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Whiteboard animation videos are one of the most powerful tools in any content creator‘s toolkit. By combining engaging visuals, clear explanations, and the power of storytelling, whiteboard videos can make even the most complex topics easy to understand and remember.
Consider these eye-opening statistics:
- Whiteboard videos can increase viewer retention by as much as 15% compared to traditional talking-head videos. (Source: Sparkol)
- Viewers are 3x more likely to share a whiteboard video than a traditional video. (Source: Switch Video)
- 94% of video marketers say video has helped increase user understanding of their product or service. (Source: Wyzowl)
It‘s no wonder that whiteboard videos have become the go-to format for businesses, educators, marketers, and storytellers of all stripes. The question is no longer if you should be creating whiteboard videos, but how.
Fortunately for Mac users, there are now several fantastic options for whiteboard animation software that are easy to use, packed with features, and able to output professional-quality results. As a video production expert who specializes in animation, I‘ve thoroughly tested the leading software to help you choose the ideal fit for your needs and skill level.
Whiteboard Animation Software Compared
Here‘s a quick comparison of the top 5 whiteboard animation programs I recommend for Mac users:
| Software | Ease of Use | Asset Library | Customization | Export Options | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VideoScribe | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | $144/year |
| Adobe Animate | ⭐⭐ | ⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | $21/month |
| Doodly | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | $20/month |
| RawShorts | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | $50/month |
| Explaindio | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | $59 one-time |
Now let‘s take a closer look at each of these options and explore what makes them the top choices for Mac whiteboard animation.
VideoScribe
Best for: Most users looking for an all-in-one whiteboard animation solution
For the majority of Mac users who want to create stunning whiteboard videos without a huge learning curve, I recommend VideoScribe. This powerful, easy-to-use desktop app provides everything you need to bring your story to life, even if you have zero prior animation experience.
The first thing that stands out about VideoScribe is its massive library of drag-and-drop images, characters, props and music tracks. You‘ll find over 8,000 high-quality, whiteboard-style SVG graphics to choose from, helpfully organized into categories like people, icons, and backgrounds. Just find the assets you want, drop them onto the canvas, and VideoScribe instantly renders them in a hand-sketched style. You can also import your own graphics in SVG, PNG or JPG format.
While VideoScribe‘s built-in templates make it easy to create your first video in minutes, the level of customization on offer is what really sets it apart. You have full control over the drawing hand, including skin tone, left/right handedness, and holding position. For each graphic, you can adjust the draw time, start/end position, rotation, opacity, filters, and more. VideoScribe automatically syncs everything to your audio track as you make changes.
One of my favorite VideoScribe features is the ability to animate text. You can choose from dozens of unique, whiteboard-style typefaces and apply write-on/write-off effects, all perfectly synced to your voiceover. It‘s a seemingly small touch that adds a huge amount of visual interest and polish to your final video.
When you‘re ready to output your creation, VideoScribe has you covered with a range of file types (including MP4, MOV, GIF and PNG) and the ability to export in resolutions up to 4K. You can also share direct to YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and PowerPoint, or embed the video on your own site with a single line of code.
In terms of value for money, I haven‘t found anything that beats VideoScribe. The $144/year price (which drops to $40/year for students and educators) is an absolute steal when you consider the quality and depth of features on offer. Even if you created just a handful of videos per year, it would be well worth the investment.
The only downside is that VideoScribe is currently only available on desktop, so you can‘t create or edit on mobile devices. But in my experience, the precision and control of a mouse/trackpad interface is better suited to whiteboard animation than a touchscreen anyway. For the complete package of an intuitive UI, huge asset library, robust customization, and flexible output, all optimized for Mac, VideoScribe is hard to beat.
Adobe Animate
Best for: Professional animators and designers who demand complete creative control
On the other end of the spectrum from beginner-friendly VideoScribe is Adobe Animate, the industry standard vector animation software for Mac and PC. While not purpose-built for whiteboard videos, Animate‘s powerful tools can be used to create whiteboard animations of the highest professional quality – if you‘re willing to invest significant time in learning the program.
As part of Adobe‘s Creative Cloud suite, Animate integrates seamlessly with apps like Illustrator, Photoshop and After Effects. So if you‘re already using these tools in your creative workflow, the interface and core functionality of Animate will feel very familiar. But even for first-time users, Adobe has done a good job of organizing the various features into logical panels and workspaces that aren‘t too overwhelming.
The key difference between Animate and more whiteboard-specific software is that nothing is automated. There are no templates, no pre-built animations, no instant asset stylization. You have to create everything from scratch, which means the possibilities are virtually limitless – but so is the time investment required.
With Animate, you‘ll spend most of your time working with vector graphic tools and arranging your content on a complex timeline made up of layers and frames. To create the appearance of whiteboard-style sketching, you can use Animate‘s pressure-sensitive brush and pencil tools along with shape tweening to morph between your initial and final graphics. The newest version also added a fluid brushes feature that provides even more natural, hand-drawn results by blending vector and raster technology.
Another powerful aspect of Animate is the ability to incorporate interactivity and dynamic content into your videos using HTML5. This opens up whiteboard animation to a host of new use cases beyond simple explainer videos, such as interactive training modules, data visualizations and even gaming experiences.
When your whiteboard masterpiece is complete, you can export it in multiple vector and bitmap formats, or use Adobe Media Encoder for direct conversion to MP4, WebM, or GIF. Like other Creative Cloud apps, Animate is continually updated with new features and output formats to keep pace with the latest technologies.
Of course, all this power and flexibility comes at a cost. The monthly subscription price of $20.99 is more expensive than other whiteboard tools, especially when you factor in the time needed to learn the software. And while Animate technically doesn‘t require any other paid apps, you‘ll get the most out of it as part of a Creative Cloud plan, which starts at $52.99/month.
For solo creators and small teams, the cost of Animate likely won‘t make sense compared to the speed and ease of use of a more purpose-built option like VideoScribe. But for professional designers and animators who already use Creative Cloud, or those willing to make a serious investment in learning a new skill set, Animate is a powerful blank canvas for bringing any whiteboard video vision to life.
Doodly
Best for: Marketers and storytellers who want to create whiteboard videos fast
Doodly is a relative newcomer to the whiteboard animation scene, but it‘s quickly made a name for itself as one of the most intuitive and user-friendly options available for both Mac and PC. As the name suggests, the focus here is on quick, easy sketching and doodling to turn your narration into an engaging visual story.
The Doodly interface is clean, colorful and uncluttered, with clearly labeled buttons for each main function. You start by selecting a background from the library (or uploading your own), then adding scenes consisting of pre-animated characters, props, text and music. Doodly‘s drag-and-drop scene builder couldn‘t be simpler.
At the time of writing, Doodly‘s asset library includes over 200 whiteboard characters, 20 background scenes, 2000+ images/props, and a selection of royalty-free tracks. It‘s not the largest library compared to VideoScribe, but the included assets are high-quality and cover a good range of common use cases. I especially appreciate that Doodly‘s character assets are fully rigged for animation and lip syncing, which adds a lot to the storytelling potential.
While you don‘t get quite the same level of granular control as some other apps, Doodly does offer a solid set of customization options to make your video feel unique. You can change each element‘s draw speed, start and end position, and import your own fonts and graphics (which Doodly will automatically convert to a sketched style). I would like to see more control over the writing hand in future updates, as well as options for path animations.
Performance-wise, Doodly is impressively fast and responsive for a whiteboard app. Previewing your animations is near instantaneous, and unlike some other browser-based tools there are no slow-downs even with complex scenes. Doodly also auto-saves your project after every change, so you never have to worry about losing work.
Doodly outputs your finished video as an MP4 file, with four quality settings up to 1080p HD. You can also export just the audio from your project, which is handy if you need to make edits in a separate audio app. There‘s no direct export to social media or other platforms, but MP4 is so universally supported that it‘s not a significant drawback.
Doodly is available for $20/month for a single user license, or $40/month for the Pro version which includes extra assets and priority support. Considering the ease of use and fast turnaround times Doodly enables, I think it‘s an excellent value for marketers, educators and content creators who need to pump out whiteboard videos on the regular. You can also save 50% by paying yearly, which brings the monthly cost down to a very reasonable $10.
The main limitation of Doodly is that it‘s not designed to create highly complex, story-driven animations with lots of scene changes and camera movements. For that, you‘re better off with a more advanced tool like VideoScribe or Animate. But for quickly transforming a script or storyboard into an effective whiteboard explainer, Doodly is hard to beat.
Best Practices for Whiteboard Video Creation
No matter which software you choose, creating a whiteboard video that actually resonates with viewers requires some planning and strategy. Here are a few best practices I‘ve learned over the years:
Start with a clear objective and target audience
Before you even open your whiteboard app, get crystal clear on what you want your video to achieve and who it‘s for. Are you trying to explain a complex product to potential customers? Summarize a lengthy blog post? Teach a new skill to employees? Promote a cause? Knowing your key message and target viewer will guide every other decision in the creation process.
Write a tight script
A good explainer video script is clear, concise, and conversational in tone. Reading it out loud, it should sound like how you would explain the topic to a friend, not a classroom lecture or sales pitch. Each line should introduce a single idea accompanied by a relevant visual. For a 1-2 minute video (the ideal length for engagement), aim for a script of around 220-260 words.
Storyboard your visuals
Whiteboard videos are much more visually-driven than a talking head video or screen recording. Before you start animating, map out a rough storyboard of the key scenes and sketch the types of graphics you‘ll need for each. Stick figures are fine – this just helps you visualize the flow and pacing, and identify any gaps in the imagery.
Use templates and assets strategically
Templates and pre-made graphic assets are a huge time-saver, but don‘t rely on them exclusively. The most engaging whiteboard videos balance familiar visual metaphors with unique, story-specific illustrations. Look for opportunities to customize graphics to your brand style, or sketch something from scratch that perfectly matches your narration.
Keep it simple and focused
One of the most common mistakes I see in whiteboard videos is trying to cram in too much information and ending up with a cluttered, confusing mess. Remember, the power of the format is to make complex ideas feel simple and intuitive. Limit the amount of text on screen, use plenty of negative space, and don‘t be afraid to split a topic into multiple videos if needed.
Invest in quality voiceover
Compelling narration can make or break your whiteboard video. Poor audio quality or an uninspired delivery will overshadow even the best visuals. Consider hiring a professional voice actor through a site like Voices.com or Fiverr. If you‘re set on narrating yourself, at least invest in a quality USB microphone and pop filter, and do multiple takes until you capture the right energy and pacing.
Conclusion
There‘s a reason whiteboard animation has become the go-to format for explainer videos, training content, and storytelling of all kinds. By combining clear visuals with concise narration, whiteboard videos have unmatched power to simplify complex ideas and make information easily digestible and memorable.
With the rise of intuitive software like VideoScribe and Doodly, there‘s never been an easier time to harness the potential of whiteboard videos for your own projects and communications. Whether you‘re a marketer, educator, or just someone with a story to tell, these tools put professional-looking animations within reach for Mac users of all skill levels.
Choosing the right whiteboard animation software ultimately comes down to your specific needs and ambitions. For most people, I believe VideoScribe offers the best balance of creative control, professional results, ease of use, and total cost of ownership. But marketers and business owners needing to churn out whiteboard videos quickly may prefer the simplicity of Doodly, while professional designers will appreciate the complete creative freedom of Adobe Animate.
Whichever app you choose, the most important thing is to just start creating. Pick a topic you‘re passionate about, draft a script, and start exploring the types of images and animations that bring your message to life. The beauty of whiteboard videos is that even a rough, imperfect sketch can forge a human connection and make an impact. So dive in, embrace the messiness, and who knows – you may just discover a talent for visual storytelling you never knew you had.