Create a whiteboard explainer without a dedicated video editor. explainroo is a free, open-source kit that uses an AI coding agent - a tool that writes code and runs commands from your instructions - to create narration, draw scenes, and export an MP4. Whiteboard videos pair drawings and visual explanations with timed narration.
You describe the video to a coding agent, which builds it on your computer. explainroo is free, but the agent has separate pricing, and optional AI-generated illustrations cost extra.
When explainroo works as a Doodly alternative
Consider explainroo if you want a narrated explainer, product demo, or drawing-led video and are comfortable directing an AI coding agent. It works with Claude Code, Codex, Pi, OpenCode, Gemini CLI, and other agents that can run shell commands. It works best with Claude Code.
When comparing explainroo with Doodly, decide whether you want an agent to generate a video from your description or need a visual editor with direct controls. explainroo has no drag-and-drop editor; you ask the agent to make changes.
What explainroo includes for free
explainroo is a free kit released under the MIT license, which permits use and modification under its terms. The kit does not charge per video. The coding agent is a separate service with its own prices, and optional AI illustrations through OpenRouter cost per image. The kit’s other video-making components cost nothing per video.
Available product details do not specify different plans. If you need guarantees about access, assets, or watermarks, check the current terms before starting. The documented output is an MP4 file.
Make a video with explainroo
Give a compatible coding agent a topic and ask it to use explainroo. For example:
Make me a short explainer video about [your topic]. Use explainroo: clone the explainroo repository, read its AGENTS.md, and follow the steps.
The agent sets up explainroo, creates and checks the video, then gives you the MP4. It writes two working files: script.md, which contains the narration, and scenes.js, which contains JavaScript instructions for drawing the scenes. A drawing can appear when the narration reaches a chosen word.
Kokoro, an open-source text-to-speech model, reads the script aloud in American or British English voices. Narration is available only in English. Whisper, a speech-recognition model, marks when each word is spoken so drawings appear on cue. Chrome renders the frames on an HTML canvas. Scenes can include hand-drawn-looking lines, icons, charts, and code. They can also include your screenshots. explainroo creates background music and adds sound effects. During narration, it lowers the music.
Before export, explainroo gives the agent scene stills, a contact sheet, a check for overlapping or cut-off text, and a check for mispronounced words. The agent cannot watch the finished video, so these materials help it review the result. In video.json, you can choose a look: paper, clean, chalk, blueprint, or midnight. A pace setting adjusts the narration and pauses, along with the animation speed.
For a product demo, tell the agent which product to show and where to find its code or website. The agent recreates the product’s screens with their colors and fonts, using the product’s button labels, then animates a mouse pointer clicking and typing as the narration explains. explainroo supports wide, tall, portrait, and square formats. Tall, portrait, and square exports include word-by-word captions.
To install the kit yourself, you need a recent version of Node.js, FFmpeg, and Chrome or Chromium. The initial setup downloads the voice and timing models. You do not need a graphics card. explainroo was developed and tested on Linux; macOS and Windows have had less testing. The finished file is saved at videos/<name>/out/video.mp4.
Compare explainroo with Doodly
Price and access
explainroo’s kit is free and open source, but using it also requires a coding agent. The agent’s fees are separate, and AI illustrations are an optional paid extra. Check Doodly’s current official pricing and access terms before comparing total cost; confirm any subscription, trial, export, or usage limits that matter to your project. Do not assume that a free kit and a commercial product include the same services.
Drawing and editing
explainroo builds scenes from narration and JavaScript drawing instructions. Scenes can include hand-drawn-looking lines and icons from a large library. They can also include charts, code, and screenshots. To revise the video, ask the coding agent to change the script or scenes. This workflow suits people who want generated scenes and can work through an agent. It is less suitable for anyone who needs direct drag-and-drop editing.
Check whether Doodly’s current editing controls and asset options suit the way you work. They determine how much direct control you have over each scene and how you revise it.
Export and finished video
explainroo exports MP4 files in four layouts: wide, tall, portrait, and square. Captions that highlight each spoken word appear in all but the wide layout. Choose the layout for your destination before generating the video. Before publishing, review the text placement and scene checks.
Confirm Doodly’s current export formats and any export restrictions directly before committing to a project. Those terms determine whether the finished file fits the destination and whether you can publish it as planned.
Choosing between explainroo and Doodly
Choose explainroo if you want a free, open-source kit that uses an agent to create narrated scenes or product demos. It suits people willing to direct a coding agent instead of using drag-and-drop controls. Before starting, check whether the agent’s separate cost fits your budget.
Base your choice on the controls and export terms you need, not just on the word “free.” Compare Doodly’s current price and product terms with explainroo’s agent-based workflow, lack of a visual editor, and MP4 output. explainroo is a better fit when its free kit and generated-video approach meet your requirements.
explainroo vs. Doodly: Key takeaways
- Try explainroo for agent-generated videos: The open-source kit creates narrated explainers and product demos from instructions to a coding agent.
- Budget for the agent separately: explainroo costs nothing per video; the coding agent has separate pricing, and optional AI illustrations are priced per image.
- Check the editing workflow: explainroo has no drag-and-drop editor; you request changes through the coding agent.
- Verify Doodly’s current terms: Confirm pricing, access, editing options, and export limits directly before comparing total value.
Conclusion
explainroo is a free Doodly alternative for creating and revising narrated whiteboard videos with an AI coding agent. It offers several visual styles and video formats, with MP4 exports, but no drag-and-drop editor.
Compare the coding agent cost, your preferred workflow, and Doodly’s current terms. Choose explainroo if an agent-driven process and MP4 exports fit your project.
