Types of Explainer Videos and When to Use Each

Choose a video format that fits what you need to explain. A software company needs different visuals from a medical-device manufacturer. A customer testimonial also serves a different purpose from a product tutorial.

An explainer video presents a problem, shows a solution, and guides the viewer to take an action. Many run for about 60 to 120 seconds, but the right length depends on the subject and audience. Common formats include 2D animation, 3D animation, whiteboard drawing, motion graphics, live action, screen recordings, kinetic typography, and AI-generated video.

The best choice depends on four questions:

• Is the subject physical, digital, abstract, or human?
• Does the viewer need to understand a process or feel confident in a person?
• How much visual detail does the explanation require?
• How often will the video need updates?

Use animation for abstract ideas, live action to build human connection, screen recordings to demonstrate software, and 3D visuals for products that are difficult to film or understand from one angle.

A quick guide to the main explainer video types

These formats can overlap. A software video might combine a screencast with 2D animation. A live-action product video might use motion graphics to explain pricing or performance data.

2D animation for software and abstract products

2D animation works well for software-as-a-service products, mobile apps, websites, and product launches. It uses illustrated characters, icons, shapes, and scenes to show how a product works without a physical filming location.

This format works well when the product includes a process that viewers cannot see. For example, a cybersecurity company could use animation to show how a threat moves through a network and how its software blocks it. A financial platform could illustrate a complicated transaction without filming a customer’s actual account.

Choose 2D animation when:

• The product exists mainly on a screen.
• The audience needs a simple overview before seeing detailed features.
• The message includes abstract ideas such as automation, collaboration, or data flow.
• You want consistent brand colors, characters, and visual metaphors.

A 2D explainer should focus on one user problem. Start with a situation the customer recognizes, show how the product changes it, and end with one clear next step. The TechSmith explainer video guide recommends keeping the explanation focused and using visuals to support the spoken message instead of repeating it word for word.

2D animation needs more planning than a basic screen recording because someone must design and animate every scene. Updates also take longer when the product interface, brand, or message changes often.

3D animation for physical and technical products

3D animation helps viewers understand objects that are difficult to film, take apart, or show from every angle. It works well for manufacturing, engineering, medical devices, architecture, consumer electronics, and physical products with internal components.

A medical-device company, for example, could use 3D animation to show how an implant fits inside the body. A manufacturer could reveal the movement of an internal mechanism without cutting open a working machine. The model can show scale, cross-sections, and motion in one sequence.

Choose 3D animation when:

• The product has internal parts or complex mechanisms.
• Viewers need to see rotation, assembly, installation, or movement.
• A physical demonstration would be expensive, unsafe, or impossible.
• Precise visual detail matters more than a casual, personal tone.

The main drawbacks are production cost and revision time. Industry estimates vary widely, but custom 3D work can exceed $50,000, while simpler formats cost much less. These figures are production ranges, not fixed prices. The final cost depends on modeling, animation, voice-over, revisions, and technical detail. The comparison of explainer video formats provides broader industry ranges.

For a product with a simple exterior and no need to show internal mechanics, live action may communicate the idea more efficiently.

Whiteboard animation for teaching a sequence

Whiteboard animation shows hand-drawn illustrations as a narrator explains an idea. The drawings form a sequence that shows viewers how one point leads to the next.

This format suits educational content. It works well for training, onboarding, compliance instruction, and step-by-step processes. A nonprofit could use it to explain how donations reach a community. A healthcare provider could use it to walk patients through a procedure. A software company could use it to explain the steps in a business workflow before showing the product itself.

Choose whiteboard animation when:

• The viewer needs to understand a process in order.
• The subject benefits from diagrams and simple illustrations.
• The tone should feel instructional and approachable.
• Content matters more than product polish or cinematic production.

The difference between whiteboard animation and broader explainer formats mainly concerns the visual method and purpose. Whiteboard video is an explainer style built around hand-drawn progression.

Whiteboard animation is less suitable when the goal is premium consumer branding or when viewers need to see a real product interface. Some audiences also associate the style with older educational marketing. Use it when the drawing process improves comprehension, rather than choosing it solely because it costs less.

Motion graphics for data and business concepts

Motion graphics bring text, icons, charts, diagrams, and other graphic elements to life. They work well when numbers, comparisons, trends, or abstract relationships carry the explanation.

A fintech company could animate the movement of money through a payment network. A B2B analytics company could show how data moves from several sources into a reporting dashboard. A consulting firm could use animated charts to explain a market problem without filming an office or customer.

Choose motion graphics when:

• Statistics or charts carry the main argument.
• The subject is abstract or difficult to film.
• The audience needs to compare options or follow a data flow.
• Brand typography and visual identity matter as much as characters.

Motion graphics can also simplify complex presentations. The video can reveal one relationship at a time, rather than asking viewers to interpret a full chart at once. The overview of motion graphics explainers identifies data-heavy and business content as common uses.

Keep the narration precise. Every number should have a clear source, date, and context when the claim affects a buying decision. Animated charts can make weak or outdated data look more convincing, so the script and visual design need the same level of review.

Live action for services, people, and trust

Live-action video uses filmed people, locations, products, or demonstrations. Choose it when viewers need to connect with a founder, employee, expert, customer, or physical environment.

A home-care provider could introduce its caregivers and show how visits work. A consulting firm could feature a client describing a business problem. A restaurant or clinic could show the people and setting customers will encounter. A contractor or professional service company could do the same.

Choose live action when:

• The service depends on personal trust.
• A real customer story carries more weight than an illustration.
• The location, product, or physical experience is part of the value.
• The audience needs to see people use the product.

Research comparing live action and animated explainers links live action with tangible products and human connection. Animation gives greater freedom for abstract concepts, while live action grounds the message in recognizable people and places.

Live action requires coordination for casting and locations. Lighting, sound, and reshoots add to that coordination. Updates also become difficult when a spokesperson leaves or a service changes. Record separate sections for the core explanation, product details, and call to action when you expect frequent revisions.

Screencasts for software demonstrations

A screencast records a computer or mobile screen while someone demonstrates a digital product. It is the clearest format when viewers need to follow an interface or complete a task.

Use a screencast for:

• Product tours
• Customer onboarding
• Feature demonstrations
• Internal training
• Troubleshooting
• Step-by-step digital workflows

A project-management company could record how a user creates a workspace, assigns a task, and checks progress. A tax platform could show where customers enter information and review a return. The viewer sees the actual clicks, fields, menus, and results.

Screencasts cost less and are easier to update than custom animation, according to TechSmith’s explainer video guidance. Record a clean workflow with unnecessary notifications and personal information removed. Add callouts or zooms only where the interface needs emphasis.

A screencast should not try to explain every feature in one video. Create separate videos for separate jobs, such as setting up an account, inviting a user, or exporting a report. That structure makes the content easier to watch and easier to replace after an interface update.

Kinetic typography for short, message-led videos

Kinetic typography animates words and phrases, making text the main visual element. Music, narration, color, and timing reinforce selected words instead of telling a detailed visual story.

This style fits short social videos and event announcements. It also suits public-service messages, brand statements, and simple feature explanations. A company launching a new service could emphasize three benefits with large animated text. A nonprofit could present a short statistic and call to action without filming people or building a complete animated world.

Choose kinetic typography when:

• The message contains only a few points worth remembering.
• The audience watches with sound off or in a fast-scrolling environment.
• The wording itself needs emphasis.
• You need a compact video with limited visual production.

Make the text readable on a phone and keep each screen focused on one idea. Captions should match the spoken words when the video includes narration. Kinetic typography becomes difficult to follow when too many phrases move at once, so use motion to show emphasis and sequence rather than decoration.

AI-generated video for speed and repeatable production

AI-generated explainer videos use tools that create scenes, avatars, voice-over, or animation from written instructions or uploaded material. This category has grown quickly. Tools such as Synthesia appear in recent comparisons of AI video generators.

AI-generated video fits situations where production speed, localization, or repeated content matters. A company could produce several language versions of an internal training message, create draft sales-enablement videos, or turn a frequently updated script into a presenter-led video.

Choose this format when:

• The message changes often.
• You need many versions for different audiences or languages.
• A presenter avatar is acceptable for the subject and audience.
• You have a review process for every script, visual, name, number, and claim.

AI tools do not remove editorial responsibility. Review pronunciation, names, figures, product details, and visual accuracy before publication. A generated presenter also does not create the same credibility as a real customer, employee, or subject-matter expert when trust is central to the purchase.

For a regulated, technical, or high-stakes subject, use AI as a production aid only after a qualified person checks the content. A custom animation, live-action interview, or screencast remains the better choice when accuracy depends on showing a real product or process.

How to choose the right format

Start with the viewer’s question, not the production style. If the viewer asks, “How do I use this software?” choose a screencast. If the question is, “How does this machine work inside?” choose 3D animation. If the question is, “Who will help me?” choose live action.

Then match the format to the business goal:

• Explain an abstract product: Use 2D animation or motion graphics.
• Demonstrate a digital task: Use a screencast.
• Show a physical mechanism: Use 3D animation.
• Teach a sequence: Use whiteboard animation.
• Build personal trust: Use live action.
• Emphasize a short message: Use kinetic typography.
• Produce many versions quickly: Consider AI-generated video with human review.

The audience also affects the choice. A technical buyer may need diagrams, interface details, or product specifications. A first-time consumer may need a clear problem-and-solution story. A customer who already bought the product needs instructions rather than a brand introduction.

Budget and update frequency matter too. A screencast is practical when the product changes every few months. Custom 3D animation makes more sense when the product remains stable and the visual explanation supports a high-value sale. A startup with limited resources might begin with a basic whiteboard or 2D video, then invest in live action or premium production after it has clearer customer evidence. Startup-focused examples compare early-stage and funded production choices, although costs and priorities vary by company.

Build the video around one problem

The format works when the script gives viewers a clear reason to keep watching. Define one audience, one problem, one solution, and one action before production begins.

For example, a weak brief might say, “Explain our project-management platform.” A stronger brief says, “Show small agencies how the platform replaces scattered status emails with one shared project view.” That brief gives the writer, designer, and editor a specific story to present.

A clear structure includes:

1. The problem the viewer recognizes
2. The consequence of leaving it unresolved
3. The product or service that changes the situation
4. A short demonstration or proof point
5. A single call to action

The call to action should match the viewer’s stage. Ask a first-time visitor to learn more, a qualified buyer to book a demo, or an existing customer to open a setup guide. Several competing actions weaken the next step.