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| How much does animation cost? A 60 to 90 second animated business video typically costs $3,000 to $15,000. Freelance animators and animation studios charge $40 to $145 per hour. Style and length drive most of the price. Whiteboard and motion graphics sit at the low end. 3D animation sits at the top. |
A 60 to 90 second animated business video typically costs $3,000 to $15,000. That range averages published industry price guides and our own rates.
That spread describes very different pieces of work. It is not a menu of prices for the same video. A short motion graphics clip can use moving text and simple graphic elements. A character-led 3D film needs objects and characters created with depth before their movement is built. The design and animation tasks differ from the start.
Length adds another difference. A brief piece can focus on a single visual idea. A longer film may need more scenes and more action to carry its message. Detailed characters can require attention to expressions and gestures throughout those scenes.
The average gives you context for discussing a budget. It cannot tell you what a particular script will cost to produce. The low end of the range does not establish a starting price for custom work either.
Use a description of the finished video to narrow the conversation. The useful question is which style and amount of animation your message requires. That gives a studio something concrete to price.
With a background in marketing, design and animation, I bring more than 15 years of production experience and oversight of 1,500+ business videos to each project. In our experience, keeping animation projects on budget starts with a focused strategy session. We clarify your message, establish milestones and agree on a realistic delivery schedule.
Discussing your budget upfront allows us to recommend an animation style and level of detail that fit your goals and resources. From there, we develop the script and storyboard so you can review each scene before animation begins. Resolving feedback at this stage saves time and helps prevent costly revisions.
The style determines what must be designed and moved before an animation can be finished. The ranges below average published 2026 industry price guides and our own rates. Each range prices one finished minute of animation unless the row says otherwise. Figures above $1,000 are rounded to the nearest $1,000.
| Style | What drives the cost | Typical price per finished minute |
|---|---|---|
| Motion graphics | Graphic detail and movement | $2,000 to $6,000 |
| 2D animation | Characters and scene complexity | $4,000 to $15,000 |
| 3D animation | Models and scene construction | $8,000 to $49,000 |
| Whiteboard animation | Drawings and reveal sequence | $2,000 to $6,000 |
| Frame-by-frame (cel) animation | Individually drawn movement | $7,000 to $30,000 |
| Stop motion and claymation | Physical builds and photographed movement | $5,000 to $38,000 |
| Logo animation | Design preparation and movement | $600 to $4,000 per logo |
These types of animation styles serve different messages and require different production tasks.
2D animation typically costs $4,000 to $15,000 per finished minute. 2D animation uses flat artwork to show people, processes or ideas. Character design and custom illustration determine the preparation required. A training scenario with expressive characters needs more drawing and movement than a simple process diagram. Price the approach that supports your message.
3D animation typically costs $8,000 to $49,000 per finished minute. 3D animation pricing reflects the models, scene design and movement required. Showing a product from different angles needs models with depth and defined surface finishes. Detailed internal components add preparation. The choice between 2D vs 3D animation should follow what the viewer needs to understand.
Motion graphics typically cost $2,000 to $6,000 per finished minute. The cost of motion graphics follows the design and movement needed to explain your message. Animated text and diagrams can guide viewers through a process or data comparison. Custom illustrations and transitions between scenes add design and animation tasks that should appear in the proposed scope.
Whiteboard animation typically costs $2,000 to $6,000 per finished minute. The cost of whiteboard animation follows the drawings and reveal sequence needed to explain the subject. Introducing an idea step by step requires a clear visual order. Detailed illustrations need more preparation than simple symbols. Identify the concepts each drawing must communicate.
Frame-by-frame animation typically costs $7,000 to $30,000 per finished minute. It builds movement through individually created images. The amount of drawing changes with the action and level of detail in each scene. In cel animation, the drawings establish the positions that create the action. Smooth character acting and changing perspectives require careful planning.
Stop motion typically costs $5,000 to $38,000 per finished minute. It creates movement by photographing physical objects after small adjustments. Claymation uses clay figures within that process. Costs follow the work of making the figures and sets as well as capturing their movement. Changes can require rebuilding or photographing a sequence again.
Logo animation typically costs $600 to $4,000 per logo. A logo sequence is priced around artwork preparation and the movement needed for its intended placement. An opening for a presentation may need different timing from a social video ending. Existing artwork may need separation into elements before animation begins. Specify the backgrounds and delivery formats required.
Studios often quote animation by the finished minute because the amount of designed movement grows with the running time.
A finished minute means a minute in the delivered video. It does not mean a minute of production time. Artists may need to create new artwork and movement throughout that duration. This differs from filming a conversation that can support edits of several lengths from the same recording.
Average animation cost per minute changes sharply by style. Whiteboard animation averages $2,000 to $6,000 per finished minute. 3D animation averages $8,000 to $49,000. Those averages should not be treated as a fixed rate for every second of animation.
Compare quotes that describe the same visual approach. A minute of restrained graphic movement differs from a minute of detailed character action. The running time only becomes useful alongside that description.
Ask each quote to list the style and the number of revision rounds. A revision round is a planned opportunity to review the work and request changes. Confirm whether reviews cover the script, storyboard and design before movement is produced.
Freelance animators and animation studios typically charge $40 to $145 per hour. That range averages published industry price guides and our own rates.
That figure prices working time. It does not tell you how many hours your script and visual style require. A detailed scene can take more work than a simple sequence of moving graphics even when both occupy the same time on screen.
Most business animation is quoted per project so the price can describe a finished piece with an agreed scope. Design and animation work then sit within that proposal rather than appearing as an isolated hourly figure.
Ask what tasks an hourly rate includes and how the required time is estimated. You also need to know how additional work is approved. A rate becomes useful when it is connected to a defined assignment.
A 30-second animation typically costs $1,000 to $8,000. That range averages published industry price guides and our own rates.
Simple motion graphics sit toward the low end. Detailed character or 3D work sits toward the top. An ad built around moving text requires different work from a scene involving detailed character action.
A short video still needs a visual direction. The team must prepare the artwork and establish how the elements move. Those setup tasks remain even when the finished piece is brief. This is why a 30-second animation is not automatically half the price of a 60-second animation.
For a paid ad or organic social post, define the message and the action you want viewers to take. Include the required end screen. Specify vertical or horizontal versions and any alternate openings. Those campaign edits need their own timing and checks. Identify them in the brief so the quoted package covers the placements you intend to use.
The price follows the amount of artwork, movement, audio and review work needed to finish the video.
A studio quote may cover a broader set of production tasks than a freelancer’s quote for animation alone.
The comparison needs to begin with what each provider agrees to deliver. A studio can coordinate the script, design, voiceover, animation and sound. Project management connects those stages and keeps review decisions moving. A freelancer may provide several of those services or concentrate on a particular part of the work.
Neither label tells you the scope by itself. Read the proposal for the tasks included and the work your team must supply. A lower initial figure can describe a narrower assignment. Your team may then need to arrange missing services and manage their handoffs.
When comparing animated video production companies, check responsibility for script development, design approvals and the review edit. The approved master is the main finished video. Captioned versions and shorter campaign edits should be identified separately when included. Confirm who manages feedback across those outputs.
Our corporate animation work supports business communication. Tell us what your audience needs to understand and where the video will be used. Comparing complete proposals then shows which provider covers the creative development and delivery requirements your team needs.
An animated series needs an episode-based budget built around its runtime, style and production team.
A 20-minute or 30-minute animation cannot be priced reliably by multiplying a short business video package. Longer work needs a plan for the scenes and action across the whole episode. The team must also establish which characters and settings repeat across the series.
Shared designs can carry from one episode to another. New locations and actions still require production work. The proposed schedule and team size must support that continuing workload. A series quote therefore needs more information than episode length alone.
Ask for the episode scope and any shared development work to be identified separately. This page focuses on business videos rather than series production budgets.
Mammothic Films’ published standard animation package starts at $5,000 and its premium animation package starts at $10,000.
Our published standard package covers 60 to 90 seconds with a 4 to 6 week turnaround and 3 to 5 revision rounds. Our published premium package covers 60 to 210 seconds with a 6 to 8 week turnaround and 5+ revision rounds.
Mammothic Films’ published standard motion graphics service starts at $5,000 for 60 to 90 seconds. Our published premium motion graphics service starts at $8,000 for 60 to 90 seconds.
Mammothic Films’ published standard 2D animation service starts at $8,000 for 60 to 90 seconds. Our published premium 2D animation service starts at $10,000 for 60 to 90 seconds. Our published pricing lists 3D motion graphics and frame-by-frame animation as priced on request.
We are based in Vancouver, BC and work across Canada. Use our pricing to identify the service that fits your brief. The package and style descriptions need to match the actual video you want produced.
Build your budget around a defined style, running time and set of finished versions before comparing quotes.
Compare the same deliverables before selecting a proposal. A lower figure only answers your budget question when it covers the video and review process you actually need.
Animation typically costs $2,000 to $49,000 per finished minute, depending on style. Whiteboard and motion graphics sit at the low end. 3D and frame-by-frame animation sit at the high end. Ask for a quote at your intended length with the design work and revision rounds identified before comparing it with another offer.
A 60 to 90 second animated business video typically costs $3,000 to $15,000. That range covers a wide mix of work. Your project needs a narrower scope before the range becomes useful. Style and scene detail determine what must be created throughout the finished video.
A 30-second animation typically costs $1,000 to $8,000. Simple motion graphics sit near the low end. The work still includes preparing the design and movement. Describe the intended visuals and the versions you need so the quote reflects the actual ad or social video.
2D animation typically costs $4,000 to $15,000 per finished minute. Your brief needs to establish the artwork and movement involved. Flat graphics cost less to produce than expressive character acting. Ask what the proposed review process includes before treating any starting price as a final quote.
3D animation typically costs $8,000 to $49,000 per finished minute. A quote needs to cover its models, scenes and movement. The studio needs to know what objects or characters appear and what they do. Existing usable models can change the preparation required.
3D animation can cost more when it requires detailed models and complex scene construction. It is not automatically more expensive than every form of 2D work. Detailed drawn character action can also take substantial production time. Compare quotes for the specific visual approaches you are considering. The work within each style matters more than the dimensional label alone.
A 20-minute or 30-minute animation requires a budget based on its complete episode scope. A useful estimate needs more information than the finished running time alone. A quote needs the runtime and style alongside the characters, settings and production team required. Shared designs may support several episodes. New scenes and action still need to be planned and produced.
Animation can cost less when it avoids a demanding shoot and uses a simple visual approach. Detailed custom animation can also require more work than a straightforward recording. Compare both approaches against the same message and finished versions. Our video production cost guide explains the filming requirements to consider alongside an animation quote.
A useful animation budget starts with the visual approach and the work needed to carry your message. Choose the style and define the scenes before comparing prices. Ask for the same finished versions and review allowance in each quote. We make animated videos for businesses across Canada. Share your brief with our team so we can identify the production requirements for the video you need.
Larry is the Founder and Producer at Mammothic Films, with more than 15 years of production experience. He leads a team that creates story-driven videos for businesses and brands. 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+ other companies in Canada, the United States, and around the world.
Larry is a devout Christian who believes in placing God first, and that 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 sightseeing.