It has long been clear that artificial intelligence does not stop at videos. Various online platforms already offer the creation of explainer videos with AI support. We have taken a closer look at this trend and the most important providers.
Until just under two years ago, most offers of online available software for the automatic creation of videos on digital platforms were mainly aimed at amateurs and narrow-media film makers. The videos created with this software looked similar. And those videos were hardly suitable for storytelling.
Due to the steady increase of videos in marketing and corporate communications – not only, but also in social media – the focus has shifted: More and more software companies are now offering corporate customers B2B business models to produce high-quality explainer videos on their online platforms fully automatically with the help of artificial intelligence. So you can learn a lot about communication with moving images.
If you believe these promises, a video production company is no longer necessary and original and creative films can be produced serially and inexpensively with a monthly subscription. Animating photos or accessing movie clips in a database will do.
We wanted to know more and tested eight well-known providers for this article for you.
In a nutshell
- Online video tools are only as good as the user who fills them with content.
- The majority of video platforms are limited to the online production of explainer videos.
- Many applications are only available in English, but are intuitive to use.
Some programs use artificial intelligence (AI). They suggest illustrations based on text, or even automatically create off-voice.
Explainer videos: Input equals Output
Actually, it’s a matter of course: If you don’t know what you want to say or how you want to say it, you won’t be able to produce clever explainer videos online with the world’s best software.
The input determines the output even on platforms for more or less automatic online video production! As the old Nietzsche already stated: Where a monkey looks into the mirror, no philosopher looks back from the mirror! Neither AI, nor the biggest mega-trend will change that. Man remains man.
Basically, every operator of such platforms must master the demanding tightrope walk between a formal corset of specifications that is too tight for the user (in this case, all videos look the same at the end!) and the counter-pool, the absolute creative/dramaturgical freedom (which also opens the door to visual and narrative nonsense!).
This balancing act does not always succeed.
The most important suppliers of do-it-yourself video tools for explainer videos
In this article, the online platforms for the automatic creation of explainer videos are listed in alphabetical order. Where the presence on the Internet is only available in English, advertising slogans and self-descriptions of the provider were translated independently and without authorization by Filmpuls.
Animoto
 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Animoto |
| Slogan | Create marketing videos online |
| Link | animoto.com |
| Self-description | Join millions of people who create and share videos with our simple drag and drop video maker. No experience required. |
| Google says | Animoto is a cloud-based video creation service that creates video from photos, video clips and music in video slideshows and custom web-based presentations |
| Target group | B-to-C |
| Languages | only in English |
| Design variety | high |
| Voiceover | no automatic voiceover |
| Creation process | Slideshow, animation of own material (video, photos), real images or stock footage / archive photos |
| Price model | Free / Professional (33.- per month) / Team (49.- per month) |
| Use of AI | No |
| Rating | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Rating: ★★★★★ = highly recommended | ★ = not recommended
Explainer Videos: Biteable
 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Biteable |
| Slogan | Make better videos than your competitors. During your lunch break |
| Link | biteable.com |
| Self-description | Make stunning videos in a snap with the Biteable video maker. Sparkle with studio-quality animation, footage, and effects |
| Google says | Biteable is a platform for creating do-it-yourself videos. |
| Target group | B-to-C |
| Languages | only in English |
| Design variety | mittel |
| Voiceover | no automatic voiceover |
| Creation process | Selection from existing templates with videos from stock material and from animation libraries |
| Price model | Starter (15.- per month) / Plus (29.- per month) / Unlimited (49.- per month) |
| Use of AI | No |
| Rating | ⭐⭐ |
Rating: ★★★★★ = highly recommended | ★ = not recommended
Lumen5
 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Lumen5 |
| Slogan | Create videos in minutes for any social media format |
| Link | lumen5.com |
| Self-description | Lumen5 creates compelling, engaging videos from your existing content – Increase your social engagement and save time. |
| Google says | Lumen5 is beneficial for all brands and companies that are serious about content marketing and especially video content. |
| Target group | B-to-B |
| Languages | only in English |
| Design variety | low |
| Voiceover | no automatic voiceover |
| Creation process | Illustration of a text according to scenes with real images or stock footage |
| Price model | Community/ Starter (19.- per month) / Premium (49.- per month) / Business (149.- per month) / Custom (on request) |
| Use of AI | simple keyword recognition (English language), which suggests images |
| Rating | ⭐⭐ |
Rating: ★★★★★ = highly recommended | ★ = not recommended
mysimpleshow
 | |
|---|---|
| Name | mysimpleshow |
| Slogan | Create your own simpleshow now. Quickly. Simple. Professional. |
| Link | mysimpleshow.com |
| Self-description | simpleshow has been creating explainer videos for companies and organisations for years. For mysimpleshow, we have put all our experience into the development of a simple online tool that allows everyone to create their own professional explanatory videos. |
| Google says | mysimpleshow is a software with which you can create unique explainer videos step by step online. |
| Target group | B-to-B |
| Languages | German / English |
| Design variety | low |
| Voiceover | automatic voice-over (!) |
| Creation process | fully automatic illustration of animated explainer videos based on text, |
| Price model | Business (129.-/per month) / Pro (499.-/month) |
| Use of AI | Yes, automatic imaging, image composition, automatic animation and sound |
| Rating | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Rating: ★★★★★ = highly recommended | ★ = not recommended
Explainer Videos: Rawshorts
 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Rawshorts |
| Slogan | Instantly create animated videos from text |
| Link | rawshorts.com |
| Self-description | With our Video-Maker you can immediately create animations from text. Create animations in seconds using AI technology and save hours of video creation. |
| Google says | AI-driven video platform that provides business users with the tools to produce professional-looking explainer videos |
| Target group | B-to-B |
| Languages | only in English |
| Design variety | medium |
| Voiceover | yes (except in free version) |
| Creation process | Either based on templates (video) or on scene-based adjustments of image proposals |
| Price model | Starter (free) / Essential (33.- per month) / Business (59.- per month) |
| Use of AI | yes, simple keyword recognition (english) and image suggestions |
| Rating | ⭐⭐ |
Rating: ★★★★★ = highly recommended | ★ = not recommended
Powtoon
 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Powtoon |
| Slogan | Make videos and animations online |
| Link | powtoon.com |
| Self-description | Make videos with Powtoon in a few minutes. Use our library of styles, characters, backgrounds and videos or upload your own! Free of charge. Simple. Awesome. |
| Google says | Powtoon is a British company that sells cloud-based animation software for creating animated presentations and animated explainer videos. The name “Powtoon” is a portmanteau of “PowerPoint” and the word “cartoon”. |
| Target group | B-to-C |
| Languages | only in English |
| Design variety | high |
| Voiceover | no automatic voiceover |
| Creation process | Like Powerpoint based on slides, large library, many animation options per image |
| Price model | Pro (19.- per month) / Pro + ( 29.- per month) / Agency (99.- per month) |
| Use of AI | No |
| Rating | ⭐⭐ |
Rating: ★★★★★ = highly recommended | ★ = not recommended
Videoscribe
 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Videoscribe |
| Slogan | Whiteboards-Software |
| Link | videoscribe.com |
| Self-description | Animation software for whiteboards – stand out with Videoscribe The easy way to professional quality videos. |
| Google says | VideoScribe is a software for the automatic creation of whiteboard animations, which was developed by the British company Sparkol in 2012. VideoScribe is based on Adobe Flash and produces QuickTime movies and Flash videos that can be exported as QuickTime video, Flash video or image sequences. |
| Target group | B-to-C |
| Languages | French / English |
| Design variety | medium |
| Voiceover | no automatic voiceover |
| Creation process | Image library, animated slides analogous to Powerpoint, images can be animated differently |
| Price model | Single Users (25.- per month)/ Team (143.- per month) |
| Use of AI | No |
| Rating | ⭐⭐⭐ |
Rating: ★★★★★ = highly recommended | ★ = not recommended
Vyond
 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Yvond |
| Slogan | Tools for creating animated videos |
| Link | vyond.com |
| Self-description | Quickly create professional, brand-focused animated videos with free templates. Free 14-day trial. Start creating dynamic, powerful videos with drag-and-drop controls, lip syncing, and more. |
| Google says | Vyond is a cloud based platform for the creation of animation videos. With this site, registered users can create videos based on defined characters, objects and backgrounds; new characters can be created in different styles with the help of an editor. |
| Target group | B-to-B |
| Languages | only in English |
| Design variety | extremely high |
| Voiceover | automatisches Voiceover inbegriffen |
| Creation process | based on scenes and a timeline, analog professional editing software; comprehensive options for each setting |
| Price model | Essential (25.- per month) / Premium (55.- per month)/ Professional (84.- per month) / Company (on request); annual subscription only |
| Use of AI | No |
| Rating | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Rating: ★★★★★ = highly recommended | ★ = not recommended
Do-it-yourself video tools for explainer videos: Subscription models, freemium and free
Corporate customers calculate differently than hobby and leisure film makers: they do not compare the costs for the online production of an explainer video with their own purchasing power, but with offers from real-life video productions.
From this special perspective, it quickly becomes clear in digital business who the winner is.
This is one of the reasons why software solutions for the complete online video production are more and more in the B2B segment. Combined with a subscription model, not only are the prices unbeatable, but also the revenues can be determined for a quarter or even a year in advance. This pleases the investors, the house bank and the ego of the founders.
Depending on the provider, basic packages and the most important functions of the online platforms are available free of charge. At the same time, further applications can be activated with (paid!) upgrades.
The all-decisive criterion nevertheless remains the quality of the content of such videos! Without storytelling, technical excellence remains only technology and ultimately has no memorable value.
Explainer Videos: Lessons learned
The examples examined here show that individual providers can indeed be a serious alternative to the classic production method for serial application and when used by employees with know-how in the field of moving image production.
However, this is likely to be the exception – at least still today – which confirms the rule. Artificial intelligence in video production still needs the craft more than the craft needs artificial intelligence!
This article was automatically translated into English using AI. If you would like to help us improve the quality, we would be happy to hear from you.
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