Answer
How much does an app promo video cost in 2026?
How much does an app promo video cost?
Between nothing and $18,000. An agency averages $2,528 for a 30-second app preview, with a floor near $200 and a ceiling around $18,000. Doing it yourself costs roughly $400 in gear and software. AI tools run $0 to $110 a month, which works out between free and about $11 a video.
The four price bands
| Route | Cost | Turnaround | When it makes sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI generator | $0 – $110/mo | Minutes | You need it now, or the app does not exist yet |
| Do it yourself | ~$400 in gear and software, plus your weekend | 1–3 days | You own the footage and enjoy editing |
| Freelancer | $15 – $500 | 3–10 days | One video, specific style, no ongoing need |
| Agency | $200 – $18,000, averaging $2,528 | 2–6 weeks | Paid media budget behind it |
What an agency actually charges
Wyzowl surveyed the market for a 30-second app preview and found an average of $2,528, a floor of $200 and a ceiling of $18,000. Quality explains only part of that spread. The $200 quotes are usually a base price with scripting, voiceover and revisions billed on top, so the number you are quoted and the number you pay are different numbers.
- Scripting is frequently separate. Ask.
- Voiceover is almost always separate, and per-language.
- Revisions are capped, usually at two rounds, then billed hourly.
- App previews allow very little animation because Apple requires the video to show the app in use, so a lot of what you are paying an animation studio for cannot legally go in the file.
What doing it yourself costs
Wyzowl puts the DIY route at roughly $400: about $100 for a microphone and $10 to $350 for editing software, with recording and scripting free. That is the cash cost. The real cost is the two days you spend learning a timeline, and the fact that first attempts usually look like first attempts.
What the tools cost per video
Subscription prices hide the number that matters. Divide by what the plan actually lets you make.
| Tool | Plan | Videos included | Per video |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mega Pudu | Free first video | 1 | $0 |
| Mega Pudu | $9 for 100 credits | ~4–6 with generated motion | ~$1.50–2.25 |
| Arcads | $110/mo Starter | 10 | $11.00 |
| Arcads | $220/mo Creator | 20 | $11.00 |
| Creatify | $39/mo Starter | ~3–25 (2–20 credits each) | $1.56 – $13.00 |
| Submagic | $20/mo Starter | 30 | $0.67 |
| OpusClip | $15/mo Starter | 150 minutes of source | Depends on footage |
| SmoothCapture | $99 once | Unlimited | Falls toward $0 |
| Screen Studio | $108/yr | Unlimited | Falls toward $0 |
Two patterns fall out of that table. Tools that charge per generation land around $11 a video and stay there forever. Tools that charge for the software land near zero per video but need you to do the work. Expiring credits quietly move you from the second group into the first: Creatify's lapse after two months.
What it is worth spending
A/B tests reported by SplitMetrics, StoreMaven and others put a good App Store preview at roughly +15% to +30% on install conversion, and one StoreMaven test measured +47% after iOS began autoplaying previews. The same sources note that a weak video can cost you 10 to 15% against having no video at all. So the video is not free upside, and the money is better spent on the first second than on the render.
- Pre-launch, no users: spend nothing. Use a free tier and find out whether the angle lands before you pay anyone.
- Launching, no paid media: spend under $100. A one-time tool or a single month of a subscription covers it.
- Running paid acquisition: spend on variants, not on polish. Ten cheap videos tested beat one expensive video guessed.
- Funded, brand matters, one flagship asset: this is the only case where $2,528 is the right answer.
Start at the free end. First video costs nothing and downloads clean.
Make my free videoQuestions people ask
How much does an app promo video cost?
An agency averages $2,528 for a 30-second app preview, ranging from about $200 to $18,000. Doing it yourself costs roughly $400 in microphone and editing software. AI video tools cost between $0 and $110 a month, which works out at free to about $11 per video depending on the tool.
Can I get an app promo video for free?
Yes, with conditions. Most free tiers watermark the export, including OpusClip, Submagic, Creatify and VEED. Mega Pudu's first video downloads clean. If you can accept a watermark, free is genuinely free. If you need a clean file for a store listing, budget somewhere between $0 and $99.
Why do app video agencies charge thousands?
Scripting, storyboarding, voiceover, motion design, revision rounds and project management, mostly billed separately from the headline quote. The $200 end of the market is usually a base render with everything else added on. It is real work, but App Store previews restrict how much animation you can use, so a large part of an agency's craft cannot appear in the final file.
Is an app preview video worth the money?
Usually, if it is good. Vendor A/B tests put a strong preview at +15% to +30% on install conversion, and up to +47% in one StoreMaven test once previews autoplayed. But the same guides report a weak video performing 10 to 15% worse than no video at all, so the downside is real and the first second matters more than the budget.
What is the cheapest app promo video that still looks professional?
Free to about $99. A clean generated vertical clip costs nothing on a free tier. SmoothCapture at $99 one-time produces App Store-ready previews on a Mac forever. Screenhance's $6 pass clears watermarks for ten exports. All three land well below the $200 floor of the agency market.
Sources
Prices and specs on this page last verified 31 July 2026.