How Much Does An Animated Explainer Video Cost?

Ever wondered how much you should pay for an explainer video? You’re not alone. The cost of an explainer video is an issue that’s hotly debated, and often shrouded in secrecy. That’s why, in February 2018, we set out to evaluate the benchmark cost of a 1 minute video across the industry. We contacted 70 explainer video companies and asked them a few simple questions. We pooled and anonymised the data – and the results are laid out below. (All prices were converted to USD, and – naturally – data, while correct as of February 2018, may change over time.)

The Rules

We set a number of rules to make sure this was a fair experiment:

1. We asked for a price for a 60 second explainer video.
2. We provided 3 examples so that everyone was pricing against the same level of work. See the 3 examples we provided here: EX1 EX2 EX3
3. We didn’t want to take up too much of the companies’ time so we asked for a price by return of email and didn’t take any calls to discuss the project.

Stand Out Statistics

The average price for a 60 second explainer video is $7,972
The average turnaround time for a 60 second explainer video is 38.5 days (5.5 weeks)
The average price for a 30 second app preview video is $2,528
The average turnaround time for a 30 second app preview video is 17.2 days (2.5 weeks)

The Cost Of An Explainer Video

We received prices from 48 out of the 70 companies we contacted. The lowest, highest and average price from each company is plotted on the 1st chart below. We then grouped the prices and created a 2nd chart to show the price distribution.
The lowest price for a 60 second explainer video is $700
The highest price for a 60 second explainer video is $72,000
The average price for a 60 second explainer video is $7,972

Explainer Video Turnaround Time

We asked companies how long it would typically take to create a video from initial enquiry to completion. The results are as follows:
The shortest turnaround for a 60 second explainer video is 14 days (2 weeks)
The longest turnaround for a 60 second explainer video is 84 days (12 weeks)
The average turnaround for a 60 second explainer video is 38.5 days (5.5 weeks)

The Cost Of An App Preview Video

We asked each of the companies who provided us with a price for an explainer video how much they would charge for an app preview video. App preview videos are screen recorded cuts of a mobile app. This type of video is used in the Apple App Store to help people make a decision before they download or buy. We provided 3 examples so the companies were all pitching on the same level of work: EX1 EX2 EX3

We received prices from 34 out of the 48 companies we contacted. The lowest, highest and average price from each company is plotted on the chart below.
The lowest price for a 30 second app preview video is $200
The highest price for a 30 second app preview video is $18,000
The average price for a 30 second app preview video is $2,528

App Preview Video Turnaround Time

We asked companies how long it would typically take to create an app preview video from go ahead to completed video. The results are as follows:
The shortest turnaround for a 30 second app preview video is 1 day
The longest turnaround for a 30 second app preview video is 56 days (8 weeks)
The average turnaround for a 30 second app preview video is 17.2 days (2.5 weeks)

Additional data we collected

We also collected a range of additional data from the companies we contacted. This is as follows:

Sent An Automated Reply

Out of 56 companies who responded, 11 companies sent an automated reply before getting in contact with us personally.

Provided A Proposal

Out of 56 companies who responded, 9 companies sent us a formal proposal.