Has Animation Become Too Expensive?

It’s surprising that, despite process being more efficient and software becoming more open source, it feels like animation is becoming ever more expensive. The thing is, pricing animation is usually broken down by how long the end product is, not necessarily work hours. Generally, animation studios and agencies can gauge how much work is needed depending on the duration of the animation and therefore price accordingly. There are several reasons for this, based on the number of frames per second, which are then calculated for how long the client wants their animation to be, so if a studio charges £1,000 per minute, working to 24 frames per second you can reverse engineer the costing to be around 70p per frame, or around £17 per second.

Creating one minute of animation at 24 frames per second (fps) can be very time-intensive, as this requires producing 1,440 individual frames (24 frames x 60 seconds). The work hours required to complete this will depend heavily on the animation style and complexity, as well as the level of detail in each frame. On average, the cost of animation taken from an industry cross section, based on typical rates that animation freelancers, studios, and agencies charge is as follows:

1. 2D Animation

• Basic 2D animation: £1,000–£5,000 per minute (e.g., simple explainer animations or whiteboard animations) - Approximate Time: 60–150 hours per minute

• High-quality 2D animation: £5,000–£20,000+ per minute (e.g., character animation, detailed storytelling) - Approximate Time: 200–400 hours per minute

  
  

2. 3D Animation

• Basic 3D animation: £3,000–£7,000 per minute (e.g., simple product visualisations) – Approximate Time: 120–250 hours per minute

• High-quality 3D animation: £10,000–£50,000+ per minute (e.g., full character animations, complex environments) – Approximate Time: 400–700+ hours per minute

  
  

3. Motion Graphics

• Basic motion graphics: £1,000–£4,000 per minute (e.g., text-based animations, simple transitions) – Approximate Time: 40–100 hours per minute

• Advanced motion graphics: £5,000–£15,000 per minute (e.g., animated infographics, complex visual effects) – Approximate Time: 100–300 hours per minute

  
  

4. Stop Motion Animation

• Stop motion animation: £10,000–£100,000+ per minute, depending on the complexity and materials (often used for unique, hand-crafted effects) – Approximate Time: 300–1,000 hours per minute

  
  

5. High-end/Custom Animation Studios

• Major studios or well-known agencies that produce high-end animations for brands or media often charge £50,000–£100,000+ per minute for complex projects involving intricate storytelling and design.

  
  

Will Animation get Cheaper?

With various off-the-shelf solutions which streamline workflows, animation should be getting cheaper, but the cost has generally risen over the past 10 years. In 2014, animation technology was less advanced, with more manual work and longer rendering times, however although advances in software, AI and rendering technology have reduced production time, ultimately reducing costs, the expansion of the market and demand has countered this. The gap in quality has also widened, where freelancers might be able to charge less, but industry leaders increasing costs for high-end, polished animations.

In 2014, basic 2D animation could cost around £500–£3,000 per minute. Today, it’s more like £1,000–£5,000 for the same quality, reflecting both inflation and the higher cost of talent and demand. Basic 3D animation ranged from £3,000 to £10,000 per minute, while high-quality 3D could go up to £30,000 or more. Today, those costs are closer to £5,000–£50,000 per minute.

Snap Media Digital’s Animation Mission

This hasn’t gone unnoticed at Snap Media Digital, where our mission is to make animation accessible to all, big brands, SMEs and sole traders alike. Whether it’s for education, business or services, we’re driven to deliver high end animations at lower costs, which is fuelled by our creative passion. We also know cash flow can vary month on month, so we prefer pricing plans which suit your budget, which is why we spread out costs, hopefully making the finance team a little happier! What’s more, our pricing plans are calculated by work hours, not by the number of frames rendered. Download out brochure today or get in touch and let’s start creating.