2D Animation Pricing Guide 2024

2D animation is perfect for helping businesses connect with their potential customers by improving their marketing and sales. While there have been new innovations and trends in animation and video production, the simplicity of 2D animation is its biggest charm. In this pricing guide, we’ll take a deep dive into the pricing and the factors that can impact your 2D animation budget, so keep reading to prepare for your upcoming project.

2D animation or two-dimensional animation is a traditional form of animation and video production that brings sequences of images to life through a two-dimensional environment. It’s a creative process that combines different techniques and media designs to create an illusion of movement.

Despite innovations, trends, and creative outlets rising in popularity recently, 2D animation remains relevant. It’s a style that’s intertwined with popular culture through television shows and movies.

Businesses can maximize 2D animation through various means, but it’s mostly used for sales, marketing, and improving training efficiency. While 3D animation is more appealing for some, it may be time to reconsider what best suits your goals, needs, and budget limitations.

2D animation has been around the block for a while, and it’s not going away anytime soon because of the different benefits it brings. It’s relatively cost-effective, versatile, timeless, and simple, making it ideal for many small businesses and startups that want to grab their target audience’s attention.

In this detailed pricing guide, we’ll break down the true costs of hiring a 2D animation company and the different elements that affect the pricing. 

According to data collected on Clutch, the average price range for 2D animation projects is just a few thousand dollars. If the project is budgeted properly, overspending shouldn’t be a big issue with 2D animation studios.

However, it’s important to remember that the price tag for 2D animation production can go higher depending on factors such as run time and complexity. Before you set out to consult with a service provider, it’s best to have a clear understanding of your project requirements and outline the timeline and scope to communicate them to the vendor effectively.

Types of 2D Animation

In the world of 2D animation, creativity is one of its few limitations. There are endless styles and types that 2D animations can offer to suit a brand’s visual identity and objectives.

Certain types of animation cost more because they may require more work, a longer timeline, or specific skills. Here are some of the commonly seen 2D animation types:

• Traditional 2D Vector Animation: This animation style combines traditional drawing techniques and computer generation animation to produce a series of animated movements. Here, the hand-drawn images are uploaded into computer software to control their movements. This production process is considered the most common since it’s faster to produce than other types of 2D animation. Many marketers and business owners appreciate this style because of its smoothness, making it look more professional and attractive.
• Motion Graphics Animation: Another popular 2D animation style, motion graphics animation fuses traditional 2D animation methods with graphic design to control different images and texts. This type is mostly seen in social media content, such as product tutorials because it effectively educates viewers. It’s a style that significantly complements brands with vibrant colors and distinct visuals, making them infinitely more attractive to potential customers.
• Cel 2D Animation: First introduced in 1915 and popularized by Walt Disney Studios in the 1930s, cel stands for celluloid, a clear sheet that’s formerly used in cinematographic films. Cel 2D animation involves hand-drawing images on cels that will be layered together to illustrate movement. It can be more expensive than other 2D animation types as it’s more time-consuming.
• Whiteboard Animation: As its name suggests, whiteboard animation is a series of drawings on a whiteboard. The video is often in black and white, showing a hand drawing and erasing of the elements. It’s proven effective for explainer videos as it's easily digestible, highly engaging, and straightforward.
• Cut-Out 2D Animation: A form of stop-motion animation that uses flat characters, elements, and backgrounds created from physical materials such as cards, paper, or even fabric. Companies like this type because it's efficient to produce and not as expensive as other animation processes.
• Rotoscoping 2D Animation: Lastly, rotoscope animation is a type of 2D animation that requires filming real-life footage of human movement and breaking it down into a series of frames that will be traced one by one. It’s a highly impactful technique because it brings more realism compared to other forms of 2D animation. 

Whether it’s for video marketing or employee training, there are several options for businesses looking to invest in high-quality animation. Each type has its own advantages and purposes but deciding on which one is best for your brand ultimately depends on your needs, budget limitations, and creative vision.

Cost of 2D Animation by Industry

What is the Real Cost of Hiring a 2D Animation Company?

On average, 2D animation companies charge anywhere from $100 - $149 for their services.

Producing impactful 2D animation videos can’t be done overnight. The entire process requires extensive work, and just like any other video production project, it goes through three main stages — pre-production, production, and post-production. Advancements in technology may have made certain processes easier, but they are still tedious.

When hiring a full-service 2D animation company, consider their other services, such as scriptwriting, voiceover, and sound effects. However, requiring more of these additional services can add up to costs, but it ensures a more streamlined journey and cohesive output.

What is the Real Cost of Hiring a 2D Animation Company?

Estimating the total cost of hiring a 2D animation company can be difficult since it depends on your requirements and several factors. Understanding these variables is crucial to avoiding overspending and getting caught off guard once you receive the invoice.

Here are the key factors that directly affect 2D animation costs:

• Project complexity is the biggest variable that impacts costs as certain animation styles and artistic details require more attention, hence, more time and costs. This covers everything — from the main elements to the background — as more intricate character designs, dynamic movements, and detailed illustrations result in higher costs. Additionally, the number of characters can also fall in this factor as more characters and elements take more time to produce, animate, and conceptualize.
• Run time is another straightforward factor that affects costs. The longer the video length, the more time it takes to produce, resulting in higher overall prices. 
• Deadlines and timelines directly affect costs as tighter schedules require the service provider to render more hours daily or assign more animators to the project. The best way to avoid spending more because of urgent deadlines is to plan ahead and work with the studio as early as possible. 
  
• Expertise and the reputation of the company are two factors interconnected. See, there are tiers when it comes to 2D animators — there are freelancers, amateurs, mid-tier, professional studios, and broadcast-level animation companies. The higher the level of expertise you require, the more they charge as they consider their industry reputation and skills.
  
• The number of revisions is usually negotiated and stated in the contract. The more number of revisions, the higher the costs; and if the required revisions exceed the agreed-upon number, expect to pay more. To avoid overspending in this scenario, make sure the contract includes an ample number of revisions. From the get-go, you should clearly communicate your requirements to the animator to avoid misunderstandings regarding creative visions.
  
• Geographic location is another factor that affects almost all projects with any service provider. Hiring a 2D animation company from a certain country or region can cost more or less because of the cost of living and the market where they’re located.