By Stephen Conley, Founder & Creative Director at GisteoQuick answerAn AI commercial costs far less than a traditional one. A traditional 30-second commercial typically runs $15,000–$50,000 or more. At Gisteo, AI videos start at $1,000 (a 15-second social spot or a simple AI avatar video), a 30-second AI commercial is $1,750, and a 60-second cinematic AI film is $3,000. Every price includes human strategy, a script, AI production, sound design and two revision rounds.
Introduction
Gisteo has made more than 3,000 videos over 15+ years, first as a custom animation studio and now as an AI video production company as well. When we started making AI commercials, we chose to publish our prices, which most video studios still don’t do. So when a client asks what an AI commercial costs, we can give a direct answer before the first call.
Search the question online and you’ll find answers from $20 a month for a software tool to five figures for an agency. The gap comes down to what you’re buying: a tool you run yourself, or a finished, scripted, on-brand spot that a team makes for you. Below is what each Gisteo price point includes, what changes the price, and when AI is the wrong choice.
AI commercial cost at a glance
| Format | Length | Price | What’s included | Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Spot | Up to 15 seconds | $1,000 | Concept, script and storyboard; AI voice, music and sound design; 16:9 plus one more format | 5–7 business days |
| Commercial | Up to 30 seconds | $1,750 | Everything in the Social Spot, plus custom characters and scenes and a 15-second cutdown | 7–10 business days |
| Cinematic Explainer/Film | Up to 60 seconds | $3,000 | Narrated explainers, brand stories and trailers; +$500 per extra 30 seconds | 2–3 weeks |
| Simple AI Avatar | Up to 60 seconds | $1,000 | Stock AI presenter (or voiceover only), script, branded graphics and b-roll, any language | Usually within a week or two |
Full details are on our AI video pricing page.
What $1,000 buys
At $1,000 you have two very different options, so pick by job, not by price.
- A 15-second Social Spot. A short cinematic AI ad: we write the concept and script, storyboard it, generate the scenes, and add AI voice, music and sound design. You get it in 16:9 plus one more format (9:16, 1:1 or 4:5) for social feeds. It’s built to stop the scroll and test an angle.
- A Simple AI Avatar video, up to 60 seconds. A stock AI presenter (not a clone of a real person) delivers your script straight to camera, with branded graphics and b-roll. It’s ideal for training, onboarding, FAQs and video series, and easy to translate. Each extra 30 seconds is $500.
Not sure which you need? Our comparison of AI avatar vs animated explainer videos covers where presenter-led video works and where it doesn’t.
What $1,750 buys: a 30-second AI commercial
This is the classic commercial length, and the format most people mean when they ask what an AI commercial costs. You get everything in the Social Spot, plus custom characters and scenes built for your brand, and a 15-second cutdown included, so you have two ad lengths from one shoot-free production. Delivery is 7–10 business days.
For comparison, the same 30 seconds with a crew, actors, locations and editing typically costs $15,000–$50,000 or more. One of our 30-second AI commercials, for an Atlanta luxury car rental company, is streaming on Netflix’s advertising platform, made with no actors, no cameras and no six-figure budget. Our guide to AI TV commercials explains how a spot like that gets on air.
What $3,000 buys: a 60-second cinematic AI film
A minute is enough to tell a real story: a narrated explainer, a brand film, or a trailer. Cinematic AI builds full scenes from scratch, with AI-generated characters, camera moves, locations and mood, directed and edited by our team. Each extra 30 seconds is $500, and delivery is about 2–3 weeks.
If the 60 seconds are for an explainer rather than an ad, our breakdown of how much an AI explainer video costs compares every production route, from DIY tools to custom animation.
It’s faster and less expensive than custom animation, which starts at $3,500 for 60 seconds. If you need something AI can’t do well, like a pixel-perfect product demo, custom animation is still the better choice; see our explainer video pricing.
How would AI look for your brand?
Ask for a free 15-second AI sample. No credit card, no sales call.
When one video isn’t enough: bundles and monthly plans
Ads wear out. Most campaigns need several versions to test hooks and keep creative fresh, and that’s where AI’s lower cost per spot adds up.
| Option | What you get | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Launch Pack | 1 hero commercial (30s) + 3 variations (15s), each a new hook or angle | $3,950 |
| Series Pack | 6 spots (15–30s) on one campaign idea, with recurring characters and look | $6,950 (about $1,160 per spot) |
| Pilot Sprint | 3 spots (15s) testing 3 angles in 14 days | $2,500 one-time, credited toward a monthly plan |
| Always-On plan | 4 spots a month (a 30s spot counts as two) | $2,950/month (about $740 per 15s spot) |
| Growth plan | 8 spots a month plus one cinematic film per quarter, priority turnaround | $5,450/month (about $680 per 15s spot) |
Monthly plans have a 3-month minimum, then run month to month; unused spots roll over for one month, and prepaying 12 months saves 10%. Bought a single spot? You can upgrade to a Launch Pack within 30 days and we’ll credit what you paid. For planning a full campaign, see how to plan an AI video ad campaign.
What changes the price
- Each additional aspect ratio, rebuilt natively rather than cropped, is $400 per spot.
- Extra languages are $350 per spot per language.
- A human voiceover instead of an AI voice is quoted per project.
- An extra revision round is $350.
- Rush delivery in under 72 hours adds 25%.
- To put your own founder or spokesperson on screen, a Digital Twin (a custom AI clone of a real person, made with their written consent) is $2,000 one-time and can be reused in every future video at no extra cost.
Two things keep budgets predictable: scripts and storyboards are approved before anything is generated, and a revision means changes to existing shots, not new scenes. New concepts after approval are quoted as new work.
Why an agency costs more than an AI tool (and when it’s worth it)
AI video tools cost a few dollars to a few hundred a month. They’re great if you have the time and skill to write, prompt, edit and polish yourself. What you pay an agency for is everything around the generation: the idea, the script, the creative direction, consistency across shots, sound, and the judgment to throw out the 90% of AI output that isn’t good enough. That’s the difference between an ad and “AI slop.” Our guide to how AI commercials are made walks through each step.
The results show up in performance. Our AI campaign for 62or70.com reached a 68% YouTube view rate and a 16% Facebook click-through rate. If you’re comparing providers, our guide to finding a reliable AI video agency for under $5,000 lists what to check.
When AI isn’t the right choice
AI video is a great fit if you need fresh ads every month, want to test angles before spending big, need several languages or formats, or want to launch in days. It’s probably not the right fit if you need a pixel-perfect product demo, want a real crew filming your team on location, or have a long approval chain. In those cases, custom animation or live action is the better investment.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 30-second AI commercial cost?
At Gisteo, a 30-second AI commercial is $1,750, including the concept, script, storyboard, custom characters and scenes, sound design, a 15-second cutdown and two revision rounds. A traditional 30-second commercial typically costs $15,000–$50,000 or more.
What’s the cheapest professional AI video?
$1,000 buys either a 15-second cinematic Social Spot or a Simple AI Avatar video up to 60 seconds. Both include a human-written script and two revision rounds.
How long does an AI commercial take to make?
A 15-second spot takes 5–7 business days, a 30-second commercial 7–10 business days, and a 60-second cinematic film about 2–3 weeks. Rush delivery in under 72 hours is available for 25% more.
Do I own the AI video?
Yes. You own every video outright.
Can I see a sample before I buy?
Yes. Gisteo offers a free 15-second AI video for your brand, delivered as-is, so you can judge the quality before you spend anything.
See what $0 buys first
Every AI commercial at Gisteo starts the way our animated videos always have: a person on our team writes the idea and the script before any footage exists. AI made the scenes faster and less expensive to produce, but the writing, direction, editing and sound are still our job. That process is how one of our 30-second spots ended up on Netflix’s ad platform, and how our 62or70 campaign more than doubled YouTube’s average view rate.
The easiest way to judge it is to see one made for your business. Claim a free 15-second AI video, browse our AI video examples, or book a free 30-minute consultation and we’ll recommend the format and budget that fit your goals.
Start with a free brainstorm
Talk through your idea with us on a free 30-minute call or in a free script workshop. Curious about AI? Ask for a free 15-second sample. No obligation.
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Stephen has spent 30+ years in advertising, branding and video, including 15 years at agencies like Young & Rubicam, JWT and DDB, before launching Gisteo in 2011. He still works hands-on on every project and leads the studio’s custom animation and AI video work. More about Stephen
