Imagine designing a magnificent skyscraper without a blueprint to guide you. It’s a recipe for disaster, am I right? Well, the same principle applies to visual storytelling without a storyboard/storyboarding software.
Whether you want to create educational YouTube content or explainer videos for your products, you need a storyboard.
It will make your life way easier. Storyboarding sets the stage for creative brilliance and seamless execution. ⭐
But with the plethora of storyboard creators and apps available, how do you find the best ones that suit your needs in 2023? We’ve curated the ultimate list of the 17 best storyboard creators and apps that will revolutionize your storytelling game.
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What Is Storyboarding?
Storyboarding is a visual representation of a story or concept through a series of sequential images or panels. It serves as a blueprint or roadmap for the final production, outlining the key moments, compositions, camera angles, and transitions. Each panel in a storyboard typically represents a specific shot or scene and is accompanied by additional details such as dialogue, actions, or camera movements.
Whether you’re a YouTube creator or a film-maker, storyboarding is an essential part of the pre-production process.
17 Best Storyboard Creators and Apps in 2023
Here are our top picks of storyboard software.
1. Canva
First up on the list is Canva – the online tool that allows you to create just about anything. Social media posts, infographics, presentations – you name it. And they also have a storyboard creator. While this is not suitable for those looking to create professional-grade movies, it’s a hassle-free option for those who want to create explainer videos, YouTube content or shorter form clips.
Canva provides templates, stock photos, icons, and illustrations that you can use to create video storyboards.
Features
- Drag-and-drop interface.
- Millions of stock photos, icons, and illustrations.
- Customizable templates and layouts.
- Comments & notes for feedback.
- Online collaboration and sharing
Pros
✔️ Easy to use and intuitive interface.
✔️ No design background needed.
✔️ Variety of templates and stock photos to choose from.
✔️ Free plan available.
Cons
❌ Limited tools for storyboard creation.
❌ No drawing options.
Pricing
Canva has three pricing tiers → Canva Free, Canva Pro ($12.99 per month or $119.99 per year for one person), and Canva for Teams ($14.99 per month or $149.90 per year for the first five people). If you have more than five people, each additional person costs $7 per month.
2. Visme
Another similar tool is Visme, an online graphic design tool that helps you create anything from infographics, presentations to videos. However, Visme also comes equipped with a storyboard creator. Its versatile and user-friendly interface makes it a breeze to create, edit, and share visual stories for your videos.
Features
- Drag and drop storyboard creator.
- Customizable branding & style options.
- Sharing capabilities.
Pros
✔️ Easy to use.
✔️ Variety of templates for different purposes.
✔️ Customizable branding options.
✔️ Online collaboration features.
Cons
❌ Limited storage and projects on the free plan.
❌ Animation tools are not very advanced.
❌ Some templates are only available for premium users.
Pricing
Visme has four pricing tiers → Free (up to 5 projects and 100 MB storage), Standard ($15 per month or $120 per year for one user), Business ($29 per month or $228 per year for one user), and Enterprise (custom pricing for teams).
3. StudioBinder
StudioBinder is an online storyboard software solution that provides robustness and ease of use to fit most creatives. It is intuitive and easy to use, making it a great choice for those who are new to the storyboarding process.
Features
- Upload images or use stock photos.
- Add shot descriptions & camera movements.
- Group storyboard into scenes and sequences.
- Share with team or clients.
Pros
✔️ Robust and easy to use.
✔️ Shot tagging.
✔️ Integrated with other production management tools.
✔️ Customizable layouts and aspect ratios.
Cons
❌ Customer support is not very responsive.
Pricing
→ starts at $29 per month.
4. Storyboarder by Wonder Unit
Storyboarder by Wonder Unit is an open source and free storyboard software that helps you sketch out videos ideas with ease. While it may have limited features, it is a great choice for those who are just starting out and want to get a feel for the storyboard process.
Features
- Draw with pen or mouse.
- Import and export images.
- Add sounds effects & music.
- Export as PDF, video, or animatic.
Pros
✔️ Free
✔️ Easy to use.
✔️ Animation and camera tools.
✔️ Sketch sprint for deep focus sessions.
Cons
❌ Can’t be accessed online or through mobile.
❌ Limited features.
Pricing
→ free.
5. Plot
Plot is an easy-to-use storyboard software that is customizable and great for collaboration. It is a great choice for those who want a simple, straightforward interface without sacrificing functionality.
Features
- Import images.
- Create illustrations with the brushes, shapes, and clip art included.
- Collaboration tools.
Pros
✔️ Highly customizable.
✔️ Easy to use.
✔️ Mobile app.
Cons
❌ The solo plan doesn’t include collaboration features.
❌ Might not be suitable for complex projects.
Pricing
Plot has three pricing tiers → Solo at $9.99 per month, Pro at $14.99 per month, and Business at $19.99 per month. And if you want to test-drive the tool, Plot offers a 14-day free trial.
6. Frameforge Storyboard Studio
FrameForge Storyboard Studio is a professional-grade storyboard software that helps you create cinematic and immersive storyboards for your videos. It is a great choice for those who need a powerful tool that can handle complex projects.
Features
- Choose from thousands of pre-made objects, actors, and sets.
- Adjust camera angles and lighting.
- Export as PDF, video, or animatic.
- Live backgrounds and green screen support.
- 3D camera views
Pros
✔️ Realistic 3D storyboards.
✔️ Highly customizable.
✔️ Variety of objects, actors, and sets to choose form
Cons
❌ Expensive.
❌ Steep learning curve.
Pricing
FrameForge has three pricing tiers → Core (one-time-charge of $498 or annual subscription of $155.88) and Professional (one-time-charge of $799 or annual subscription of $299.88). They also offer a free trial.
7. Boords
Boords is a web-based storyboard creator that helps you produce, manage, and collaborate on video projects.
Features
- Drag-and-drop design tools.
- Auto frame and version numbering.
- Secure sharing,
- Clients can provide frame-specific feedback with ease.
- Various layout & free storyboard templates
- Images, videos, notes, and links support.
Pros
✔️ Super easy to use.
✔️ Highly-customizable experience.
✔️ Offers collaboration tools.
✔️ Suitable for freelancers and agencies alike.
Cons
❌ The drawing feature can be buggy.
❌ Few PDF layout options.
Pricing
→ starts at $49 per month.
8. Milanote
Milanote is a web-based tool that helps you organize your creative projects into visual boards. Milanote was designed to help creatives organize projects and ideas. But it also works wonders as a storyboard creator. With Milanote, you can create storyboards using images, videos, notes and links, and arrange them into columns, grids or free form layouts.
Features
- Web clipper to draw inspiration from the web.
- Wall of post-it notes, images, scenes.
- Drag-and-drop editor so you can rearrange parts.
- Map out key visuals, narration, and sequence of your scene.
- Pre-made storyboard templates.
- Collaborate and share with colleagues or clients.
Pro
✔️ free plan available.
✔️ Online collaboration and sharing features.
✔️ Versatile platform that you can use for project ideation, storyboard creation, and shoot planning.
Cons
❌ No animation or camera tools.
❌ Not suitable for complex or large-scale projects that require more advanced storyboarding features.
Pricing
Milanote has three pricing tiers → Free, Professional ($9.99 per month for one user), and Team ($49.99 per month for up to 10 users).
10. Storyboard Pro
Storyboard Pro is a storyboard software that helps you create and animate storyboards for various media and genres.
Features
- Import your script.
- Create panels with drawings, dialogue, camera movements, sounds effects, and more.
- Advanced drawing engine, that allows for seamless work in vector and bitmap at the same time.
- Edit and rearrange the panels with the drag-and-drop interface.
- Sound editing and effects.
- Collaborate with others via cloud.
Pros
✔️ Professional-grade animation tools
✔️ Timeline editing features
✔️ Integrates with other Toon Boom products and industry software.
Cons
❌ Steep learning curve.
❌ Not suitable for simple projects.
Pricing
Storyboard Pro has different pricing plans → you can buy a perpetual license for €1.227 or opt for a monthly (€75) or annual (€586) subscription. They also offer a free trial.
11. Storyboard That
Next up on the list is Storyboard That, an online tool that lets you create storyboardswith drag and drop elements. You can choose from a library of scenes, characters, props, text bubbles, shapes, and icons. You can customize the colors, poses, expressions, and sizes of the elements. Furthermore, you can export your storyboard to PDF or PowerPoint formats.
Features
- Choose from a variety of scenes, characters, props, shapes, and icons.
- Customize everything to your liking.
- Add notes, comments, transitions, and sound effects.
- Collaborate with others. Effortlessly.
Pros
✔️ Simple to use.
✔️ Flexible.
✔️ Collaboration features.
Cons
❌ May not be suitable for more complex projects.
❌ Occasional bugs.
Pricing
Storyboard That has three pricing tiers → Free (with 2 storyboards per week), Individual at $9.99 per month ( with unlimited storyboards), and Team at $24.99 per user per month.
12. MakeStoryBoard
Another easy to use storyboarding software is MakeStoryBoard. Whether you’re a creator, video maker, or filmmaker, this tool can support you in the early planning stages.
Features
- Mark up frames by time or shooting angle.
- Add subtitles and calculate the duration of your videos.
- Drawing and animation tools.
- Collaborate with others on the storyboards.
- Get full control of the access permissions and notifications for each project.
Pros
✔️ Fast and easy to use.
Cons
❌ Doesn’t have many advanced features.
Pricing
MakeStoryBoard offers a free plan that allows you to create up to 10 frames per board. The paid plan costs $14 per month for one user.
13. Miro
Miro is an online collaboration tools that lets you create anything from storyboards, diagrams, maps, and other visual content.
Features
- Ready-made storyboard templates to make your job easier.
- Infinite drawing canvas.
- Robust editing features.
- Collaboration features.
Pros
✔️ Easy to use and flexible.
✔️ Great for remote teams.
✔️ Affordable.
Cons
❌ Some boards take long to load.
❌ Occasional crashes.
Pricing
Miro offers a free plan that allows up to three free boards. The paid pricing plans start at $8 per user per month.
14. Storyboard Quick
Next up on the list is Storyboard Quick – a desktop storyboarding software that helps users create and share boards for video projects.
Features
- Script and image importing.
- A library of backgrounds, elements, and characters.
- Scene numbering, shot descriptions and notes.
- Customizable storyboard layout & style.
Pros
✔️ Fast and easy to use.
✔️ Doesn’t require drawing skills.
Cons
❌ Its library of elements and options is limited.
❌ Issues with customer support.
Pricing
Storyboard Quick retails for $129.99 if billed annually and $248.99 for the one-time purchase.
15. Adobe Photoshop
There’s no way we wouldn’t have mentioned Adobe Photoshop. After all, it’s a powerful and widely used software for storyboarding in the creative industry.
Features
- The layering system makes it easy to rearrange and modify storyboard panels.
- It comes with a wide variety of drawing tools, so you can create detailed storyboards.
- The workspace is highly customizable.
- The advanced image editing tools let you create dynamic storyboards.
- It also offers basic animation features.
Pros
✔️ Extensive range of tools & features.
✔️ Integration with Adobe Creative Cloud.
✔️ Art boards are perfect for creating storyboards.
Cons
❌ Can be overwhelming for beginners.
Pricing
Adobe Photoshop is available through subscription-based pricing as a part of the Adobe Creative Cloud suite. The pricing for individual users starts at $20.99 per month, which includes Photoshop, Express, and Fresco. However, you can also opt for the All Apps Plan, which costs $54.99 per month.
16. Vyond
Vyond is a cloud-based platform that allows users to create animated videos and storyboards without requiring extensive technical skills or knowledge of animation.
Features
- Pre-built templates with various styles and themes.
- Customizable characters.
- Scene transitions and effects.
- Text and speech bubble animations.
- Voice-over recording.
- Collaboration and sharing features.
Pros
✔️ User-friendly interface that requires no advanced animation skills.
✔️ Extensive library of storyboard templates, characters, and props for quick and easy storyboard creation.
✔️ Intuitive timeline and editing tools for precise control over scene transitions and animation effects.
✔️ Cloud-based platform, accessible from anywhere with an internet connection.
Cons
❌ Limited flexibility compared to other tools.
❌ Can be expensive.
Pricing
→ free 14-day trial.
→ pricing plans start at $89 per month per user.
17. MidJourney
If you want to crop up a quick storyboard, but are not in the mood to look up images or draw, you can also use MidJourney. MidJourney can generate realistic or creative images based on a simple text prompt. It’s a fantastic way of visualizing some scenes that you want to shoot. All you have to do is import them to your favorite storyboard creator.
However, you do need some prompt engineering skills to get the ball rolling. Otherwise, you might get some unpredictable or inconsistent results.
18. Celtx
Celtx is a popular software designed to assist filmmakers and media professionals in the pre-production phase of their projects. While it offers a suite of tools, its storyboarding feature allows users to create and visualize their storyboards alongside other pre-production elements.
Features
- User-friendly interface for creating storyboards.
- Collaboration features.
- Add descriptions, shot details, camera angles, and notes to each storyboarding panes.
- Organize storyboards into sequences.
Pros
✔️ Comprehensive suite of pre-production tools, including storyboarding and screenwriting.
✔️ Accessible for users at various skill levels.
✔️ Seamless collaboration with other team members.
Cons
❌ Some users have complained about customer support.
Pricing
CeltX pricing plans start at $24.99 per month for the Writer Pro plan. However, they also have a team plan at $59 99 which supports up to 5 users.
19. Good Old Pen and Paper
If you want to crop up your video’s structure, you can also create a storyboard the old-fashioned way.
All you need is a pen and some paper. You can use any kind of paper, but it helps if you have some templates or grids to guide you. You can find some free storyboard templates online or create your own. Then, you just need to sketch out your scenes and add some notes or dialogue. Don’t worry about making it perfect, just focus on the main elements and actions. You can always revise it later.
The advantage of using pen and paper is that it’s cheap, easy, and flexible. You can draw anything you want, without any limitations. You can also make changes quickly and easily.
Simplify the Creative Process With These 17 Best Storyboard Creators & Software
You’ve just learned about the best storyboard creators and software that can help you simplify the creative process and bring your stories to life. Whether you’re making a film, an animation, or a personal project, these tools can save you time, money, and hassle.
Which one of these tools are you going to try first? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below! 💬
