How much does an explainer video cost in 2026? Real prices compared

Explainer video cost depends mostly on who makes it. A professionally made 60-second explainer usually costs between $3,000 and $10,000 from a custom animation studio, while a larger agency such as Epipheo quotes $15,000 to $45,000 for a 60–90 second explainer. DIY tools cost far less, and monthly subscriptions sit in between. This guide collects the prices studios publish themselves and explains what moves them, so you can tell a fair quote from an inflated one.

A note on bias: Motionleo sells a video subscription. Every price for another option in this guide comes from that studio's own published pricing page, linked where it appears, and was checked on November 5, 2026.

How much does an explainer video cost?

Most custom 60-second explainers from a professional studio cost $3,000 to $10,000, according to Creamy Animation's 2026 explainer video price guide. Premium work with custom characters or 3D runs $10,000 to $25,000, and Epipheo's explainer video pricing puts most of its projects between $5,000 and $150,000+.

The range is wide because "explainer video" covers everything from a template you edit yourself to a fully custom brand film. The fair way to compare is price per finished video of the same length, style and quality.

What does a 60-second explainer cost with each option?

The cheapest route is a DIY tool and the most expensive is a full-service agency. Here is what each option publishes for a video of about one minute.

How much does an explainer video cost per minute?

For custom animation, one finished minute typically costs $3,000 to $10,000, which Creamy Animation describes as the standard rate for a minute of custom animation. Agencies usually quote per project instead: Epipheo says pricing by the second misses the strategy and script work that happens before anything is animated.

Length still matters. Epipheo estimates that every extra 15 seconds of finished video is roughly another week of animation work, and calls under 90 seconds the sweet spot.

How much does each animation style cost?

Whiteboard and motion graphics are the cheapest styles, and 3D is the most expensive. The chart below shows Creamy Animation's published ranges for one 60-second video at a boutique studio and at a premium studio.

Agency prices for a 60–90 second piece are higher at every style. Epipheo lists:

• Motion graphics: $10,000–$35,000, about 5–6 weeks. Best for product walkthroughs and social.
• 2D animation: $15,000–$45,000, about 5–6 weeks. The most common explainer style.
• Whiteboard: $8,000–$25,000, about 4–6 weeks.
• 3D animation: $35,000–$120,000, about 8–10 weeks.
• Live action: $40,000–$250,000, about 6–12 weeks.
• Hybrid live action with motion graphics: $35,000–$150,000, about 6–12 weeks.

For software products, motion graphics built on your real interface is usually the best value: it shows the actual product, and it sits at the cheaper end of every price list above.

Freelancer, studio or agency: which is cheaper?

A DIY tool is cheapest, a freelancer is next, and an agency costs the most but carries the least risk. Epipheo's comparison puts DIY and AI tools at $0–$500 a month, freelancers at $2,000–$15,000 per project, and agencies at $15,000–$150,000+ per project.

• DIY or AI tool: you write the script and do the work, usually in a weekend. Good for internal videos and quick tests.
• Freelancer: 3–6 weeks, quality varies, and you usually write the script yourself.
• Studio or agency: 6–12 weeks, with strategy, script, design and a team accountable for the result.

Epipheo itself says that below $15,000, a template tool or a freelance animator will usually serve you better than an agency. That honesty is useful: match the option to the stakes.

What affects the price of an explainer video?

Length, animation style and how much creative work the studio does are the biggest drivers. Epipheo lists six price factors: runtime, animation style, scripting and strategy, revision rounds, voice talent and animation complexity.

• Runtime: roughly one extra week of animation for every 15 seconds, by Epipheo's estimate.
• Style: Epipheo says 3D, character animation and live action each roughly double the budget at the same runtime.
• Script and strategy: handing over a locked script is cheapest; starting from a blank page adds two to four weeks.
• Revisions: two rounds is standard, and each extra round adds roughly 8–12% to the invoice and about a week.
• Voiceover: AI or stock voice is close to free; professional union voiceover runs $1,000 to $5,000.
• Complexity: simple shapes scale in a straight line, while rigged characters, physics and product renders take far more hours per second.

Where does the money go in an explainer video?

About half of a typical budget is spent before any animation starts. Creamy Animation's breakdown puts 10% on the script, 25% on concept and storyboard, 15% on design and illustration, 45% on animation and editing, and 5% on voiceover and music.

Epipheo makes the same point more bluntly: two-thirds of its budget is pre-production, and a $5,000 video and a $50,000 video can look similar in a thumbnail but work very differently. You are mostly paying for the thinking.

How long does it take to make an explainer video?

A custom agency explainer usually takes 4 to 16 weeks, depending on the tier. Epipheo's standard 60-second project runs about eight weeks: discovery in week one, script in weeks two to three, storyboard in weeks three to four, animation in weeks four to seven, and delivery in week eight.

Faster options exist. Motionleo delivers first drafts in 48–72 hours on Starter, 48 hours on Growth and 24–48 hours on Pro, after you approve the direction, because production is AI-assisted and reviewed by our team rather than animated frame by frame.

What hidden costs should you budget for?

The quote for the main video is rarely the whole bill. The extras below are the ones studios list separately, so ask about each before you sign.

• Rush delivery: Epipheo charges 25–50% above its standard rate for rushed timelines.
• Extra revision rounds beyond the ones included.
• Professional voiceover talent, at $1,000 to $5,000 per Epipheo's pricing.
• Social cut-downs for LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube Shorts and TikTok, which Epipheo prices at $2,000–$8,000 when bundled.
• Source or project files, which some studios sell as an add-on.
• Music licensing and translations into other languages.

How much does a longer explainer video cost?

Longer videos cost more because runtime is the first price driver, but the price doesn't rise in a straight line. Epipheo, for example, prices internal or training videos of 2 to 5 minutes at $10,000 to $30,000 and brand films of 90 to 180 seconds from $75,000.

For marketing, shorter usually works better anyway: one clear idea in 60 to 90 seconds is easier to watch to the end than a three-minute tour.

What is a fair price for a SaaS explainer video?

For a SaaS startup, a fair price is one that matches how many videos you need. If you need one hero video a year, a one-off studio project in the $3,000 to $10,000 range is normal; if you ship features every month, paying that per video adds up fast.

Ask what is included before comparing quotes: script, voiceover, revision rounds, the formats you'll get, and whether the video uses your real product screens rather than generic illustration.

When is a video subscription cheaper than a one-off project?

A subscription is cheaper when you need videos regularly. On Motionleo's Starter plan, $199 a month covers 2 videos of up to 60 seconds, which works out to about $100 per video, and Growth at $499 a month covers 4 videos plus 4 vertical shorts.

It isn't the right choice for everyone. If you need a single, highly custom brand film with original characters, a project-based studio is the better fit. Motionleo uses AI-assisted production with human review and quality checks on every video, built around your real product UI, which suits product demos, launch videos and feature updates.

How do you get an accurate explainer video quote?

Give every studio the same brief so the quotes are comparable. The more specific the brief, the narrower the price range you'll get back.

1. Length of the video, in seconds.
2. Style: product UI motion graphics, character animation, 3D or live action.
3. Whether you have a script or need one written.
4. Number of revision rounds you expect.
5. Voiceover: none, AI voice or professional talent.
6. Formats: 16:9, 1:1, 4:5 and 9:16 cuts.
7. Deadline, and whether that counts as a rush.

Explainer video cost: frequently asked questions

Want to see the quality before paying anything? We'll make a free 15-second sample for your product. See SaaS explainer videos or compare plans.