In this article, I will review the Animaker Premium Plans, their costs, and functionalities, and I will give my honest opinion in case you consider purchasing this service.
Animaker is a video creation web service specialized in doodle-style animations, in which the same web browser is used as the platform.
In short, Animaker is great if you want to create animated videos for your products and services or projects with a commercial intent where the quality of the animation is essential.
However, Animaker’s paid plans are kind of expensive if your projects consist of non-profit videos, for that, I think that alternatives, such as Videoscribe or Doodly are better options.
Animaker Premium Plans Pricing
In short, Animaker’s premium plans cost $120 per year (or $20 per month) for the basic plan, which includes 5 downloads per month; $228 per year (or $ 35 per month) for the starter plan that includes 10 downloads per month; and $588 per year (or $79 per month) for the Pro plan that allows 20 downloads per month.
The free version allows 5 monthly downloads and includes a watermark at the bottom left of the video and an ending with the logo covering the full screen.
Animaker’s plans and price list
The following is the list of Animaker plans and prices, as well as the relevant characteristics of each one:
| Plan | Characteristics | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Free | * 5 downloads a month with watermark. * HD quality. * 3 premium tracks per month. * Upload your files (maximum 2 GB). * Up to 2 custom characters | $ 0.00 |
| Basic | * 5 downloads a month without watermark * HD quality. * 6 premium tracks per month. * Upload your files (maximum 5 GB). * Up to 5 custom characters | $ 120 dollars (annual bill) $ 10 dollars (monthly bill) |
| Initial | * 10 downloads per month without watermark. * FHD quality. * 15 premium tracks per month. * Upload your files (maximum 5 GB). * Up to 15 custom characters | $ 228 (annual bill) $ 19 (monthly bill) |
| Pro | * 20 downloads per month without watermark * FHD quality * 30 premium tracks per month. * Upload your files (maximum 10 GB). * Up to 5 custom characters * Commercial license | $ 588 (annual bill) $ 49 (monthly bill) |
| Enterprise | * Unlimited downloads without watermark * FHD quality * 60 premium tracks per month. * Upload your files (maximum 20 GB). * Unlimited characters. * Commercial license | Custom prices (official link to contact page) |
Get Animaker at a discount
You can get Animaker with a 10% discount at the following link, by clicking on the coupon and creating your account.
Ease and learning curve
In general terms, Animaker is a program with a somewhat steep learning curve, since it does take some time to figure out how it works and get used to it, but that is understandable by the number of features it has.
If you already have some experience with popular video editing software, you will have fewer complications due to its interface, but still, there will be some things that will make you scratch your head.
Interface
The interface is very similar to that of a conventional video editor, as we can see on the image.
Very pretty and you can see the quality of the elements, that is where Animaker outperforms many of its competitors. The characters, the objects, and all the media have outstanding quality.
- In the center, we have the preview of the project we are carrying out, every time we add or modify an element, just by clicking on the play button we will see a provisional reproduction.
- At the bottom is the timeline, which has three views:
- One to see the transition between scenes and the location of the audio files (Image 1)
- One to modify the duration and location of the elements and animations (image 2)
- The last one for camera movement (image 3)
- On the left side we have the selection area. Each icon represents the type of element that we can choose, be it background, character (even create your own character), text, audio, vectors and more.
- On the right side, we have the settings for the animations and colors, this will automatically open either when choosing an element from the preview, when clicking on any of the options in the black box when choosing an element (image 2), or when click on any element in the selection area.
Effects and Tools
Animaker has different tools that can vary depending on the plan we get, so I will specify if any of the plans do not have any or is limited.
Project type selection
The first thing is that Animaker allows you to choose the type of video you want to create, be it horizontal (for Youtube videos or for TV screens, vertical videos (like for Instagram), square video, a carousel presentation, etc.
We just have to click on the corresponding option and it will allow us to choose either a blank project or some default option.
Selection and creation of characters
From the editing interface, Animaker allows you to choose any of the pre-designed characters or create your own (depending on the plan we can create from 2 to an unlimited amount), you only need to click on the character’s option and click on the add icon.
Once the character is added to the timeline, we can add animation to it, even synchronizing the voiceover to the lips movement.
Backgrounds
For the environment in which your characters develop, Animaker gives you a choice between various backgrounds, some are premium (with extra payment) and some already come with your plan.
Objects
Animaker offers various images that we can add to enrich the environment, as we can see in the picture, we can animate all objects, giving them entry/exit effects as well as smart movements.
Animaker also allows you to upload your own audio, video, or images files to complement the project.
Text
You can also add text of the corresponding option, as well as animate it, including making the writing effect.
Audio and voice
You can add both background music and voiceover, for the latter, you also have the option of matching the lips of the characters with the spoken phrases.
This last option is given in the character animation itself, by clicking on the microphone icon and adding the voiceover there, which you can record in Animaker or use a separate program (I recommend Audacity) and import it already complete.
Animation by keyframes
Keyframe (or keyframe) animation consists of choosing a starting frame and an ending frame for animation.
In the following video, I show you how the character walks from one point (marked with the orange circle) to the last one (indicated by the image that is seen at the end of that animation).
But in turn, in the timeline, we choose the exact frame (or second) in which the animation starts and where it ends.
Transitions between scenes
On the left side is the option to add scenes and to go from one to another we can add transitions; all of them are, of course, pre-designed.
Documentation and guides
On Youtube and on the web you can find a lot of Animaker documentation, in case some kind of effect is complicated.
There are not as many tutorials as with other programs (example: Videoscribe), but it is one of the ones that I have seen the most guides and solutions.
Alternatives to Animaker
Animaker is a great service to create animated explanatory videos, however, it is not for all needs and possibilities, so here I give you some alternatives to Animaker:
Videoscribe
Obviously in price Videoscribe is much cheaper than $96 per year, its disadvantage is that the animation is much more limited, since you cannot create Animaker’s intelligent movements (such as making a character speak or walk).
I would recommend it more if your videos will be more educational than for a commercial purpose.
Toonly
This is the closest thing to Animaker and of course cheaper since it allows a one-time payment option (unlike Animaker or Videoscribe, which all options are temporary subscriptions).
Their designs are not as colorful as Animaker’s and there is no voice matching option for when the voice-over is heard, but if your budget is limited I think it is a great option.
Conclusion
In my opinion, Animaker is a great program for creating animated explainer videos. Learning it can take a while but once you master it you have everything to create very professional and quite colorful videos.
I think Animaker is for you if:
- You are going to create animated explanatory videos for a product or service that you offer, as well as in the case of creating videos for companies.
- You have the budget for the investment in Animaker, since it is not exactly a cheap program.
Animaker is not for you if:
- Your explanatory videos will be more of the didactic style in the style of the Academia Play or Caminos de Éxito YouTube channels, for that I recommend better videoscribe.
- If you don’t have the budget for the investment involved in animaker, I think Doodly is an option that can serve you just as well.
I hope that my review has helped you to make the best decision for your projects.