Aren’t all brands looking for the same thing—the best?
And to choose the best, you need to know what all there is to choose from.
The same is the case with whiteboard animation—a video style with a variety of types to pick from.
While each type has whiteboard animation at the core, they are different in their nuances, techniques, presentation, price point, and the most important thing for brands—‘the results.’
Each one can induce a different emotion and is great for getting a particular kind of message across.
But taking the time to research all these types of whiteboard animation can be overwhelming for a brand.
So we’ve done it for you!
To help you learn which type is the best fit for your brand, we have compiled this list discussing the major types of whiteboard animation and why they work.
The perfect one can work wonders for your marketing strategy.
So, dive in and learn what would work best for you!
Whiteboard animations have their roots in classic whiteboard videos—a style that showcases artists literally drawing everything on a whiteboard.
Their hand movements and sketches are captured in real-time through live recording and later edited into a seamless final video—just like in the above video example from RSA.
In this whiteboard style, you can see how the artist draws each element, explains concepts, moves across the whiteboard, erases drawings, transforms them, and adds new details to progress the story.
Creating and filming classic whiteboard videos required meticulous effort, making them quite expensive (around $10,000 to $20,000 per minute) and time-consuming.
That’s why brands have turned to whiteboard animation videos. These animations are far more budget-friendly and offer much more creative flexibility.
From timeless hand-drawn styles to innovative digital variations, animated whiteboard videos have a distinct style that can communicate your brand message in an enchanting way.
Let’s explore the unique charm of different types of whiteboard video animations:
Price Range: Starts from $3000
The name already gives it away—it's a simple yet engaging whiteboard animation style that brings ideas to life through hand-drawn illustrations on a whiteboard surface.
First, the storyline is conceptualized, then an artist translates it into sketches, guiding the narrative forward.
A voiceover accompanies the visuals, explaining the concept in sync with the drawings. The hand movements feel natural, making the video flow smoothly and keeping viewers engaged.
The video linked above from Christian Church Homes beautifully showcases the charm of this style in action.
Created with the vision of explaining the origin, values, and work of CCH, the video—through its sketches and voiceover—takes viewers on a journey, illustrating how CCH navigates the complex landscape of housing development.
The meticulous hand-drawn visuals, background sketches, minor 2D animations, and voiceover work in synergy, making the entire process easier for viewers to understand and retain.
The video uses minimal colors to emphasize key steps, along with characters, dialogue boxes, and a final zoom-out shot that ties everything together seamlessly. It keeps viewers engaged from start to finish.
This whiteboard animation video is a perfect example of simplicity done right!
Price Range: between $500 and $1500 per minute
These are the simplest, easiest, and cheapest types of whiteboard animation videos.
They don't use the typical hand-drawn animation style but instead rely on automated whiteboard animation software like Doodly or custom high-speed whiteboard video templates.
To create this type of whiteboard cartoon video, you can purchase editable files from platforms like Envato and hire a motion graphics artist to edit them cost-effectively.
Spigit used this style of whiteboard animation in the above-linked video to highlight a pain point—how thousands of great ideas can get stuck in the pipeline, causing you to lose the opportunity to capitalize on them.
The character animation video then introduces Spigit as the ultimate solution to filter the most valuable ideas out of thousands of great ideas.
Notice how the whiteboard doodling video deviates from the usual whiteboard animation style.
While the hand is shown drawing the cartoon whiteboard characters, its movement is unusually fast and not entirely natural.
You'll also see more characters, each displaying clear physical and emotional changes.
Their eyes dart, their bodies move expressively with 2D animation, and the transitions are quick and fluid—quite different from the traditional whiteboard style.
Price Range: between $2000 and $5000 per minute
Imagine scenes and transitions flowing like watercolor paintings—full of rich colors that break away from the usual black-and-white vibe.
That’s what this whiteboard animation style is all about. It adds a touch of elegance and artistic flair to your content.
Often paired with a professional voiceover and well-chosen background music, the watercolor style can make your message feel both sophisticated and emotional.
The animated characters in these videos may move very little or not at all, depending on the creative direction.
So, this isn’t a one-size-fits-all style. It’s best suited for projects that need a high-end, artistic touch, like brand stories—such as the above video from Patriot Food Club.
Analyze how it masterfully uses this style to convey its origins.
It begins with the story of a grandfather’s self-reliance for food, illustrating how that way of life has faded, why disasters still pose a threat, and the growing need for long-term, affordable food storage.
It highlights how the Patriot Food Club was built on this very idea. The visual storytelling in this video makes you feel like you’re witnessing a painting-like story unfold before your eyes in just a few minutes.
If you, too, have such a vision for your video creation, this style could be perfect for you. It can be a great fit for your marketing or testimonial videos, where you want to present stories in a visually stunning way.
Keep in mind, though, that this style requires specialized skills and a lot of time to create.
Price Range: between $3000 and 5000 per minute
This animation whiteboard style has really made a comeback, especially thanks to brands like Dropbox that use it in their ads.
It features paper cutouts of people and objects against simple 2D backgrounds and often uses stop motion to bring everything to life.
The effect is quite striking—the paper cutouts move with a charming, deliberate quality that makes it clear they’re cutouts.
The transitions are more like shifts rather than smooth flows, adding to the unique, crafted feel. Shadows are even added to enhance the paper cutout effect.
The color palette is usually minimal, sticking mainly to the brand’s colors. Characters are often just white with black outlines, highlighting their cutout nature.
You can see all these characteristics in action in the above video from Residential Building Services (RBS) Limited.
RBS used it to target people struggling with invoice processing and paperwork and to pitch its services as a solution.
By taking the cutout animation approach, our whiteboard animation video services company helped them showcase their services as the perfect solution—turning what could have been a standard, forgettable product pitch into something that stays in the minds of viewers.
If your message doesn’t need a lot of high precision or personalization, like this video, this style can be a creative and engaging way to present your topic—assuming it’s executed well.
It’s perfect for short marketing videos or product explanations. However, these videos are highly detailed in terms of their craft and may require custom illustrations.
Price Range: $5,000 - $10,000+ per minute
This style creatively blends whiteboard animation with techniques like live motion, stop motion, cut-out animation, and doodling, resulting in something truly unique.
In the European Commission video linked above, for example, the characters start as doodles in a notebook and then transform into paper cutouts with fluid motion.
The characters here show much more movement and emotion than other whiteboard styles.
The video discusses an important topic: how we can build an interoperable Europe and the benefits of interoperable software.
It explains all these crucial scenarios, ifs, and buts using two violinist cutouts playing on an open book—certainly not expected, but definitely extraordinary.
What makes this video even more interesting is that the animation doesn’t just play out on a flat 2D surface—it happens within the pages of an open book, seamlessly integrated into a real-life setting.
The video also has a humorous touch, enhanced by professional voiceover and music, making the message even more engaging.
In a world where standing out is crucial, hybrid whiteboard videos do just that. This style can be a great fit for your promotional ads, product showcases, or as a standout piece in your social media strategy.
But keep in mind, because such videos combine various animation styles, they’re on the high end. They require more expertise, detail, and revisions to get just right. So, expect to invest a bit more for this type of video.
Now, let’s dive into the other styles and see which ones would work best for your business!
This type of whiteboard video animation is primarily curated around educational content designed to inform clients.
Brands use it to attract prospects on social media by explaining topics of interest related to their products or services in a simple, engaging way.
Take the above-linked video, for example. FibroGen wanted to explain FibroGen Roxadustat, their Nobel Prize-winning science, and a novel approach to treating anemia in chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Their aim was to explain a complex medical topic to viewers while also keeping it accessible and simple for them. So, they used this whiteboard social media video.
Our team of whiteboard animators used simple illustrations, clean lines, and a controlled color palette in this video to deliver their core message clearly.
Although it’s designed for an audience with some familiarity with the topic, the illustrations and voiceover are simplified to avoid overwhelming novice viewers.
The video uses bright, friendly colors and lively visuals, but in a subtle way. There are no flashy transitions—just a steady pace and carefully detailed steps.
If you too plan to do content creation around complex topics like healthcare or tech, you can consider this type.
These are animated brand story videos that showcase a company's processes and values.
As a brand, they help you highlight the core principles that drive your organization.
Take this video from The Community Builders (TCB), for example. Notice how it uses whiteboard animations, pairing them with engaging graphics, text, subtle colors, and a strong explainer video script to highlight their values and mission.
The video effectively takes viewers on a journey, showing how the brand is working relentlessly to shape the future of sustainable and inclusive community development.
To highlight the powerful impact the brand makes, the video features children, guiding the narrative to show how the brand benefits them, their families, and different parts of society.
Paired with the engaging visuals is a soft, motherly voiceover that evokes a sense of ease and trust toward the brand.
In the final part of the video, a zoom-out shot reveals the entire whiteboard filled with sketches.
Different sections highlight TCB’s core values—integrity, community, dedication, collaboration, and sustainability.
These values then merge into the TCB logo, powerfully reinforcing the essence of the brand.
These are essentially whiteboard product explainer videos that you embed on your brand’s landing pages to reduce bounce rates and increase conversions.
When visitors come to your website to learn more about your product or service, you can provide that information upfront instead of making them read long paragraphs of text—something they’re less likely to spend time on.
By using such landing page videos, you increase the time visitors spend on your website, which also boosts your SEO value for Google.
Check out this landing page video our whiteboard animation services produced for Red Hat.
The brand approached our white board animation services with a clear objective—to highlight how Red Hat Enterprise Linux enhances technical and operational resilience in naval operations, ensuring reliability in critical maritime warfare applications.
A lot of technical explanations were required to convey this message, but we didn’t want their core message to get lost in technical jargon.
So, we created this whiteboard explainer video that presents their enterprise open-source solutions in an easy-to-digest way.
This video isn’t your typical white-background whiteboard animation. Instead, it uses a colored background that complements the brand’s colors.
While hand-drawn illustrations are present, they’re not the only visual elements—pre-made character illustrations and other design elements are also used, meaning not everything is drawn from scratch.
The video also incorporates infographics and paragraphs of text to explain key concepts more clearly for better viewer understanding.
Internal communication videos are usually short, informative videos that brands use to efficiently share information within their organization.
Training videos are also a type of internal communication video, but they are more elaborate.
These videos are commonly used for corporate training and employee onboarding.
GRIFOLS, as a brand, understood how important it is for employees selling their products to first understand the product and its production process inside out.
Explaining the same thing to each and every employee repeatedly isn’t feasible for a large corporation like theirs. So, they sought our services to explain their Albutein FlexBag process flow to their employees using a video.
We created this whiteboard video to outline each step of the process, using suitable sketches and voiceover guidance to highlight the flow—from the production of the bags, printing, quality controls, transportation, product quality testing, and filling with albumin, to sealing and final product release to distributors.
With corporate whiteboard animation videos like this, employees have a common resource to refer to whenever they are confused about the production process.
These animated whiteboard videos are used once a customer has been onboarded. They educate your customers on how to effectively use your product or service.
For example, check out how the above-linked video from the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) uses a whiteboard animation style combined with 2D animation to explain their Alt Fuel Incentives program.
It highlights how the program has helped public fleet managers and agencies transition from combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles.
It effectively uses information overlays and callout boxes to explain who should apply for the rebates, who is eligible, and what the program supports, making all the information structured and easy to understand.
As a brand, you too can use whiteboard animations in your customer support materials to clearly explain your product or service, ensuring a smooth onboarding experience for your customers.
If you are inspired by these use cases and want to try making these videos, this blog about amazing whiteboard video makers is a must-read to get more hands-on information before actually getting started. Do check it out!
Like any other video style, the production process for whiteboard videos starts with ideation and the creation of a strong video script.
Based on this script, the creative team creates a storyboard and finalizes the animation style.
Next, whiteboard animators draw the sketches, and the actions are filmed.
The sketching process can be done live, or, as you might have seen in some videos above, the hand drawing the sketches itself can be animated. You can go either route.
Once the video content is complete, voiceover and sound effects are added. Finally, all the elements are combined in the post-production process to create the final video.
If you're interested in learning how to make a whiteboard video through a more detailed step-by-step process, check out this linked blog.
Whiteboard explainer videos are an amazing communication tool for every type of business and even individuals.
They can break down the most complex ideas and serve them to viewers as easily digestible pieces.
You can use such videos for product tutorials, company overviews, welcome videos, new product launches, and to enhance any marketing or sales efforts.
Whether you're in healthcare, finance, SaaS, or general business, this style will work best for you.
Check out some of the top whiteboard explainer videos we've covered in our other blog to explore the vast range of their applications.
Well, the cost varies based on the complexity of your chosen whiteboard animation style, video length, script and storyboard development process, voiceover/sound design, revisions and edits, production timeframe, and the experience and reputation of the video production company.
For most basic whiteboard videos, you can expect to pay around $500 to $2,000 per minute, while high-end whiteboard animation videos can even exceed $10,000+ per minute.
For a more detailed breakdown of whiteboard animation video costs, check out the linked blog.
Whiteboard videos offer a wealth of benefits, from effortlessly simplifying complex concepts to making them easy to understand.
They provide multi-sensory learning, include interactive elements, and, most importantly, enhance message retention among viewers.
Explaining these numerous benefits in a single paragraph wouldn't do them justice—it calls for a full blog!
So, we created one discussing the top whiteboard animation benefits that matter. Check it out!
Yes, they are quite effective for educational purposes as they combine the best benefits of traditional animation styles with the magic of interactive elements.
They can take any abstract idea, simplify it, and illustrate it in a way that keeps viewers hooked.
Their strong point is how they create a synergy between storytelling and visual thinking.
This concludes our rundown of the top whiteboard animation styles for your marketing videos. Now, you’ve got plenty of great options to choose from.
If you’re looking for something detailed and informative, go with the simple explainer style. For something easy and simple, the white board cartoon or doodle style is a great choice.
Watercolor and painted whiteboard animation work best for brand stories, while cut-out videos are ideal for presenting your offerings in a fascinating way to viewers.
Whiteboard videos also have various use cases based on your needs. To expand your reach, you can incorporate whiteboard animation into your social media content.
Additionally, they can be a valuable tool for making internal communication videos more engaging and easier to understand.
With so many styles at your disposal, pick the one that best matches your message and vibe. Feel free to experiment, create whiteboard animations, and let your content shine!
Watch how those static images come to life on screen—it’s sure to grab your audience’s attention.
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