How Much Does Video Animation Cost In 2024?

Hey Cristian, how much does video animation cost per minute?

That’s a question I get a lot though our animation services page.

You probably read about video animation production costs that range between 500 USD ad 50,000 USD. That doesn’t really help that much, right?

While the final cost of a 2D animation video can vary greatly depending on several factors which we will cover in just a bit, I will share some realistic ballpark estimates in this article, just so you have a rough idea and know what to expect in terms of pricing of animation video services.

Before we start, let me just tell you right off the bat that on average, 1 minute of 2D video animation costs 5,000 USD.

There you have it.

It can be quite a lucrative and profitable domain, so if you’re looking to try your hand at it, here are our top beginner video animation software list.

With that being said though, there are many factors that can influence the price of an animated video. Lets look at some of them.

Factors that influence video animation costs

Duration

The top factor that will directly influence animation costs is the final duration of the video.

The longer the video, the more time and effort it will take to create. That translates to higher costs for longer videos and lower costs for shorter videos.

In general animated videos are in the 1 to 3 minute range and very rarely longer than 5-10 minutes.

Usually that’s enough for businesses and brands to tell their story.

So, for very obvious reasons a 30 second animated video will be less expensive than a 5 minute animation.

If you’re looking to create a longer form video, you might want to consider a live footage video which will be more cost effective and faster to create.

With that said though, two different videos that are the same duration can have totally different costs depending mainly on the production quality along side other factors.

Animation style

The second most impactful thing in video animation costs is the style.

When we speak about animation style we are referring to 2D animation, whiteboard, motion graphics or explainer videos.

These are the most common types or styles of animation.

Whiteboard and motion graphics videos tend to be less expensive than 2D and explainer videos.

2D animation is the most affordable type of animation you can buy. It’s just faster to produce and it does not require as much experience as other types of animation.

Many times you can opt to use stock characters and/or graphics that are pre-designed.

Whiteboard animation is also on the affordable side and it’s a great way to break down complex concepts, services, or products into simple, easy to understand graphic representations.

Stop-motion animation is a type of animation that stands out. It’s a bit on the more costly side, but if you’re after that particular look and style this is what you want to ask from your production company.

Refinement

Next, the level of detail or refinement in an animated video will also drive up or down the costs.

Scenes with complicated backgrounds or many characters will be more expensive than a scene with very simple line work.

But the level of refinement and details is what makes great animation videos stand out from not-so-great animations.

So it always makes sense to allocate a little bit of extra attention and extra $$$ to this category.

To conclude, with 2D animation, whiteboard, motion graphics, or explainer videos the main driver of the cost will be the time and expertise needed to produce the animation. Projects that use stock objects will be less expensive, while projects that use objects made from scratch will cost a lot more.

Examples of costs of animation

We just talked about the different factors that can influence the cost of animation, so it’s not easy to estimate how much an animation video is going to be.

But, we can outline a few ranges and ballpark figures that you can expect to pay depending on the production level.

0 – 100 USD per minute – What? Zero dollars? Yes, there are free tools or inexpensive animation software that will let you create animated videos. The only problem is that you’re going to have to do all the work yourself.

Animation is definitely not an easy job and I’m 100% sure you won’t be able to come up with something that’s as good as a budget freelancer can create for you.

300 – 2,000 USD per minute – This is where you will be working with a freelancer or small, boutique production studio. You never know what you’re going to get.

The video can turn out great and you’re walking away with a steal, or it can turn out not so good.

But, if you’re on a tight budget, this is probably your best choice.

2,000 – 5,000 USD per minute – Animations in this price range are considered to be a “best buy” type of deal. You’ll get great looking results for a decent amount of money.

7,000 – 15,000 USD per minute – When you affod to pay 20-30 thousands for a short animation video you can talk with a medium size production agency.

You’ll have a whole team of experts working with you, from graphic designers to sound effects specialists, copywriters and a project manager.

Unless you want to create a broadcast level production, this is the best quality you can buy.

20,000 – 100,000 USD per minute – This is the big league. We’re talking about commercials created for Fortune 500 companies or Hollywood productions. The top of the top in terms of production level but also costs.

Here you will be working with production studios that cover anything from the concept and storyline to the marketing of the finished product.

Closing thoughts

Animation is the most expensive type of video production there is. It requires a lot of time and a lot of expertise. Hence the costs.

If you’re looking for something more affordable, maybe look into traditional, live footage, video production, which can be less expensive to edit once you have everything filmed.