Not to be confused with Video Editing software in this post I want to look at the myriad of Video Creation software, tools and online apps available today, both free and paid to create cool videos even if you don’t want to appear on camera. The focus is on tools for Video Marketers as opposed to creating a funny wedding video montage…
While new video creation tools come on the market regularly I will focus on those that have a good track record, active support and receive regular updates.
Video Screen Capture
What is the best video creation software for screen capture style videos? Many Video Editors allow you to capture what you are looking at or doing on your computer but there are other tools that do similar without the need for an editing program. Some of these also have the option to take the feed from your Webcam to create the type of Screen Capture you’ve often likely seen with the small talking head sitting in the bottom right of the screen – P.I.P ( Picture in Picture).
Video Screen Capture Tools
Adobe Express is a Free image and (short) video slideshow creation tool (with watermark) upgrade for $12 month.
Screencastomatic is browser-based so nothing to download. Up to 15 minutes of recording time ( with watermark) via the Free version. Upgrade to DeLuxe $18 p.a. or Premier $48 p.a. for extras such as editing options, ‘speech to text’ captions and unlimited recording time.
Loom free version allows you to store up to 100 videos on their server, upgrade for more, videos are shared via a link but are also downloadable so you can save to your computer and post/upload elsewhere. 5 minute recording time max, last time I checked.
Create by Vidello (PC & Mac software) could also feature in the slideshow creation section below as it has more than one function, most importantly a built-in Video Editor, video resizing for different Social Media Platforms, massive Library of stock images and video, add animated emojis, create .gifs and more, making it a great all-rounder tool @ $127 one-time price.
Slideshow Video Creation
Probably the style of video, certainly for ‘sales’ videos, that we are all most familiar with are those slideshow-style videos, primarily text-based. And for good reason – it’s weird, isn’t it? We listen to what is essentially an Audio but still read the text on each slide as they appear!
Kind of like watching a film and still reading the sub-titles when turned on, even when they are in the same language as the film’s audio That’s the power of video right there. Attention-grabbing!
So taking it a stage further and creating slideshows with images PLUS text can be useful and kind of attention-grabbing.
Video Slideshow Creation Tools
What is the best video creation software for slideshows? If it’s OK with you I’ll bypass Microsoft’s PowerPoint, Apple’s KeyNote and the Open Office equivalent, Impress which, once you’ve built your slides can be exported in video format and instead look at groovier, easier options…
Easy Video Sales Letter (EVSL) is a true Sales Letter Video Builder in the traditional sense but what I like about is that you choose your style, paste your ‘script’ and your slides are auto-generated. From $97 and monthly fee or annual @ $197.
Animoto – I’ve had a Pro account with them for years but handed it over to my sister as she loves making great slideshows for friends and family rather than ‘Review’ or Sales Videos. Free Month Trial.
And there are many Animoto style clones out there: good bad and indifferent but this post is aimed at Video Marketers and I don’t want to turn it into a ‘list’ of every freakin’ option out there 😎
Wave builds amazing videos incorporating text, images, and video clips. Paste in your script and Wave creates a slideshow with related images/videos which you can then edit or add new ones from the enormous stock image and video clip Library that’s built-in, add Voice-over and synch. Highly Recommended – Free Trial.
Animated Video Creation
What is the best video creation software for animated videos? I have to be honest and say that I particularly love video animation apps and software and they are the ones I use the most often.
Once again there are dozens of video animation tools out there, from the next to useless to professional ones that take months to master such as Adobe After Effects.
Instead, I’m focused here on video animation tools and apps that suit video marketers looking to create great-looking videos with minimal technical skills.
Animated Video Creation Tools
Powtoon has been around for a while and received several updates. Free option (with Branding) then from $16 monthly – but PRO option @ $19 per month ( if paid annually) is the best deal when getting started.
Biteable is browser-based and you can create multiple styles of videos from an enormous library of templates that you can edit to make uniquely your own, Free option is very limited re templates access and output is watermarked plus you can’t download your creations. Upgrades start at $20 per month and up depending how many videos you intend to render per month + access to 85,000 Stock video footage library.
Render Forest like Biteable this video creation app. lets you pick a ‘Story Board’ with multiple animated scenes. Choose the scenes you want to include, edit the text and render it into your final video. Free option available with watermark, low resolution and 3- minute max. length. Upgrades start at $9.99 per month and up depending on how many videos you want to create per month, length of videos etc. Also includes video intro templates and other tools.
Animaker is a very popular animated slideshow creation app. – cloud-based. Free version comes with limited tools and max. video time of 2 minutes. Various upgrade options to increase video length, unlock extra tools and render in HD are available – monthly or annual fees.
Vyond aka GoAnimate creates cool animated slideshows too. So it often is just a question of which ‘style’ of animations the tools use as each has its own look. Free 14 Day Trial then from $49 per month (50% discount if paid annually) but you have to upgrade to Premium to remove their branding which strikes me as being unfair.
Crazy Talk is a personal favorite – import your audio file into one of their ‘Talking Heads’ or create your own. Play with the ‘mood’ animation with 1-click, add backgrounds and FX – Free Trial.
Create Studio is a new arrival and the animations vary from animated text and imagery or a combination thereof with ‘drag and drop‘ simplicity of use, and Pixar ( think ‘Toy Story’) animated characters. You can even import videos you have created using other tools and add some animated ‘magic’.
Doodle Video Creation
What is the best video creation software for Doodle Videos – also called ‘Whiteboard Animation’ videos. These tools and apps were once the ‘Latest Thing’ when they first came out but the novelty seems to have worn off of late. That said if they are a fit for what you want to to create in your video marketing campaigns here are my suggestions…
Doodle Video Creation Tools
Videoscribe by Sparkol is one of the best whiteboard animation programs that allows you to create your own whiteboard videos easily and quickly. It’s an online App. and available at a low competitive price. You can add images, type your text, adjust speed and zoom in and out, the rest is taken care of by the software creating the ‘doodle’ FX. Free trial available then $6.50 per month or $75 per year
Explaindio is downloadable software ( Mac or PC) and I could also have included it in the Slideshow and Animation sections too as Explaindio is a multi-tool when it comes to creating videos not just Whiteboard/Doodle style. Free 14 Day Trial ( on Email submission) then $67 per year.
Doodly lets you create unlimited whiteboard, blackboard, greenboard, and even glassboard doodle videos. Just select a doodle image. Click and drag it to the canvas, and Doodly will automatically draw the image for you. And that’s it. From $20 per month ( if paid annually) but occasionally offers one-time payment deals.
Easy Sketch PRO is another well established Doodle Video Creation Tool focused purely on Whiteboard style animations. One-time price points start at $37 ( with branding) or $67 without.
Moovly is another app. that could have been included in other sections of this post. As well as Doodle animation videos Moovly provides loads of different video style templates to edit and make your own. Free Trial ( with branding) then from $25 a month ( if billed yearly)
Of course, there’s nothing to stop you mixing it up and using the output of more than one tool and mashing them into one video. For that you’ll need a video editor and, in another post, I’ll be looking at the best Video Editors, free and paid.
