comparison
We produce video with AI, so we have a stake in this comparison. Here it is honestly: where a freelancer and a do-it-yourself approach win, and where they fall apart at volume.
Seven points of comparison
| criterion | AI production studio | freelancer | do it yourself with AI |
|---|---|---|---|
| monthly volume | from 100 videos, up to 2,000 a day | whatever one person can carry | whatever time you can give it |
| first video | 5-7 days after the brief, handcrafted about a week | depends on their current load | right away, once you have learned the tool |
| who owns revisions | the vendor; a platform rejection is redone at our cost | the contractor, if the contract says so | you, and every round costs you an evening |
| video rights | transferred to you with the files | per contract, read the wording | depends on the terms of the service you generated in |
| geos and languages | variants for platform, geo and language in one run | by arrangement, each version separately | every version assembled by hand |
| price | from $2.47 CPM or from $394 per handcrafted video | per piece, day-rate work | subscriptions plus your own time |
| where it breaks | minimum order on mass formats is 100 videos a month | holidays, illness, loss of interest in the project | time, and consistency of the look from video to video |
We do not list competitor prices here: freelancers and studios charge differently and it depends on the task. Our own numbers are on the pricing page.
When a freelancer is the right call
If you need one to three videos and each is unlike the other, a freelancer is often more convenient than a vendor: you talk directly to the person doing the work, and a fix can be agreed in a five-minute call.
- plus: direct contact with the maker, no account manager in between
- plus: flexible timing and small jobs a studio cannot profitably take
- plus: one person is accountable for the whole video
- minus: volume is capped by their hands, not by your publishing plan
- minus: every new video starts from scratch, the format does not multiply
- minus: geos and languages mean finding more freelancers and coordinating them
When doing it yourself makes sense
An AI tool will produce a draft in an evening, and that is a fair way to test an idea before spending money. The upsides are real: nobody charges you a production margin, you control every frame, and you learn quickly what works in your niche.
- plus: no production markup, you pay for a subscription and your time
- plus: full control over the frame, the wording and the pace
- plus: you can test three ideas in a week without signing anything
- minus: time to learn the tool and to rerun every failed generation
- minus: a twenty-video series with one recurring character needs discipline
- minus: editing, sound and subtitles do not disappear, you do them
When you need a production partner
When videos are needed in batches and on schedule. Mass formats are priced per view: from $2.47 CPM with production and publishing inside. A handcrafted video of up to 90 seconds starts at $394 and takes about a week. The minimum order on mass formats is 100 videos a month; a single video is ordered as handcrafted work.
- you need volume: dozens or hundreds of videos a month, not three
- you need geos and languages: variants for platforms and countries in one run
- you need rights and an NDA: we do not show the brand or the files without written consent
- you need reporting: platform metrics after every batch
How to decide with one question
Ask yourself what costs more right now: time or volume. If the answer is volume, you need a production partner. If it is time, a freelancer or your own hands will do.
- one to three videos a year with a unique story: a freelancer or handcrafted work
- an idea to test and no budget: build the draft yourself in an AI tool
- a stream of videos for reach: a batch from a production partner
- videos for several countries and languages: a partner with versioning