•  You can add your own logo and text 
•  Commercially licensed music 

The Business Plan ($69.99) 

This is Animoto’s most extensive bundle and empowers you to create branded marketing videos. It’s perfect for serious entrepreneurs and agencies. 

You’ll get access to everything in the Pro plan, as well as: 

• Over three million HD pro-stock video clips and more than 25 million HD photos 
• You can create ten minute long videos 
• Business-optimized video styles  
• 1080p full-HD downloads 
• You can customize videos with your brand’s colors and fonts 
• Easily export to your Facebook Ads Manager 
• Handy email marketing tools 
• You can embed videos on any website 
• Video analytics 
• Priority customer service 

Pretty impressive, huh? 

The Animoto vs Magisto: Which Online Video Editor is Better? 

So, after all of that, which is better to create a video?

As you can probably tell, both of these video editors have their own set of pros and cons.  

For instance, although Animoto offers a bit more flexibility when it comes to editing individual video clips and creating animated clips, Magisto provides a much better mobile app experience. Plus, they offer cheaper packages.   

So, it all comes down to your budget and business needs. Our best advice is to weigh up what you require of a video editor and see whether either of these products meet your requirements.  

Don’t forget to make the most out of your free trials. This is hands down the easiest way to get to grips with the solution. After giving it a try, you’ll soon see whether it’s a good fit.  

Bottom Line Summary: I personally prefer the more flexible and easy to use interface provided by Animoto here. While I think it’s objectively slightly better, Magisto is a great service as well (and one I still use if I’m on my iPhone – just not as well suited as a business app).

Have you used either Animoto or Magisto to edit your marketing videos? If so, we’d love to hear your opinion in the comments box below. Would you recommend either of them to a friend? We look forward to speaking with you soon! 

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• Best Alternatives to Animoto
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• Snagit vs Camtasia Compared
• Movavi vs Camtasia Compared
• Moovly Review
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