Ask ten studios what an explainer video costs and you’ll get ten different answers. Anywhere from a few hundred pounds to tens of thousands. That range isn’t studios being evasive. The label “explainer video” covers everything from a simple whiteboard sketch to a full 3D product film, and the price follows the work involved.
So what should you actually expect to pay? This guide breaks down what explainer videos typically cost in 2026, what drives the price up or down, and how to budget without overspending or getting burned by a suspiciously cheap quote.
Typical explainer video prices by style
The ranges below assume a 60 to 90 second video from a professional studio. Freelancers often charge less, large agencies often charge more. Treat these as planning figures, not fixed quotes.
2D animated explainer: $3,000 to $12,000
The classic. Flat characters, clean icons, smooth transitions. It’s the most popular choice for SaaS, fintech and B2B companies because it explains abstract ideas clearly and looks polished without the 3D price tag. Cost comes down to character design: simple icon-based animation sits at the lower end, fully custom character work at the higher end.
3D animated explainer: $8,000 to $30,000+
3D costs more because every asset takes specialist time. Models, textures, lighting, rendering. It’s the right call for physical products, medical devices, or anything where realistic depth and detail matter. A simple 3D product spin costs far less than a full 3D narrative with characters and environments, so the range is wide.
Whiteboard explainer: $1,500 to $5,000
The hand-drawn style still does solid work for training, education and internal comms. It’s the most affordable option because the visual language is deliberately simple. Be wary of quotes far below this range. They usually mean stock templates with your logo pasted in.
Motion graphics explainer: $2,000 to $8,000
Kinetic typography, animated charts, logo animation, graphic transitions. Ideal when your story is about data, process or brand rather than characters. Pricing depends on how custom the design work is versus template-based.
What actually drives the cost
Two videos of the same length and style can cost wildly different amounts. Here’s what moves the needle.
Script and concept. A video lives or dies on its script. Studios that include proper scriptwriting, messaging workshops or storyboarding charge more than the ones that just animate whatever you send them. And the difference shows in the final product. We’ve watched clients try to save money by skipping the script phase, then spend twice as much fixing a video nobody understands.
Design complexity. Custom character design, detailed backgrounds and a unique art direction take days of illustrator time. Template-based visuals take hours. Most of the gap between a $3,000 and a $10,000 2D explainer lives right here.
Length. Pricing is roughly per minute, but not linearly. A 2-minute video doesn’t cost double a 1-minute video, because the fixed costs (script, style frames, setup) get shared. That said, every extra 30 seconds of animation is real labour.
Voiceover and sound. Professional voiceover, sound design and licensed music add a few hundred to a couple of thousand, depending on usage rights. AI voiceover is cheaper but still sounds like it in most cases. Fine for internal videos. Risky for customer-facing brand work.
Revision rounds. Most studios include two or three revision rounds. “Unlimited revisions” sounds generous but usually signals a chaotic process. Very few included rounds can mean expensive change fees later. Ask upfront.
Turnaround. A standard production takes 4 to 8 weeks. Need it in two? Rush fees of 25% to 50% are normal. You’re paying for overtime and reprioritised schedules.
How to budget for your explainer video
Start from the outcome, not the style. A homepage explainer that has to convert visitors deserves more of your budget than an internal onboarding video. Decide what the video must achieve, then match the spend to the stakes.
A practical split: put roughly 60% of your video budget into core production (script through animation), 20% into polish (voiceover, sound design, music licensing), and keep 20% in reserve for revisions, format variations (square and vertical cuts for social) and distribution.
Where to spend: the script and the first 10 seconds. Viewers decide whether to keep watching almost immediately, so the hook and the opening visuals deserve disproportionate attention.
Where to save: length and extras. A tight 60-second video almost always outperforms a rambling 3-minute one, and it costs less to make. Cut the nice-to-have scenes before you cut quality.
Get at least three quotes, and make sure they’re quoting the same thing. Same length, same style complexity, same deliverables, same revision terms. A quote that looks cheap usually just includes less. Browse our portfolio.
Red flags in suspiciously cheap quotes
A quote far below market rate isn’t a bargain. It’s a warning. Watch for:
- No script or storyboard phase. If a studio jumps straight to animation, you’re getting whatever comes out. Revisions will be painful.
- Stock templates dressed as custom work. Ask to see the style frames before production. If they can’t show original character or scene designs, you’re buying a template.
- No revision terms in writing. Vague revision policies turn into surprise invoices.
- Unlicensed music or stock assets. If the quote doesn’t mention licensing, ask. Copyright claims on your marketing video are an expensive surprise.
- No portfolio of similar work. Every legitimate studio can show you finished explainers. If they can’t, walk away.
Cheap isn’t always bad. A talented freelancer can be excellent value. But cheap and vague is a combination that ends badly.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 60-second explainer video cost?
A professionally produced 60-second 2D explainer typically costs $3,000 to $12,000 depending on design complexity. Whiteboard styles run $1,500 to $5,000, motion graphics $2,000 to $8,000, and 3D $8,000 to $30,000+. Length, script quality, voiceover and revision terms all move the final figure.
Why do explainer video prices vary so much?
Because the label covers very different products. A template-based whiteboard video and a fully custom 3D production share almost nothing except the name. The biggest cost drivers are design originality, animation complexity, length, and how much strategic work (script, messaging) is included.
Is a cheap explainer video worth it?
It can be, if “cheap” means a lean freelancer with a strong portfolio rather than a studio cutting corners. What’s rarely worth it is a rock-bottom quote with no script phase, no custom design and vague revision terms. You’ll usually pay twice when it needs redoing.
How long does it take to make an explainer video?
A standard production runs 4 to 8 weeks from brief to final delivery: script and concept (1 to 2 weeks), storyboard and style frames (1 to 2 weeks), animation (2 to 3 weeks), then voiceover, sound and revisions. Rush delivery is possible but typically adds 25% to 50% to the cost.
Should I write the script myself to save money?
You can. But most businesses underestimate how hard explainer scripts are. Condensing your value proposition into 150 spoken words takes real craft. Many studios include scriptwriting because a weak script wastes the entire production budget. If you write it yourself, at least have the studio review and tighten it before storyboarding begins.
What should be included in an explainer video quote?
At minimum: scriptwriting or script review, storyboard, custom style frames, animation, professional voiceover, sound design and music licensing, two to three revision rounds, and final delivery in the formats you need (widescreen, square, vertical). If any of these are missing, ask what they cost as add-ons before comparing quotes.
Get a quote that actually means something
The right budget is the one matched to your goal, your audience and the quality bar your brand needs to hit. If you’re planning an explainer video and want an honest number, not a templated price list, talk to us. Multi Chaos Media produces custom explainer videos for businesses that need them to work, not just to exist.