Last updated: 12 October 2026
In 2026, a professionally produced learning video usually costs between €1,500 and €15,000 net, depending on the format. With us, a training video or tutorial of 3 to 10 minutes with screen recording and a voice-over speaker costs €1,500 to €6,000, an animated explainer video of 60 to 90 seconds costs €4,000 to €12,000, and a video with an AI avatar of 1 to 3 minutes costs €3,500 to €15,000. If you record it yourself, you pay mainly with your time: the software starts at €0.
How much does a learning video cost? Prices by format
The ranges come from our overview of the costs of all video formats (as of 2026) and apply to professional productions in Germany, net.
| Format | Typical scope | Price range (net) | Production time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screencast or software tutorial | 3 to 10 minutes, screen and speaker | €1,500 to €6,000 | 1 to 3 weeks |
| Animated explainer or learning video (2D) | 60 to 90 seconds, script and voice-over | €4,000 to €12,000 | 3 to 6 weeks |
| Video with an AI avatar | 1 to 3 minutes, no shoot day | €3,500 to €15,000 | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Filmed training video | Depends on shoot days, people and locations | A shoot day with crew costs €2,500 to €6,000. Once several locations, animations and graphics are added, as in a corporate image film, the project starts at around €8,000 | 4 to 8 weeks |
| Interactive e-learning module with videos | 15 to 30 learning minutes | €8,000 to €25,000 | 6 to 12 weeks |
If the video is to become part of a full course with exercises and tests, the industry usually calculates per learning minute or per hour of learning time. How these prices are built up is covered in our article on the cost of complete e-learning courses.
What do other providers charge for training videos?
Only a few providers publish fixed prices. Here are two examples you can use for comparison:
- Filmed expert videos: webinarfabrik in Vienna quotes €3,190 net for an expert talk with one camera and €3,490 for an interview with three cameras, per video and up to 60 minutes in length. In a package of 10 or 20 videos, the price per video drops (price page, last changed in December 2025 according to the page data).
- Animated explainer videos: The agency videoboost from Darmstadt gives a guide price from €3,900, typically €6,000 to €12,000 for a video of 90 to 120 seconds, including concept, script, animation, speaker and revision rounds (guide, updated on 25 September 2026).
What does the price of a learning video depend on?
- Instructional concept: A learning video is meant to teach, not just show. Working out the learning objective, structure and examples takes time, but it saves revisions and makes the video effective.
- Production method: Screen recording, animation, a shoot or an AI avatar each have a different cost profile, see the table above.
- Speaker: According to the 2026 VDS fee guide (VDS-Gagenkompass) of the Verband Deutscher Sprecher:innen, a professional voice for internal e-learning (category “E-Learning – intern”) costs €300 to €400 net for up to 5 minutes and €60 to €90 for each additional 5 minutes; the length of the text also influences the fee. AI voices are cheaper and can be regenerated quickly when something changes.
- Length and division: Several short videos, each on one topic, are easier to learn from and easier to update than one long video. However, every additional video needs an intro, graphics and sign-off.
- Language versions and subtitles: Every language adds a further speaker, subtitles and review. With AI avatars and AI voices, this effort is much smaller.
- Updates: Training content changes. Plan from the start which parts need to be easy to replace later, such as screen recordings of software.
- LMS integration: A plain MP4 video is quickly uploaded. If the platform is to record whether someone has watched the video and answered a question, you need a SCORM package with interaction.
Looking for help with e-learning courses? Tell us about your project through the contact form.
Examples: Which format suits which type of training?
Four formats from our own projects show what each production method is suited for:
- Screencast: For Landakademie, we edited short screencast videos on course navigation and added animated hints, speech bubbles and mouse movements so that new users find their way around the platform.
- Filmed training video: For Landakademie’s course “Pflanzenschutz im Handel” (plant protection in retail), we designed, shot and edited a training video with footage, animations and graphics on advisory conversations and legal requirements.
- Animation: For the German customs authority (Zoll), we produced nine animated videos in a graphic novel style that tell real cases of labour exploitation for around 8,900 employees of the Financial Control of Illegal Employment (Finanzkontrolle Schwarzarbeit). Animation is a good choice when real footage is not possible or too sensitive.
- AI avatar: For the learning platform DigitalesWissen.com, we created avatars and voices with HeyGen and ElevenLabs and developed two complete courses within a few weeks.
What does it cost to create a learning video yourself?
For simple tutorials, software that costs little or nothing is enough. The vendors’ prices, checked on 12 October 2026:
- OBS Studio: free and open source, for screen and camera recording.
- Loom: Free plan with 25 videos, recordings of up to 5 minutes and up to 720p. The Business plan costs US$18 per person per month.
- Camtasia: Recording and editing in one program. The Starter plan at €39.56 a year exports with a watermark; without a watermark, you need the Essentials plan at €182.49 a year, according to techsmith.de (as of October 2026).
- Synthesia: AI avatar videos, free plan with 10 video minutes a month and the Synthesia logo. The Starter plan costs US$29 a month, or US$18 with annual payment. SCORM export is only available in the Enterprise plan.
- HeyGen: Free plan with 3 videos a month of up to 1 minute each. The Creator plan costs US$29 a month; SCORM export is available from the Business plan at US$149 a month plus US$20 per seat.
The software is rarely the expensive part. The effort lies in the script, recording, editing, sound and coordination. A middle path: you record your software workflows yourself and have editing, graphics and speaker added professionally. How we take on learning videos, either as a complete production or only in part, is described in our article on producing learning videos in individual steps.
Is the effort worth it? In the eLearning BENCHMARKING study 2024 by eLearning Journal and Haufe Akademie, video is the most widely used format for soft-skills training in the DACH region at 84.7 percent, just ahead of web-based trainings at 83.2 percent.
Frequently asked questions about the cost of learning videos
How much does a training video cost?
With us, a training video or tutorial of 3 to 10 minutes with screen recording and a speaker costs €1,500 to €6,000 net. Filmed training videos cost more because at least one shoot day with a crew is added.
How much does an animated learning video cost?
With us, an animated explainer or learning video of 60 to 90 seconds costs €4,000 to €12,000 net, depending on the illustration style, speaker and revision rounds.
Is a learning video with an AI avatar cheaper?
Often, yes, because the shoot day, studio and speaker are no longer needed. With us, a professionally produced avatar video of 1 to 3 minutes costs €3,500 to €15,000. The biggest advantage shows in language versions and later changes.
How long does it take to produce a learning video?
A tutorial takes 1 to 3 weeks, an avatar video 2 to 4 weeks, an animated explainer video 3 to 6 weeks and an interactive e-learning module 6 to 12 weeks.
How much does a speaker for a training video cost?
According to the 2026 VDS fee guide, a speaker for internal e-learning costs €300 to €400 net for up to 5 minutes and €60 to €90 for each additional 5 minutes.
Would you like a quote for your learning video? In a free initial consultation, we clarify the goal, format and budget. Get in touch
Sources
- That Works Media, cost overview (table, as of 2026): https://thatworksmedia.com/was-kostet-ein-video-2026/
- That Works Media, portfolio: https://thatworksmedia.com/portfolio/e-learning-landakademie-kursnavigation/, https://thatworksmedia.com/portfolio/e-learning-sachkunde-pflanzenschutz/, https://thatworksmedia.com/portfolio/e-learning-fuer-zoll-und-fks/, https://thatworksmedia.com/neue-lernplattform-digitaleswissen-com/
- webinarfabrik, prices for training videos (page date 5 December 2025), checked 12 October 2026: https://www.webinarfabrik.at/preise-schulungsvideos/
- videoboost, explainer video costs 2026 (updated 25 September 2026), checked 12 October 2026: https://www.videoboost.de/blog/preisgestaltung-eines-erklaervideo/
- Verband Deutscher Sprecher:innen, VDS-Gagenkompass 2026, checked 12 October 2026: https://www.sprecherverband.de/service/vds-gagenkompass/
- Haufe Akademie on the eLearning BENCHMARKING study 2024, checked 12 October 2026: https://www.haufe-akademie.de/digital-suite/blog/el-elearning-studie
- OBS Studio: https://obsproject.com/ · Loom: https://www.loom.com/pricing · Camtasia: https://www.techsmith.de/store/camtasia · Synthesia: https://www.synthesia.io/pricing · HeyGen: https://www.heygen.com/pricing (prices checked 12 October 2026; OBS Studio 30 September 2026)
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