AI Versus Custom Animation: What If There's a Third Option?

Asking which one is best for when you want to make videos is like comparing a fast food drive-thru place with a personalized chef and asking which is better. There’s no right answer to that question without probing into the finer details and circumstances of your specific needs.  

There’s no doubt that AI is here to stay, and that it’s a powerful tool that can increase creative people’s productivity, saving time and effort. But when you get into the details, it’s not that straightforward. 

And there’s endless discussions and arguments over traditional animation versus AI-generated animation making the rounds today.

But we’re going to do something a little different in this blog: We’re going to suggest a possible third option: a best-of-both-worlds solution that we think you should also consider. We’ll call it the hybrid option.

So to that end, here’s a deep dive into both sides of the argument, as well as hybrid solutions in the middle– and how to decide what fits your video production needs.

1. Advantages of AI Video Creation
2. Advantages of Custom (Traditional) Animation
3. AI-Generated Video versus Custom Animated Explainer Videos: Use Cases & Objectives
4. The Best AI Video Makers in 2025: Tools Pricing & Feature Comparison Guide
5. AI Video Generation: Comparison Highlights and Strategic Choices
6. So… When Should You Use Generative AI versus Traditional Animation?
   1. Use AI to Generate Video When:
   2. Use Custom Animation When:
7. OR… Try a Hybrid Strategy For Video Production!
8. Case Studies / Examples of AI videos we created
9. How we did it:
10. Frequently Asked Questions
    1. Is AI-generated video really good enough?
    2. What’s the cost difference?
    3. Can AI and traditional animation be combined effectively?
    4. Is AI video fit for marketing campaigns?
    5. Can I mix AI and hand-drawn assets?
    6. How do voiceovers compare?
    7. Will AI replace animation studios?

Advantages of AI Video Creation

Right off the bat, the advantages of using AI are obvious. It’s faster and cheaper than traditional animation. After all, this is why AI in general is so disruptive to so many established fields. 

AI video tools like Runway, Pika Labs, Synthesia, Animaker, and Powtoon are built for speed and scale. If your goal is to generate high volumes of video quickly, these platforms shine.

Here’s why people love them:

• Speed: Create videos in minutes, not weeks.
• Affordability: Monthly plans often start under $30–$100, compared to thousands for a custom production.
• Templates: You don’t have to start from scratch—AI offers drag-and-drop design and plug-and-play avatars.
• Scalability: Perfect for batch content like internal onboarding, FAQs, or social snippets.
• Low Barrier: No animation background required. Just enter a script and click go.

They’re fast, functional, and getting better by the day.

Advantages of Custom (Traditional) Animation

But that said, not all video is created equal.

If you want to build brand trust, communicate a complex message, or leave a lasting impression—custom animated video still takes the crown.

Here’s what handcrafted animation brings to the table:

• Creative control: Every frame, every color, every gesture—built to match your brand.
• Emotional storytelling: Traditional animation gives you nuance, timing, and voiceover precision AI can’t replicate… yet.
• Unique branding: Want characters in your brand’s look and feel? Custom animation gives you that.
• Higher quality visuals: From smooth transitions to cinematic motion graphics, custom delivers polish.
• Strategic collaboration: With a production team, you’re not just creating a video—you’re crafting a communication tool that serves a specific business goal.

Yes, it takes more time and budget—but the ROI is deeper, especially for high-stakes messaging that demands high quality and attention to detail.

AI-Generated Video versus Custom Animated Explainer Videos: Use Cases & Objectives

In the broadest, most general terms:

• AI tools shine for small business marketers, internal training teams, or when time/budget is tight. It works well for internal videos, training, educational content, and social media.
• Custom animations boost conversions, give you more options, deliver brand premium, and handle messaging complexity. It’s perfect for branded content, landing pages, event videos, and lead generation campaigns.
• A Hybrid approach, at least in theory, can give you the best of both worlds—but requires good planning, realistic expectations and some video editing.

To make it a little easier to visualize and understand, here it is in a handy comparison table format:

The Best AI Video Makers in 2025: Tools Pricing & Feature Comparison Guide

By the way, take a look if you're exploring AI video generation and want to get started.

AI Video Generation: Comparison Highlights and Strategic Choices

• Speed & Cost: All AI video generators deliver fast turnaround—they generate video in minutes or hours—and cost under $100/month vs. $1,500–$20,000+/min for studio-made videos.
• Creative Control & Branding: AI templates offer limited control over visuals, tone, and brand nuance in video creation. Custom animation offers full-control—high-quality video with tailored characters, flow, voices, motion, and branding.
• Video Quality & Customization: For simple 720p–1080p clips, AI-generated video suffices. But for high-quality motion graphics, unique illustration styles or professional polish, custom animation and video production wins.
• Scalability & Volume: Generative AI excels for content volume—think onboarding series, social reposts. Custom videos are best for flagship explainer or high-impact campaigns.
• Human Involvement: All AI tools minimize human intervention in video generation—script → upload → generate. Custom videos involve creative strategists, storyboarding, voice talent, and animation teams. Hybrid models (AI avatar + custom assets) balance speed and quality with skilled oversight.

To make things a little simpler and clearer, here’s the same information in a handy comparison table:

So… When Should You Use Generative AI versus Traditional Animation?

Choosing between AI and custom animation doesn’t have to be a fight. In fact, most modern marketers would be better off thinking in layers, not binaries.

Here’s how to think about it:

Use AI to Generate Video When:

• You need something fast—like, this week.
• Your budget is tight and you just need content out there.
• You're producing volume over nuance—like training modules or short social posts.
• You’re experimenting and don’t need perfection.

Tools to try: Synthesia, Pika Labs, Runway, Animaker, Powtoon

Use Custom Animation When:

• You’re telling a story that matters—a product explainer, a case study, or a brand manifesto.
• Your brand identity needs to come through clearly and consistently.
• You want to impress stakeholders, investors, or a hard-to-convert audience.
• You need top-tier quality and emotion to drive conversions or retention.

OR… Try a Hybrid Strategy For Video Production!

Here’s where things get exciting.

As an animation studio with a decade and a half of experience, we’re no strangers to new and disruptive tech breaking on the scene. And AI sure counts. 

In our experimenting with AI, we’ve found a best-of-both-worlds approach that has produced compelling results. By using AI to create elements and voiceover, but combining those elements with traditional animation techniques, we can save on time and expense (which is usually passed on to the client’s bills) without compromising on the quality or attention to detail to the exact demands and specifications of the client’s video.

A hybrid video strategy combines the speed and utility of AI with the polish and storytelling of custom animation.

You might:

• Use AI avatars to narrate product FAQs, while the video is cut together with custom graphics.
• Build a series of animated explainers, then automate snippets into AI-generated clips for social.
• Use AI tools for rough drafts or mockups, then hand them to a studio to bring it to life with finesse.

This approach saves time and cost—without sacrificing storytelling, branding, or quality.

Case Studies / Examples of AI videos we created

Here are two videos we created using this hybrid model:

Using Midjourney UICC: 

Using Synthesia Basic:

How We Did It?

When creating a video for a client, we need really specific artwork and elements. This can be a challenge when using AI, as you don’t get full creative control– the moment you get into specific tweaks it all goes astray. 

So we experimented with creating basic elements in AI and then manipulating / modifying them with standard industry tools like Adobe suite and video editors like we usually do. 

There was some time saved with creation of elements and resources, but it still required customization and editing to make it work for the client’s needs. 

Therefore, this method is truly a hybrid of both AI and traditional custom animation, saving designers and animators time and effort, but combined with editing and customization to create the final result. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is AI-generated video really good enough?

It depends. For short, templated content? Absolutely. But for anything brand-defining or customer-facing? AI can help—but probably shouldn't be the whole show.

Q: What’s the cost difference?

• AI tools like HeyGen, Veed, InVideo start at $20–$100/month.
• Custom animated explainer videos range between $1,500–$20,000+/minute, depending on scope, style, and studio.

Q: Can AI and traditional animation be combined effectively?

Yes, and that’s where a hybrid strategy shines. AI-generated avatars can explain, custom illustrations can wow, and smart editing can glue it together into one effective story.

Q: Is AI video fit for marketing campaigns?

Yes—for quick tips, FAQs, or internal comms. But for emotional brand campaigns or product storytelling, traditional video still wins.

Q: Can I mix AI and hand-drawn assets?

Absolutely. Use AI-generated backgrounds or avatars then have an artist animate transitions or add custom branding.

Q: How do voiceovers compare?

AI voiceovers (Synthesia, Pika Labs, Sora AI) are fast, but can sound robotic and generic. Human VO brings brand warmth, but costs $200–500 per minute. However, with the saturation of AI-generated content today, people really do notice the difference between the two.

Q: Will AI replace animation studios?

No. AI generates drafts and volume, but studios still provide nuance, emotion, and strategic creativity that videos with AI struggle to match, even with all its advances.

Conclusion

AI tools are here—and they’re powerful. But they’re not the whole answer.

When it comes to explaining, persuading, converting, and delighting, there’s still nothing quite like a well-crafted, custom animated video. But if you're smart about it, you don’t have to choose one or the other.

The future isn’t AI vs humans—it’s AI and humans, working together to make content that's smarter, faster, and more impactful than ever.

Ready to explore the hybrid model? Get in touch with us today and find out what’s possible for you and your brand!