Creating a professional explainer video doesn’t always require a high budget or an entire production team. With the right tools, businesses can produce effective DIY explainer videos that communicate their message and engage viewers. Here are some of the top DIY tools for creating explainer videos, each with unique features suited to various needs and experience levels.
1. Vyond
Vyond is a versatile platform designed for creating animated explainer videos with ease. It offers a wide range of customizable templates, character animations, and backgrounds that help bring your ideas to life without needing design experience.
• Best For: Animated videos for marketing, education, and internal communications.
• Key Features: Drag-and-drop functionality, character customization, and a library of animated assets.
• Pricing: Starts at $49 per month for individual plans.
2. Powtoon
Powtoon is another popular choice for creating animated explainer videos. Known for its user-friendly interface, Powtoon lets users create high-quality animations and presentations quickly. It also includes various templates and pre-made characters, making it an excellent choice for beginners.
• Best For: Marketing videos, educational content, and social media videos.
• Key Features: Built-in animation effects, pre-made templates, easy-to-use timeline editor.
• Pricing: Free version available; premium plans start at $19 per month.
3. Animaker
Animaker combines animation and live-action editing, making it ideal for creating both cartoon-style and real-world explainer videos. With a library of templates and assets, it supports animations, whiteboard videos, and infographics, catering to various needs and levels of complexity.
• Best For: Cartoon-style explainer videos, whiteboard animations, and infographics.
• Key Features: Character customization, voiceover tools, background music library.
• Pricing: Free version available; premium plans start at $10 per month.
4. Camtasia
Camtasia is a robust tool for screen recording and video editing, making it especially useful for creating screencast explainer videos. With its easy editing options, users can record their screen, add voiceovers, insert annotations, and create simple animations.
• Best For: Screencast tutorials, product demos, and software walkthroughs.
• Key Features: Screen recording, audio editing, built-in annotations, and transition effects.
• Pricing: One-time purchase of $299.
5. Doodly
Doodly specializes in whiteboard animation videos. It allows users to create hand-drawn animations with a drag-and-drop interface, making it simple to add characters, props, and text. This tool is great for educational content, presentations, and videos requiring a more casual tone.
• Best For: Whiteboard animations for educational and instructional content.
• Key Features: Drag-and-drop canvas, custom doodle library, text and drawing tools.
• Pricing: Starts at $39 per month.
6. Biteable
Biteable provides a library of templates and stock footage, making it a quick solution for creating visually appealing explainer videos. It’s a flexible tool for both animated and live-action videos, offering pre-made scenes and customization options to match various brand styles.
• Best For: Social media content, short promotional videos, and quick explainer videos.
• Key Features: Templates, stock footage, animation effects, easy customization.
• Pricing: Free version available; premium plans start at $19 per month.
7. Canva Video
Canva, known for its graphic design features, now offers a video editing tool that’s ideal for simple explainer videos. With a variety of templates and easy-to-use editing tools, Canva Video is a great choice for beginners who want a straightforward approach to video creation.
• Best For: Simple animations, text-heavy videos, and social media explainer videos.
• Key Features: Templates, drag-and-drop interface, animated text, basic video editing.
• Pricing: Free version available; Canva Pro starts at $12.95 per month.
8. Moovly
Moovly is a cloud-based platform offering animated, whiteboard, and motion graphics. It allows users to customize templates or start from scratch, providing tools for character animation, voiceovers, and transitions. Moovly’s versatility makes it a strong choice for businesses with diverse video needs.
• Best For: Animated and motion graphics videos for various audiences.
• Key Features: Customizable templates, integration with Shutterstock, animated text.
• Pricing: Free version available; premium plans start at $24.92 per month.
Conclusion
Choosing the right DIY tool for your explainer video depends on your brand’s needs, budget, and technical experience. For animation, tools like Vyond and Powtoon offer easy-to-use options, while Camtasia excels for screen recordings and Doodly shines for whiteboard animations. With these tools, you can create professional, engaging explainer videos that communicate your message effectively without breaking the bank.
Alina
I'm the Director of Creative Operations at Viral Ideas. I'm passionate about marketing, writing, and social media.