The best AI storyboard generator depends on whether you need a document or a look. For a scripted storyboard a team reviews frame by frame, Boords is the dedicated tool: Solo is $26 a month billed yearly with 250 AI images a month and unlimited storyboards. For seeing a sequence fast, 8frame's ShotGrid turns one prompt and up to ten reference images into a 3x3 contact sheet of nine frames at 4K for 42 credits, about $0.42 at pack rate. The two work together: ShotGrid to find the look, a storyboard document to get sign-off.
TL;DR
| Need | Pick | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Scripted storyboards, comments, team sign-off | Boords | Solo $26/month billed yearly ($39 monthly), 250 AI images |
| Nine frames of a sequence from one prompt | ShotGrid on 8frame | 42 credits per 3x3 sheet, 4K |
| Frames you then animate into an animatic or the real shots | 8frame canvas | Per image and per clip |
The picks
Boords: the storyboard as a document
Boords' pricing page, checked 2026-09-29:
| Plan | Billed yearly | Billed monthly | Users | AI images a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo | $26 | $39 | 1 | 250 |
| Pro | $50 | $75 | up to 5 | 1,000 |
| Team | $85 | $125 | up to 10 | 2,000 |
| Agency | $165 | $250 | up to 30 | 3,000 |
Every plan includes unlimited storyboards and scripts, and Boords offers a money-back guarantee. It is built for the deliverable a client signs: numbered frames, script and direction notes under each, versions and comments.
ShotGrid on 8frame: a sequence at a glance
ShotGrid is a beta tool on 8frame that generates a cinematic 3x3 contact sheet: nine frames of one sequence, in one image, at 4K. You give it a prompt (up to 5,000 characters) and one to ten reference images for characters, products or style, and choose 1:1, 9:16 or 16:9. It costs 42 credits per sheet, and a failed run is refunded automatically.
What it is good for: seeing whether a sequence holds together before anyone draws or generates shot by shot. Nine frames side by side show continuity problems (a jacket that changes, a light that flips sides) that single frames hide. What it is not: a numbered, annotated storyboard document. For that, export the frames into your storyboard tool.
The canvas route: frames that become the shots
A storyboard frame generated on the canvas can be the start frame of the real shot. Generate or refine a frame with an image model, then animate it with an image-to-video model on the same board. That turns the storyboard into an animatic and then into footage without redrawing anything. The frame-by-frame method is in how to storyboard a 30-second ad, and costs are compared in how much a storyboard costs.
How to choose
- Who reviews it? A client or a team signing off shot by shot needs a document: Boords.
- Do you know the look yet? If not, a ShotGrid sheet for 42 credits is the cheapest way to see nine options of one sequence.
- Will the frames become the footage? Build them on the canvas where the video models are.
FAQ
What is the best AI storyboard generator in 2026? For scripted storyboards and team review, Boords (Solo $26/month billed yearly). For a quick nine-frame view of a sequence, ShotGrid on 8frame at 42 credits per 4K contact sheet.
How much does an AI storyboard cost? On Boords, from $26 a month billed yearly for 250 AI images. On 8frame, 42 credits for a nine-frame ShotGrid sheet, about $0.42 at pack rate.
Can AI keep the same character across storyboard frames? Reference images help: ShotGrid takes up to ten, so give it the character's reference and check the nine frames for drift.
What is ShotGrid? 8frame's beta storyboard tool: one prompt plus references in, a 3x3 contact sheet of nine frames at 4K out.
Sources
- Boords plans, yearly and monthly prices, users and AI images: boords.com/pricing, fetched 2026-09-29
- ShotGrid: 3x3 contact sheet, 4K, 1 to 10 references, aspect ratios, prompt limit and 42-credit charge: the 8frame tool registry and completed runs, 2026-09-29
Find the look on nine frames, then storyboard the one that works. The 8frame canvas is free and unlimited, and generation is paid from $19/month.