Guide
How Much Does a Professional Video Ad Really Cost?
Clients come to us with quotes that vary 10x for what sounds like the same ad. Usually it is because the quotes include wildly different things. Here is what actually drives price in professional video ads in 2026.
1. On-location vs. in-studio vs. AI-generated
A shoot with actors and a real location can cost $15,000 to $80,000 for a single 30-second ad. Studio-based or product shots run $3,000 to $15,000. AI-generated commercials we deliver cost $597 once on Launch, or about $624 per ad on the Growth retainer at $2,497/month for 4 ads. These are fundamentally different products with different price ceilings.
2. Talent
Hiring recognizable actors, athletes, or voiceover talent adds $500 to $500,000 in a single line item. Brands that use unknown or AI-generated faces cut this line entirely and land on sub-$1,500 total budgets.
3. Music and sound
Stock music: free to $200. Library licenses: $300 to $2,000. Custom compositions: $2,000 to $50,000. Sound design finish quality has a bigger impact on perceived ad quality than most founders realize.
4. Revisions
Some studios quote a low base with unlimited revisions; others quote higher but pin it to two rounds. Clarify this upfront. Unlimited revisions from a tasteful studio is the best-value model for most brands.
5. Platform versioning
One 30-second hero cut plus multi-platform resizes (9:16, 1:1, 16:9) should be included at this point, not quoted as add-ons. If a studio charges extra per aspect ratio, get a different studio.
What we charge
Filmito's pricing: $597 once for the Launch trial (one ad, 10 days). $2,497/month on the Growth retainer (4 ads/month). $4,997/month on Scale (8 ads, multi-market). Every ad includes script, voiceover, sound design, footage or generation, motion graphics, post-production, multi-platform cuts, two revision rounds. Money-back guarantee on Launch. That is the full number.
If you are quoting a $10,000+ ad for the same scope, ask what the extra $9,000 is buying. Sometimes the answer is legitimate (real talent, location, music composition). Often it is overhead.