Last Updated on June 21, 2023 by Ewen Finser
Powtoon is a competent video editing and effects tool, but it’s not necessarily the best tool.
I’ll admit to getting started with Powtoon in our business. Initially, I loved the functionality for making animated videos and editing existing video content on the cheap. BUT, I quickly found that there were other options out there. In fact, this market as EXPLODED in the last few years.
With this context, I started researching the best alternatives to Powtoon. It ended up being quite a lengthy list.
The following is a rank-ordered list, the product of this research. Check it out:
1. Best Overall Powtoon Alternative: WeVideo
Summary:
WeVideo is super easy to use, yet deceptively more capable than most video editors. Compared to Powtoon, WeVideo offers more features and animation tools for LESS money, with their paid plans starting at just $4.99 / month. This is why I had to put them first as my top recommendation for disillusioned Powtoon users.
WeVideo Advantages
- Free Trial available
- Extremely affordable paid entry point at $4.99 / month for single user license
- Different packages for business and non-profit organizations
- Plans scale very nicely, even the top tier Business Plan caps out at $29.99 / month (much more affordable than Powtoon)
- Motion titles available on all packages
- Better designed interface compared to Powtoon
- Excellent for webcam and smartphone feeds
- 100% cloud-based platform, accessible on ALL devices
- Dead simple drag-and-drop workflow and FX management
WeVideo Disadvantages
- Relatively new to the scene, limited reputation in the industry
- Not great for extremely large file edits
WeVideo Prices:
WeVideo offers a limited Free Plan, but their paid plans start at $4.99 for the Power Plan, then $7.99 for the Unlimited Plan, then $17.99 for the Professional Plan, and finally $29.99 for the Business Plan (team licenses).
Further Research:
2. Best Full Video Editing Suite: Visme
Summary:
Visme is a great option if you need more than just an animated video maker. It can do all of the things Powtoon does, but can also create high-quality video ads to support professional marketing efforts.
Visme Advantages
- Highly functional, totally FREE plan to test it out (use it forever or upgrade for expanded features)
- More advanced and professional video library compared to Powtoon
- Better features and support for teams vs solo freelancers
- More affordable pricing plans compared to Powtoon (Powtoon is a bit more complicated pricing-wise)
- Better software for business-to-business video presentations
Visme Disadvantages
- Some users may prefer Powtoon’s laser focus on animated, playful videos vs Visme’s broader features
- No mobile iOS or Android app (yet)
Visme Prices:
- Basic Plan: Visme offers a fully functional FREE plan, with up to 100 MB of storage, Free forever.
- Starter Plan: Full access to image & template library, 250 MB of storage and 24/7 customer support, starts at $29/month.
- Pro Plan: All downloading options, brand kits, analytics, 3 GB of storage, starts at $59/month.
- Teams Plan: Extensible storage, advanced integrations and full team support, contact for pricing.
3. Animoto
Summary:
Animoto takes the guess work out of creating compelling animated videos. More so than even Powtoon, you don’t need to be an expert to create marketing-ready videos with Animoto. It doesn’t offer endless customization, but that’s the point!
Animoto Advantages
- Incredibly easy to create quality animated videos without necessarily having a background in video production
- Starts at just $15 per month (Powtoon starts at $19 per month)
- Offers a free trial version
- Extensive media library included in paid membership
- Voice over capability
- Slightly easier to use compared to Powtoon
- Free FOREVER Plan (with Animoto branding and watermarks)
Animoto Disadvantages
- Limited customization
- Not a true “video editor” (e.g. your video production friends are snobs).
- Limited built-in team collaboration tools (unless on Team Plan)
Animoto Prices:
Free Plan, then $15 per month for Professional Plan, and capping out at $39 per month for Team Plan.
If you have tried Animoto, and don’t like it, here are some Top Animoto Competitors like Magisto.
4. Moovly
Summary:
For something very similar to Powtoon, but with better pricing and editing tools, Moovly is a great substitute pick.
Moovly Advantages
- Lower pricing points for getting started ($29 and $49 per month for Pro and Max plans)
- Ability to adjust speed with video editing
- Ability to split and merge edit
- Larger motion graphics and style libraries
- Has an iPhone and Android app for editing on the go
- Fewer aggressive plan upsells (Powtoon pushes hard)
Moovly Disadvantages
- Slightly less user-friendly interface (although not to the point where it’s a big problem)
- Full support only on paid plans
- Only available as a cloud-based video solution
- Still struggles with software glitches from time to time
Moovly Prices:
Moovly starts with a completely FREE plan (limited to 20 personal uploads and lower video quality), then a Pro Plan at $24 / month (HD video quality, 25 downloads per month, full support, no watermarks, etc…, and finally a Max Plan for $49 / month (screen recordings, closed captions, text to speech, more downloads, etc…). Moovly also offers customized Enterprise pricing upon request.
6. Vyond (formerly GoAnimate)
Summary:
Vyond is my TOP recommended alternative, as it features more pre-made templates AND best in class team collaboration tools. In short, If you are ready to move beyond a solo operator use case, I’d recommend checking out Vyond.
Vyond Advantages
- 24/7 live technical support & customer support available
- Offers more ready made templates
- More in depth documentation & tutorials
- Offers better Teams plans & Enterprise support
- Offers team training and education webinars
Vyond Disadvantages
- Doesn’t offer a “one-off” payment option like VideoScribe
- Entry level plans are more expensive (but more features)
Vyond Pricing:
Vyond features 4 core pricing tiers:
- Essential Plan: Starts at $49 / month (just the basics)
- Premium Plan: Starts at $89 / month (adds 1080 pixel quality, removes Vyond logo, includes aspect rations)
- Professional Plan: Starts at $159 / month (adds team collaboration and premium support)
- Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing upon request (features advanced SSO security and team training)
Final Cut: So Which is the Top Powtoon Alternative?
There are some great options to choose from here if you are looking to change video editing software. That said, there are some specific reasons I lean towards certain alternatives. Here’s the deal:
- Need something easier to use & more affordable? Go with the excellent value offered by WeVideo here.
- Need a more professional video editing suite? Go with the more advanced video editing capabilities of Visme here.
- Looking for AI-assisted auto-videos? Go with the incredibly smart logic offered by Animoto here.