Ijharul Islam
An explainer video is a short video, usually 60 to 120 seconds long, that shows what a product, service or idea does, who it is for and why it matters, and ends with one next step. Vyond defines it as a short video of 1 to 2 minutes that introduces a product or company to potential customers, and Powtoon puts the ideal length at 60 to 90 seconds.
It is the video that sits at the top of a homepage, a landing page or a pitch deck and answers the question a newcomer has. This guide covers the main types, how long one should be, the four-part structure almost every good one uses, where to put it and what it costs. For the full production walk-through, see how to make an explainer video; for the wider topic, our video marketing guides.
The short answer
An explainer video is a 1 to 2 minute video that explains one thing simply: the problem a viewer has, what your product or idea does about it, how it works in two or three steps, and what to do next. It can be animated, a screen recording, live action, stock footage with a voice over, or made with AI tools. About 150 to 300 words of voice over fills one.
Key takeaways
- An explainer answers one question for someone new: what is this, and why should I care?
- 60 to 120 seconds is the usual length, which is roughly 150 to 300 words of narration at 150 words a minute.
- The common structure is problem, solution, how it works, next step.
- The style (animation, screen recording, live action, stock or AI) is a budget and fit decision, not what makes it an explainer.
- Studio-made 60-second explainers cost from about $2,400 in 2026; a DIY version costs a tool plan and your time.
What is an explainer video, in plain terms?
An explainer video is a short, narrated video that takes one idea a viewer doesn't yet understand and makes it clear. The narrator speaks to the viewer's problem first, then shows the answer. Most explainers are made for people at the start of the buying journey: someone landing on a homepage, reading an email, or hearing a pitch for the first time.
What separates an explainer from other marketing videos is its job. A brand film builds a feeling, an ad pushes one offer, a product demo walks an interested buyer through the features in depth, and a tutorial teaches an existing user a task. The explainer sits before all of those: it gets a stranger from “what is this?” to “I get it, and I might need it.” Our list of 12 types of marketing videos shows where it fits among the others.
Types of explainer video
| Type | What it looks like | Best for | Relative cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2D animated | Illustrated characters or scenes in motion | Services, finance, health, abstract ideas | Medium to high |
| Motion graphics | Animated text, icons and shapes, no characters | B2B, data-heavy messages, short social cuts | Medium |
| Whiteboard | A hand drawing the story on a white background | Processes, education, internal training | Low to medium |
| Screen recording (screencast) | The real product on screen with a voice over | Software, apps, SaaS | Low |
| Live action | Real people and products on camera | Physical products, local services, founders | Medium to high |
| Stock footage or AI-made | Library or generated clips cut to a voice over, sometimes with an AI presenter | Fast versions, tests, social, training | Low |
Many good explainers mix types. A software explainer often opens with a short animated or stock scene for the problem, cuts to screen recordings for how it works, and ends on a branded card. Pick the style that shows your idea most clearly at the budget you have.
How long should an explainer video be?
Aim for 60 to 90 seconds, and no more than 2 minutes unless every extra step is needed to answer the viewer's question. Vyond's definition says 1 to 2 minutes; Powtoon says 60 to 90 seconds is ideal and that complex topics can run 2 to 3 minutes.
Engagement data backs keeping it short. Wistia's 2026 analysis of more than 13 million videos found that videos under a minute averaged 52% engagement, and that educational and tutorial videos of 1 to 5 minutes are typically watched past the halfway point. In practice, the first 60 seconds of an explainer get the most attention, so the answer to the viewer's question must land inside them.
| Length | Words of narration (at 150 wpm) | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|
| 30 seconds | About 75 | Ads, social feeds, a pre-roll |
| 60 seconds | About 150 | Homepage, landing page, email |
| 90 seconds | About 225 | Product page, pitch deck, sales follow-up |
| 2 minutes | About 300 | Complex B2B offers, onboarding |
Word counts come from the average speaking pace of about 150 words a minute that the National Center for Voice and Speech gives for US English. Paste your draft into QuickVeed's words to minutes calculator to check yours, or see how many words per minute for a video script.
What goes into an explainer video
Nearly every explainer, whatever the style, follows the same four parts:
- Problem (about 15-20% of the script). One or two sentences the viewer recognises: “Your team spends Friday chasing invoices.”
- Solution (15-20%). Name what you offer in plain words.
- How it works (40-50%). Two or three concrete steps, each shown on screen as it's said.
- Next step (10-15%). One call to action: start a trial, book a call, read pricing.
Around that script sit the production pieces: a storyboard with one visual per line, a voice over, visuals in the chosen style, music under the voice, and captions for people who watch muted. The voice carries most explainers, so it gets its own guide: explainer video voice over, AI or human.
Where to use an explainer video
- Homepage or landing page, near the top, next to the headline it supports. Add a thumbnail that shows the product and a one-line summary for people who won't press play.
- Sales emails and follow-ups, as a link with a thumbnail rather than an attachment.
- Pitch decks and investor updates, as a 60-second version.
- Social feeds, cut to 30-60 seconds in 9:16 or 4:5, with captions burned in. The social media video size guide lists each platform's shapes.
- Onboarding, as the first thing a new user sees after signing up.
What does an explainer video cost?
Studio prices published in 2026 start at about $2,400 for a 60-second 2D or whiteboard explainer at a fixed-price studio (Broadcast2World's list), and one production company's guide puts most 60-second animated explainers at $2,500 to $10,000, with 3D and live action higher (Vidico). Freelancers usually cost less; DIY costs a tool plan and your time. The full breakdown, with sources, is in how much an explainer video costs, and what to put in a brief for a studio is in custom explainer videos: what you get and how to brief one.
If you'd rather make it yourself, explainer video makers compared lists the animation and AI tools with their current prices.
Making a simple explainer with QuickVeed
QuickVeed is our product, so weigh this accordingly. It doesn't animate characters, and you assemble the final cut in your own editor, but it covers the parts that usually take longest in a DIY explainer:
- Screen recordings of your product with the free screen recorder (in the browser, up to 1080p and 30 minutes, no watermark).
- The voice over from your script with the AI voice generator: 9 voice models, up to 10,000 characters a job, 7 to 25 credits per 1,000 characters, so a 60-second script costs roughly 7 to 23 credits.
- Shots you can't film with the AI video generator: 2-15 second clips from a prompt or a photo.
- A presenter intro of up to 30 seconds with AI avatars.
- Captions with auto subtitles: 1.5 credits a minute to transcribe and 1 a minute to burn in (3 at least).
QuickVeed plans are $18 a month for 1,000 credits, $42 for 2,500 and $114 for 6,000, and a new account gets a 14-day trial with 250 credits, no card needed.
Frequently asked questions
What is the purpose of an explainer video?
To make one idea clear to someone new, usually what a product does and why it matters to them, and to move them to one next step such as a trial or a call.
How long is an explainer video?
Usually 60 to 120 seconds. Vyond describes explainers as 1 to 2 minutes and Powtoon recommends 60 to 90 seconds; 30-second cuts work for ads and social.
What is the difference between an explainer video and a product demo?
An explainer gives a newcomer the big picture in a minute or two. A product demo walks an interested buyer through the product in more depth and usually runs longer.
Do explainer videos have to be animated?
No. Animation is common, but screen recordings, live action, stock footage and AI-generated shots are all explainers if they answer one question clearly.
How many words is a 60-second explainer video?
About 150 words at an average pace of 150 words a minute; 140 to 160 is a safe range.
Try it with your own video
Record your product, generate the voice over and captions, and put together a first explainer in an afternoon. Paste your 150-word script, generate a voice over, and judge it for yourself. QuickVeed plans start at $18/month, and new accounts get a 14-day trial with 250 credits, no card needed. Sign up or see pricing.
Sources
Competitor details in this post were checked against these public pages in October 2026. Products and prices change, so confirm with each vendor before you decide.
- Vyond: what is an explainer video
- Powtoon: explainer videos (ideal length 60-90 seconds)
- Wistia: optimal video length (engagement by length, 2026 State of Video data)
- National Center for Voice and Speech: voice qualities (average US English rate about 150 wpm)
- Broadcast2World: explainer video cost (updated October 2026)
- Vidico: how much does an explainer video cost (May 29, 2026)
