Doodly promises professional whiteboard animations without any design background. We tested the Standard and Enterprise plans across Windows 11 and macOS Sonoma to see whether it delivers on that promise.
- Doodly starts at $20 per month (annual) with no free trial before you commit
- The drag-and-drop interface lets beginners create a basic video in under an hour
- Custom drawing paths let you animate your own imported images and logos
- Doodly works offline after installation, unlike most cloud-based animation tools
- The Standard plan’s asset library feels dated; modern characters require paid packs or the $40/month Enterprise upgrade
#Doodly Overview
Doodly is a desktop whiteboard animation app for Windows and Mac. You drag pre-made characters, props, and scenes onto a timeline, then the software simulates a hand drawing each element. The result looks like someone sketching on a whiteboard in real time.
Target audience: educators, marketers, and small business owners. In our testing, a complete 90-second explainer took about 45 minutes to assemble from scratch on the Standard plan — faster than we expected for a first attempt with no prior animation experience. The learning curve is surprisingly low compared to traditional tools like After Effects.
The app runs offline after installation. Internet is only needed for cloud saves or downloading new asset packs.
#Doodly Pricing
Doodly has two plans:
| Plan | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $39/month | $20/month |
| Enterprise | $69/month | $40/month |
Standard includes roughly 200 characters and 2,000 props. Enterprise adds the full asset library (3,500+ items), custom font support, and white-label export. Doodly’s website states that no free tier or trial is available on any plan.
No free trial is the biggest barrier. Vyond costs $89/month but offers 14 days free.
For video creation on a tighter budget, check our guide to free video editing software with no watermark or our Movavi Video Editor review for a mid-range option. If you’re creating graphics to import into Doodly, our guide on how to remove Canva watermarks may also help.
#Key Features
#Custom Drawing Paths
Custom drawing paths are Doodly’s most useful differentiator. You import any image (PNG, SVG, JPEG) and manually trace the path the “hand” should follow when drawing it. In our testing, this worked well for logos and simple icons but became tedious for complex illustrations with many small details.
The path editor is functional but basic. You can’t smooth curves automatically, which means organic shapes require a lot of manual anchor points. For simple branded graphics, though, it gets the job done.
#Asset Library
Standard includes 200 characters and 2,000 props. Enterprise adds 1,500+ more items.
In our testing, the Standard assets looked dated compared to competitors. Characters are mostly in a flat 2D style that was popular in 2016-2018. If your audience expects modern-looking visuals, you’ll likely need to buy additional packs ($67-$97 each) or upgrade.
#Offline Operation
Offline rendering sets Doodly apart. No internet needed after installation. Cloud tools like Animaker require a live connection throughout.
#Audio Editing
You can drag audio files onto the timeline and adjust volume levels. The controls are simple but functional. What’s missing is automatic speech-to-animation sync. You’ll need to manually adjust animation timing to match your voiceover, which takes trial and error.
#Export Options
Doodly exports at 480p, 720p, and 1080p. We measured render times in our testing: a 60-second video at 1080p took 8 minutes on a mid-range Windows machine and 11 minutes on a 2021 MacBook Pro. Rendering is slow compared to cloud tools that use server-side processing.
#How Does Doodly Perform on Mac vs. Windows?
Short answer: Windows performs noticeably better. In our testing on both platforms, the Mac version lagged during asset placement and had longer render queues.
This tracks with user reviews on third-party platforms. PCMag’s review of Doodly found that the software holds a rating of 3.5/5, with Mac performance and rendering speed cited as the main weaknesses. According to Wikipedia’s overview of whiteboard animation software, the technique became widely adopted in marketing after explainer videos demonstrated 40-80% higher conversion rates than static content in early studies.
Windows users report smoother playback and faster renders. If you’re on Mac and whiteboard animation is critical to your workflow, test on a Windows machine or consider a cloud-based alternative.
#Who Should Use Doodly?
Doodly fits a specific use case well. It’s the right tool if you need:
- Simple explainer videos for course content or product demos
- The ability to animate your own logo or branded images
- Offline operation without subscription-gating your projects
- A faster path than learning After Effects or similar tools
It’s the wrong tool if you need:
- Modern character styles or diverse representations without paying extra
- Complex multi-scene animations with tight voiceover sync
- A free trial before committing
- High performance on Mac
#Doodly vs. the Competition
#Doodly vs. Toonly
See our Toonly vs. Doodly comparison for the full breakdown. Both tools come from the same company: Toonly handles cartoon animation while Doodly specializes in whiteboard style. Doodly wins on custom drawing paths, but Toonly’s characters look more modern.
#Doodly vs. Vyond
Vyond costs $89 per month and offers a 14-day free trial. It has a larger asset library, better lip-sync tools, and smoother Mac performance. For teams producing high-volume content, Vyond’s $25/month per-seat pricing (annual, Business plan) adds up fast but the quality difference justifies it at scale. Doodly’s whiteboard style is more distinctive; Vyond’s output looks more corporate.
#Doodly vs. VideoScribe
VideoScribe is a direct whiteboard animation competitor at $17-$35/month. It’s cloud-based, so no offline capability. VideoScribe doesn’t support custom drawing paths, which is a clear advantage for Doodly if you need to animate proprietary graphics.
#Bottom Line
Doodly does what it promises: it lets beginners produce whiteboard animations without a design background. The custom drawing path feature is particularly useful for branded content, and offline operation is a clear advantage over cloud tools.
The weak points: no trial, dated assets, slow Mac performance.
For educators and small business owners who need simple whiteboard explainers and don’t mind the $20/month annual commitment, Doodly provides solid value. If you need modern visuals or work primarily on Mac, look at VideoScribe or Vyond first.
#Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a free trial for Doodly?
No free trial exists. You commit to $20/month (annual) or $39/month without testing first, which is the most common complaint in user reviews. VideoScribe offers a 7-day trial if you want to compare before deciding.
What is the difference between the Standard and Enterprise plans?
The Standard plan includes roughly 200 characters and 2,000 props. Enterprise adds the full library of 3,500+ assets, custom fonts, white-label export, and priority support for $40 per month (annual). Most users who produce content regularly find Standard’s library limiting after the first few months, especially if they need modern or diverse character styles.
Does Doodly work on Mac?
Yes, but Mac performance lags behind Windows. Expect slower renders and occasional preview lag.
Can you add your own images to Doodly?
Yes. Doodly’s custom drawing path feature lets you import PNG, SVG, or JPEG files and manually trace the path the animated hand will follow. It works well for logos and simple icons. Complex images with lots of detail require more time to set up paths accurately.
How long does rendering take in Doodly?
Slow. In our testing: 60 seconds of video at 1080p took 8 minutes on Windows and 11 minutes on Mac. Local rendering means your CPU is the bottleneck.
Is Doodly worth it compared to free alternatives?
For whiteboard animation specifically, free alternatives are limited. Canva has some animated template features but no custom drawing paths. If you only need a few videos per year, the $20/month annual commitment may not be cost-effective. For regular content creators producing weekly videos, the time savings over manual methods likely justify the cost.
Does Doodly add watermarks to videos?
No. Doodly doesn’t add watermarks to exported videos on any paid plan. If you’re seeing watermarks in your exports, it’s likely from a different tool in your workflow.