Nine says Yes, we're on our own list. We put ourselves last and told you what we're bad at. Our mothers would be proud.
Best animated ecard sites: an honest roundup, and who each one suits
For gentle, beautiful cards: Jacquie Lawson. For funny cards and scheduling: Blue Mountain or American Greetings. For photo cards: Smilebox. For a message from a whole group: VidDay or Tribute. For one short film written about one person: Nine.
Your idea, ready to go“A 20-second animated thank-you card for my neighbor Tom, who fixed our fence and refused to take any money.”
Make this filmSign up takes a minute. The idea is filled in, and you can change every word.
An animated ecard is a small kindness that arrives with a wiggle. The best ones make someone smile at the kitchen table on a Tuesday. The worst ones make them hunt for a password. This roundup covers the best animated ecard sites, what each is genuinely good at, and who it suits.
Full disclosure: Nine is on this list, and it's our product. We put it last, and we say plainly where the others beat it. Prices are as listed on their site in September 2026.
What are the best animated ecard sites?
The best animated ecard sites are Jacquie Lawson for gentle illustrated cards, Blue Mountain and American Greetings for big libraries with humor and scheduling, Smilebox for photo cards, VidDay and Tribute for group video messages, and Nine for a short drawn film about one person. Which is best depends on how many cards you send and how personal each should be.
| Site | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Jacquie Lawson | Gentle, painterly cards; unlimited sending | $36 a year; $8 for a month |
| Blue Mountain | Funny cards, SmashUps, scheduling | $35.99 a year; free trial |
| American Greetings | Photo and video cards, music, scheduling | From $1.99 a month; 7-day trial |
| Smilebox | Photo cards, slideshows, invitations | See their site |
| VidDay | Group video messages | Free to make; from $5 per video |
| Nine | A short drawn film with voice and music, about one person | Film plan $29 a month |
Prices are the vendors' own, as listed on their site in September 2026. Nine's price is filled in for today and excludes VAT.
What makes a good animated ecard?
- It opens easily One tap, no account needed to watch, works on a phone.
- It fits the person A tuba for the tuba player, a garden for the gardener.
- It's short The animation delights, then gets out of the way of your message.
- It has your words The card is the envelope. Your line is the letter.
Jacquie Lawson: best for beautiful, quiet cards
Jacquie Lawson's cards are charming illustrated animations, with English landscapes and playful animals. Members send as many cards as they like to as many people as they like, with an address book and birthday reminders, for $36 a year (as listed on their site in September 2026). You write your own message.
Who it suits: people who send lots of cards and love a gentle, classic mood. Less ideal if: you want your own photos in the card.
Blue Mountain: best for funny cards and forgetful senders
Blue Mountain offers 4,000+ ecards, including SmashUps personalized with names and photos, Creatacard, scheduling and reminders. You can send by email, text or link, and add digital gift cards. It's $35.99 a year, with a free trial (as listed on their site in September 2026).
Who it suits: anyone who wants a laugh and a reminder system. Less ideal if: you prefer a calmer card.
American Greetings: best for photo and video cards
American Greetings also has 4,000+ ecards, with animated, musical, interactive and talking cards. Creatacard lets you add up to six photos or a video, your message, your signature and music, and members can schedule cards up to a year ahead. Membership is listed as low as $1.99 a month, with a 7-day trial (as listed on their site in September 2026).
Who it suits: senders who want their own pictures in the card. Less ideal if: you want a quieter, painterly look.
Smilebox: best for photo slideshows and invitations
Smilebox turns your photos into cards, slideshows, greetings, invitations and collages, with 1,000+ designs, and you can email or post the result (as listed on their site in September 2026). Who it suits: people with great photos and a party to invite everyone to.
Which ecard site is best for a group message?
A group video service. VidDay collects video messages and photos from many people into one video, free to make and $5 to finish for up to 3 minutes. Tribute's DIY plan starts at $35 (as listed on their site in September 2026). They take days of collecting, but nothing beats thirty faces saying happy birthday. Our comparison group video vs animated video gift helps you choose.
How do you choose the right ecard site?
- Step 1
Count your cards. More than a handful a year? A membership pays for itself.
- Step 2
Pick your mood. Gentle, funny, or photo-led.
- Step 3
Think about the recipient. Will they open an email link, or do they live in their text messages?
- Step 4
Keep one special card for the big day. A milestone may deserve something written just for them.
Nine: best for one film about one person
Nine isn't a card library. It makes one short drawn film, with a voice, music and sound effects, from your words: a simple template with a name and one line, one sentence about the person, or your own voice recording. The crew makes it while you watch and checks it before you see it. Change it in plain words, or in the chamber, and you get a video file in wide, tall and square to send yourself. No photo needed.
Who it suits: the one birthday, anniversary or holiday greeting that should be about them, not about a garden. Less ideal if: you send thirty cards a year, want scheduling, or want a free option. Nine's free plan lets you try films in your own colors but never makes a film of your own, and the Film plan is $29 a month for films up to 20 seconds, excluding VAT. See pricing or try it. For ideas, read an animated Christmas card for family, a personalized animated birthday video and video card vs paper card.
Questions people ask
Are there any free animated ecard sites?
Blue Mountain and American Greetings offer free trial memberships, and VidDay lets you make and preview a group video for free before paying to finish it, as listed on their sites in September 2026. Most animated ecard libraries are paid memberships after the trial.
Which is better, Jacquie Lawson or Blue Mountain?
It's mostly about mood. Jacquie Lawson is gentle and illustrated; Blue Mountain is bolder and funnier, with SmashUps and scheduling. Yearly prices are nearly the same, and both sites sell a bundle of the two.
Can I add my own photos to an animated ecard?
Yes. American Greetings' Creatacard takes up to six photos or a video, Blue Mountain personalizes some cards with photos, and Smilebox is built around your photos.
Can I schedule an ecard to arrive on someone's birthday?
Blue Mountain and American Greetings let members schedule cards ahead, American Greetings up to a year in advance. Jacquie Lawson includes birthday reminders. Nine doesn't schedule or send anything: you send the video file yourself.
What is the most personal animated ecard?
Your idea, ready to go“A 20-second animated thank-you card for my neighbor Tom, who fixed our fence and refused to take any money.”
Make this filmSign up takes a minute. The idea is filled in, and you can change every word.
Keep reading
- Blue Mountain ecards alternative: what else to send, and whenThe closest Blue Mountain alternative is American Greetings: a similar huge library, photo cards and scheduling. Jacquie Lawson suits people who like quieter, painterly cards. Smilebox is for photo cards and slideshows. For a short film about one person, Nine.
- Jacquie Lawson alternatives: animated ecards you can make your ownBlue Mountain and American Greetings are the closest Jacquie Lawson alternatives: big libraries of animated ecards, add your own message, schedule them ahead. For a card with your photos, try Smilebox. For one short film written around a person, Nine.
- Smilebox alternatives: photo cards, group videos, or a drawn filmFor photo ecards, American Greetings' Creatacard is the closest Smilebox alternative. For a video full of friends' messages, a group video service like VidDay. For a short drawn film with a voice and music that needs no photos at all, Nine.
- 40th Birthday Surprise Video Ideas (and How Not to Get Caught)Good 40th birthday surprise video ideas: a secret group message video, a fake documentary about turning 40, a letter from their 20-year-old self, or a surprise guest clip. Collect everything in a private chat they're not in, and play it early in the party.