# How Much Does Whiteboard Animation Cost? (2026)

*Updated 2026-11-05. Whiteboard animation costs $500 to $4,000 per finished minute from a studio, $15 to $49 a month for software, and about $1 to $1.45 per minute with AI. Real 2026 prices, what each one includes, and a worked example.*

## How much does a whiteboard animation video cost?

A whiteboard animation costs about $500 to $4,000 per finished minute from a studio, $15 to $49 a month with manual software plus your own hours, and roughly $1 to $1.45 per minute with Simpled.ai, an AI generator. B2W publishes 60-second videos from $2,400; Simpled.ai's free tier covers 10 minutes.

## Whiteboard animation prices by production route

Prices are USD. Studio figures were read on 5 November 2026; software vendors were verified against their own pricing pages on 24 August 2026.

| Route | Typical price | What you get | What you still do |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Specialist studio | $500-$4,000+ per finished minute | Custom storyboard, custom art, human voiceover, revisions, source files | Brief and approve |
| Freelancer | $750-$5,000 | Varies by person; often animation only | Script, voice and project management |
| Manual software | $15-$49/month | An editor and an asset library | Script, scene building, timing and voice |
| AI generator (Simpled.ai) | $1.00-$1.45 per minute of video | Script, drawings, narration and pacing from one prompt | Write the prompt and review the result |

The studio range is from B2W's 2026 pricing guide. The freelancer range is from Motiongility's guide, published in 2022, so treat it as dated. Software runs from Powtoon at $15/month billed annually to Doodly at $49/month inside Voomly Cloud. Simpled.ai's per-minute figure assumes you use every credit on the plan.

## What a studio charges for

Studio pricing pays for people: a storyboard artist, an illustrator, an animator, a voice actor and a producer. B2W is one of the few studios publishing prices. As of 5 November 2026, its 60-second whiteboard video starts at $2,400, with extra runtime from $750 per 30 seconds, and that includes a human voiceover, a custom storyboard, custom graphics, music, two revision rounds per stage and full source files.

B2W's published case studies show what real projects came to: $3,600 for a 2-minute video at the low end and $7,280 for 3.5 minutes at the high end. Its pricing guide splits the market into basic work at $500 to $1,000 a minute, mid-range at $1,000 to $2,000, and high-end at $2,000 to $4,000 or more.

Length, custom illustration and the number of revision rounds move the quote most. Changes beyond the included revision rounds usually cost extra, so a finished script before you ask for quotes is the cheapest thing you can bring.

## What software really costs

Manual software looks cheap because the largest cost is your own time. VideoScribe starts at $19 a month, but its Lite plan caps videos at 5 minutes and 5 downloads a month. Doodly is $49 a month and comes only inside Voomly Cloud. Powtoon starts at $15 a month billed annually, and hand-drawn whiteboard is not its native style.

A polished five-minute video in a manual editor is typically several hours of placing assets and setting timing, plus a script and a voiceover. If that time is free to you, software is the best value here. If you bill for it, the subscription is the small part of the cost.

## Worked example: a 3-minute training video

Costing the same video through each route shows where the money goes. Studio totals use B2W's published starting prices, so a real quote can only be higher.

| Route | One 3-minute video | Ten 3-minute videos a month | Turnaround |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Studio (B2W list) | From $5,400 | From $54,000 | Set by the studio's schedule |
| Manual software (VideoScribe) | From $19/month plus your hours | Over Lite's 5 downloads, so a higher tier | Hours per video |
| Simpled.ai | 3 credits; the free tier covers it | 30 credits; needs Pro at $99/month | Median render 6 minutes 55 seconds |

Studio total is $2,400 for the first 60 seconds plus four 30-second extensions at $750. The Simpled.ai render median covers 632 videos made between 4 April 2026 and 23 August 2026, with a median length of 61 seconds, so a 3-minute video takes longer.

## When each route is worth paying for

Price alone picks the wrong route. Match the money to what the video has to do.

### Pay a studio for a brand-critical film

A homepage hero video or investor film seen by every customer earns custom art and a human voice. A studio also takes the project off your plate, and Simpled.ai cannot match bespoke illustration or give you editable source files.

### Buy software if you want every frame your way

A few videos a year where exact placement matters suit VideoScribe or Doodly. You keep full control, and the time cost stays low because the volume is low.

### Use an AI generator for volume

Training modules, explainers and channel content rarely justify $2,400 each, so they often go unmade. On Simpled.ai one credit buys one minute of video in 29 narration languages. The trade-offs are real: whiteboard output is black-and-white line art, the script is model-written and needs review, and about 9.6% of jobs fail and need re-running.

## Simpled.ai pricing per minute of video

Simpled.ai prices by credit, and one credit renders one minute of finished video. Credits do not roll over, so choose the plan you will actually use up.

| Plan | Price | Minutes of video | Cost per minute |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Free | $0, no card | 10, one-time | $0 |
| Starter | $29/month | 20 | $1.45 |
| Pro | $99/month | 70 | $1.41 |
| Business | $249/month | 210 | $1.19 |
| Scale | $499/month | 500 | $1.00 |

## FAQ

### How much does a whiteboard animation cost per minute?

Studios charge roughly $500 to $4,000 or more per finished minute, according to B2W's 2026 pricing guide, read 5 November 2026. Simpled.ai works out at $1.00 to $1.45 per minute of video on paid plans if you use all your credits. Manual software is a flat monthly fee rather than a per-minute price.

### How much does a 60-second whiteboard video cost?

B2W's published starting price for a 60-second whiteboard video is $2,400, including a human voiceover, custom graphics and revisions, as of 5 November 2026. On Simpled.ai the same length uses 1 credit, which the free tier of 10 credits covers.

### Why are whiteboard animation services so expensive?

Studio quotes pay for several people's time: storyboarding, custom illustration, animation, voiceover and revisions. Custom drawing is the slow part. Software and AI generators cost less because you or a model do that work, and you give up bespoke art in exchange.

### What is the cheapest way to make a whiteboard animation?

Simpled.ai's free tier gives 10 one-time credits, which is 10 minutes of finished whiteboard video with no card. Powtoon has a permanent free tier of 3 minutes at 720p with a watermark, though it is template-based rather than hand-drawn. VideoScribe offers a 7-day trial with 3 watermarked downloads. Vendor details verified 24 August 2026.

### Is an AI whiteboard video as good as a studio one?

No, not for custom art or a brand-critical film. A studio gives you bespoke illustration, a human voice and source files. An AI generator gives you a reviewable explainer in minutes for a fraction of the price, which is the right trade for training, education and high-volume content.

## Related

- [Best whiteboard animation software (2026)](https://simpled.ai/best-whiteboard-animation-software)
- [Best AI whiteboard video generators](https://simpled.ai/ai-whiteboard-video-generators)
- [Doodly alternatives compared](https://simpled.ai/doodly-alternatives)
- [Free whiteboard animation software compared](https://simpled.ai/free-whiteboard-animation-software)
- [How to make a whiteboard animation video](https://simpled.ai/how-to-make-whiteboard-animation)
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