TL;DR
An explainer video in 2026 costs £4,000–£45,000+ depending on format and length. A 60–90 second live-action explainer lands at £6,000–£18,000. 2D motion-graphics animation costs £4,000–£14,000. 3D animation ranges from £12,000 for basic product visualisation to £45,000+ for bespoke character work. Voiceover talent adds £300–£2,500; licensed music £200–£1,200. Turnaround is 4–8 weeks from approved script. The critical variable is script quality — a strong 90-second script justifies a premium budget, a weak one wastes any budget. This guide breaks down exactly what drives the price.
What an explainer video is (and isn't)
An explainer video is a short, focused piece — typically 60–90 seconds — that answers one question: "What does this product, service, or company do?"
- It is not a brand film (which is emotional positioning).
- It is not a product demo (which walks through features).
- It is not a pitch video (which sells to investors).
Explainers have one job: take a confused viewer and make them understand in under two minutes. Everything else — brand love, feature depth, funding — comes after the viewer knows what you actually do.
The three explainer formats
| Format | Cost range | Production time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live-action | £6,000–£18,000 | 5–7 weeks | Service businesses, human-centred products, recruitment |
| 2D motion graphics | £4,000–£14,000 | 4–6 weeks | SaaS, fintech, abstract concepts, data-heavy products |
| 3D animation | £12,000–£45,000 | 8–14 weeks | Physical products, medical, industrial, architectural |
| Hybrid (live + motion) | £10,000–£25,000 | 6–9 weeks | B2B SaaS with a human angle, campaign films |
What drives the number
Six cost variables, in order of impact:
- Script and pre-production (20–30% of budget). A professional scriptwriter and creative director plan the piece end-to-end before any animation or filming. Skipping this causes re-edits that blow budgets.
- Production method (30–45%). Live-action needs crew, cast, location, and lighting. Animation needs illustrators, animators, and design passes. 3D needs modellers, riggers, renderers — most expensive per second.
- Length (linear). 30-second cost = about 70% of 60-second cost. Above 90 seconds, costs scale roughly 1:1 with length because of additional animation or additional scenes.
- Voiceover (£300–£2,500). Budget talent £300–£800. Mid-tier £800–£1,500. Celebrity/premium talent £2,000+. Includes session time and usage rights.
- Music licensing (£200–£1,200). Musicbed or Artlist subscription covers most cases. Bespoke commissioned score £2,500–£8,000.
- Revisions policy. Most studios include 2–3 rounds. Extra rounds £400–£1,500 each.
Live-action explainer — what's in the budget
For a mid-market £9,000–£14,000 live-action piece:
- Director + DP + 1st AC + sound (4 crew), 1 shoot day
- Cast of 2–4 (actors or real staff)
- 1 location (office or neutral studio)
- Full kit (Sony FX3 or similar, prime lens set, basic lighting, lavs)
- 5 days of offline edit, 1 day colour, 1 day sound mix
- Motion graphics inserts (logos, lower thirds, abstract diagrams)
- Licensed music, VO recording, 2 rounds of revision
2D motion-graphics explainer — what's in the budget
For a mid-market £6,500–£10,000 2D motion piece:
- Scriptwriter (1 week)
- Storyboard artist (1 week)
- Illustrator — creates character designs, background assets (1–2 weeks)
- Motion designer — animates assets in After Effects (2–3 weeks)
- Voiceover recording
- Sound design and mix
- Licensed music
The total crew is 3–5 people but they work sequentially, not simultaneously, which is why the timeline extends to 4–6 weeks.
3D animation — when it's worth the premium
3D is expensive because every asset is built from scratch — geometry, textures, rigging, lighting, rendering. For a 90-second 3D explainer at £18,000–£28,000:
- Concept design (3–5 days)
- Modeller (2 weeks)
- Rigger (1 week)
- Animator (2–3 weeks)
- Lighting + rendering artist (1–2 weeks)
- Compositor (1 week)
3D is worth it when you have a physical product that doesn't exist yet (prototype), a medical or industrial concept that can't be filmed, or an architectural visualisation. For almost any other use case, 2D motion graphics delivers the same clarity at 35–50% of the cost.
Voiceover — budget tiers
| Tier | Typical cost (60–90 sec) | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | £300–£600 | Voices.com or Fiverr Pro, quick turnaround, decent quality |
| Mid-market | £700–£1,500 | UK agency-repped VO, 2–3 takes, studio recorded |
| Premium | £1,500–£2,500 | Known commercial voice, broadcast-quality recording, 4+ takes, usage rights flexibility |
| Celebrity | £3,000–£25,000+ | Named talent (not blockbuster), negotiated buy-out, longer lead time |
What a good script costs, and why to pay it
A professional explainer script is typically £800–£2,500 and written in 3–7 days. This is money well spent because:
- A good scriptwriter cuts your ideas in half. 90 seconds of video contains 150–200 words — a non-specialist will try to fit 400.
- Structure is everything. Problem → stakes → solution → proof → CTA is the universal explainer arc. Skipping any step loses the viewer.
- Fixing script problems in animation or editing costs 10× what fixing them at script costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should an explainer video be?
60–90 seconds is standard for web or sales. 30 seconds for paid social. Up to 2 minutes for investor decks or long-sales-cycle B2B. Above 2 minutes, drop-off accelerates sharply.
Do we need a script before approaching a production company?
A rough script or brief helps but is not required. Good studios include scriptwriting in their service. If an agency insists you bring a finished script, they are an execution shop, not a creative partner.
What's cheaper: live-action or 2D animation?
2D animation is typically 25–35% cheaper for the same length and quality. Live-action costs more because of crew, cast, and location. However, for human-centric stories (staff, customer testimonials) live-action carries more emotional weight.
How many revisions are included?
Industry standard is 2 rounds on script, 2 on storyboard, 2 on final video. Each additional round runs £400–£1,500. Best practice: lock the script before any animation or filming starts.
Can we use our staff as cast in a live-action explainer?
Yes, and it's cost-effective. Note: get signed talent-release forms from everyone on camera, and brief them on what's expected. Non-actor staff need more direction but deliver authenticity you cannot buy.
Who writes the voiceover script?
The production company's scriptwriter, ideally the same person who wrote the visual script. Voiceover and visuals must be designed together — they are not a translation exercise.
How long does an explainer take end-to-end?
4–8 weeks from brief to delivery. Rush 2–3 weeks is possible but costs 40–60% premium and compromises script work.