Online courses started a couple of years back, but they are now becoming the primary way many people are learning and getting proficient in various fields.

It is:

The Rise of the Autodidact and DIY’ers

• “Autodidact” is a person who teaches themselves.
• “DIY” means “Do It Yourself”.

When I started my first web development business, I had no idea how to code and I knew nothing of web development.

Armed with a few courses and some online content, I taught myself Python. With this knowledge, I approached a client and closed my first $3,000 e-commerce website project. (I was a commerce major in school.)

More and more people are picking up money making skills through online courses and content. A person may not get a job at Google having seen a bunch of online videos, but they can surely pick up skills that will land them an internship somewhere.

So if there are people who consume this content and benefit immensely from it, then there needs to be people who create and teach this content.

If you are one of these creators/teachers, then this article can help.

Have you gone through a high-quality Udacity or a Udemy lecture where there are animations that break down the concepts? Did you know that you can create similar (high-quality) animations?

You can!

Udacity Video

Also, these whiteboard videos are great as “explainer videos” for startups or an initiation video for a team member. It sometimes gets too expensive to outsource this and it’s best to do it yourself.

So let’s check out the best DIY whiteboard websites that will give you a high-quality product.

The 3 Best Websites to Make a Whiteboard Animation Video:

• (Note: The first one is a software that you have to download and the other two are web-based.)

1. Videoscribe.co

Videoscribe is one of the most popular websites out there in terms of whiteboard animation.

Again, keep in mind that this is a desktop application and you’ll have to download the installation file.

I downloaded the free trial to test out the software.

Along with the free trial you also can download a useful “How to design your whiteboard animation” PDF. This is great for people who are starting out.

Setting the Animation for an Image on Videoscribe

A free e-book from Videoscribe on making videos

The different hand options for whiteboard animation on Videoscribe

I can say with confidence that this application is one of the easiest to start with. They have a bunch of useful tools that will make your life very easy.

I was able to put out a quick animation in under five minutes.

Although there are simple tutorials available that explain the features, you really don’t need them because everything is pretty self-explanatory.

There are options to add images which can be taken from an existing repository. You can add an audio track if you are verbally explaining something. Texts, charts, and music can also be added to jazz up your whiteboard animation. You can choose from an exhaustive list of hands and pens that will give you the actual ‘Whiteboard’ effect.

In just under five minutes, I can say that this is a top tool!

Videoscribe starts at $4/month and has a $29/month version as well. If you love the product, then you can pay $665 for a lifetime license!

Learn more / Download

2. RawShorts

RawShorts has a seamless on-boarding process.

It takes two steps and under 20 seconds to start tinkering with this product.

The interface is also beautiful.

The best part about RawShorts is the pre-built templates that are available. It’s broken down based on categories. It is literally plug and play. The media library has a lot of images which again, are broken down based on categories. This is a useful feature to have.

There is also a direct upload to YouTube button. If you are making quick tutorials, you can easily upload them to YouTube once you are done.

As expected, the video editor interface is very clean.

Making a video on RawShorts is simple!

• It comes with an exhaustive media library:

• And a set of RawShorts themes to get you started:

Their pricing is a bit different compared to the other players because it’s based on the number of exports that you make.

• 3 exports for $20 each
• 10 exports for $12 each
• 25 exports for $8 each

3. Explee

Explee is an another online whiteboard animation creator. It has a 14-day trial and is simple to get started with.

During on-boarding, you are asked for what purpose you’re using this software. The animations and images provided to you will be dependent upon the option you choose.

The tutorial explaining is a little bit annoying because of the number of steps they make you perform instead of just pointing your attention to them.

But overall, the interface is very simple to use. All of the elements for the whiteboard are stacked on the left. The best part is the blue play button that you can always click on and review your work.

Explee has a 14-day trial version which will give you enough of an idea about the product before you buy it.

A clean interface with a blue button for easy previews

The searchable options for images on Explee are very useful

The pricing starts at $7/month for the most basic option.

With the $25/month option, you can make videos in 720p, customize a logo, download your videos, and use unlimited music and voice.

Check out Explee

Bonus listing:

• Flixpress

Alternative:

Although these websites allow you to create a whiteboard animation yourself, for those of you who don’t want to DIY, you can always turn to Fiverr. On Fiverr, there are people who specialize in making whiteboard animations. They typically cost somewhere between $10-$80.

Here’s an example:

Whiteboard Animation Service on Fiverr

Whatever whiteboarding method you choose, make sure it’s a quality video.

Good luck and do share your results in the comments below!

Also check out:

• How To Create an Animated Intro Video in 90 Minutes: DIY
• How to Create an Intro Video for Your Blog in a Cost-Effective Manner