Good video shouldn't cost an arm and a leg.

Why we built Etchly

Video is how people learn, shop and decide. But a produced explainer from an agency costs thousands, filming yourself takes days, and the newest generative video models bill by the second, so one polished minute can cost more than a month of software.

We started as Explainer Studio, a desktop tool for making narrated, illustrated explainer videos for our own channels. The insight that shaped it: most videos don't need AI to invent every frame. They need a clear script, a good voice, a consistent look and motion that feels intentional.

How we keep costs low

Etchly uses AI for the parts it's cheap and reliable at: writing, narration and still illustration. Our own motion engine handles the animation, with parallax, camera moves, draw-on line art, talking characters and kinetic type, and it renders a minute of 1080p video in about ten seconds. An AI reviewer checks every video, so you're not paying to reroll.

The result is a finished, captioned, on-brand video for a few dollars. That doesn't replace generative video, which is still the right tool for photoreal motion. It's for the many videos that never needed it.

What we believe

• Honest pricing. Credits are only charged for work actually done. Anything reused is free.
• A look worth remembering. Signature illustrated styles over interchangeable stock footage.
• Consistency beats virality. Series, brand kits and presets help you show up every week.
• You stay in control. Every word, scene and sound is editable, directly or in plain English.

From Explainer Studio to Etchly

The new name comes from the engraving style that inspired our logo: an “E” cut like a copperplate etching. If you knew us as Explainer Studio, everything you liked is still here, now in the browser with accounts, series, brand kits and much faster rendering.