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Powtoon

Powtoon

Overview

What is Powtoon?

Powtoon is an online video creation platform for making engaging short videos and presentations, from the company of the same name in London.

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Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

Powtoon has proven to be a versatile tool with a wide range of use cases. Users have utilized the platform to create engaging and …
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Great product!

8 out of 10
March 19, 2020
Incentivized
It is used to create a lot of presentations and videos with professional quality. It has a friendly user-interface that makes it able to …
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Reviewer Pros & Cons

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Pricing

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Pro

$89

Cloud
per month

Pro+

$197.00

Cloud
per month

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services
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Product Demos

Product Demo

YouTube

Powtoon demo

YouTube

Start Up Owner Demo

YouTube

Powtoon voiceover demo

YouTube

Cómo usar Powtoon - Cómo descargar el video | 2022

YouTube

Powtoon demo

YouTube
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Product Details

Powtoon Technical Details

Deployment TypesSoftware as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo

Frequently Asked Questions

Powtoon is an online video creation platform for making engaging short videos and presentations, from the company of the same name in London.

Reviewers rate Support Rating highest, with a score of 8.7.

The most common users of Powtoon are from Small Businesses (1-50 employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(25)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

Powtoon has proven to be a versatile tool with a wide range of use cases. Users have utilized the platform to create engaging and informative videos for various purposes. One common use case is training, where Powtoon has been employed to develop videos for scientific customer training and educational solution training. The software's vast library of templates and customizable elements such as images, text styles, characters, and effects allows users to create high-quality videos in a fast and easy manner. Additionally, Powtoon has been extensively used for sharing information with consumers through websites, YouTube channels, and social media platforms. It has enabled businesses to showcase new products, demonstrate implementation methods, provide teaching tools, and deliver educational trainings. Notably, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Powtoon played a vital role as an engagement tool by allowing users to create daily videos to keep clients connected virtually. The software offers a vast selection of images from its library or the option to use custom ones.

Educational institutions have also found value in Powtoon. Faculty members at community colleges have utilized the platform to develop explainer videos for online courses. These include course overviews, introductions, syllabi, and videos that effectively link course objectives to assignments. Instructional design teams have recommended Powtoon as a valuable resource during informal meetings with faculty members due to its user-friendly interface and availability of free and affordable versions specifically designed for educators. Moreover, the versatility of Powtoon extends beyond academia and corporate environments. The software serves as an effective self-promotion tool for individuals looking to enhance their personal branding across multiple platforms such as social media and email communications. Furthermore, it has proven useful for onboarding new employees by providing fun and engaging videos that deliver administrative details related to their positions. For marketing purposes, Powtoon offers a cost-effective solution for creating engaging videos for Google Ads YouTube campaigns. The platform empowers non-graphic designers to produce captivating videos, saving both time and money. Users have also praised Powtoon for its ability to capture the attention of the public and move away from traditional, dull slide-based presentations. The software allows users to create standalone animations or incorporate them into larger video projects, making it an ideal choice for illustrating complex concepts. Powtoon has found utility in various organizations and departments that rely on training videos. It replaces the need for live filming and manual manipulation of graphics in other software, providing a streamlined process for creating captivating content. In particular, it has proven invaluable for organizations like domestic violence agencies, where the ability to include real clients in pictures and videos is limited. The user-friendly interface of Powtoon enables it to be utilized across entire organizations for creating professional-quality presentations and videos. This means that different teams within an organization, from marketing to HR, can leverage Powtoon to effectively communicate their messages and engage their target audience. Overall, Powtoon has been widely adopted for a multitude of use cases. Users have praised its ease of use, vast library of templates and customizable elements, and its ability to create high-quality videos quickly. Whether it's for training purposes, sharing information with consumers, onboarding new employees, or creating captivating marketing content, Powtoon has proven to be a valuable tool that empowers users to communicate their ideas effectively in an engaging manner.

Engaging Visuals and Animations: Reviewers have consistently praised Powtoon for its engaging visuals and out-of-the-ordinary animations, with many users stating that these elements added a unique touch to their videos. This sentiment was shared by a significant number of reviewers.

Easy Incorporation of Recorded Video: A common positive aspect mentioned by users is the seamless integration of recorded video from other software into Powtoon creations. This feature allows users to easily combine different types of media, making it convenient for those who want to incorporate pre-recorded footage into their animated videos.

Broad and Deep Library of Background Music: The extensive library of background music offered by Powtoon has been highly appreciated by reviewers, as it provides a wide range of options to suit different types of videos. This aspect has garnered positive feedback from numerous users who found this selection helpful in enhancing the overall quality and appeal of their videos.

Limitation of 90 seconds for imported video: Some users have found the restriction of a maximum 90-second duration for imported videos to be a drawback, limiting their ability to create longer and more comprehensive videos.

Need for more sound effect options: Several users have expressed a need for additional sound effect options for individual animations, as they feel that the current selection is limited and does not fully meet their creative needs.

Difficulties with organizing images: Users have mentioned the need for better organization of the images created and imported into the software. They feel that an improved system for categorizing and managing images would enhance their workflow and make it easier to locate specific assets when creating videos.

Users recommend trying the free version of Powtoon to learn how to use it effectively. They also believe that Powtoon is one of the best video presentation software options available and suggest making a purchase. Users suggest utilizing Powtoon for creating dynamic and unique presentations with attractive templates, as well as for making great animation videos with good cartoon characters. However, they advise against using Powtoon due to its slow and frustrating performance. Users also recommend providing a mini-lesson on how to use Powtoon before letting students use it independently and checking system resources before using elements like voiceover to ensure compatibility. Finally, users suggest trying Powtoon before purchasing it.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-12 of 12)
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Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I use Powtoon to make videos for scientific customer training. They are mostly explainer videos that train customer on how to use our Bio-technology instruments
  • Easy to make animated videos
  • Lots of prepopulated props, videos, images, characters scenes to choose from
  • Easy to export
  • license if affordable
  • 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.
I use Powtoon a lot for our "tips, tricks and troubleshooting" videos. The reason for this, is that it has a lot of assets to choose from The great thing is they have relationships with third parties for images, videos, etc. They also have a great selection of video music.

I have used it less and less for our explainer videos, only because it takes me more time than Vyond and because I feel the animation is a little less sophisticated.
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use Powtoon to create training videos, both within the organization and for customers as well.

It allows us to fairly easily create captivating videos. The only other option would be to film live, which has been challenging, especially in the past year. Before using Powtoon, we used vector graphics and had to manipulate them by hand in Photoshop or Illustrator, then animate them in a video editor.
  • Offers a wide variety of preset but customizable templates
  • Provides a fairly intuitive process for editing
  • At certain price points, characters are now customizable
  • Only one timeline to edit from which sometimes makes it difficult to select objects.
  • Animations can only be set to ½ seconds. Sometimes more precise amounts of time are needed.
  • Although there are a bunch of different actions you can place on a character, it's almost impossible to create a custom action within the program.
There are a lot of customizable templates that look good with just some minor tinkering. These are eye-catching and fairly easy to manipulate. The variety of characters and poses for those characters have grown a lot throughout the years. However, if you have a specific goal in mind, most of the time I create short snippets in Powtoon, then I take these clips and do further editing in Premiere or Camtasia.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use Powtoon to create animations by themselves or as part of other videos to aid in the illustration of complex concepts. It is being used by my department and it solves a communications problem.
  • Helps audience visualise
  • Deliver more content in shorter time
  • Grabs and retains attention well
  • Have more templates
  • Screen capture is rudimentary
  • Full desktop version with customisable library
[Powtoon] does a good job for explainer type videos, shot corporate videos and animations.

May lack the tools to give it the appropriate look when a formal corporate setting is required.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use Powtoon to create training videos on how to leverage our educational solution. Powtoon has allowed us to create high-quality videos in a fast and easy way. Powtoon has many templates that are fully ready to be customized for your needs; they also have all sort of elements like images, backgrounds, text styles, shapes, characters, videos, sounds, effects, etc.
  • Powtoon is very easy to use; no previous experience is needed.
  • It has a lot of features (images, backgrounds, videos, sounds, etc.)
  • It automatically saves your work
  • After you have created your video, you can download it to your computer in different resolutions
  • Price difference between packages can be quite high; the pro version is too limited in comparison to the pro+
  • The free version has a watermark on the background
  • Once you have published a video, it now is in revision mode and editing options are very limited at this point
Powtoon works great for a general information video (short videos) that doesn't need too much customization. If you want to build a more customized video, you will need a more robust solution that will probably will come at a higher cost. Powtoon gets the job done in an easy way.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
My organization uses Powtoon to create videos that are "in-between" training videos: they are not high-profile enough for commercials or Marketing videos, but they are nicer and more professional than Zoom recordings or dry software walkthroughs. Sometimes they are informal and fun - like our "88 Seconds of Systems" videos that take a 15-minute system overview and cram it into 4 minutes; sometimes they are more formal but still visually engaging.
These days, with the prevalence pf recorded Zoom and WebEx sessions, learners get really tired really fast of another talking head on a screen! Powtoon enables my organization to create different types of videos and eLearning engagements to wake people up and get their attention so they can learn something new!
  • Engaging visuals and out-of-the-ordinary animations
  • Easy incorporation of recorded video from other software into Powtoon creations
  • A broad and deep library of background music for different types of videos
  • Multiple template and theme options for different types of videos
  • Limitation of 90 seconds for imported video
  • More sound effect options for individual animations
  • Better organization of the images that I've created and imported
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.
Jane Odom | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Powtoon is a great way for me to share with our consumers new products, implementation methods, teaching tools, and educational trainings. I am able to use one of the many templates, modified for use on my website, my YouTube channel, and on social media. During COVID I could easily create daily videos to keep our clients engaged virtually. Powtoon allowed me to choose from their abundant image library or use my own. It is a very versatile tool with new images added all the time.
  • Versatile
  • Easy to use
  • Fun and engaging
  • Colorful and modern
  • I would love a way to organize my own images
I create many materials for my company used for schools and therapists all over the world. I am also responsible at times for creating training videos. Powtoon allows me to easily modify a template and customize it for my needs. Videos are colorful and engaging. I can also import my own videos into a template to better illustrate my message. I run a website as well and can easily embed videos without having to bother my web designers.
Kim Grewe | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I use Powtoons to create explainer videos for online courses at our community college. We encourage faculty to create videos to personalize and humanize their online courses. Powtoons makes it easy for faculty to use because Powtoons provides a variety of templates, characters, scenarios, and music backgrounds to create quick videos. We use them for course overviews, course introductions, syllabi, and videos linking course objectives to assignments.

No everyone on my Instructional Design team uses Powtoons, but I have presented on the technology informally at our informal Friday team meetings and I encourage the teaching faculty I work with to try out Powtoons. There is a free version and the more robust paid version is VERY affordable for educators. Subscription-based with updates on a regular basis makes it nimble and appropriate for the work I do.
  • Powtoons helps me make static content more lively and interesting.
  • Powtoons provides several templates, scenarios, characters, and music to make creating a video easy.
  • Powtoons has a free version you can use, but the paid subscription price is VERY affordable for educators in particular.
  • As often is the case, the free version includes a watermark on all published products.
  • Sometimes the video templates may be too glib or light-hearted for the message being shared (like about discrimination in the workplace or COVID).
In an academic environment, Powtoons is well suited to course introductions, overviews, explaining concepts, student presentations. Powtoons is not as good for lectures.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
It is being used by the whole organization. We make videos to promote and explain our services. Since we are a domestic violence agency and are limited on ability to include real clients in pictures and videos, Powtoon is really helpful both by agency and per department (legal, counseling, case management).
  • User friendly, very intuitive interface
  • A lot of features that make a video stand out, like moving images from point a to b at specific points in the video
  • Diverse characters. We are an agency that serves a variety of people of color so it is helpful to have so many character types
  • The only con is that so many characters that are really good are on the pro version
  • The pro version feels like a big financial jump from the basic version
  • You have to pay for pro to remove the watermark if I remember correctly
As I mentioned, it is honestly really useful for an agency like Wafa House because we are limited in our ability to show clients. So creating a cartoon with a fake client and fake staff, that are culturally correct in the depiction was a really amazing way to explain the work our organization does, especially through explained slides with stats and steps.

We also used Powtoon to describe in detail the steps someone should take when working with our legal department. It's just a very cool tool.
May 25, 2020

Powtoon Review

Penelope Brown | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I have tested Powtoon for its characteristic way of transmitting information through simple animations, like other software such as Prezi that has its characteristic "zoom and scroll" on a slide. Powtoon takes the way in which a slide is exposed to another level with animations. I started using it personally for the occasional task for my children but I tried to include this platform in my work environment and at the beginning it was a great idea since it is a new way of capturing the attention of the public and I left behind those boring slides.
  • Its interface is really simple, which helps a lot for people who want to try this new way of making presentations.
  • It has animation templates to help the user finish the presentation faster.
  • Animations can be created freely as it is highly customizable, easy, and quick without the need to be an expert in graphic design.
  • There are a large number of backgrounds, images, audios, texts, etc. that can be added to the video presentation.
  • The web version has gotten really heavy lately. They should optimize that.
  • Creating characters is not as customizable as you think. It is a bit limited in that regard.
  • Background music is also a bit limited.
  • Although it is simple to use, it takes a bit of animation knowledge and patience to achieve proper animation.
If you want to try something different than the current ways of creating a slide to transmit information within the work area or want to present a proposal to a client, Powtoon would be ideal for doing that job. It will take a little time to learn how it works but once you get the hang of it you can do amazing and professional things.
Isaac Feldman | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I use Powtoon both for my own promotion and for my clients as a means to promote and communicate products and offerings across multiple platforms--social media, email, etc. We also use Powtoon internally as a way to onboard new employees in a fun way and deliver all the administrative details of each position.
  • promo
  • idea pitch
  • onboarding
  • lack of variety in characters
  • limited animations
  • lack of support for video files
I think Powtoon is the best tool to start marketing in a new company since it offers to make a video, which is very good in terms of user conversion and also is heavily promoted by all online platforms. Using Powtoon for paid ads is very effective as well.
Christina Cvek | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We used Powtoon to quickly create videos that we could utilize for Google Ads YouTube campaigns. The tool enabled us to have "non-graphic designers" create quick, fun videos instead of having to rely on busy graphic designers to create videos from scratch. It saved us a lot of time and money
  • Price.
  • Easy to lean.
  • Functionality.
  • Some options only available with additional upgrade.
Powtoon can be used for showcasing videos about products/services on the company's website, as well as marketing videos that can be placed before Youtube videos to target potential customers.
March 19, 2020

Great product!

Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
It is used to create a lot of presentations and videos with professional quality. It has a friendly user-interface that makes it able to be used across the organization.
  • We can do professional HR presentations.
  • Create different kinds of videos that impress the user.
  • Create animations with a friendly interface.
  • No downloadable version.
  • Sometimes it is difficult to understand some processes in the app.
  • Export is difficult to the user.
  • The app is not collaborative.
Powtoon is well-suited for when your company needs to create a presentation that describes a company process and share it with a client. When you need to create a video and need to render, it is not very useful.
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