Whether you're briefing your first animation project or comparing quotes, understanding what drives animation costs helps you budget realistically and evaluate whether a quote is fair. This guide covers the full picture: what affects pricing, typical ranges by style and sector, hidden costs to watch for, and how to get an accurate quote.
UK animation costs range from £3,000 for basic motion graphics to £50,000+ for specialist or broadcast work. A professional 60–90 second 2D explainer video from a quality London studio typically costs £8,000–£20,000.
Animation pricing in the UK spans a wide range. The tier you land in depends on the style you need, the studio you choose, and the complexity of your project. Here is how the market breaks down for a typical 60–90 second piece of finished animation:
Animation is one of the most variable creative services because every project is built from scratch. Unlike print design or photography, where day rates are relatively predictable, animation cost is driven by the total hours required — and that changes significantly with style, length, complexity, and revision rounds.
A quote for "a 60-second animation" can legitimately range from £4,000 to £40,000 from two credible UK studios, depending entirely on the style, quality, and scope involved. This guide helps you understand why.
Five factors drive the majority of animation costs in the UK. Understanding these helps you shape a brief that fits your budget before you approach studios.
The single biggest pricing variable. Motion graphics cost less than character-driven 2D animation. Character animation costs less than full 3D. Each step up the complexity ladder adds significant hours to production.
More seconds means more frames, more animation work, and more sound design. However, the relationship is not linear — pre-production costs (script, storyboard, character design) are largely fixed regardless of length, so short pieces often cost more per second than longer ones.
Within a given style, complexity varies enormously. A 2D animation with three simple characters in flat environments costs far less than one with detailed characters, expressive performance, and rich illustrated backgrounds. Complexity is often the hidden variable in quotes.
Standard studio packages typically include 2–3 rounds of revisions at each stage. Additional rounds, late-stage changes, or scope creep can add 15–30% to a project cost. Clarity at briefing stage is the most effective way to keep revisions manageable.
Rush projects typically carry a 20–40% premium. Standard animation production timelines run 6–10 weeks. Compressing this to 3–4 weeks requires more resource, parallel working, and after-hours effort — all of which increase cost.
London studios charge 10–20% more than comparable regional studios. More importantly, studio tier — the level of creative talent, process, and production quality — is the most significant factor after style. A senior London studio and a senior regional studio will quote similarly.
Beyond the main five, several secondary factors can meaningfully change a quote. Number of characters and speaking roles, original asset creation versus reuse of existing brand assets, voiceover recording and talent fees, licensed versus custom music, subtitle and localisation requirements, and the number of output formats and aspect ratios all add to the total. Projects requiring compliance approvals — common in healthcare, finance, and legal sectors — also add time and cost to the review process.
Style is the clearest pricing signal. Here are typical UK costs for a 60–90 second piece across the main animation styles:
| Animation Style | Typical Cost (60–90 sec) | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motion Graphics / Kinetic Type | £3,000–£10,000 | Data visualisation, brand content, internal comms | No character design required. Lower floor price but can be highly polished at higher budgets. |
| 2D Flat / Infographic Style | £5,000–£14,000 | Explainer videos, product overviews, social content | Most common commercial style. Highly variable within range depending on illustration complexity. |
| 2D Character Animation | £8,000–£25,000 | Brand storytelling, consumer campaigns, explainers with personality | Character design and rigging adds significant pre-production cost. Range reflects character complexity. |
| 2.5D / Parallax Animation | £10,000–£22,000 | Premium explainer videos, brand films, investor presentations | Depth and dimensionality achieved through layered 2D assets. Modern, cinematic feel. |
| Frame-by-Frame / Drawn Animation | £15,000–£40,000 | Brand films, cultural campaigns, broadcast content | Labour-intensive and distinctively artisanal. High creative impact but significant time investment. |
| 3D Animation (Product/Explainer) | £15,000–£40,000 | Product visualisation, architectural, tech demonstrations | 3D modelling, lighting, and rendering add significantly to production time versus 2D. |
| 3D Character Animation | £25,000–£80,000+ | Game cinematics, broadcast animation, premium brand content | Full character modelling, rigging, and performance. Complex lighting and environments add further cost. |
| Mixed Media / Live Action + Animation | £12,000–£50,000+ | Corporate film, healthcare comms, documentary enhancement | Combines production cost of both live action shoot and animation post-production. |
| Cinemagraphs | £1,500–£5,000 | Social media, digital advertising, website hero images | Still photography with selective motion elements. Lower production overhead than full animation. |
The ranges above assume typical complexity within each style. A motion graphics piece with custom illustration, sophisticated transitions, and complex data animation can cost as much as a standard 2D character animation piece. When comparing quotes, style is a useful starting point — but always ask studios to clarify the complexity assumptions behind their estimate.
The sector your animation serves affects pricing in two ways: it influences the style typically used, and it may introduce specialist requirements (regulatory compliance, scientific accuracy, broadcast standards) that add time and cost.
| Sector / Use Case | Typical UK Cost Range | Style Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Explainer Video (General) | £8,000–£20,000 | Usually 2D flat or character animation. 60–90 seconds. Voiceover, custom music typically included. |
| Finance & Fintech Animation | £10,000–£35,000 | Often motion graphics-led for data clarity. Compliance approval rounds add time. Longer formats common for investor content. |
| Healthcare & Pharma Animation | £10,000–£50,000+ | Scientific accuracy requirements increase pre-production. MLR/compliance approval adds rounds. 3D used for mechanisms of action. Longer pieces common. |
| Tech / SaaS Animation | £8,000–£20,000 | Platform UI animation, product demos, and explainers. 2D and motion graphics dominant. Often 60–90 seconds with multiple social cutdowns. |
| Demo / Platform Walkthrough | £8,000–£25,000 | Software interface animation. Complexity scales with number of screens and scenarios covered. |
| Corporate / Brand Film | £10,000–£40,000 | Often mixed media (live action + animation or pure animation). Narrative-led. Length varies 90 seconds to 3+ minutes. |
| Training & eLearning Animation | £8,000–£30,000 | Often longer duration than marketing content. Module-based pricing may apply. Multiple languages/subtitles common. |
| Social Media Animation | £2,000–£10,000 | Short-form (15–30 seconds). Multiple aspect ratios (9:16, 1:1, 16:9). Often adapted from longer hero content rather than created standalone. |
| TV Graphics / Broadcast Animation | £15,000–£80,000+ | Broadcast technical standards. Often package-based (title sequences, lower thirds, idents, full package). Significant asset deliverable volume. |
| Game Trailer Animation | £15,000–£60,000 | Cinematic quality. Often 60–120 seconds. High production value expected by gaming audience. Sometimes co-produced with VFX elements. |
Length is a significant cost driver, but the relationship is not proportional — pre-production work (script, storyboard, character design, style development) is largely fixed regardless of how long the finished video is. This means that short pieces often represent higher cost per second than longer pieces, and many studios have minimum project fees.
| Duration | 2D Explainer (Professional UK Studio) | 3D / Specialist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15–30 seconds | £4,000–£10,000 | £8,000–£18,000 | Pre-production costs dominate. High cost per second. Often adapted from longer hero videos. |
| 30–60 seconds | £6,000–£15,000 | £12,000–£28,000 | Common for paid media. Efficient balance of pre-production vs. animation cost. |
| 60–90 seconds | £8,000–£20,000 | £15,000–£35,000 | Industry standard for explainer videos. Most common brief length for commercial work. |
| 90–120 seconds | £12,000–£28,000 | £20,000–£45,000 | Narrative depth possible. Strong for investor, sales, or onboarding use cases. |
| 2–3 minutes | £18,000–£40,000 | £30,000–£70,000 | Detailed product walkthroughs, training content, corporate films. Multiple character scenes likely. |
| 3–5 minutes | £25,000–£60,000 | £45,000–£100,000+ | Extended training, eLearning modules, specialist healthcare or scientific content. |
Many experienced commissioners produce one high-quality "hero" animation at 60–90 seconds, then brief the studio to produce social media cutdowns (15 and 30-second edits), portrait format versions, and still exports from the same asset set. This approach typically adds 15–25% to the initial project cost but delivers five to eight outputs from a single production run — significantly better value than commissioning each format separately.
Animation quotes sometimes present a headline figure that excludes items that will inevitably be needed. Here are the most common additional costs to clarify before signing off a quote:
The UK animation market ranges from offshore studios offering entry-level prices to London's BAFTA-nominated production companies. Understanding the tiers helps you evaluate quotes and make an informed decision about where to place your project.
| Production Route | Typical Cost (60–90 sec, 2D) | Typical Quality Level | Key Considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offshore / Template Studios | £2,000–£6,000 | Variable. Template-based with limited customisation. | Limited brief complexity. Template aesthetics. Communication challenges. Suitable for internal use, simple social content. |
| UK Freelancers | £3,000–£10,000 | Varies widely by individual. | Strong for defined-scope projects. Risk increases for complex briefs. Limited capacity for large or fast-turnaround work. |
| UK Regional Studios | £6,000–£18,000 | Professional. Custom work. Full project management. | Good quality/price balance for mid-market briefs. Sector specialism varies. |
| London Mid-Tier Studios | £8,000–£22,000 | High. Bespoke design, experienced teams, proven process. | Best fit for brand-facing commercial work. Established processes reduce brief risk. |
| London Senior / Award-Winning Studios | £15,000–£40,000+ | Broadcast-quality. Strategic creative capability. | BAFTA-nominated and award-winning studios. Strong sector expertise. Best for complex, high-profile, or compliance-heavy work. |
The accuracy of a quote depends almost entirely on the quality of the brief. Studios quote on the information they are given — a vague brief produces a vague or artificially low quote that risks scope creep and cost overruns later. Here is what to include in a brief to get a reliable price:
What does the animation need to achieve? Who is the audience? Where will it be used — website, event, sales, social, broadcast?
Share two or three examples of animation you like. Style is the single biggest pricing variable and visual references communicate faster than descriptions.
Even a rough target (30 seconds, 60–90 seconds, 2 minutes) allows studios to give a meaningful cost range.
State all outputs upfront — 16:9, portrait, square, broadcast, events screen. Retrofitting formats after production is more expensive.
Indicate whether you need the studio to source and record voiceover, and whether you want custom music or library music.
A firm deadline allows studios to assess whether the project fits standard scheduling or requires rush premium pricing.
Many clients are reluctant to share a budget with studios, fearing that doing so will inflate costs. In practice, sharing a realistic budget range allows studios to scope the project appropriately and recommend where to invest and where to simplify. A studio told "we have £15,000 for this" can design a better project than one asked to quote blind — and you get a proposal shaped to your means rather than a fantasy scope that unravels in negotiation.
Hocus Pocus Studio is a BAFTA-nominated animation studio based in London and New York, working with brands across finance, healthcare, technology, and broadcast. Most projects fall between £8,000 and £35,000. We're happy to give a straight assessment of what your budget will achieve — no padding, no ambiguity.
We work across 2D animation, 3D animation, motion graphics, explainer videos, broadcast graphics, and specialist sector animation.
Get a Quote →Finance animation typically runs £10,000–£35,000 for a professional piece. Costs are driven upward by compliance approval rounds — regulatory review and sign-off from compliance teams adds two to four weeks to the standard production timeline, which affects the studio's scheduling. Investor presentations and product explainers for complex financial instruments (derivatives, structured products, regulatory frameworks) also require more scripting and storyboard development time due to content complexity. Studios with sector experience in finance — including previous work for investment banks, asset managers, or fintech platforms — are better positioned to absorb these requirements without surprises on the invoice. Hocus Pocus Studio's finance animation clients have included BNY Mellon, MUFG, and LSEG.
Healthcare animation is among the highest-cost categories in the UK market, typically ranging from £10,000 to £50,000+ for a single piece. Multiple factors drive this: scientific accuracy requirements mean extended pre-production review; medical, legal, and regulatory (MLR) approval processes can add weeks to the production schedule; 3D animation is common for mechanisms of action, molecular processes, and device demonstrations; and many projects require global compliance considerations affecting music, voiceover, and on-screen text. Studios with dedicated healthcare animation credentials charge a premium, but that premium is usually justified by the reduction in compliance risk and the specialist scriptwriting required. Hocus Pocus Studio's healthcare animation work spans drug launches, HCP education, and patient awareness campaigns.
Tech animation is one of the most competitively priced specialist categories, typically running £8,000–£20,000 for a 60–90 second piece. The dominant style is 2D flat or UI-integrated animation, which is well understood and efficiently produced by studios with SaaS experience. The main pricing variable is whether the animation involves actual product UI or custom-illustrated platform environments — the latter requires more design work. Multi-scenario demos and platform walkthroughs covering several features typically fall in the £12,000–£25,000 range. See the tech animation and demo and platform walkthrough pages for more detail.
Broadcast animation pricing works differently from commercial animation. Rather than quoting per finished video, TV graphics studios typically price by package — a title sequence, a set of lower thirds, a full ident package, and motion graphics toolkit might be scoped together. Broadcast packages from professional UK studios typically start at £15,000 and can reach £80,000+ for major broadcast commissions. Technical broadcast specifications (colour space, safe area, frame rate, delivery format) require additional QA that commercial web delivery does not. Hocus Pocus Studio has produced broadcast graphics for BBC and Sky HISTORY, including the graphics package for the Troy Story documentary series.
This pricing guide was compiled by Hocus Pocus Studio, a BAFTA-nominated animation studio based in London and New York. Pricing ranges reflect the UK market as of early 2026 and are based on typical project scopes at each tier. Individual projects may vary significantly from these ranges depending on specific requirements.
For an accurate quote for your project, contact Hocus Pocus Studio or visit our services pages for more detail on each animation type.