Explainer videos have always been one of my go-to methods for communication, marketing, and education. They’re clear, engaging, and versatile. Recently, I’ve been exploring how AI-powered tools are completely transforming the way we create these videos—making the process faster, more affordable, and accessible even if you’re not a design pro.
Executive Summary
When I was choosing the right explainer video tool, I realized it really comes down to your specific needs and experience level. For beginners, I’d recommend something simple and budget-friendly, like InVideo.io, which offers user-friendly pre-made templates. If you’re like me and occasionally need corporate-grade or professional-level videos, tools like Simpleshow.com are worth exploring for their advanced customization and polished results. For those of you focusing on animations, I’ve found Steve.ai to be a standout—it automates so much of the process while keeping it visually engaging. And if versatility is your priority, especially for repurposing content across platforms, Pictory.ai is an incredible choice.
When evaluating these tools, I always consider a few key factors: the features offered, the level of AI integration, how customizable the results are, pricing, and how well the tool fits my target audience. Ultimately, it’s about finding what aligns with your goals—and trust me, there’s something out there for everyone.
| Best for | Tool | Reason |
| Beginners | InVideo.io (9/10) | Easy-to-use, affordable, with a wide range of templates and drag-and-drop functionality. |
| Professionals | Simpleshow.com (8/10) | Polished, corporate-grade outputs with advanced customization and AI script-to-video features. |
| Animations | Steve.ai (9.5/10) | Offers customizable animations and strong AI automation for script-to-animation workflows. |
| Doodles | InstaDoodle.com (7.5/10) | Simple tools for creating visually appealing doodle explainer videos |
| Versatility | Pictory.ai (8.5/10) | Combines automation, content repurposing, and flexibility to suit a range of use cases. |
1. Steve.ai (9.5/10)
- Features:
- AI-driven script-to-video conversion with minimal effort.
- Multilingual text-to-speech options for diverse audiences.
- Custom animations and a wide variety of stock assets for professional-looking videos.
- Strengths:
- Excellent AI automation for creating videos directly from text scripts.
- Intuitive interface suitable for beginners and professionals.
- Offers both animated and live-action video styles.
- Weaknesses:
- Limited advanced editing features compared to high-end video editing tools.
- Target Audience:
- Marketers, educators, and content creators who need quick, high-quality videos with minimal manual effort.
- Suitable for those creating explainer videos for marketing campaigns or educational purposes.
2. InVideo.io (9/10)
- Features:
- Over 5000 pre-made templates for a wide range of industries and use cases.
- Text-to-video conversion for quick content creation.
- Drag-and-drop interface for easy editing and customization.
- Built-in branding tools to add logos and custom colors.
- Strengths:
- Affordable pricing plans with an excellent cost-to-feature ratio.
- Large library of stock images, videos, and music.
- Easy-to-use, making it accessible even for non-designers.
- Weaknesses:
- Some advanced features might have a learning curve for new users.
- Target Audience:
- Small businesses, content marketers, and social media managers looking for a budget-friendly, easy-to-use tool to create professional marketing videos.
3. Pictory.ai (8.5/10)
- Features:
- AI-powered content summarization to transform long videos or text into concise, engaging videos.
- Advanced subtitle and captioning tools for better accessibility and SEO.
- Text-to-video conversion to quickly repurpose blog content or articles.
- Strengths:
- Ideal for repurposing existing content into short, engaging videos.
- Strong AI capabilities for subtitle generation and text summarization.
- Weaknesses:
- Limited customization options for animations and design.
- Target Audience:
- Bloggers, content creators, and social media managers who want to save time and effort in repurposing long-form content into short explainer videos.
4. Simpleshow.com (8/10)
- Features:
- AI script-to-video functionality with professional templates.
- Custom branding options for businesses.
- Clean and corporate-friendly animation styles.
- Strengths:
- Focused on corporate needs with professional-grade output.
- AI tools simplify video creation while maintaining high quality.
- Weaknesses:
- Higher pricing makes it less accessible for smaller businesses or individual creators.
- Less appealing for non-corporate or creative video styles.
- Target Audience:
- Corporations, trainers, and educators creating professional explainer videos for internal training, product demos, or presentations.
5. InstaDoodle.com (7/10)
- Features:
- Focuses on whiteboard and doodle-style animations.
- Simple tools for creating visually appealing doodle explainer videos.
- Basic voiceover options (record or upload your voice).
- Strengths:
- Specializes in niche whiteboard-style videos, which can be very engaging for certain audiences.
- Simple interface that’s easy to navigate for beginners.
- Weaknesses:
- Limited automation and AI features compared to other tools.
- Less versatility and fewer customization options outside of doodle-style animations.
- Target Audience:
- Educators, trainers, and small businesses that prefer doodle or whiteboard animation styles to explain concepts in a simple and engaging way.
Criteria Overview
Features (30%)
- Evaluates the range of features provided, including:
- Animation and editing tools
- Stock asset libraries
- Text-to-video conversion
- Subtitle/captioning tools
- Branding options
- Weight: 30% because having robust and versatile features is critical for producing effective explainer videos.
2. AI Capabilities (20%)
- Focuses on how well AI is utilized in the tool, including:
- Script-to-video automation
- Scene recommendations
- Text-to-speech capabilities
- Subtitles and translations
- Weight: 20% because AI can significantly enhance usability and speed up video creation.
3. Ease of Use (20%)
- Assesses how easy the tool is to use, especially for non-designers:
- User interface (intuitive or complex)
- Learning curve
- Availability of templates
- Weight: 20% because a user-friendly tool is essential for accessibility and productivity
4. Customization Options (15%)
- Measures the flexibility in tailoring videos to specific needs:
- Ability to customize animations, colors, fonts, and branding
- Support for adding your own assets (e.g., logos, videos, images)
- Weight: 15% because customization ensures videos align with the creator’s brand and purpose
5. Pricing and Value (10%)
- Considers the affordability of the tool relative to the features it offers:
- Cost of plans (free, subscription-based, pay-per-use)
- Value for money
- Availability of a free trial or plan
- Weight: 10% because affordability can make or break a tool’s accessibility, especially for small businesses or individual creators.
6. Target Audience Fit (5%)
- Evaluates how well the tool aligns with its intended audience:
- Suitability for small businesses, educators, marketers, or corporations
- Adaptability to different use cases (e.g., marketing videos, tutorials)
- Weight: 5% because targeting specific needs is important but secondary to overall performance.
