Benime is a favourite among mobile creators: a free Android app for making hand-drawn whiteboard animations right on your phone. If you are on Android and enjoy drawing your own scenes, it is a fun, genuinely low-cost way to start.
It is free to download, but it runs on ads and a credit system — new users get a handful of free credits, and you buy more (a Pro/credit purchase has been reported around a few dollars) to keep creating. It is also Android-only, so there is no iPhone or desktop version.
So Benime is already cheap — the real question is what it costs you in ads, credits, device lock-in and manual effort, and whether an AI tool can do more for the same “free.”
What this guide covers
What Benime actually costs in 2026
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free (Android) | $0 | Ad-supported; ~5 free credits for new users |
| Credits / Pro | In-app purchase | Buy credits to make more projects; remove limits |
| Platform | Android only | No iOS or desktop version |
Benime is a free Android app with in-app purchases; credit and Pro prices vary by region. Figures from public sources, August 2026.
Benime’s appeal is obvious: it is free to start and cheap to top up. But the trade-offs are ads between actions, a credit ceiling that pushes you toward purchases, and the fact that you draw and time every element yourself.
And because it only runs on Android, it is a non-starter on an iPhone or a laptop.
Legit ways to get Benime cheaper (or free)
If Benime fits your phone and workflow, here is how to get the most for the least:
- Use the free credits first — new users get a few credits; plan a full short video around them before buying more.
- Buy credits, not nothing — the credit/Pro purchase is inexpensive and removes the tightest limits; it is cheaper than most desktop tools.
- Watch for credit-store deals — the app periodically discounts credit bundles.
- Export at the app’s free quality — only pay for higher settings if you actually need them.
- Accept the ads on free — they are the price of the free tier; a purchase reduces interruptions.
Do not install “Benime MOD/Pro unlocked” APKs from third-party sites — they are unsafe and can compromise your phone.
The catch with the “cheap” route
Benime is cheap, but it asks for your time and your device. You draw each scene, arrange the hand and time the reveal yourself, and you are limited to Android. Ads and credit caps interrupt the flow on the free tier.
If you want a finished whiteboard video without drawing it — or you are on iPhone or desktop — Benime cannot help.
Or make whiteboard videos free — the AI way
Whiteboard Video gives you the same hand-drawn whiteboard result without drawing anything, on any device with a browser. Describe the video or paste a document and the AI writes the script, draws each scene and narrates it automatically.
It is free to start (no ads), $9.99/month for Starter and $19.99/month for up-to-10-minute videos — and it works on iPhone, Android, tablet and desktop alike.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Your first video free (small removable watermark) |
| Starter | $9.99/mo | 15 videos / month · up to 5 min · no watermark |
| Pro | $19.99/mo | 35 videos / month · up to 10 min · no watermark |
| Ultra | $60/mo | 100 videos / month · commercial licence |
Prefer to keep it free? Earn video credits by sharing Whiteboard Video on social media, with a bigger bonus for videos that pass 10,000 views.
Benime vs Whiteboard Video: side by side
Benime is a free, manual, Android-only drawing app; Whiteboard Video is an automatic AI whiteboard maker that runs anywhere.
| Whiteboard Video | Benime | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for whiteboard videos | Dedicated | Yes (manual) |
| AI writes the script | Yes | No |
| AI-drawn illustrations per scene | Yes | You draw / import them |
| Built-in AI voiceover | Yes | Add your own |
| No manual timeline editing | Fully automatic | Manual |
| Import prompt / URL / PDF / Word | Yes | No |
| Works on any device (browser) | Yes | Android only |
| Earn free credits by sharing | Yes | No |
| Cheapest watermark-free plan | Free, then $9.99/mo | In-app purchase (Android) |
| Time to first video | Minutes | Hours of drawing |
Based on publicly available features and pricing at the time of writing; competitor plans change over time.
Benime: the honest pros and cons
Where it shines
- Free to download and cheap to top up
- Runs entirely on your phone
- Fun for hands-on, DIY creators
- Good for simple hand-drawn clips
Where it costs you
- Android only — no iPhone or desktop
- Ad-supported with credit limits
- You draw and time every scene yourself
- No AI script, illustration or voiceover
Real whiteboard videos made with our AI
These are actual videos generated on Whiteboard Video — script, hand-drawn illustrations and voiceover, all automatic. Click any to watch the full thing.
How to make a cheaper whiteboard video — step by step
- Start free at Whiteboard Video — your first video is on us, no credit card.
- Paste a prompt, URL, PDF or Word doc as your source material.
- Pick a voice, language and length — there is no template to choose or lay out.
- Let the AI write, draw and narrate the whole whiteboard video in minutes.
- Download in HD, then earn free credits by sharing your video to make more.
Why it is the cheaper, faster choice
Benime is a great starting point if you are on Android and want to draw your own animations for almost nothing. But “free” there means ads, credit caps and a lot of manual drawing.
Whiteboard Video is free to start too — with no ads — and it does the drawing, writing and narration for you, on any device. For most people that is a better kind of free.
And if you want to keep it free long-term, sharing your videos earns more credits, so active creators can keep making whiteboard videos at no cost.
