Animations are getting increasingly popular among businesses and marketers looking to create attention grabbing, informative, and entertaining content to deliver their messaging. Or to drive specific actions from their target audience.
However, many businesses struggle to settle on a cost for their animation project without getting different varying quotes from animation providers.
In this breakdown, we’ll discuss how much does animation cost and the factors that influence it. We will provide detailed cost breakdowns per project tier. As well as offer practical budgeting tips to help you make informed decisions.
Let’s begin.
Why is Animation So Expensive?
There are several factors that can alter the budget of an animation project. Here are the main ones:
Type of Animation: The type of animation has a massive impact on your final budget. 2D animation is much more economical option. 3D animations on the other hand cost more.They take more time, resources, and expertise to create.
Complexity and Quality: The level of detail and quality you want will also affect the final cost. Simpler animations with basic designs and fewer features will cost less than complex animations with greater attention to details, realistic textures, and advanced effects.
Length and Duration: The bigger the length of your animation the higher its cost. As the longer animations require more time and resources to create that end up in higher costs per minute.
Customization and Originality: Custom animations that feature unique characters, environments, and elements made for your brand will cost more than animations using pre-made templates or stock assets.
Production Pipeline Stages: The animation production process consists of several stages. Each can influence animation commissions. These stages include pre-production (scriptwriting, storyboarding), production (character design, animation, lighting), and post-production (editing, sound effects).
How Much Does Animation Cost Per Project Tier?
Animation costs can vary widely based on the project size as you can see in the animation time chart above.
Here’s a breakdown of typical costs for low-budget, mid-range, and high-budget projects:
Low-Budget Projects – Animation Cost : $500 to $3,000 Per Minute
Low-budget animation projects are typically simple and efficient. These animations feature basic designs, have limited features, and are shorter in length. Making them ideal for businesses with tight budgets.
Low-budget projects often rely on pre-made templates and stock characters. This greatly reduces the production costs. The focus is to deliver important information in attention grabbing format. Rather on storytelling or high-quality assets.
The most common type of low-budget animations are explainer videos. These videos are often created for businesses looking to deliver a message, drive an action, or provide information quickly and effectively. Utilizing simple animations and stock characters to keep costs down.
Additionally, short social media clips designed for platforms like Instagram or Facebook often fall within this category, employing basic motion graphics to capture audience attention without extensive investment.
While low-budget projects can be appealing due to their affordability. These animations may be less polished and look less professional than a higher budget project.
Due to the lack of creativity and originality the message may have a lower impact.
Mid-Range Projects – Animation Cost : $3,000 and $10,000 Per Minute
Mid-range animation projects strike a balance between cost and quality. They are moderately complex and often incorporate custom elements. Whether 2D or 3D, these animations are medium in length and may include some unique features that will differentiate them from low-budget options.
Mid-range projects require a skilled team that understands how does animation work on a fundamental level. They also require a greater investment in time and resources, resulting in a more polished animation.
Corporate videos usually fall in mid-range projects tier. These videos often feature custom characters and environments tailored to a brand’s identity. Making them ideal for internal training, marketing, or for promotional purposes.
Animated infographics also fall in this category. They turn data into eas to understand visuals to make complex information more digestible and less boring for the audience.
Mid range projects provide more creative freedom and customization compared to low-budget projects. Which makes them suitable for brands aiming to convey a stronger message while still being mindful of their budget.
High-Budget Projects – Animation Cost : $10,000 – $30,000 Per Minute
If you are wondering why is animation so expensive. It’s because high-budget animation projects offer higher complexity and extensive customization options. These projects are often bigger in length and use advanced effects. They require a team of skilled professionals ranging from scriptwriters, illustrators, animators, to sound designers. These are the types of videos that viewers find themselves watching online compared to other project tiers.
The production process consists of multiple stages from concept development to final editing, which add up to the overall cost.
Animated short films are a prime example of high-budget projects. As they often tell a story and require a high level of detail in animation, character design, and sound design.
Complex product demos also fall into this category that highlight the features of the product with a high level of detail.
High-budget projects are ideal for businesses and creators looking to make a big impact with animations. The quality, creativity and originality you get with such an investment can yield greater audience engagement and increased brand recognition.
Animation Cost based on Project Tier Breakdown
Project Tier |
Characteristics |
Typical Costs (per minute) |
Examples |
| Low-Budget Projects | Simple designs, limited features, short length, pre-made templates | $500 – $3,000 | Explainer videos, short social media clips |
| Mid-Range Projects | Moderate complexity, custom elements, medium length, some unique features | $3,000 – $10,000 | Corporate videos, animated infographics |
| High-Budget Projects | High complexity, extensive customization, long length, advanced effects | $10,000+ |
Animated short films, complex product demos, virtual reality experiences |
Hidden Costs to Consider
Apart from how much does animation costs at the surface, it’s vital to keep in mind the hidden costs that may occur during the production process:
Revisions and extra rounds of edits: Multiple revisions can increase the project timeline and require additional resources that can add up to the overall cost.
Project management fees: Coordinating various elements, such as scriptwriting, storyboarding, voice acting, and animation production, can lead to extra costs.
Stock assets: Using stock backgrounds, music, and sound effects can improve your animation but may add up to the cost.
Invest in Your Future
When planning your animation project, it’s important to consider the factors that influence its costs. Choose the appropriate project tier, and don’t forget about the hidden expenses. Set an ideal budget for your animation project using the information above and maximize your return on investment (ROI).
Investing in high-quality 2D or 3D animation services, is a big step that can significantly impact your brand’s image, engage your audience, and boost revenue.
Get in touch with a reliable animation studio that has helped countless businesses achieve amazing results within their budgets. Don’t wait and contact us today!
