The 7 Best Explainer Video Softwares to Use

When it comes to learning a new tool for your marketing stack, what do you prefer? Reading a long, technical blog post or watching a video?

Most of us prefer the latter. And we’ve got numbers to back this up.

59% of executives agree that if both text and video are available on the same topic, they are more likely to choose video.

And that’s not all. A whopping sixty-four percent of consumers end up buying after watching brand videos!

With online audiences' attention spans getting shorter and shorter, brands need to communicate and explain what their products are all about as efficiently as possible.

This is where explainer videos come riding in on a shiny white horse.

List of the 7 Best Softwares to Create Explainer Videos

Luckily for businesses, there is a variety of online softwares that can help users to create amazing explainer videos. They're easy to use, inexpensive, and allow you to create professional looking videos in no time.

Here is the full list: 

1. PlayPlay: best for its AI suite, made for enterprise, collaboration options 
2. Video Scribe: best for its whiteboard animations 
3. Raw Shorts: best for its AI-driven animations 
4. Doodly: best for its multi-scene support 
5. Vyond: best for creating animated characters 
6. Toonly: best for its beginner-level interface and focus on educational videos 
7. Explee: best for its customization functionality 

Let’s dive in. 

1. PlayPlay 

PlayPlay is an intuitive but powerful video creation platform that enables in-house communication, marketing, and social media teams to produce high-quality videos in minutes, without the need for editing skills. Our platform is the perfect explainer video maker for you.

PlayPlay’s top features: 

• Features made for enterprises. Our tool offers access to Getty Images stock media library for enterprise plans, so your company can ensure creating videos with a professional look. PlayPlay is very easy to use for any company in any industry! There’s no learning curve required. 
• Tons of templates for explainer videos. Our tool offers tons of templates for explainer videos, where you can easily add brand graphics and text. 
• AI Assistant. PlayPlay’s AI assistant will craft your video in just a few seconds! All you have to provide is a prompt and some basic information about the video you are hoping to create. Next, the AI assistant will do all the hard work for you and leave you with a stunning, professional video. 

Pricing: on-demand custom pricing 

With a super simple, easy to use interface and a whole host of animation and design options to choose from, you really can’t go wrong with PlayPlay.

Check out this slick explainer video that TotalEnergies made with PlayPlay: 

2. Video Scribe

Video Scribe is a software that helps businesses create whiteboard animation videos. Choose animations from their overflowing library, type text, add music or voiceover and you’ve got an awesome explainer video ready in minutes. 

Video Scribe’s top features: 

• Whiteboard explainer options 
• Easy-to-use interface 
• Extensive image library 
• Hand-drawn animations
• High-quality export options 

Pricing: Monthly plan starts at $17.50 

3. Raw Shorts 

Raw Shorts is a cloud-based animation platform that makes it super easy to create animation videos. It has a plethora of video templates that you can just drag and drop to create professional-looking videos easily. 

If you’re looking to create internal communications videos, social media videos, or short and simple product or service explainer videos, this AI-driven animation software is for you. 

Raw Shorts top features: 

• AI-powered video creation
• Pre-built templates
• Custom branding
• Drag and drop editor 
• Voiceover integration

Pricing: starter plan is free!

4. Doodly 

Doodly is another software that is great for whiteboard explainer videos! This platform allows you to easily draw animations and bring them to life through video. 

Whiteboard videos are all the rage in the online world right now. And why wouldn’t they be? They’re an amazing way to explain complex topics in a simpler, friendly way. And they’re also fun to look at!

Doodly top features: 

• Whiteboard animations 
• Drag and drop editor 
• Custom draw paths 
• Multiple canvas options 
• Timeline control 

With a whole host of online tutorials, even someone with zero design skills can create a super fun whiteboard explainer video within no time! 

Pricing: standard monthly charges of $39 

5. Vyond 

Vyond helps create amazing animation videos easily by offering a wide selection of character animations and templates on their software. The platform allows you to make customizations to characters, backgrounds, and other assets. You can make your characters do almost anything through this tool and the end result is so professional, it looks as though you’ve spent days working on it! 

Vyond top features: 

• Wide selection of character animations 
• Wide selection of templates
• Easy-to-use 
• Customization of all video elements 
• High-quality elements

Pricing: standard yearly plan starts at $299

6. Toonly 

Primarily as a software designed to create fun animations, Toonly is an excellent desktop application for busy business owners looking to create awesome videos. It especially works great for educational videos by making it easy to demystify a complex product or service for your audience. 

Toonly top features:

• Easy-to-use interface  
• Fast video production
• Tailored to creating educational videos  
• Large asset library
• High-quality video export 

Pricing: standard monthly charges of $39

7. Explee 

If you’re looking for an all-in-one video tool, your search ends here.

With over 6000 images in their library, a plethora of animated effects, whiteboard animation transitions, animated audio editor, and their text to speech system (can’t afford to spend on professional voice over artists, no problem!), Explee helps you to create all kinds of animated videos with ease. 

The best part about this software is that it’s a cloud based software which works great if you’re working on multiple devices throughout the day.

Explee top features: 

• Budget friendly 
• Large asset library 
• Wide range of animation effects 
• Text-to-speech system 
• Device compatibility 

Pricing: standard monthly charges of $7

Why should your business use explainer videos? 

We’ve entered a video-first world, so replacing text-based content with video content is imperative for brands. Afterall, video marketing generates 66% more qualified leads per year than any other type of digital marketing.

However, there are 3 important reasons why brands need to start investing in explainer videos pronto.

1. Explainer videos are a great way to easily convey ideas and deliver messages to your audience. They’re short videos, they’re usually entertaining, and they convey important, complicated things in a way that’s easy to understand. 
2. Explainer videos can be easier and cheaper to produce than an eBook or whitepaper. 
3. Explainer videos are not only great for Search Engine Optimization (SEO), especially YouTube’s search engine, but also excellent at boosting social sharing for your brand. Remember that social sharing is key to growing your online presence and boosting sales. So, a short and fun explainer video will come in handy. 

5 steps to follow for an effective explainer video

There are 5 key steps to follow when making an explainer video to ensure that it effectively conveys your message. 

Step 1: Define your objective 

Defining a clear objective is the first step in creating an effective explainer video! Determine what your video’s purpose is and what you are trying to achieve. In doing so, you should keep in mind that your video is about educating your audience, informing them about specific actions they should take, and promoting or simplifying concepts. 

Make sure that you are not cramming too much information in your videos, so that they stay clear, concise, and to the point. 

Step 2: Determine your audience 

Understanding your audience’s needs, pain points, and preferences is vital for making an effective explainer video. By determining your target audience, you’ll be more likely to align your message with what they are expecting. Use language, visuals, and examples that resonate with your target demographic. 

Step 3: Write a compelling script 

Writing a compelling script is essential to any video. Take a problem-solution approach by starting to address a problem and showing how your product, service, or idea is able to solve it. 

Your script should be concise and should not pass the 60-90 second mark which is ideal for capturing and holding your audience’s attention. 

Step 4: Add appealing visuals 

Including appealing visuals in your explainer video makes your audience more likely to understand your message while keeping them entertained. A prettier video will make your audience more engaged! 

First, use visuals that are clean and uncluttered to enhance your audience’s understanding. 

Second, incorporate your brand elements such as logo, colors, and fonts for consistency in brand identity. 

Third, be sure to include dynamic elements such as movement and transitions to keep your viewers watching. 

Step 5: Include a strong CTA 

At the end of your explainer video, you’ll need to add a strong CTA or call-to-action. End with a clear next step for viewers to take, such as visiting your website or buying your product or service. 

3 popular types of explainer videos 

While there are many types of explainer videos, we’ve chosen the 3 most trending ones: motion graphics videos, AI videos, and 2D animation ones. 

1. Motion graphics and stock media based explainers

Motion graphics and stock media based explainer videos are excellent choices. 

First, they’re visually engaging. Motion graphics and animations offer dynamic movement to your videos, making content more captivating than static images. 

Second, they’re cost effective. By using stock media, your company won’t have to spend as much on producing original content or shooting new scenes. This eliminates the need for custom shooting, and reduces the overall production cost! Motion graphics and stock media are also easily repurposable and reusable for your next videos. 

Third, they’re flexible for content presentations. Motion graphics and stock media footage are great tools for explaining complex or abstract concepts that might be hard to film otherwise. These elements are suitable for a wide range of topics, industries, and messages - whether you’re making a video about a technology tutorial or product promotion. 

2. AI explainers 

Using artificial intelligence to create your explainer videos is great for speed and efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and simplified content creation. 

First, artificial intelligence’s automated processes can help you generate videos quickly by automating tasks like scriptwriting, storyboarding, and scene transitions. AI tools also have rapid prototyping capabilities which allow you to create video drafts in minutes, reducing your production time. 

Second, using artificial intelligence is great for cost-effectiveness. You’ll notice that AI eliminates the need for expensive video production crews, designers, or specialists in animation. Instead, you can rely on a tool to do it all for you for half the price! 

Third, most AI tools can simplify your content creation process because they tend to have user-friendly interfaces that feature drag-and-drop functionalities, making your workflow a bit more intuitive. Another benefit that simplifies your content creation is that with most AI tools, you won’t need any previous expertise! 

3. 2D animation explainers 

The last biggest trend for explainer videos is 2D animation. This type of explainer video combines visual appeal, versatility, and cost-effectiveness. 

First, 2D animation explainer videos are visually appealing to any target audience! These videos tend to use vibrant colors, playful designs, and dynamic movements to keep viewers engaged and watching. 

Second, they are great at storytelling power. Using playful 2D animations means your characters will be playful and friendly-looking, which attracts a large audience. 

Third, they are cost-effective! Producing 2D animations is usually less expensive than producing 3D ones, so you’ll save some of your marketing budget while making a video that is appealing and friendly to all. Once these 2D characters are created, they’ll be reusable for other videos your company makes. This means you won’t have to start from scratch and break your budget when creating your next explainer video! 

Create your next explainer video with PlayPlay 

If you’re looking to create motion design videos that are better for explaining what your company does, your initiatives and projects, or incorporating interview footage, video creation platforms like PlayPlay are your best bet. Next time, be sure to check out PlayPlay to create stunning videos in minutes. 

PlayPlay is proof that you don’t necessarily need to be a video creation expert to create high-quality videos. 

Our platform offers options for you to create videos with AI, or create motion graphics and stock media ones. 

Our AI video assistant allows you to speed up your video creation. You’ll be able to generate first video drafts from text prompts, so you don’t have to start from scratch. You’ll be able to edit and customize the draft based on your brand’s needs to create a high-quality, professional final output. 

Our premium stock library gives you access to millions of high-quality, royalty-free media for your videos. You can use premium images, videos, and GIFs from Getty Images to enhance and make your professional videos more engaging.