Powtoon is an online video creation platform for making engaging short videos and presentations, from the company of the same name in London.
$89
per month
Storyboard That
Score 4.7 out of 10
N/A
Storyboard That helps users to create storyboards and graphic organizers with a browser-based Storyboard Creator. It includes a customizable art library that features drag and drop characters, scenes, and props and users can select from 6 different layouts.
Powtoon is a very capable suite of tools that help a developer create training videos that look way better than they should. I've used it to create fun, attention-getting commercials for new topics, I've used it to enhance what would otherwise be boring step-by-step tutorials, and I've used it to create all manner of "Explainer videos" for all kinds of topics - this is where it EXCELS! In my opinion, its biggest limitations are limits on imported video (max of 90 seconds), which mean that you have to do a lot of extra work to break up and import anything of substantive length. And because it presents your personal library of imported images and audio ONLY sequentially, it's VERY LIMITED in the re-usability of those assets - it's way faster to just import a new instance of an image and audio than to try to find it in your library.
If you're trying to quickly create a high volume of simple scenes to communicate an action or scenario, Storyboard That will meet the basic need without requiring a lot of learning time. This software would also likely be a simple solution for anyone who needs scene templates, icons, or other elements. Though I've primarily used Storyboard That for personal use in film projects, I could also see how the stock images might be helpful in my professional role as a Product Manager for creating visuals to illustrate user personas and user stories.
Comparing it to Vyond, it is more time consuming to make videos. The timeline could be easier to understand.
They recently started upcharging to use some scenes. This has made updating some of my videos challenging as the scenes that were included as part of my plan are now an upgrade to use.
They don't have a voice over option. I have actually taken some of the videos out of the platform over to Vyond to add voiceover.
Some items they have introduced, like turning a powerpoint into a video really don't work.
Some of the items have built-in editing capabilities (i.e., changing the sky color in a background), but others can barely be edited, and the distinction isn't apparent.
The visual style of the site seems dated and "clunky".
Doesn't integrate with any other programs.
Poorly optimized for mobile: the options are hard to access, button sizes are inconsistent, etc.
Some aspects of the site navigation aren't intuitive, like how to exit out of search results.
No ability to change angles or perspective; everything is completely flat.
I have never needed the support feature. As I mentioned, everything was intuitive to me however I have taught myself Adobe, Final Cut and iMovie so most of these programs became intuitive.
Powtoon has the advantage over traditional video editing software in terms of the library of characters and elements that can be easily dragged and dropped onto the canvas. Powtoon is easier to use and has a more intuitive user interface than Vyond.
We don't have to spend money on traveling to a location to do an actual live shoot.
I'm spending less time on hand animating videos.
We used these to create teaser videos for our professional development offerings. I believe because of the captivating graphics, we had a lot more people driven to our site.
