Explainer video quotes vary more than almost any other format, and the reason is that "explainer" describes everything from a 45-second motion-graphics piece to a bespoke character animation. Four things set the number: script development, animation style, voiceover, and how many revision rounds are included. On the generated side we can be exact, because the numbers come from our registry: a 60-second explainer produced on the canvas lands under 600 credits, which is under $6 at pack rate, with the script remaining the real work.
We are not publishing studio price ranges. They vary by market, style, and studio size, and no checkable average exists. What follows is the structure of the quote so you can read one.
What drives the number
Script development. Whether you bring a finished script or the studio writes it. Writing a good 150-word explainer script is genuinely hard and is frequently the most valuable line in the quote.
Animation style, in ascending cost. Kinetic typography, then simple motion graphics, then illustrated 2D with custom assets, then character animation, then 3D. The gap between the ends is enormous.
Custom versus template assets. Studios working from a library are quoting a different product from studios illustrating from scratch.
Voiceover. A booked professional read with usage rights, versus a generated read.
Revisions. How many rounds are included, and what counts as a round. This is the line that causes disputes, because "one round of revisions" means different things to a client and a studio.
Localization. Per language, and priced per version. See how to localize creative for multiple markets.
The generated version, with real numbers
Canon 8frame prices, a credit is $0.01 in a top-up pack. A 60-second explainer is roughly eight to ten beats:
| Element | Route | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Ten visual beats | Veo 3.1 Lite, 8s with audio, 54 each | 540 |
| Same beats, cheaper draft pass | Veo 3.1 Lite silent, 33 each | 330 |
| Narration | ElevenLabs TTS, 13 per 1,000 characters | 13 |
| Music bed | Lyria 2 | 13 |
| Key still frames for the deck version | Seedream 5 at 6 each | 60 |
A complete generated explainer with narration and music lands around 570 to 630 credits, roughly $6 at pack rate, comfortably inside the 1,000 credits on the $19 Starter plan with room for a second version.
The honest framing: that is the generation cost, not the cost. Somebody still writes and cuts the script, judges the beats, and edits the piece. On an explainer that labor is most of the value, because the format lives or dies on whether the explanation is clear. A studio charging for a good script is charging for the part that matters.
Where a studio is worth it
When the script is the problem. If you cannot articulate the mechanism clearly, no production route fixes that, and a good writer is the entire purchase.
When the style is the brand. A distinctive illustrated look that recurs across a product's whole communication is worth commissioning.
When it is character animation. Generated video does not reliably produce a consistent animated character across ten beats, and inconsistency in an explainer reads as sloppiness.
When the explainer is a sales asset with a long life. Something running for two years justifies a different investment from a piece supporting one launch.
FAQ
How long should an explainer video be? 60 to 90 seconds. Cost scales roughly with length in both routes, and longer explainers rarely explain more.
Is a generated explainer good enough for a homepage? Frequently yes, if the script is strong and the visuals are concrete rather than abstract. The tell of a weak one is always the script, not the pixels.
What should I bring to get a cheaper quote? A finished script, a locked runtime, and a decision about style. Those three remove most of the uncertainty a studio prices for.
Draft the beats cheaply, spend the effort on the script, and generate the final pass once. The 8frame canvas is free and unlimited, and generation is paid from $19/month. See also how to storyboard an explainer video.