Updated on 9 November 2026 by Nicolas Finet, CEO of Sortlist. This guide has been rewritten for 2026: it now includes UK production costs per minute, where AI helps and where it does not, current examples and a framework for choosing a style for your brand.
Animation appears in ads, explainers, social video, films and games. The main families have not changed: 2D, 3D, stop motion and motion graphics, often combined. What has changed is the cost of each, the tools behind them and the choices a brand has to make before commissioning a studio.
Key takeaways
- The core styles are 2D, 3D, stop motion, motion graphics and hybrids. Pick by the job: explainers suit 2D or motion graphics, product launches suit 3D, craft-led brand films suit stop motion.
- UK budgeting ranges for 2026: about £1,750-£8,000 per minute for 2D and £5,000-£25,000 for 3D, with motion graphics usually the most economical.
- AI speeds up parts of 2D and motion work, but it adds limited value to physical techniques such as stop motion and claymation.
A short history of animation
The idea of animation is older than film. Devices such as the zoetrope, a spinning cylinder with sequential drawings, created the illusion of movement in the 19th century. Hand-drawn cel animation dominated the 20th century, stop-motion techniques developed alongside it, and from the 1990s computer-generated imagery moved from experiment to mainstream. Today most animation mixes several techniques in one production.
Animation is also big business. Precedence Research estimates the global animation market at about USD 462 billion in 2025, rising to roughly USD 492 billion in 2026 and approaching USD 953 billion by 2035 (a 7.5% annual growth rate). Other firms define the market differently and quote different totals, so use such figures as a sense of scale, not a precise number.
The main types of animation compared
| Type | How it works | Best for | Typical UK cost per minute (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2D animation | Flat drawings or digital shapes, sequenced or rigged | Explainers, social video, ads, children's content | About £1,750-£8,000; character-led £4,000-£12,000 |
| 3D animation | Digital models that are rigged, animated and rendered | Product visuals, film, games, architecture | About £5,000-£25,000, and higher for high-end work |
| Stop motion | Physical objects or puppets photographed frame by frame | Craft-led brand films, music videos | Depends heavily on frame rate and set; usually labour-intensive |
| Motion graphics | Animated text, shapes and icons | Titles, logos, data and explainers | Often the lowest-cost option; template-based 30-second pieces from about £400-£800 |
| Hybrid / 2.5D | Mixes styles (for example 2D characters in 3D worlds) | Distinctive brand looks | Varies by blend |
Cost ranges come from UK production-company guides published in 2026 (Media Village, Educational Voice). They are indicative: scene count, character design, voice-over and revisions all move the price.
2D animation
2D animation creates movement in a flat space. Artists storyboard the action, then produce frames by hand or digitally; many studios now rig characters like puppets so that parts move without redrawing every frame.
- Traditional hand-drawn: each frame drawn individually; expressive and time-consuming.
- Cut-out and rigged: pre-drawn parts are moved and rotated, which is faster and cheaper, and the dominant style in marketing.
- Digital frame-by-frame: tablets and software imitate the classic technique, with onion skinning to preview neighbouring frames.
- Rotoscoping: animators trace live-action footage to get realistic movement.
It suits explainers and social content because it is quicker and cheaper than 3D and works at small sizes on phones. The Simpsons remains the best-known long-running example on television.
3D animation
3D animation builds characters and environments in a virtual space. The workflow runs through modelling, rigging (adding a digital skeleton), animation, lighting, texturing and rendering. The result can look photorealistic or highly stylised.
- Strengths: depth, dynamic camera work, reusable assets and consistent results across many shots.
- Trade-offs: a steeper learning curve, specialised software and hardware, and longer rendering and revision cycles, which explain the higher cost.
- Uses: product demonstrations, packaging visuals, architectural walk-throughs, games and feature films such as Frozen and How to Train Your Dragon.
Open-source tools have lowered the barrier: Flow, the Latvian film made with the free software Blender, won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in March 2025. If you are exploring 3D for brand work, our article on 3D branding shows practical uses.
Stop-motion animation
Stop motion photographs physical objects, such as clay figures, puppets or paper, one frame at a time, with tiny movements between shots. It is shot at 12 or 24 frames per second, so smooth movement at 24 fps takes roughly twice as long as a stylised 12 fps look.
- Equipment: an armature (a metal skeleton) for puppets, miniature sets, controlled lighting, a manual-control camera on a stable tripod, and software such as Dragonframe for frame capture.
- Variants: claymation (clay), puppet animation, paper and object animation, and pixilation (people as the subject).
- Uses: brand films with a handmade feel, music videos and children's content.
The UK has a strong tradition here. Aardman's Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, directed by Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham, was broadcast on BBC One at Christmas 2024, and shows how a handmade style can still draw a mass audience.
Motion graphics and explainer videos
Motion graphics animate text, shapes, icons and data rather than characters. They are the workhorse of marketing: titles, logo reveals, product explainers, social ads and data visualisations. Explainer videos combine motion graphics or 2D animation with narration and storytelling to simplify a complex topic.
Explainers are popular with marketers: in 2026 industry roundups citing Wyzowl, 73% of video marketers say explainer videos are their most-used format. Typical UK prices start from £400-£800 for a template-based 30-second piece, and from about £4,000 to £8,000 for fully custom character animation of the same length. Most custom 60-second explainers land between £3,000 and £10,000. For related costs, see our guide to video editing rates.
Other types worth knowing
- Whiteboard animation: a hand draws on a white background while a voice-over explains. Simple, and used for education and training.
- Kinetic typography: text as the main visual, often synchronised to speech or music.
- Cut-out and puppet animation: paper or fabric pieces moved frame by frame, a tradition associated with the silhouette films of Lotte Reiniger.
- Stylised or hybrid 2.5D: 2D art placed in 3D space for a distinctive look.
- AI-assisted animation: generated or enhanced clips and frames (see below).
Where AI helps, and where it does not
AI has moved into animation pipelines. Text-to-video models and tools for in-betweening, colouring, lip-sync and storyboarding can compress days of 2D or motion work into hours. Industry guides describe the tools as a fast, low-cost junior assistant that lets a small team punch above its size.
“Where AI adds limited value (as of February 2026): Stop motion and claymation (physical processes that cannot be generated digitally)”
Green Frog Labs, Types of Animation (2026)
- Helps most: concept art, storyboards, 2D in-betweening, motion-graphics variations, localisation and resizing for different platforms.
- Helps less: stop motion and claymation, and any style where a consistent character must hold across many shots.
- Risks: copyright and licensing. Studios have taken legal action over training data, so check what a supplier's tools were trained on and who owns the output.
Ask any agency or studio how AI is used in your project, what is human-made, and how the final files are licensed.
How to choose a style for your brand
- Start with the goal. Explain a service (2D or motion graphics), show a product (3D), build emotional warmth (stop motion or hand-drawn 2D).
- Match the platform. Short vertical social video favours bold 2D and motion graphics; a hero film can justify 3D.
- Be realistic about budget. Cost per minute scales with complexity. Plan a library of reusable assets if you will need many videos.
- Ask for a style frame. One finished frame shows you the look before you commit to a full production.
- Agree the timeline per stage: script, storyboard, design, animation, sound, revisions.
Design choices carry through to your wider identity: see 10 types of graphic design and visual storytelling.
Frequently asked questions about types of animation
What are the main types of animation?
2D, 3D, stop motion and motion graphics, plus hybrid styles such as 2.5D and AI-assisted animation.
How much does animation cost in the UK?
UK guides for 2026 give roughly £1,750-£8,000 per minute for 2D and £5,000-£25,000 per minute for 3D. A template-based 30-second motion graphic can start around £400-£800, while custom character animation of the same length costs £4,000-£8,000.
Which type is cheapest?
Motion graphics and simple 2D are usually the most economical; 3D and stop motion cost more because of production time.
Can AI replace animators?
It speeds up some parts of 2D and motion work, but it adds limited value for physical techniques such as stop motion, and creative direction still needs people.
How long does an animation take?
It depends on length and style. Ask for a schedule by stage when you request quotes.
What is the best style for an explainer video?
2D animation or motion graphics, because they are clear, fast to produce and work well on small screens.
Looking for an animation studio? Post your project on Sortlist and compare UK video and animation agencies for free.
Sources: Media Village, Educational Voice, Precedence Research, Reuters (Flow, Oscar 2025), BBC Media Centre, Green Frog Labs. Cost figures are provider-published and indicative.
