Doodly Pricing 2026: Plans vs Ankon AI

Doodly charges $39 to $99 per month for cartoon-style animation, while Ankon AI starts at $29/mo for whiteboard explainer videos with built-in AI narration. The choice hinges on whether you need hand-drawn cartoon aesthetics (Doodly) or faster, script-driven whiteboard animations (Ankon AI)—and how much video volume you produce each month.

This guide breaks down both pricing models, shows you exactly what you get at each tier, and helps you pick the right tool for your budget and workflow.

What Does Doodly Cost?

Doodly offers three subscription tiers: Basic ($39/mo), Standard ($69/mo), and Premium ($99/mo). All three are billed monthly; annual discounts are available on their site. There is no free tier, but Doodly does offer a 7-day free trial.

The pricing reflects Doodly's core strength: hand-drawn cartoon animations. You build videos by dragging pre-made cartoon characters, props, and scenes onto a canvas. The higher tiers unlock more characters, music tracks, and export options (like 4K resolution on Premium). Doodly does not use a credit system; instead, you get access to the full library of assets at your tier level, and you can make unlimited videos as long as your subscription is active.

Ankon AI Pricing: Credit-Based Model

Ankon AI uses a credit system: 1 credit = 1 minute of finished whiteboard video (2-credit minimum per video). The Starter plan ($29/mo) includes 15 credits per month—enough for roughly 7–8 videos of 2 minutes each. The Plus plan ($69/mo) gives 40 credits, Pro ($119/mo) gives 75 credits, and Studio ($249/mo) gives 160 credits.

New users get 5 free credits on signup that never expire. If you run out of monthly credits, you can buy one-off top-ups at $2 per credit (minimum $10, sold in packs of 5/10/25/50/100). Annual billing saves about 20% off the monthly price.

The key difference: Ankon AI charges per minute of output, while Doodly charges a flat monthly fee for unlimited videos. If you produce 20 short videos a month, Doodly's flat fee wins. If you produce 2–3 longer, script-heavy videos, Ankon AI's credit model is often cheaper.

Feature Comparison: What You Actually Get

Doodly: Cartoon Animation, Manual Building

Doodly's workflow is visual and hands-on. You choose a cartoon character, add props, set them in motion, and layer in music and voiceover. The result is a polished, colorful cartoon video—ideal for marketing, training, or entertainment content.

Doodly's strengths: - Pre-built cartoon library (characters, props, scenes) grows with higher tiers - Intuitive drag-and-drop editor - Royalty-free music library included - Export to MP4, MOV, or GIF - Whiteboard mode available (hand-drawn effect)

Doodly's friction: - You build every video manually; no AI script-to-video automation - No built-in text-to-speech; you must record voiceover or use an external tool - Steeper learning curve for first-time users - Limited to Doodly's asset library (no custom character uploads)

Ankon AI: Script-to-Video Automation with AI Narration

Ankon AI takes a script, topic, PDF, or reference image and generates a whiteboard animation automatically. You paste text, the AI writes scenes, draws them on a whiteboard, and narrates the whole thing in one of 8+ languages. No manual asset placement required.

Ankon AI's strengths: - Paste a script or topic; AI generates the full video - Built-in AI text-to-speech narration (8+ languages) - Enhance mode (default) doubles the number of scenes for smoother pacing (+1 credit per video) - Fact-check add-on validates claims in your script (+1 credit) - Burned-in captions and SRT export - Voice cloning on Pro and up - Fast render is free (same credit cost whether fast or standard) - Failed renders are auto-refunded - REST API and OAuth for developers (Studio tier)

Ankon AI's friction: - Whiteboard aesthetic only (no cartoon characters or custom branding beyond logo) - Quality depends on script clarity; vague topics produce vague videos - Enhance mode is on by default, doubling the credit cost (you can toggle it off)

Side-by-Side Pricing Table

Plan Doodly Ankon AI Best For
Entry $39/mo (Basic) $29/mo Starter (15 credits) Budget-conscious; Ankon AI cheaper
Mid $69/mo (Standard) $69/mo Plus (40 credits) Same price; Doodly for cartoons, Ankon AI for volume
Pro $99/mo (Premium) $119/mo Pro (75 credits) Doodly if you need 4K; Ankon AI if you need voice cloning
Unlimited None $249/mo Studio (160 credits) High-volume teams; API access
Free Trial 7 days 5 free credits (never expire) Ankon AI lets you test indefinitely

Real-World Cost Scenarios

Scenario 1: One 5-Minute Explainer Video Per Week

Doodly: $39/mo (Basic) or $69/mo (Standard). You get unlimited videos, so cost is fixed.

Ankon AI: Starter ($29/mo, 15 credits). A 5-minute video costs 10 credits with Enhance on (2 credits minimum + 5 minutes × 2). You'd need Plus ($69/mo, 40 credits) to comfortably do 4 videos per month. Winner: Doodly (if you're okay with manual building).

Scenario 2: Three 2-Minute Training Videos Per Month

Doodly: $39/mo (Basic). Unlimited videos.

Ankon AI: Starter ($29/mo, 15 credits). Three 2-minute videos = 6 credits with Enhance on (2-credit minimum × 3). You stay well within 15 credits. Winner: Ankon AI (cheaper, faster, includes narration).

Scenario 3: 10 Short Videos (1–2 Minutes Each) Per Month

Doodly: $69/mo (Standard). Unlimited videos, but you're building each one manually—time cost is high.

Ankon AI: Plus ($69/mo, 40 credits). Ten 1.5-minute videos ≈ 30 credits with Enhance on. You have 10 credits left over. Winner: Ankon AI (same price, but fully automated and includes narration).

When to Choose Doodly

Pick Doodly if: - You want colorful, character-driven cartoon animations (not whiteboard) - Your audience expects a playful, branded visual style - You have time to manually build videos (or a designer on staff) - You produce fewer than 5 videos per month and don't mind the flat monthly fee - You need 4K export (Premium tier)

When to Choose Ankon AI

Pick Ankon AI if: - You need fast, script-driven whiteboard animations - You want built-in AI narration (no external voiceover tool needed) - You produce 3+ videos per month and want to minimize manual work - You need captions, fact-checking, or voice cloning - You're on a tight budget (Starter at $29/mo is cheaper than Doodly's Basic at $39/mo) - You want to test for free (5 free credits never expire)

Hidden Costs and Gotchas

Doodly

  • Premium tier ($99/mo) is required for 4K export and some advanced features
  • Music and voiceover are your responsibility (Doodly provides music, but you record or source voiceover separately)
  • Annual billing discount is available but not stated upfront on their site; check during checkout

Ankon AI

  • Enhance mode is on by default, doubling the credit cost per video. You can toggle it off to save credits, but the default assumes you want richer animations
  • Fact-check is an add-on (+1 credit per video); it's not automatic
  • Top-up credits are usable only while subscribed; they expire if you cancel
  • Free credits never expire, but subscription credits reset monthly (unused credits don't roll over)

The Verdict

If you're building cartoon animations and have time to design each video, Doodly's flat monthly fee is predictable and fair. If you're producing explainer videos from scripts and want automation, narration, and lower per-video cost, Ankon AI wins—especially at the Starter tier ($29/mo) or if you're making 3+ videos per month.

For a risk-free test, Ankon AI gives you 5 free credits on signup (never expire), so you can build 2–3 sample videos before committing. Doodly offers a 7-day trial, which is shorter but still enough to evaluate the editor.

The real question: do you want to build videos (Doodly) or generate them (Ankon AI)? Your answer determines which tool fits your workflow and budget.

Sources