What does an explainer video cost?
Published prices, checked October 2026:
| Who makes it | What you get | Published price |
|---|---|---|
| Yum Yum Videos, animation studio | A custom explainer, priced by estimator | Lowest estimate shown: $6,000 to $15,000 |
| Magic Motion Studio, animation studio | A 60-second 2D explainer with script and voiceover | $2,500; Pro $5,000 |
| Filmito, AI studio | A finished 60-second AI video ad | $1,495 |
| A freelancer, at Upwork’s typical price | A 60 to 90 second AI avatar explainer, two rounds of revisions | $200 to $600 |
| A freelancer, at Upwork’s typical price | A 2 to 3 minute product demo with AI effects | $500 to $1,500 |
| Synthesia, made by you | AI avatar videos: about 12 minutes a month on Starter, on top of a free 10 minutes | $19 a month ($9 the first month) |
| The Scene Makers | An explainer or brand film, storyboarded first | About $900 per finished minute |
The spread is wide because these are different products. An animation studio sells custom design and illustration. An avatar tool sells a presenter reading your script. A directed AI film sits in between.
AI explainer or studio: which fits?
Choose by the job, not only the price.
- Onboarding, help and training videos: an AI avatar tool, or a freelancer using one. They are quick to remake when your app changes.
- A launch or homepage video that has to persuade: a studio, or an AI film with a person directing it. In an Ipsos test, fully AI ads fell short on emotion and story, while product-led, direct AI ads did best (do AI video ads work?).
- Anything showing your interface: use real screen recordings. AI video models redraw small text and details on every take, the same drift that changes labels on packaging (AI product videos).
What should a good AI explainer include?
Ask for these, whoever makes it:
- A script and a storyboard you approve before production starts.
- Your real screens, not generated ones.
- A voice you have the right to use. TikTok treats “Making the primary subject say something they didn’t actually say, using AI voice-cloning” as AI content that must be labelled in ads. YouTube, by contrast, needs no disclosure for “Cloning one’s own voice to create voice overs or dubs”.
- Licensed music and commercial usage rights.
- Versions for each place it runs, such as 16:9 for your website and 9:16 for social.
- No watermark. Synthesia’s free plan says its “Videos carry a Synthesia watermark”.
Do explainer videos still work?
People watch them. In Wyzowl’s 2026 survey, 96% of the consumers asked said they had watched an explainer video to learn about a product or service. The survey covered 266 people in all, marketers and consumers, and Wyzowl sells explainer videos itself, so treat it as a signal rather than proof.
How long does an AI explainer take?
Days rather than weeks, once the script is agreed. Filmito quotes a first cut in 3 days for its AI ads. Our creators send a storyboard to approve first, then a first cut 3 days after you approve it, with two rounds of changes.
Tell us the product, the platform and the deadline. We confirm a fixed price before any work starts.
Get your AI video madeQuestions
How much does an AI explainer video cost?
Upwork's hiring guide puts a typical 60 to 90 second AI avatar explainer at $200 to $600 and a 2 to 3 minute AI product demo at $500 to $1,500. Making your own in Synthesia starts at $19 a month. The Scene Makers charges about $900 per finished minute.
How much does a studio explainer video cost?
At published prices, Magic Motion Studio charges $2,500 for a 60-second 2D explainer, or $5,000 for its Pro plan, and the lowest estimate Yum Yum Videos' calculator shows is $6,000 to $15,000.
Can AI make an explainer video for my app?
Yes, for the voice, the presenter and the scenes around your product. Show your real interface with screen recordings, because AI video models redraw small text and details and can change what your app looks like.
Do I need to label an AI explainer video?
If it runs as an ad or shows a realistic AI person, often yes. TikTok requires a label on fully AI-generated ad content and on voice-cloning that makes someone say what they did not. YouTube asks creators to disclose realistic AI content, but not cloning your own voice for a voice-over.
How we checked this
We read each price on the seller's own page on 29 October 2026: Yum Yum Videos' estimator, Magic Motion Studio's pricing page, Filmito's cost guide (updated 3 October 2026), Upwork's hiring guide and Synthesia's pricing page. Yum Yum shows only estimate ranges, and the page gives the lowest one. Filmito's price is for a 60-second ad, not an explainer. These are published starting prices; we did not ask for quotes. The Wyzowl figure comes from the consumer group in its survey of 266 marketers and consumers, and Wyzowl sells explainer videos. If a price has changed, tell us on WhatsApp and we will update this page.
Sources
- Yum Yum Videos: pricing estimator, lowest range $6,000 to $15,000
- Magic Motion Studio: explainer video pricing, $2,500 for 60 seconds
- Filmito: AI video ad cost guide, updated 3 October 2026
- Upwork: guide to hiring AI-generated video specialists, typical project prices
- Synthesia: pricing page, Basic, Starter and Pro plans
- Ipsos: AI ads are good enough, and that's the problem, with Syracuse University, 2026
- TikTok: advertising policy on AI-generated content, including voice cloning
- YouTube Help: disclosing use of GenAI content, including the own-voice exemption
- Wyzowl: video marketing statistics 2026, survey of 266 people in late 2025