Today, you can get almost anything as a service, and animation is no different. But not all animated video services are created equal. Whether you run a business or need animations for another project, this breakdown will help you compare your options.
How to Choose an Animated Video Service
First, decide what you need. How many designs will you be requesting and where will you be using them? If animations tie into your content strategy, make sure you know what you’ll be doing with them ahead of time.
There are two main types of animation: 2D and 3D. 2D involves simple shapes while 3D uses more sophisticated graphics software to create images with depth and perspective. 3D may also be more expensive because it takes longer to create. However, 3D animations can be used for many different purposes, including movies, music videos, and video games. For many business purposes (eg. ads, promos, social posts), 2D is sufficient. For more involved projects, you may notice creators blending 2D and 3D. For example, 3D graphics on top of a stationary 2D background. Most animated video services offer 2D design, but only some offer 3D.
Before you sign up for an unlimited animation service, check how many revisions are offered. Many services will offer unlimited revisions – within reason. Also take time to look at the company’s portfolio to see if they’re creating on caliber with your expectations. It’s good to know that your designers have experience in your industry and with the medium/style you’ll be requesting.
Lastly, consider how long you need the animations to be. While some services offer brief animations, others do longer videos with music or a spoken script behind it.
1. Sharp Eye Animation
Sharp Eye is clear on what they do and who they do it for. This is primarily a service for companies in tech and retail. They offer custom video production and explainer videos.
Sharp Eye’s portfolio showcases a modern and somewhat corporate design style. So while their videos are highly customized to the specific business, the animation style itself doesn’t vary much. The platform promises:
- Unlimited revisions at every stage of the design process
- Quick responses to calls and emails
There are also no tiers to this service, and Sharp Eye says ‘everyone gets the premium tier.’ Unlike some unlimited animation services, you don’t simply sign up and submit a design request. Instead, you get in touch with them and together you determine whether it’s a good fit.
2. Penji Unlimited Graphic Design
Penji’s unlimited graphic design service includes animation. So if you need both graphics and simple animations, Penji is the way to go.
The value of working with Penji is that they have a variety of artists and designers with different specializations. So when you submit a request, you’ll automatically be matched with an appropriate designer. And if it doesn’t work out, you can always request someone else. Everything from wildly playful to super professional is fair game on this platform.
You can request a design by logging into Penji’s dashboard and submitting a text request describing what you need. From within the platform, you’ll receive design updates and be able to speak with your designer directly.
Penji offers 3 pricing tiers based on your budget and needs: Pro, Team, and Daytime. Unlimited animation becomes available at the Team level. To see examples of Penji animations, visit their portfolio page and click the ‘animation’ tab.
3. Draftss Unlimited Graphic Design
Much like Penji, Draftss offers both graphic design and motion graphics. But Draftss is unique from other design services in that it offers video editing. They also offer web development in different platforms like Wix and Wordpress.
Once you sign up, you’ll be able to submit a brief. Then, your project manager will be in touch to discuss the project. Like Penji, Draftss offers 3 pricing tiers: Branding, Experience, and Build. Web & app UI design, animations, and video editing become available at the Experience tier.
4. Ultimate Video
Ultimate Video is another animation subscription service to consider. They are a team of professional video producers that offer unlimited animations, revisions, and custom solutions if needed. They also offer both 2D and 3D designs.
The process for Ultimate Video is relatively similar to Penji’s and Draftss’ except they receive submissions through Slack, Trello, or email. It’s a bit unusual, but we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. Once you submit your request, their team gets to work. After you receive the first draft, you can provide feedback, get revisions if needed, and be on your way.
The pricing plan is simple for this unlimited video animation service: $499 for the first month and $650 thereafter. You can see more examples in their video portfolio.
5. Epipheo
Epipheo brands itself as a video production agency that specializes in explainer videos. But they can create pretty much any type of animation you need, like educational, branding, or social ads. They have experience with a variety of industries including financial services, healthcare, and SaaS.
It’s important to distinguish Epipheo from the subscription models on this list. Like Sharp Eye Animation, customers need to get in touch with the company for a quote.
First, you'll have a discovery call with Epipheo to talk about your content strategy. Next, the video planning starts. This is where you'll talk about the budget and explain the story you want your video/videos to tell. During pre-production, they'll create a script and start building the scenes. Finally, they'll put the finishing touches on your video and present it to you.
Unlimited Animation Services: Are They Worth It?
Some companies can justify a subscription to a graphic design/animated video service. If you know you’ll just need one video, obviously the subscription model isn’t necessary. But if you need ongoing support for your content marketing, partnering with a design service might be the best investment you ever made. It all depends on your budget, needs, and goals. For larger companies that are trying to scale, an animation service may help you edge out your competitors.
