Let’s say, you’re creating a new user onboarding flow.
Or you’re launching a new capability within your product.
Or you’re designing your knowledge base.
If you work in SaaS, you probably need to create an explainer video every second day.
But we’ve all been through the struggle of spending hours and juggling five different tools to create one video.
Not anymore!
We created this massive list of the 22 best explainer video software to make life easy for you. From AI video creators to animation video makers, we’ve handpicked these tools to help you produce explainer videos in minutes.
Here’s a complete rundown of our recommended tools:
But before we jump to our review of these tools, let’s first assess the deciding factors for choosing a good tool.
Let’s first look at a few key parameters we considered while reviewing and shortlisting the best explainer video software for different use cases.
The first factor to consider is the kind of explainer videos you want to create. You’ll find tools for different types of videos, like whiteboard videos, animated explainer videos, product how-to videos, and more. Every other aspect of your decision will depend on this parameter.
We get it, time = money for you. That’s why you need a user-friendly software and seamless navigation to get started in a snap. Look for drag-and-drop functionalities, intuitive controls, and clear user documentation.
A good explainer video platform should let you customize each video to accurately highlight your product’s unique capabilities. Customizable templates, a no-code editor, and easy branding options will make things easy to create polished product videos.
Whether you want to publish explainer videos on your knowledge base or push them to your YouTube channel, you need app integrations to set up automated workflows. Some integrations can also help with tracking content performance.
Your explainer videos will feel incomplete without clear and crisp audio. You need a good video recording tool to capture high-quality audio or generate one with a text-to-speech option. This feature is crucial for creating an engaging narrative around your SaaS product.
Distribution is a critical next step after creating explainer videos. Find tools that offer flexible export options in various formats and resolutions, suitable for different platforms (like YouTube, LinkedIn, or your own website). You can also check out direct sharing or embedding features to distribute the videos effectively.
Balancing cost with features is important. Find a pricing plan that aligns with your company's size, usage needs, and budget. Consider whether a subscription model or a one-time purchase makes more sense for your team. Also, look out for any hidden costs such as additional charges for premium features or limits on video length.
Whether you want to create screen recorded videos or produce live-action ones, these are the five best explainer video tools to consider for your requirement.
G2 rating: 4.9/5 stars (15+ reviews)
Floik is an all-in-solution for creating interactive product showcases to educate and engage users at every step of the way.
You can make product explainer videos by simply capturing your product in action. Choose from three types of videos: screen only, screen + camera, or camera only.
Once you’re ready with the first-cut of your video, Floik’s intuitive editor makes it easy to fine-tune the draft. You can:
You can share these videos by copying a link or embed them anywhere with a smart embed code. If you’re on a paid plan, you can also download these videos for uploading on your YouTube knowledge base or sharing on social media.
Here’s an example of an explainer video created by the Hivel team using Floik:
G2 rating: 4.6/5 (200+ reviews)
VEED is a video creation and streaming tool where you can design explainer videos from scratch. With a massive library of stock videos, VEED gives you ample choices to create a high-quality explainer video for certain concepts or ideas.
You can add your own voice, generate one with text-to-speech, or choose a background audio. Alternatively, if you want your video's audio transcribed, VEED's video to text tool can easily perform this task, providing you with a written script that you can reuse or repurpose. It’s easy to resize videos, adjust the speed, auto-generate subtitles, and add other elements like overlay text or stickers.
With VEED, if you have a video file in a different format and you need it converted to an MP4 format, their MP4 converter tool is a simple and user-friendly solution.
G2 rating: 4.7/5 stars (1000+ reviews)
Synthesia is an AI-generated video creation tool. Unlike product-centric videos, this tool helps you produce explainer videos with an AI avatar narrating your script.
With over 140 avatars available in 120+ languages, Synthesia is a good choice if you want to create explainer content with a human character. You can also generate a script with AI based on a few prompts.
Overall, this tool is great if you want to fast-track the video creation process without investing too much effort into writing a script, recording and editing a video, and sharing it.
G2 rating: 4.3/5 stars (20+ reviews)
Biteable lets you create videos with animated graphics and effects. You can start with a template and add or edit different elements to customize it per your expectations.
While it has options to record your screen or record yourself, the platform is more suited for creating animated, whiteboard videos. You’ll find a range of editing options to make your videos pop and engage your audience.
G2 rating: 4.4/5 stars (300+ reviews)
Filmora is an advanced video editing software for fine-tuning your live-action explainer videos. Even though the tool allows you to record your screen, it’s a good option when you’re shooting a live video and want to jazz up the output. That’s because the editor is purpose-built for such pro-level videos.
However, Filmora requires a fairly long learning curve and you have to work with a professional video editor to get the best out of this tool.
Let’s look at some other tools to create animated explainer videos.
Canva is a versatile graphic design tool with options to create social media content, presentations, and most importantly, explainer videos. You can choose from a bunch of templates or get started with a blank canva and upload your own video clips. The tool lets you add audio, apply animation/transition effects, add text, and much more.
Vyond is another AI-powered video creation tool to make whiteboard videos and animated content. You can choose from 40,000+ props to create more engaging videos and design different types of animations, like 3D, stop motion, motion graphics, etc. It’s a user-friendly tool with a short learning curve.
Toonly is purpose-built for creating animated explainer videos. It comes with a drag-and-drop editor to conveniently design videos from existing elements and uploaded content. You can start with several presets or add your own content, then arrange all elements in a linear timeline.
Powtoon helps you create high-definition videos with advanced editing features. You can use drag-and-drop animations to create explainer content in minutes. Its intuitive interface makes it easy to get started as soon as you login and create a masterpiece. It also offers pre-made templates for multiple use cases.
Adobe After Effects is a part of the Adobe suite, purpose-built for creating animated content. You can design anything from a logo animation to a full-fledged video. Since it integrates with other Adobe products like Illustrator and InDesign, you can use your creative assets from different platforms to create a video conveniently.
Let’s look at some other tools to create screen recorded explainer videos.
Zight is a communication team designed for remote teams. You can use this tool to record your product in action and customize it with subtitles, voiceover, and a bunch of other features to create a product explainer video. You can annotate different elements within videos to better contextualize the information for viewers.
Loom is a popular screen recording tool for async video messaging. It’s great for creating short explainer videos at scale without spending too much time. As a paid user, you can also create longer videos and edit them with capabilities like auto-chapterization, background noise removal, subtitles, custom branding, etc.
Snagit is a screen capture and video recording tool where you can create professional-quality explainer videos. You can integrate the tool with platforms like PowerPoint to automatically input your videos. With multiple features to edit and annotate recordings, it’s a great option for making explainer videos within minutes.
ScreenPal is an all-in-one video creation and editing tool to record your browser, desktop, and mobile apps. You can create screen recorded explainer videos, then embed interactive elements like quizzes and polls. It also integrates with customer education platforms and learning management systems to distribute videos effortlessly.
Screen Studio is a popular screen recorder for macOS. The tool creates high-quality screen recordings capturing smooth cursor movements and auto-zooming into finer details. You can edit your recordings with a timeline-based editor and upload your own content to make videos more informative.
Let’s look at some other tools to create AI-generated explainer videos.
Fliki is a text-to-video converter with which you can convert a simple script into an AI-generated video. Choose from 850+ voices (more than any other tool) and add more images or video clips from its royalty-free library. You can also track video performance with a detailed analytics dashboard.
Steve.AI is another AI-powered video generation tool for creating multiple types of videos. Its explainer video maker tool lets you record a live video or design an animated one. You can also pick any stock asset to customize your videos. After uploading the script, you just have to choose from different use cases and the tool will give you a ready-to-use output.
Runway is an advanced video creation and editing software. It helps you edit content at optimum speed with AI. You also get multitrack video and audio editing to edit different clips together without any hassle. This tool is built for an AI research company with several other tools.
HeyGen is another AI-powered video generator where you can choose an avatar and create content in 300+ voices. You can also create your own avatar or add a custom voice to record your own voice. The tool integrates easily with various platforms, like Canva, Discord, ChatGPT, Zapier, etc.
Let’s look at some other tools to edit live-action explainer videos.
DaVinci Resolve is a feature-packed tool for video editing known for its advanced color correction and audio post-production capabilities. It offers a wide range of pro-level editing features, like visual effects, motion graphics, and 8K editing. Its collaborative tools allow multiple users to work on the same project simultaneously.
Adobe Premiere Pro is a versatile video editing software integrated with other Adobe applications like After Effects and Photoshop. It supports a wide range of video formats and offers editing tools for motion graphics, and sound editing capabilities. Its user-friendly interface and advanced features make it a popular choice for filmmakers, YouTubers, and broadcasters.
Movavi Video Editor is one of the beginner-friendly editing tools, known for its simplicity and ease of use. It offers basic video editing features like cutting, trimming, and merging, along with effects, transitions, and simple color correction tools. It's an ideal choice for quick editing tasks and no-frills video editing.
That’s a wrap on our list of the best tools for creating explainer videos.
Whether you want to create a high-quality product explainer video or design a jazzy video with motion graphics, we’ve curated our tool recommendations for several use cases.
And if you want to go one step further to convert your videos into product demos and step-by-step guides, Floik is your best option. Sign up for free to see how it works!