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Everything you need to plan an explainer video: what it is, when you need one, how long it should run, what it costs, how production works, and how to tell whether it worked.
By
Larry Mutenda
An explainer video is a short video, usually 60 to 90 seconds, that makes one idea easy to understand and tells the viewer what to do next. It is not defined by animation style. It can be 2D, 3D, motion graphics, whiteboard, UI screen capture, or live action. What makes it an explainer is the job it does: take a viewer who does not understand your product or idea yet, and get them to the point where they do, fast enough that they do not click away.
This guide covers what an explainer video actually is, when you need one instead of a demo or tutorial, how long it should run, what it costs, how production works from brief to delivery, and how to tell whether it worked. Each section links to a deeper resource if you need the full detail.
What is an explainer video? A short video, usually 60 to 90 seconds, that makes one idea easy to understand and tells the viewer what to do next. It is defined by the job it does, not by the animation style.
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| What is it? | A short video that explains one idea and drives one action |
| How long? | 60–90 seconds is a common starting range; scope decides the rest |
| What format? | 2D, 3D, motion graphics, whiteboard, UI/screen, or live-action hybrid |
| What does it cost? | Roughly $2,500 to $25,000+ depending on complexity and craft level |
| How is it made? | Brief → script → storyboard → design → animation → sound → revisions → delivery |
| How do you know it worked? | Depends on the job: comprehension, conversions, sales usage, or onboarding completion |
An explainer video is a short video built around one audience, one message, and one action. It explains what a product or idea is, why it matters to the viewer, and what they should do next. That is the definition. The animation style is a production decision, not the definition itself.
Explainers commonly use 2D animation, motion graphics, 3D, UI animation, live-action hybrids, or screen-based visuals. Any of those can be an explainer if the job is the same: reduce a complex idea to something a new viewer can follow in under two minutes.
An explainer is not a tutorial. A tutorial assumes the viewer already understands why the product matters and shows them how to complete a task inside it. An explainer comes earlier. It answers “what is this and why should I care” before the viewer is ready for step-by-step instruction.
See real examples on our explainer video examples page, or compare the format options on the types of explainer videos page.
Explainer videos get grouped by animation style far too often. The more useful way to think about them is by the business job they do, because that determines the script, the runtime, and where the video gets used.
Each of these implies a different viewer state: someone at first exposure needs more context than someone already evaluating you.
An explainer video is the right format when most of the following are true:
When not to use one: if you need a detailed walkthrough of a specific workflow, that is a product demo. If you need a customer telling their own story, that is a testimonial. If you need to teach someone a multi-step task inside a product they already understand, that is a tutorial. Forcing any of those jobs into an “explainer” produces a video that tries to do too much and does none of it well. Our script guide covers how message scope should shape the format decision.
| Format | Best for | Relative complexity |
|---|---|---|
| 2D animation | SaaS, apps, most general business explainers | Moderate |
| Motion graphics | Data-heavy or brand-led stories, short social cuts | Low to moderate |
| 3D animation | Physical products, technical or industrial processes | High |
| Whiteboard | Educational and training content, step-based ideas | Low to moderate |
| UI/product animation | Software products where the interface is the proof | Moderate |
| Live-action hybrid | Brands that want real people alongside animated overlays | High |
| Screen/demo-led | Existing software with a UI worth showing directly | Low |
2D animation remains the most flexible and commonly chosen format for SaaS and service businesses because it can represent anything without needing real footage or a finished product to film. 3D and live-action hybrids cost more because they require more detailed asset creation or a production shoot. The full comparison, with real examples for each format, is on the types of explainer videos page.
60 to 90 seconds is a practical starting range for a homepage or product explainer. That is not a rule, it is a starting point based on how much a first-time viewer will sit through before you need to have made your point.
Looking at Creamy’s own portfolio of published explainer videos, the median runtime lands right in that range, and the large majority run under two minutes. Runtime should be an output of how much the viewer genuinely needs to understand, not a target you write toward.
The full runtime breakdown and decision framework is in our dedicated guide to explainer video length.
Cost is driven by length, visual complexity, how much custom design and character work is needed, 2D versus 3D, how much UI or product detail has to be recreated, voice talent, number of revision rounds, and whether you need multiple language versions.
As a starting range: AI-assisted or template-based explainers run roughly $2,500 to $4,000, standard custom-animated explainers run $5,000 to $10,000, and premium fully custom productions with heavier design and 3D work run $10,000 to $25,000 or more. These are starting ranges, not quotes; always confirm current pricing directly.
The full pricing breakdown, with tiers and what is included at each level, is in our explainer video cost guide.
Production moves through a consistent sequence: discovery and brief, script, storyboard, style frames and design, animation, voiceover and sound, review, and final delivery.
The decisions that matter most happen before animation starts. The script has to be approved and timed. The storyboard has to prove the visual logic works before a single frame gets its final design. Changing the message or the visual approach after animation begins is the single most expensive kind of revision, because it means redoing finished work rather than adjusting a plan.
The complete step-by-step process, including what a real brief and storyboard look like, is in our guide to writing an explainer video script.
After scoping, scripting, and reviewing a large number of these, a few things separate the ones that work from the ones that do not:
The clearest way to see these principles in practice is to watch finished work. Our explainer video examples page includes a breakdown of the video style, runtime, and the specific business job for a wide range of projects across SaaS, technical, nonprofit, and enterprise categories, with notes on why each one works the way it does. For software-specific stories, see our software and B2B examples, and for SaaS specifically, our SaaS explainer examples.
When comparing studios, evaluate their strategy and scriptwriting process, not just their showreel. Look at whether their finished work is understandable to someone who has never heard of the client. Check their production process, revision policy, and what deliverables are actually included in a quote. Confirm timeline expectations and who owns the final files.
If you already want to compare specific studios, see our best explainer video companies list, or our explainer video companies in the USA if you need a regional shortlist.
Planning distribution before production starts changes what you script and shoot. A homepage explainer, a paid ad, a sales follow-up email, and an onboarding sequence all need different pacing, different runtimes, and often different cuts of the same core story.
Plan for shorter cutdowns, vertical and square aspect ratios, and captioned versions from the start rather than trying to chop a finished 90-second master into a usable 15-second ad after the fact.
Success looks different depending on the job the video was created to do. A homepage explainer should be judged on comprehension and conversion. A sales enablement video should be judged on whether reps actually use it and whether it moves deals forward. An onboarding video should be judged on completion and activation. There is no single universal benchmark that applies to every explainer video, regardless of what job it was built for.
No. Most explainer videos are animated, but the format is defined by the job (explaining one idea, driving one action), not by the animation technique. A live-action or screen-recorded video can also be an explainer video.
A commercial is built to create emotional resonance or brand recall, often without explaining exactly how a product works. An explainer video’s job is comprehension: the viewer should understand what the product does and why it matters by the end.
No. Most studios, including ours, write the script as part of the process. What you need going in is clarity on your audience, your core message, and where the video will be used, which is exactly what a creative brief is for.
Usually not well. A single video can anchor your homepage, but product pages and landing pages typically perform better with a more specific cut or version aimed at that page’s audience.
Larry is the founder and Chief Storyteller at Creamy Animation, founded in 2009. He leads a team that creates story-driven videos for businesses and nonprofits. 15+ years in video strategy and production, specializing in SaaS, B2B, and nonprofit storytelling. A marketer, designer, and animator, Larry has overseen the production of more than 1,500 videos for Fujitsu, Logitech, Warner Brothers, NFL, Blockdaemon, Astronomer, Canonical, and 370+ others.
For Larry, God is first, and everything else is a blessing that comes from serving Him. When he’s not working, he’s hanging out with his wife and three kids, playing the piano, or pursuing his filmmaking side hustle.Â
