You want to make your own explainer video but aren’t sure where to start? Good news: the tools in 2026 are better and in some cases cheaper than ever before. Bad news: the choice is enormous and the differences are significant.
This guide shows you the 8 best options, honestly reviewed, with current prices and a clear recommendation for who each tool suits best.
Making Your Own Explainer Video – Is It Worth It?
Short answer: If you have a limited budget, need a simple format and are willing to invest time.
What you should realistically plan for:
No individual style. DIY tools work with ready-made templates, characters and animation modules. The result looks solid, but also like a hundred other videos. A visual language that really suits your brand is almost impossible to achieve.
At Videodesign, every video is drawn by hand and designed from scratch. Every illustration, every animation is unique. No template, no kit.
Time investment is almost always underestimated. A 90-second video with a new tool usually takes 4 to 8 hours until the result looks really good. If you have high standards in terms of quality, timing and brand voice, you quickly realize that the road from “passable” to “convincing” is a long one. And the time is then lost elsewhere.
The result depends very much on your requirements. DIY tools can be perfectly adequate for an internal training video or a simple social media post. For a video that needs to be convincing in the initial contact with potential customers, it is worth comparing it with a professional solution.
Storytelling is up to you. The tool animates. You have to come up with the concept, script and dramaturgy yourself. We recommend our storytelling guide for this.
The 8 Best Tools in 2026
1. Canva
Best for: Beginners, social media, quick results
Canva 2026 is much more than just a graphics program. With the integrated video editor, you can create animated explainer videos directly in the browser, with thousands of templates, AI-supported text generation and automatic subtitles.
The big advantage: you probably already have an account. The learning curve is flat and the results look modern.
Prices: Free (with limited features) / from CHF 15/month (Pro)
2. Vyond
Best for: Businesses, HR videos, corporate content
Vyond is the standard for professional animated explainer videos in the business environment. Character animations, lip-sync, extensive asset library and, since 2024, AI-supported scripting. The result looks professional. And so does the price.
Prices: from $49/mth (Essential) / $125/mth (Business)
3. Animaker
Best for: Marketing teams, social media, tighter budgets
Animaker offers one of the largest character and animation pools of any tool on this list. The user interface is intuitive and the tutorials are good. For teams that regularly produce animated content, it is solid value for money.
Prices: from $15/mth (Basic) / $49/mth (Pro)
4. Renderforest
Best for: Budget entry point, short videos, logos and intros
Renderforest is the cheapest tool with the widest range of applications. In addition to explanatory videos, you can also use it to create logos, websites and mockups. There is even a free version for short videos under one minute, albeit with a watermark.
Prices: Free (with watermark) / from €9.99/mth (Lite) / €29.99/mth (Business)
5. Synthesia
Best for: AI avatars, multilingual videos, onboarding and training
Synthesia is the leading AI tool for explainer videos with AI avatars. You enter text and the avatar speaks it in over 140 languages. No filming, no voiceover, no studio.
Especially strong for internal communication, training videos and onboarding – wherever you need the same content in different languages. More on this in the article on AI storytelling.
Prices: from $22/mth (Starter) / $67/mth (Creator)
6. Powtoon
Best for: Presentations, education, simple animations
Powtoon is one of the oldest tools on this list and has changed a lot. The new version focuses on AI features such as text-to-video and AI avatars. Still a solid choice for simple animated presentations and educational videos. Prices have risen significantly since 2023.
Prices: from $49/mth (Lite) / $125/mth (Advanced)
7. CapCut
Best for: Social media, Reels, TikTok, quick short videos
CapCut is primarily a video editor, with strong AI features: automatic subtitles, text-to-speech, AI avatars and templates for short videos. If your explainer video is for Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn, CapCut is the fastest and most affordable tool on this list.
Prices: Free (very functional) / from $9.99/mth (Pro)
8. Descript
Best for: Screencasts, software tutorials, technical explainer videos
Descript combines video editor, screen recording and AI. Particularly practical: you edit the video sound directly as text. Delete slips of the tongue with Backspace. Hard to beat for software demos and tutorial videos.
Prices: Free (limited) / from $24/mth (Creator)
Bonus: Samsa AI – When Brand Consistency Matters
Samsa AI doesn’t make complete explainer videos. But it solves a problem many teams know well: brand-compliant visuals, fast.
Samsa learns your branding once – colours, style, products, people – and then creates consistent images and short videos in seconds. No briefings, no revision loops, no waiting for design resources.
What this means in practice: from idea to finished asset in under 60 seconds. Every image stays automatically on-brand, regardless of who on the team creates it.
Particularly strong for teams that regularly need social media content, campaign visuals or presentation images and can’t afford any deviation from brand standards.
Samsa AI was developed by Videodesign and is GDPR-compliant, hosted on servers in Frankfurt. Find out more at samsa.ai
Which Tool Is Right for You?
| Goal | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Quick & easy to start | Canva |
| Social Media / Reels | CapCut |
| Professional corporate videos | Vyond |
| AI avatar, multilingual | Synthesia |
| Software / Screencasts | Descript |
| Favorable budget | Renderforest |
| Brand-compliant image material | Samsa AI |
When Does an Agency Make More Sense?
DIY tools make many things easier, but not everything. When it comes to an independent visual language, complex animations or the strategic use of video, templates quickly reach their limits.
We draw each video individually by hand. No character, no illustration, no animation is repeated. The result is unique and recognizable – exactly what distinguishes brands from template videos.
As an explainer video agency with over 4,500 completed projects, we know what’s important. If you’re unsure whether DIY is enough for your project, talk to us briefly. Free of charge and without obligation.
Vereinbare eine kostenlose Beratung mit unseren Video-Experten.
Together we simplify your communication.
Photo Credits: Canva, Vyond, Renderforest
