Branding
Commissioning an explainer video: costs, styles and what to look for
An animated explainer video explains your product in 90 seconds. What production costs, which style fits and how to recognise a good production company.
Short answer
A professional explainer video costs between 3.000 € and 12.000 € for bespoke 2D animation, basic AI tools start below 500 €, and premium 3D costs 12.000 € to 30.000 €. What determines its impact is not the style, but the script: 90 seconds, one core message, one clear call to action. A combination of Screencast and Motion Graphics works particularly well for SaaS products. When choosing a production partner, look for a proper scripting and storyboarding process rather than animation alone.
How much does it cost to commission an explainer video?
The honest answer: between 500 € and 30.000 €. The range is wide because it covers four completely different production approaches. What you get for your money depends less on the provider than on how bespoke your video actually is.
| Tier | Price | What you get | When it makes sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI tool | 0 to 500 € | Automatically generated clips from text templates | Internal training, quick tests |
| Template | 500 to 3.000 € | Pre-built scenes, your text and colours | Simple products, small budgets |
| Bespoke 2D | 3.000 to 12.000 € | Original script, design and characters | Brand communications, website, sales |
| Premium 3D | 12.000 to 30.000 € | Detailed 3D environments, photorealistic renders | Products you cannot otherwise show |
The biggest cost driver is not animation time, but the concept development beforehand. The script, voiceover copy, storyboard and visual style development often account for half the budget of a good production. Cut corners here and you get attractive visuals without a message.
Kernaussage
The price of an explainer video is determined at the scripting stage, not during animation. A realistic budget for 90 seconds of bespoke 2D production is between 3.000 € and 12.000 €.
Which explainer video style suits your subject?
Style is not a matter of taste, but of audience and subject. Six styles dominate the market:
- Whiteboard: A hand draws the story as it unfolds. Works well for complex, rational subjects such as insurance or processes, but now often feels dated.
- 2D Flat Design: Flat characters and shapes, clean and modern. The standard for most corporate videos because it can accommodate almost any visual identity.
- Motion Graphics: Abstract shapes, charts and typography in motion. Ideal for data, workflows and B2B subjects without human characters.
- 3D Animation: Three-dimensional, often photorealistic visuals. The right choice when you need to show products that are hidden inside something, do not yet exist or are too small for a camera.
- Character Animation: A recurring character carries the story. Highly recognisable and well suited to series and campaigns.
- Screencast: Your software's actual screen, with zooms, highlights and a voiceover. An essential part of almost every software video.
Should you create an explainer video yourself or commission one?
Google results for this topic are full of tools: Simpleshow, Canva, Renderforest, plus a dozen AI generators. That is no coincidence, because for certain purposes they are the right choice. For others, they cost you more than they save.
| Approach | Realistic costs | Internal time commitment | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI generator | 0 to 40 € per month | 2 to 5 hours | Internal updates, quick tests, drafts |
| Template-based tool | 15 to 100 € per month | 8 to 20 hours | Training, social clips, recurring formats |
| Freelancer | 1.500 to 5.000 € | 3 to 6 hours | A clearly defined video without brand development |
| Agency | 3.000 to 12.000 € | 4 to 8 hours | Website, sales, brand, reusable system |
The honest comparison is not "cheap versus expensive", but "your time versus someone else's time". A template-based video looks good after twenty hours of work, but uses assets that a thousand other companies also use. That is perfectly fine for an internal training video. On a homepage where you want to stand out from competitors, it is a disadvantage.
Explainer videos for SaaS: the particular challenges of software
You cannot touch, photograph or hold software. That is precisely why an explainer video is not a nice-to-have for SaaS companies, but often their most important sales tool. 96 % of consumers say they have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service [1].
A SaaS explainer follows a different narrative structure from a traditional corporate film. It answers exactly three questions, in this order:
- What problem does the software solve? The first ten seconds should focus on your audience's pain point, not your logo.
- What does the solution feel like? Short screencast sequences show the two or three most important workflows, deliberately simplified and uncluttered.
- What happens next? A single call to action: book a demo, try it for free, learn more. Not all three at once.
The ideal length is 60 to 90 seconds. Anything longer belongs in a separate product video or tutorial. And because SaaS products are constantly evolving, it is worth building the video in modules: individual scenes can then be replaced without producing the whole video again.
Even the best explainer video is useless if the script is weak. We write the voiceover copy first and read it aloud before creating a single image. Work the other way round and you are producing expensive moving wallpaper.
Project example: Blue Ant
Blue Ant is multi-project management software: powerful, complex and, for that very reason, difficult to explain in a few sentences. A classic case for an explainer video. For the Blue Ant website relaunch, we produced an explainer video and animated UI snippets that translate the software's strengths into a clear, visually pared-back language. Rather than overwhelming viewers with detailed screen recordings, simplified animated interfaces show precisely the workflows that matter for resource planning, portfolio management and project management. Visitors can understand in seconds why Blue Ant is the right solution, without needing a demo.
How explainer video production works
A professional production always follows the same five steps. If a provider skips any of them, you should ask why:
- Briefing and script: Target audience, core message, tone of voice. The voiceover copy is written before anything else, then read aloud and timed.
- Storyboard: Each scene shown as a single image, with the voiceover copy underneath. This is where you can see whether the narrative works.
- Style frames: Two or three fully developed images in the final visual style. Animation only begins once you approve them.
- Animation and audio: The production itself, with voiceover, sound design and music.
- Approvals and formats: The final version plus shorter edits for social media, ideally planned from the outset. A shoot or production should deliver more than just one video, as we also explain in our article on using video on social media.
Allow three to six weeks of production time for a 90-second bespoke video. Anyone promising the same service in a week is working with templates. That is legitimate, but should be communicated honestly and priced accordingly.
Kernaussage
The script, storyboard and style frames are the three approval stages where you control the quality of your explainer video. Anyone skipping them is selling you a template as a bespoke production.
Which production mistakes should you avoid?
The most expensive mistakes happen long before animation begins. We see five of them time and again:
- Too many messages: An explainer video has room for exactly one core message. Try to fit three products, the company history and the new app into 90 seconds, and you end up explaining nothing.
- Features instead of problems: Nobody cares about seven features. Everyone cares whether their problem gets solved. The script must start with your audience's pain point, not your product list.
- Cutting costs on the voiceover: A good voiceover artist costs 300 € to 800 € and does half the work of carrying the video. A weak voice or an unrefined AI voice undermines even the best animation.
- Unclear usage rights: Music, voiceovers and characters need clearly defined usage rights, ideally with no time limit and across all your channels. Get this in writing in the quote, not after the invoice.
- Ordering only one format: The video is delivered in 16:9, but you need it on LinkedIn, Instagram and your website. Producing short versions in 1:1 and 9:16 at the same time costs little extra; adding them later gets expensive.
Training video, educational video or product video: what do you actually need?
Many enquiries start with the term explainer video but actually mean another format. The distinction determines the length, budget and channel:
- Explainer video: 60 to 90 seconds, explaining a problem and your solution. The aim is to build understanding and prompt a next step. Belongs on your homepage, landing pages and in sales.
- Product video: 1 to 3 minutes, showing a specific product with its features and details. The aim is to support the purchase decision just before the sale.
- Training video: 3 to 10 minutes, guiding viewers through a process step by step. The aim is to enable them to act, usually internally or in customer support.
- Educational video: Part of a series, structured for learning, with repetition and practice. The aim is to transfer knowledge across several lessons.
Rule of thumb: the closer to the purchase, the shorter and more emotional. The further beyond the purchase, the longer and more factual. Commission a training video in an explainer video style and you pay for a narrative structure nobody needs. Put a ten-minute tutorial on your homepage instead and you lose 90 % of visitors in the first thirty seconds.
Kernaussage
Before requesting any quote, clarify whether you want to build understanding, support a purchase decision or enable people to act. That answer will largely determine the length, format and price.
How do you measure the success of your explainer video?
Views alone tell you little. An explainer video is a sales tool, so measure it against sales metrics:
- Watch time: How many viewers make it to the call to action at the end? Below 50 % suggests a problem with length or narrative structure, not the wrong subject.
- Landing page conversion: Compare enquiries from the page with and without an embedded video. This is where the real value shows, not in view counts.
- Use in sales: Does your sales team share the video during initial conversations and in proposals? A video that sales ignores usually answers the wrong questions.
The important thing is to use the video where decisions happen: on the relevant product or service page, in your newsletter and in the sales process. An explainer video sitting only on a neglected YouTube channel cannot have an impact.
How do you recognise a good explainer video agency?
The market ranges from 490-€ packages to five-figure productions, and the websites all look similar. These five questions quickly reveal the differences in an initial conversation:
- Who writes the script? If the answer is "You supply the text", you are buying animation services only. That may suit your needs, but it is different from a production that includes concept development.
- Will I see style frames before animation begins? Reputable providers show two to three finished images in the final style before animating. Going straight to animation makes revisions expensive.
- How many revision rounds are included? Two rounds per phase are standard. Unlimited revisions sound generous, but usually lead to vague contracts.
- What usage rights do I get? Unlimited duration, worldwide, all channels, including music and voiceover. Anything less will catch up with you in two years.
- Will I get the project files? Not a given, but negotiable. Without them, every later change becomes a new project.
Also, never compare quotes by total price alone; compare the line items. A quote with separate items for the script, storyboard, visual style development, animation, voiceover and formats can be assessed. A single line reading "90-second explainer video" can only be taken on trust. We discuss this in more detail in our article on choosing a video production company.
Is an explainer video worth it for your business?
Videos on landing pages can significantly increase conversion, with the greatest impact typically seen for complex offerings [2]. The rule of thumb: the more explanation your product needs and the higher its price, the more likely the investment is to pay off. A 50-€ product does not need an 8.000-€ video. Software with a five-figure annual contract does.
Plan the video not as a standalone project, but as part of your wider video content system. If you are already commissioning a corporate film, you can reuse characters, visual style and voiceover artist. And a well-structured script also gives you a foundation for sales presentations, website copy and sales emails.
Thinking about commissioning an explainer video? We can advise you on style, budget and narrative structure, and develop a concept that fits your brand.
Erklärvideo anfragenFrequently asked questions
How much does an explainer video cost?+
Between 500 € and 30.000 €. AI tools start below 500 €, template-based productions cost 500 € to 3.000 €, bespoke 2D animation costs 3.000 € to 12.000 €, and premium 3D costs 12.000 € to 30.000 €.
How long should an explainer video be?+
60 to 90 seconds is ideal. For very complex subjects, two minutes at most. Anything longer belongs in a separate product video or tutorial.
What is the difference between an explainer video and an explainer film?+
None. Both terms describe the same format: a short film that clearly explains a product, service or process. Explainer film sounds slightly more premium, while explainer video is searched for more often.
Which style works best for a SaaS explainer video?+
A combination of Motion Graphics and Screencast. Motion Graphics carry the narrative, while actual screen recordings prove that the software works. A modular structure is important so individual scenes can be replaced when the product is updated.
How long does it take to produce an explainer video?+
Realistically, three to six weeks for a 90-second bespoke video. Scripting and concept development often take as much time as the animation itself.
Can I create an explainer video myself using AI?+
For internal use and quick tests, yes. For public-facing brand communications, viewers now quickly recognise AI and template-based videos, which affects their perception of your brand.
What should an explainer video brief include?+
The target audience, the single core message, desired length, where it will be used, tone of voice and examples you like. The clearer the brief, the fewer revision rounds and the lower the quote.
Is an explainer video worthwhile for small businesses too?+
Yes, if your offering needs explaining. Small businesses with complex services benefit in particular, because the video explains around the clock, in sales and on the website, what would otherwise need to be explained afresh each time.
What is the difference between an explainer video and a training video?+
An explainer video lasts 60 to 90 seconds and aims to build understanding and interest, usually on a website or landing page. A training video lasts 3 to 10 minutes and guides viewers through a process step by step so employees or customers can then do it themselves. Different goals mean different narrative structures, lengths and budgets.
Is an explainer video tool such as Simpleshow or Canva worth it?+
For internal training, quick tests and recurring social clips, template-based tools are a sensible option, costing around 15 to 100 € per month depending on the provider. They are less effective for websites and sales because many companies use the same assets, making your video feel generic. A good combination: have the main video professionally produced, then create follow-up videos yourself in the tool.
How do I recognise a good explainer video agency?+
Look for five things: the agency writes the script itself, shows style frames before animation, specifies the number of revision rounds, grants usage rights with no time limit across all channels including music and voiceover, and provides an itemised quote rather than a single flat-rate line.
Sources
- The State of Video Marketing 2025, Wyzowl (2025)
- Video Marketing Statistics und Conversion-Studien, HubSpot (2025)
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Author
Josef KujawskiManaging Director & Creative Director at Maluure
Josef leads the strategic and creative development of brands at Maluure. For over a decade, he has guided medium-sized businesses from brand positioning to digital delivery.
Managing Director of Maluure GmbH, Cologne. Specialising in corporate design, brand strategy and digital brand experiences.
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