Advantages of using animation
Did you know including an explainer 2D animation video on your landing page contributes to boosting your conversion rate by up to 80%? The only problem is finding a reliable and professional studio to create an animation that is high quality and engaging for your visitors. Unfortunately, there is a diverse marketplace full of companies that can be overwhelming to try and navigate without a little help.
That is why we reviewed the top 2D animation companies we think can provide you with excellent service for your needs. As you go through this list, be sure to look for those key factors that suit your team. You need to look at more than just the price, but also the type of team, their portfolio of previous work, experience in the market, and any other factor that aligns with the goals of your project.
At the end of the day, it is all about finding a match with good communication and transparency, so you know the 2D animation you’re getting will be exactly what you specified.
Top 20 2D animation companies
#1 Darvideo Animation Studio
Our first pick has to be Darvideo. Their ability to create animation and wide selection of explainer video features makes them an excellent choice for your next project. They are based in Ukraine, which means they have a much better idea of international marketing and storytelling that enhances their creations.
We especially appreciate their cartoon and relatable animation techniques that are fun and welcoming to watch. Be sure to check out their package deals and portfolio of work that outlines their unique capabilities.
Besides their 2D animation capabilities, Darvideo has hundreds of premade videos that you can use for your product, marketing, explainers, and internal communications that don’t require a lot of extra work. This gives you a faster turnaround time.
Services include:
- 2D Animation
- 3D Animation
- Explainer Videos
- Customized and Template Service
Find Darvideo on Twitter. The minimum project size is $1,000.
#2 Studio Pigeon
We’re including Studio Pigeon on our list of animation companies because of their incredible creativity and humor. This is not a company that takes itself too seriously and definitely allows for out-of-the-box thinking when it comes to design. They are members of the different film associations of Europe, including the Krakowski Klaster Filmowy, and use a style that shows the animation from the character’s perspective.
Studio Pigeon does work outside of 2D animation that includes short-form features that have set them apart in recent years.
Services include:
- 2D Animation
- Explainer Videos
- Commercial Videos
- Cartoon Production
Find Studio Pigeon on Facebook. The minimum project size is $5,000.
#3 Explainify
Explainify is a more business-oriented 2D animation company that focuses on the type of content more than the animation style. They provide bespoke creations for advertising, marketing, sales, and training. They may not have the same creativity as our top choices, but their reliability and simplicity make them essential for working in the corporate world. They are based in the US and have been in operation since 2012. If you ever visited MOZ for SEO techniques, they use Explainify for their work.
Explainify is a great company to start with if you are looking for advertising as your primary goal in your 2D animation companies selection process.
Services include:
- 2D Animation
- Brand Videos
- Explainers Videos
- Landing Page Videos
- PR/Product/Sales
Find Explainify on Instagram. The minimum project size is $10,000.
#4 Animation Explainers
Animation Explainers is a bit younger than other 2D animation companies in that they’ve only been around since 2018. They tend to primarily focus on the explainer video market but use the 2D style very effectively with a whimsical artistic design. This is the only Canadian company on our list, but we wanted to include them because of their industry experience. They have a wide breadth ranging from cryptocurrency companies to credit unions.
They have a long list of major brands that include DLU and GLU-Digital, which lends more credence to their ability to create 2D animation successfully.
Services include:
- 2D Animation
- Corporate Videos
- Marketing Videos
- Product Explainers
- Training/Conference
- Social Media
Find Animation Explainers on LinkedIn. The minimum project size is $5,000.
#5 PPS Content
PPS Content has a pretty dull name, but their 2D animation is anything but mundane. They are a Virginia, USA-based studio split evenly between animation and video production. This is a benefit if you’re looking for a company that understands how to translate human/real-life actions into animation but not so much for original creativity.
They are a bit more B2B than B2C like others on our list which may be your preference for internal communication or if you sell in that target market. They also offer complete original content writing for website and SEO work.
Services include:
- 2D Animation
- Marketing Videos
- Internal/Corporate Videos
- Content Creation Writing
Find PPS Content has a $1,000 minimum project size.
#6 Kashu
Kashu is based in Bulgaria and has a wide range of styles in their 2D animation creation. You’ll recognize artist signature details similar to major productions like Rick and Morty. They focus primarily on video marketing instead of explainer videos and have done work with big US brands like CVS, KFC, and even the famed Yale University.
Besides offering quality 2D animations, Kashu is advanced at high converting content. They have a branch of services that includes consulting on how to leverage explainers.
Services include:
- 2D Animation
- Explainer Videos
- Business/Corporate Videos
- Animated Features/Series
- Video Ads
Find Kashu on Instagram. The minimum project size is $5,000.
#7 ShootYou.
Shoot You is one of the animation companies on our list that has worked in feature films as well as explainer videos and online marketing. They have won awards at Sundance for SME National Business, Brand Films, AVA Digital Awards, and more. Working with this team is ramping up your work to a Hollywood level, and the price tag reflects that enhancement.
Besides animation work, Shoot You is well known for its live video production and feature films. They are based in New York, but have a lot of international experience designing engaging video content.
Services include:
- 2D Animation
- Video/Film
- Professional Features
Find Shoot You on Twitter. The minimum project size is $5,000.
#8 Kasra Design
Kasra Design is one of the more exciting animation companies because they like to use real-life photos or concepts in their 2D animation creations. It is both a little disturbing and deliciously engaging when your mind is focused on the animation style only to be disrupted by the sudden real-life photo.
They are based out of California with a remote studio in Malaysia as well and a long list of case studies. Kasra Design is the 2020 recipient of the Gold Award for the Indigo Design Awards.
Services include:
- 2D Animation
- Explainer Video
- 3D Animation
- Corporate Video
- Video Projection
- Motion Graphics
- Whiteboard Animation
Find Kasra Design on Instagram. The minimum project size is $5,000.
#9 Promoshin
Promoshin is a smaller company that somehow manages to pump out a ton of explainer videos for everyone from an Instagram influencer to major brands like Intuit, Pfizer, NASA, Cisco, and more. They have a broad portfolio of 2D animation work and target a more affordable.
Besides 2D animation, Promoshin focuses on visual media of all kinds that are used in digital or website forms. They even offer an Amazon e-book on what makes an explainer video so successful.
Services include:
- 2D Animation
- Testimonial Production
- Musical Jingles
- Social Media Content
- Infographic Design
- Video Promotion
Find Promoshin on Twitter. The minimum project size is $1,000, but do offer cheaper deals if you speak with them first.
#10 CRFT Video Animation Studio
Besides CRFT Video being an expert 2D animation studio, the real benefit to working with this New York-based team is their 100% satisfaction guarantee. They are so confident in their ability to produce a quality piece of work that they are willing to place a monetary value on it if they do not meet a client’s expectations. That says a lot about their capabilities.
The other important leg of this studio is its video ads. They seem to have honed in on what makes a landing page or digital media ad so successful.
Services include:
- 2D Animation
- Explainer Video
- Whiteboard Video
- Tutorial Video
- Video Ads
Find CRFT Video Animation Studio on Instagram. The minimum project size is $1,000.
#11 Breadnbeyond
The interesting part about breadnbeyond is their use of gify like effects integrated into their 2D animation style. You get the fly-in, bopping, and similar visuals from a short gif, but made in a much smoother and engaging way. They also place a high value on communication and clarity, which is probably why so many major brands like Shell, PayPal, IFC, and Wiley go to them for work.
They have a stat on their website that they’ve gotten 3.8 billion combined views, and that seems pretty believable considering they’ve done more than 3,000 projects to date. All in all breadnbeyond seems like a well-established Maryland business.
Services include:
- 2D Animation
- App Demo Vids
- Event/Product Teasers
- Training Videos
- And many more!
Find breadnbeyond on Twitter. The minimum project size is $1,000.
#12 Commotion Engine
Commotion Engine is another of the animation companies working with some serious major brands. This includes Merck, LinkedIn, Dropbox, Amazon, and even the Princeton Review. They seem to focus on modeling video media as much explainer videos. It is refreshing to work with a company that has a broad base of capabilities but may not be the top choice compared to others that focus more on 2D animation.
Commotion Engine has a decent portfolio of work and tries to remain as simple in their client interactions as possible. They are routinely featured on review sites like Clutch.
Services include:
- 2D Animation
- 3D Animation
- Gif/Web Graphics
- Live-Action
- Mixed Media
- And more.
Find Commotion Engine on LinkedIn. The minimum project size is $5,000.
#13 Moodive
Moodive Studio seems like one of those template sites that took the standard visuals you find on really inexpensive providers and juiced it way up with incredibly smooth transitions and flow rates. You get the same look and feel as a template, but with a professional finish that sets you apart.
This is a Bratislava-based animation studio with a bit smaller of a portfolio at around 250 clients.
Services include:
- 2D Animation
- Explainer Videos
- Advertising Videos
- Animated Presentation
- Isometric Videos
- And More.
Find Moodive on Facebook. The minimum project size is $5,000.
#14 Sparkhouse
Sparkhouse is one of the many California-based animation companies that have an obvious Hollywood slant to their productions. They offer a robust 2D and 3D animation leg, but it is shared by an equally fleshed out live-action branch. This is also one of the more expensive animation studios on our list, probably because they are so close to the movie industry.
Services include:
- 2D Animation
- Product Videos
- Brand Videos
- Social Media Videos
Find Sparkhouse on Instagram. The minimum project size is $10,000.
#15 Snowy Peak
Snowy Peak is definitely a live-action company that has 2D as one of their branches and not their primary focus. However, we wanted to include them on our list because of their unique setting. You don’t find many animation companies based in Colorado, which is probably due in part to their proximity to the Sundance Film Festival. That gives them a decent advantage to working with film production studios in high need of workaround festival time and prefer locals.
Services include:
- 2D Animation
- Directing
- Post/Pre/Video Production
- Editing
- 3D Animation
- Branding
Find Snowy Peak on Instagram. The minimum project size is $5,000.
#16 Veracity Colab
Veracity Colab is another California-based production company that creates animation based on storytelling more than style or artistry. They seem to focus on giving the characters of your explainer videos more personality that allows them to relate directly with the audience. However, because of their close proximity to Hollywood, this is another premium animation companies that is on the more pricy side.
Services include:
- 2D Animation
- Brand Videos
- Product Campaigns
- Explainer Videos
- And many more!
Find Veracity Colab on Instagram. The minimum project size is $10,000.
#17 Explainly
Explainly uses 3D and 2D animation videos for all kinds of projects, but they are located in the heart of silicon valley around San Francisco and have a definite slant towards tech-related work. This is a great company if you are launching, explaining, or working with any kind of digital product or service, including the new Metaverse and Web 3.0 base of projects like NFTs. They are on the high end like most California-based 2D animation companies but otherwise seem like a great studio.
Services include:
- 2D Animation
- 3D Animation
- Infographic
- Whiteboard
- Live-Action
- Mixed Media
Find Explainly on Instagram. The minimum project size is $10,000.
#18 Webdew
Webdew is another 2D animation company that chose to base itself around a tech Mecca in the Pacific Northwest of Seattle where many major companies like Microsoft, Uber, and T-Mobile have used their services. They custom make 2D animation to fit pretty much any size project you may have and have received a ton of reviews on their work, resulting in a steady 4.8 out of 5.0 stars on most review sites.
Services include:
- 2D Animation
- Websites
- Videos
- Marketing
- Hubspot
Find Webdew on Twitter. The minimum project size is $5,000.
#19 Early Light Media
Early Light Media is on the higher end of our list, and that is why we have them towards the bottom. This animation and marketing studio has done everything from small landing pages to Grammy award-winning production projects. With such an incredible reputation, it makes sense they do not list their project pricing. This is also our only company that can do 2D animation just as well as hand-drawn animation.
Services include:
- 2D Animation
- Video Production
- Post-Production
- Feature Animation
Find Early Light Media on Instagram. The minimum project size is undisclosed.
#20 Next Day Animations
The final studio on our animation companies list is Next Day Animations. This Maryland-based studio focuses on explainer videos only with a really warm tone and color choices. They use the same basic templates of other companies but add a unique art style that sets them apart after production. They have won a couple of Telly Awards and took First Place in Outstanding Environmental Video in 2015.
Services include:
- 2D Animation
- 3D Animation
- Explainer Videos
Find Next Day Animations on Facebook. The minimum project size is $5,000.
Wrapping it Up
We suggest taking your time to evaluate each of these 2D animation companies. Go through their portfolios to find those styles that best match your goals and brand identity. Almost all of them offer a free consultation and don’t be scared off by the minimum project size price. Most of their hourly fees are $55-$125.
Choosing a great studio to create 2D animation doesn’t have to be complicated. When you’re in the market for a well-rounded and easy to work with a studio, try Darvideo. Their team has years of experience creating engaging and attractive 2D animation work from explainers to landing pages to corporate communication.
Thank you for taking the time to read through our article. We hope you check out Darvideo Animation Studio, and if you have any other topic around animation and explainer videos you’d like us to feature, please don’t hesitate to send us a note!
