How much does an explainer video cost in the UK?
Anything from a few hundred pounds to over £10,000, depending on the style and who makes it. Here’s what drives the price, and what a small business can do on a smaller budget.
Updated
The short answer
For a one-minute animated explainer from a UK studio, custom 2D or motion graphics with a professional voiceover typically costs £1,500 to £5,000. Template-based work can cost a few hundred pounds. 3D and character animation can pass £10,000.
Large agencies with central London offices often quote £3,000 to £10,000 or more for a standard 60-second video. Their prices cover account managers, full-time teams and office space as well as the animation.
Typical prices by style
Indicative UK prices for a finished video of about a minute, as published in October 2026. Every studio quotes differently, so treat these as a guide.
| Style | Typical cost | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| Kinetic typography (animated words) | £300 to £1,500 | Under a week |
| Whiteboard | £400 to £2,000 | 1 to 2 weeks |
| 2D explainer | £500 to £3,000 | 1 to 3 weeks |
| Motion graphics | £800 to £4,000 | 1 to 3 weeks |
| 3D | £3,000 to £15,000 or more | 3 to 8 weeks |
Typical prices by level
| Level | Typical cost | What you usually get |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | £400 to £1,500 | Template-based 2D or animated text, few changes |
| Mid-range | £1,500 to £5,000 | Custom 2D or motion graphics, professional voiceover |
| Premium | £5,000 to £15,000 or more | Custom 3D, characters, full sound design |
What changes the price
- The style: it matters more than the length. 3D costs the most, animated words the least.
- Rounds of changes: a low quote may charge for each extra round. Ask how many are included.
- Changes after animation starts: changing a scene then can take a day or more, against an hour at the storyboard stage.
- The voice: a professional voiceover costs more than a synthetic one.
- Music and voice licences: often extra, especially for paid ads or broadcast.
- Captions and source files: cheaper to ask for at the start than to add later.
How to keep the cost down
- Settle the script before any animation starts. It’s the cheapest point to change your mind.
- Keep it to one idea. A 30-second video on one question costs less, and is easier to watch, than two minutes on everything.
- Agree the number of changes, the licences and the delivery files in the quote.
- Use a style that suits a smaller budget: clean 2D, icons and animated words.
Cheaper ways for a small business
If you want regular short videos that answer your customers’ questions, rather than one big film, a studio isn’t the only way. You can make simple animated videos yourself with an online editor, if you have the time, or use a builder that drafts the video for you.
In our builder, you give us your website and pick a topic. We draft the script, you change any line, and your video is ready in a few minutes. Your first video is free: about 30 seconds, with a small “Sample” mark. Pro is £25 a month for up to 10 videos a month, each up to a minute.
It won’t replace a bespoke studio film: there are no custom characters, and you choose from our styles rather than briefing a designer. For everyday videos for social media and your website, it costs a small fraction of a studio’s price.
When a studio is worth it
- A launch film or brand story that will be seen for years.
- An investor pitch, TV advert or paid campaign with a large budget behind it.
- Custom characters, a mascot or a style that has to be yours alone.
- Explaining a complicated product, where an expert scriptwriter earns their fee.