What is an explainer video?

An explainer video makes a complex idea, product, or service easy to understand — usually in 60 to 90 seconds. It often uses animation, metaphor, or a friendly narrator, and it lives on homepages, in onboarding flows, and in paid ads where the viewer has no prior context.

Explainer video is the workhorse of B2B SaaS marketing. When a category is new, when a product depends on a non-obvious workflow, or when the homepage needs to communicate a concept faster than copy can — an explainer is the format that ships.

Most explainers fall into one of three styles. Whiteboard animation feels low-budget and educational. Motion-graphics animation feels modern and polished. Hybrid screencast-plus-voiceover feels honest and product-grounded. The right choice depends on whether the goal is reach, conversion, or trust.

The script does 80% of the work. A 90-second explainer is roughly 200 words. Every word fights for its place. Strong explainers open on the viewer's problem in the first 10 seconds, name the category in the next 20, demonstrate the mechanism in the next 30, and end on a single, repeatable line.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an explainer video cost?

Animated explainers from a credible studio typically run from $8K (template-driven motion graphics) to $60K+ (custom-illustrated character animation). Hybrid screencast explainers can be made in-house for under $2K if you have a clear script and a designer who can produce supporting graphics.

Should an explainer video be animated or live-action?

Animation when the product is intangible, the workflow is abstract, or you need to show something that cannot be filmed (e.g. data flowing through a network). Live action when the value lives in real people, real workspaces, or real screens.

Where do explainer videos work best?

Homepage hero, pricing page, paid social, and the first frame of an onboarding email. Anywhere a viewer needs to understand the category before the rest of the page makes sense.