How Much Does Animation Cost Per Minute? (2024 Update)

When the idea of creating an animated video for your brand first crossed your mind, you probably found yourself asking, “How much does animation cost?” and “Is it really worth the investment?” These are crucial questions, especially when you’re responsible for managing your business’ budget and ensuring every dollar counts.

Moreover, as you embark on your first video marketing strategy, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the wide range of prices and options available—from independent freelancers to full-fledged 2D animation studios. How do you know what factors influence the cost, and what should you expect to pay?

Well, you don’t have to worry about that anymore! This guide will walk you through the ins and outs of animation pricing, helping you navigate your options based on your budget and the quality you’re aiming for. So, let’s dive in and explore what you need to know to make the best decision for your business!

Pricing Animation Work: Key Factors

There’s not a one-size-fits-all answer to the question “How much does animation cost?” and the truth is that various factors come into play when pricing animation work, such as:

• The Video’s Length: For obvious reasons, the production of a 30-second video requires a smaller investment (and less effort!) than a 3-minute piece.
• Customization (or lack thereof): A generic piece made from premade templates won’t cost nearly as much as a video tailored to your needs and brand identity (nor will it bring about the same results).
• The Production Timeline: Most video animation services tend to adjust production pricing when a project needs to be completed within a shorter timeframe than usual to make up for the extra effort and resources it requires.
• The Team’s Expertise: An experienced and talented team of professionals will logically charge more for their work than an amateur freelancer, but the results always have a distinctive higher quality. You’ll learn more about it shortly, but remember to look for reviews and video testimonials that back up that expertise.
• The Animation Style. 2D, motion graphics, 2.5D animation, and whiteboard animation are more streamlined than other styles and, therefore, are usually less expensive to produce than 3D or stop-motion animation videos, for example.

How Much Does Animation Cost Per Minute?

Considering the factors we’ve just mentioned, it’s no surprise that there are as many different price tags as animated videos out there! Even less surprisingly, the quality and originality of those videos tend to vary according to the cost and team behind them.

Let’s look at this in closer detail and find out which price ranges you can expect from different types of providers:

• Table of Contents

  Amateur/Free Tools – Animation Cost: $0 – $100 Per Minute

• Freelance Level – Animation Cost: $50 – $3,000 Per Minute

• Mid-Tier Animation Studio – Animation Cost: $3,000 – $7,000 Per Minute

• Professional-Level Animation Company – Animation Cost: $8,000 – $25,000 Per Minute

• Broadcast-Level Animation Company – Animation Cost: $25,000 – $100,000+ Per Minute

Yes, it’s possible to spend zero dollars on an animation. In fact, many online tools allow you to create animated videos yourself with little to no subscription cost.

That said, it’s vital to understand that what you’ll save on money, you’ll spend on time and effort. Moreover, the result will probably be below your expectations.

No offense to your video production skills, but cheap animation apps and video maker tools are fairly limited and tend to work out of templates with precarious and generic illustrations and poor animation effects. As they say, you get what you pay for.

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Freelance Level – Animation Cost: $50 – $3,000 Per Minute

As you’ve probably already noticed, the price range at this tier is quite ample. Well, that’s because you’ll find very different professionals across the entire spectrum.

Looking at the starting point, you’ll encounter freelancers with little experience and basic animation skills. However, at the highest peak of the animator rates, you’ll find experts capable of delivering a custom, quality video.

Whatever the pricing of the animation work you go for, it’s worth noting that freelancers tend to handle all the production phases by themselves. What’s more, they might even offer a limited set of services. So, it wouldn’t be strange that some aspects of the animation process get neglected, leading you to search for other professionals (like scriptwriters or voiceover talents) to complete the piece. After all, you can only expect so much from a small outfit working on a big project such as an animated video.

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Mid-Tier Animation Studio – Animation Cost: $3,000 – $7,000 Per Minute

These are the sorts of studios that you can find while browsing online marketplaces a step up in scope from freelance services. They’re often small-sized video production companies composed of two or three professionals.

While the staff is usually experienced and capable of delivering a solid custom video, the studio’s small size can prevent them from being able to handle various projects at the same time. So, don’t be surprised if you’re asked to endure a certain waiting time before they can work on your video.

Moreover, some of these companies outsource the services they can’t provide, but some others might ask you to take care of that on your own. If that’s the case, remember to consider that extra investment and add it to the initial animation cost.

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Professional-Level Animation Company – Animation Cost: $8,000 – $25,000 Per Minute

Here, you’ll find a video animation company with a skilled crew of experts in scriptwriting, illustration, animation, sound design, and everything in between. You might also get an account manager, who’ll be in charge of keeping you and your team in the loop and involved in the project.

Professional tier companies usually keep the workflow organized and on schedule, and customize every little aspect of your video to your needs and wants. So, you’ll be asked to make major decisions, like approving the script or choosing the voiceover talent and giving feedback on anything you’d like to change.

Partnering with one of the top animation studios out there will ensure you get exactly the awesome piece you were expecting, and the result will be a fully customized animated video of the highest quality (and, most likely, a pleasant creative experience!).

Looking for a video within this price range? Need a real quote tailored to your project’s specific needs? Get in touch! With over a decade of experience making videos for brands like Amazon, Thermofisher, McKesson, Walmart, and many others, Yum Yum Videos has the expertise you are looking for!

Here’s another example of our work:

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Broadcast-Level Animation Company – Animation Cost: $25,000 – $100,000+ Per Minute

Here, we’re talking about top-tier 2D and 3D animation companies dedicated to premium animated production, among other things. Their work’s quality is similar to the one seen in big-screen animated movie productions.

Although their work is undoubtedly admirable, the high animation quotation they often send when pricing animation work make these studios an unsuitable choice for most businesses. Of course, if you’re a big multinational brand looking to produce long-form animations, like TV series or movies, then go for it!

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A Note on Animation Costs & Quality When It Comes to Marketing

As you can see, animation pricing is often directly proportional to the piece’s final quality. Videos that are cheap also tend to look cheap because they often lack attention to detail and, in the worst cases, customization a professional marketing video requires.

Most likely, having a run-of-the-mill animated piece won’t generate nearly as much revenue as a customized one specifically designed to appeal to your target audience and achieve your goals. I dare say you may even end up losing money! After all, most times, it isn’t about what you sell, but about how you sell it. And let’s face it: a low-quality and generic video probably won’t leave a very good impression about your product or service.

In most cases, it’s wiser to pay some extra bucks for a top-notch product animation video that can actually convert your audience into paying customers than spending less money but having no revenue whatsoever.

If you’re looking to put the question of “How much does animation cost?” to rest and get a fully customized, effective marketing piece, check out our online portfolio and reach out for a quote about the video you envision.

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How to Make Your Own Animated Marketing Video

When reading all the possible answers to the million-dollar question of “How much does animation cost?”, you might wonder if it’s possible to just make the video yourself and save some money. The good news is that you definitely can! But let me warn you that learning how to make an animation might be a bit of a headache unless you have some solid production and editing skills.

If you’d still like to go the DIY route, then know that you’ll have to take care of writing the script, designing the storyboard and the styleframes, recording the voiceover, creating the illustrations, and adding music and sound effects, among other steps required to produce quality marketing videos.

If you want more details about the process, you can go over our handy checklist for making an explainer video and get some awesome tips along the way.

Answering Your Doubts about Animation Production

There’s probably way more you’d like to know about what goes into pricing video animation services or creating one yourself, so we’ve put together this brief FAQ section to clear out some of your doubts. Take a look!

1. Why Is Animation Expensive?

Animation is costly because of the complex production process it entails. Many trained professionals are involved in animated video production – scriptwriters, a director, illustrators, animators, voiceover artists, and more – not to mention they need to use professional-level software to obtain high-quality results – all of which affects the pricing of the animation work.

Having said that, an animation production team is not nearly as big as a live-action one. Plus, they don’t need lightning and camera equipment, a set, and the like. At the end of the day, animation – especially 2D animation – is still one of the most cost-effective alternatives in the video marketing game.

2. How Much Does Animation Cost Per Minute?

Summing up our first section, an average custom 2D animated explainer video costs $7,000 to $20,000 per minute.

As seen before, there are also cheaper and more expensive options, but this is the price range that you should expect when looking for a quality video.

3. How Long Does It Take to Animate 1 Minute?

The sole process of animating one minute of illustrations can take up from one to two weeks, depending on the experience and skills of the animation artist and the complexity of the piece.

However, you also have to consider the amount of time that will take to write the script, create the storyboard, style frames, and illustrations, record the voiceover, and work on the sound design. The process for healthcare video production is not the same as the one for an animated advertisement, for example.

But in general terms, the whole animated video production process can take a professional studio between seven and nine weeks of hard work.

4. How Difficult Is Animation?

When making a rudimentary animated video, the difficulty level is medium since the basics of animation aren’t particularly hard. That said, creating an advanced-level animation is indeed very difficult, as it requires keen attention to detail, a deep understanding of the way people and objects move, and training in sophisticated animation software, among other things.

5. What Types of Animated Video Styles Are There?

There are many, many different animation styles out there. It’s important to be familiar with the options you have because the style that you choose will be determined by your budget and the goal you want your video to accomplish. Here are five of the most popular styles:

6. What are the Stages of Animated Video Production?

Video production can be broken down into three stages: pre-production, production, and post-production.

• Pre-production is where you determine the goals your video will help you achieve and plan out what your video will look like. For that, you need to create a script and a storyboard to serve as the base for the other two stages.
• Production is where you actually get to create your video. Here, you’ll create the illustrations and bring them to life with animation and other effects.
• Post-production is where everything is carefully put together, and the final details are fine-tuned. You’ll add any music and sound effects and do any necessary editing to create the final piece.

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7. How Much Does 2D Animation Cost Per Minute? 

While there are many factors that can impact the final 2D animation cost, such as the complexity of the animation, the level of detail, and the production quality, you can usually expect a video to cost between $3,000 and $15,000 per minute. Of course, you can find both cheaper and more expensive alternatives, but this is the typical price range you should expect for a mid to high-quality production.

8. How Much Does 3D Animation Cost Per Minute? 

The price of 3D animation typically falls between $5,000 and $18,000 per minute for projects of average complexity, without too many details, characters, etc. However, for more advanced animations or top-tier productions, costs can rise beyond $50,000 per minute, based on the level of detail and creative demands involved.

9. How Much Does a 3 Minute Animation Cost?

The final price for animation varies widely based on the provider, but they typically range from $3,000 to $15,000 per minute. For a standard 3-minute animated video, the total cost usually lands between $9,000 and $25,000. Factors such as production quality, the level of visual complexity, and the project’s scope will ultimately determine the final cost.

10. How Much Does Animation Cost Per Second?

If we consider that the typical animation cost ranges from $3,000 to $15,000 per minute, we can break it down and say that the cost per second of animation would fall between the range of $50 to $250 per second. Of course, the final tag will depend on the complexity and quality of the project.

Need a Professional Video for Your Business? Here’s How Yum Yum Videos Can Help!

Knowing the answer to “How much does animation cost?” is only half the battle. After all, you still need to find the right team to help you bring your ideas to life –which is no easy task! But here, at Yum Yum, we take pride in making the process as easy and rewarding as possible!

After more than a decade working alongside some of the world’s most recognizable and successful brands, like Amazon, McKesson, and Thermo Fisher, we’ve come to understand that more than a service provider, our company is there to be a partner you bring into your team to help you accomplish a complex goal. As such, we’ve made it our goal to put together a talented and passionate team of professionals solely focused on crafting bespoke solutions to your needs.

Here are a few fundamental principles that help us do just that:

• Our work revolves entirely around your needs, challenges, and goals. Whatever message or type of audience you are targeting, our team develops fully customized videos that deliver on your expectations.
• We understand that no two companies are ever the same, so we always strive to create opportunities to showcase your company’s unique strengths and help your brand shine.
• We pay close attention to details and work hard to ensure you receive content that meets and exceeds the highest industry standards.
• Most importantly, we believe no one understands your business better than you do. From the moment you contact us to the final delivery, we focus on listening to and implementing your feedback while incorporating your talent and experience into the piece we craft for you.

That said, we like to let our work speak for us whenever possible; take a look:

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And here’s what some of our clients had to say about partnering with Yum Yum Videos:

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The Takeaway

As you have learned today, there’s a lot involved in the answer to “How much does animation cost?”, and, what’s more, the cheapest price doesn’t usually translate into the best deal. In fact, the lower prices tend to match the poorest results. However, the most expensive commercial production companies don’t necessarily ensure the perfect video for your brand either. So, the question of how much is animation production going to set you back hinges on a lot of factors you should consider before embarking on a project.

Undoubtedly, the best way to go about it is to find an explainer video agency that offers the best price-quality guarantee and a quote that’s suitable for your budget.

Luckily, informing yourself about animation costs like you’ve just done is a great starting point to get the best bang for your buck. Congratulations!