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 the best for you!
Whiteboard animation offers more than a one-size-fits-all solution.
From timeless hand-drawn styles to innovative digital variations, each type brings a distinct flair to idea presentation.
Let’s explore the unique charm of each style—
Remember the first time you saw a whiteboard animation?
Maybe it was during a business presentation or a product demo, where a hand drew illustrations while breaking down elaborate ideas.
That’s where classic whiteboard animation truly excels—educating and simplifying concepts.
Brands have long relied on this style to convey big ideas and visions to the world.
It combines traditional hand-drawn illustrations with subtle animation techniques, helpful on-screen notes, and a guiding voiceover to walk you through the content.
In such a whiteboard animation, you won’t find dramatic movements or flashy transitions.
The hand with the pen is the star of the show, steering the story and moving the characters along in a simple, yet captivating way.
These videos are perfect for making complex, information-heavy messages both engaging and memorable.
And here’s the kicker—since they don’t need a very deep level of detail, they’re budget-friendly too.
Typically, they can cost you around $500 to $2,000 per minute.
If you're looking for an effective way to get your message across without breaking the bank, classic whiteboard animation is a solid choice.
The charm of this style lies in explaining complex topics through minimalism.
When the subject is already challenging, adding too many hand drawn details can distract from the main message.
Minimalistic whiteboard animation uses simple illustrations, clean lines, and a controlled color palette to deliver your core message clearly. The aim here is to ensure a good flow to the visuals for better understanding of the overall concept.
Take the Fibrogen video linked above, for example.
It explains FibroGen Roxadustat, their Nobel Prize-winning science, and a novel approach to treating anemia in chronic kidney disease (CKD).
This is a complex medical topic, but the video keeps things accessible.
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.
These videos are ideal for explaining your products, services, innovations, or vision without being overshadowed by flashy visuals.
However, minimalism doesn’t mean the video is easy to produce.
Creating a well-researched, detailed video for complex topics like healthcare requires significant man-hours.
So, for a 2-minute video of this caliber and technicality, the budget can start around around $14,500 is reasonable.
Cartoons and caricatures may not be human, but they sure know how to pull at our heartstrings, don’t they?
This whiteboard animation style leverages that charm perfectly.
It uses caricature-inspired characters and doodle-style illustrations to make the message both relatable and engaging.
In these videos, you'll notice more characters—each showing clear physical and emotional changes.
Their eyes dart, their bodies move expressively, and the transitions are quick and fluid—quite different from the usual whiteboard style.
But it’s not just about the characters.
The doodles add a personal touch, making the video more engaging, and even adding a bit of humor.
Like in the video I linked above, where each person is connected to a doodle representing their innovation.
Another distinct feature of this whiteboard animation style is its minimal use of color, often relying on just one.
It’s just a whiteboard, a hand, and a black marker bringing the story to life.
Since these videos are more playful, with lots of character movement and expression, plus a professional voiceover and sound, they usually cost around $2,000 to $5,000 per minute.
But they’re an excellent way to advertise your product in a fun, memorable way.
Doodle, cartoony, or sketch-style whiteboard animations help you stand out from the competition and make your brand feel more relatable.
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 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.
If you too have such a vision for your video, this style could be perfect for you.
It can be 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.
So, expect to invest between $2,000 and $5,000 per minute for a watercolor-style video.
This classic animation 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.
If your message doesn’t need a lot of high precision or personalization, 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.
So, expect to invest between $5,000 and $10,000+ per minute for this style.
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 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.
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 thus 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 between $5,000 and $10,000+ per minute for this type of video.
Now, let’s dive into the other styles and see which ones would work best for your business!
Explainer videos usually come in classic, minimalist, or cartoon whiteboard styles.
These videos are typically detailed, running about 2-3 minutes long—perfect for an elevator pitch.
They provide an overall explanation of what your product does and why it matters.
For example, in the video linked above, you’ll see how different characters and elements of whiteboard animation highlight the key features of Medvector to potential clients.
The video sticks to brand colors, using them sparingly to keep the focus clear.
It combines characters, doodles, the classic hand-drawn style, and a professional voiceover to guide viewers through the process.
These videos offer potential clients a clear, engaging overview of your unique value and big picture.
They’re also great for marketing, educational content, and corporate presentations.
Since these videos are more detailed, they fall into a mid-range price point, costing around $2,000 to $5,000 per minute.
Product videos like these are typically between 90 seconds and 3 minutes long.
They use whiteboard animations to highlight a problem the audience faces and show how the product can solve it.
For example, the whiteboard video linked above uses a classic hand-drawn style to address issues with poor-quality foods and grains.
It then employs the same animation style and minimal voiceover to demonstrate how the company’s product can provide a solution.
The video keeps things simple by using only red color in a few places and focuses on hand-drawn illustrations and voiceover to convey the message.
Featuring such whiteboard videos on your product page can attract more attention and engage potential customers.
If you’re considering creating a product ad like this, expect to spend around $500 to $2,000 per minute.
We all know those pesky pre-roll ads that play before YouTube videos.
Instead of dreading them, why not turn them to your advantage with a whiteboard pre-roll ad?
These ads usually last between 15 to 30 seconds and are designed to make a quick, memorable impact.
Sure, they can be a bit annoying, but that's what makes them so effective—they definitely get noticed.
The key to a successful whiteboard pre-roll ad is simplicity.
Using colorful animations, a clear voiceover, and suitable background music, the goal is to get your brand name across as quickly as possible.
Since viewers often skip these ads right away, it's crucial to feature your brand prominently at the beginning and throughout the ad.
Unlike other ads that build up a problem before revealing the solution, whiteboard pre-roll ads introduce the brand early on.
For instance, in the linked video, Google’s brand name and message are displayed within the first few seconds.
In just 29 seconds, the ad delivers the full message with swift transitions and vibrant colors against a whiteboard background.
This approach ensures your brand stands out and leaves an immediate impression.
If you’re considering this approach for your next video, plan to budget around $500 to $2,000 per minute.
Instead of the usual dull HR presentation, why not show your team something more engaging, like a whiteboard training video?
You can totally use whiteboard videos to keep training consistent across your entire company.
Whether you're rolling out a new product or welcoming new team members, these videos can make a big difference.
Take the example of the sales training video I linked above—it delivers key training points without being boring.
The video uses relatable characters and real-world scenarios to explain concepts in a way that sticks, all without overwhelming the viewer.
Whiteboard videos are great at hitting that sweet spot—they’re engaging enough to hold attention without being too flashy or distracting.
The focus is on getting the message across clearly and effectively, without overloading it with too many colors, sounds, or transitions.
So, rather than letting your team zone out, grab their attention with a whiteboard training video that actually keeps them engaged.
Since such videos are usually simple and basic, they’ll cost you around $500 to $2,000 per minute.
Holiday greeting whiteboard videos are a great way to show appreciation to clients, employees, vendors, or anyone else you want to connect with during the holiday season.
These videos are typically short—15 to 60 seconds—and offer a fun and engaging way to spread holiday cheer.
For instance, the whiteboard video I linked above features dog characters breaking free from their paperwork to enjoy the holidays, wrapping up with a cheerful "Happy Holidays!"
It’s a lighthearted and relatable approach that corporate folks will love, keeping your brand memorable.
With big companies already using these videos, why not join in?
Short, cheerful whiteboard animations are perfect for the holidays.
These videos keep your brand on your client's radar, show your human side, and are a much more thoughtful gesture than sending a fruitcake!
Plus, since these videos are simple and not too detailed, you can create one for your brand within a budget of $500 to $2,000 per minute.
This ends our rundown of the top whiteboard animation styles for your marketing videos.
Now, you’ve got a lot of great options to choose from.
If you’re looking for something detailed and informative, go with the classic explainer style.
For something short and punchy, the minimalist style is a great choice.
Mixed media works wonders for interviews, while the cartoony style is perfect if you want to build around a character.
With so many styles at your disposal, pick the one that best matches your message and vibe.
Feel free to experiment and let your content shine!
Watch how those static images are drawn to life on screen—it’s sure to grab your audience’s attention!
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