How much does a promo video cost for a small business?
If you run a small business, a promo video quote can be confusing. One studio says a few hundred euros, another says several thousand, and both say "it depends". Here's what it depends on, so you can tell a fair quote from an expensive one.
The short answer
Surveys of brands put the average animated explainer video at about $10,983, with some paying as little as $600 and the top figure at $250,000 (HubSpot). Most small businesses don't need anything near the average. What you pay mostly comes down to three things: whether anyone has to film, how many people work on it, and how many versions you need.
What you're paying for
| Part of the job | What it is | Why it costs |
|---|---|---|
| Planning | A call, a brief, a script and sometimes a storyboard | Someone's time before anything is made |
| Filming | A videographer, a camera crew, sometimes lights and sound, at your premises | Usually charged by the half day or day |
| Editing or animation | Putting it together, adding text and motion | The biggest share of time on most jobs |
| Music | A licensed track, or music made for you | HubSpot lists music and sound from about $250 to $2,000 or more |
| Changes | Rounds of feedback after the first cut | Often a fixed number included, then extra |
| Versions | Different lengths or formats for different places | Each one is more editing |
When two quotes look far apart, check which of these each one includes. A cheap quote with no music licence, one round of changes and a single length can end up costing more than it looks.
Questions to ask before you say yes
- How many rounds of changes are included, and what does each extra one cost?
- Is the music licensed for ads, or only for organic posts?
- Do I get the final files, and can I use them anywhere, for as long as I like?
- Is a shorter cut for social included, or is it extra?
- If you film on site, how long will it take, and does it disrupt my opening hours?
Do you need filming at all?
Filming is worth it when the video is about something people have to see moving: a haircut, a dish being plated, a workshop in action, the inside of a hotel. For many small businesses, though, the promo is really about your products, your team and what you offer. That's already on your website, in photos you've paid for once.
The cheaper options, honestly
| Option | Cost | Time | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| A local videographer | Hundreds to a few thousand | A filming day plus editing | Showing a place or a service in action |
| A freelance animator | Hundreds to a few thousand | Days to weeks | A custom animated piece |
| Doing it yourself with a template tool | A subscription plus your evenings | Hours to days | If you enjoy editing and have the time |
| Teasr, from your website | €19.50 to €49.50 a video | About 10 minutes | Products, collections, announcements, often |
Teasr makes a motion video from your website, in your colours and fonts, with music made for it, and you can ask for changes in plain words. It doesn't film anything, so it won't show your salon in action. If that's what you need, pay a videographer for one good film and use cheaper videos for everything that comes after.
Is a video worth it for a small business?
In Wyzowl's 2026 survey, 63% of people said a short video is how they'd most like to learn about a product or service, far ahead of a text article (12%) (Wyzowl). That's a good reason to have one. It's an even better reason to have a short one for each new product or season, instead of one expensive video that gets old.
For bigger budgets and brand films, see our guide to what a product video costs.