How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- Boords is the safest pick for client-facing agencies because guest commenting needs no login and every version stays on record.
- StoryboardHero gives the most AI images for the money, with unlimited standard generations and a human sketch artist on call.
- LTX Studio is the strongest choice when the board must become a finished AI video, though its free plan is personal use only.
- Storyboard That and Krock both have genuinely free tiers, which is rare in this category, but neither suits cinematic pre-production.
- Katalist has pivoted toward performance ad teams, so storyboard buyers should book a call before assuming it fits a classic pre-production workflow.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Boords | Video agencies that need client sign-off | $39/month (Solo, billed monthly) | Yes |
 Storyboarder.ai | Filmmakers who want script to animatic in one tool | $35/month (Starter, limited-time pricing) | Free trial |
 Katalist | Performance teams refreshing winning ads | See website | Yes |
 StoryboardHero | Agencies that pitch with polished branded PDFs | $19/month (Solo, billed monthly) | No |
 LTX Studio | Creators turning storyboards into finished AI video | $15/month (Lite) | Yes |
 Atlabs | Series creators who need locked characters | $15/month | No |
 Krock | Teams that want review and storyboarding together | $10/user/month (Pro) | Yes |
 Toon Boom Storyboard Pro | Animation studios with trained board artists | $90/month (billed monthly) | No |
 Storyboard That | Teachers and teams with no drawing skills | $9.99/month (personal) | Yes |
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We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
The best AI storyboard generators
Starting price$39/month (Solo, billed monthly)
Free planYes
Boords has been around since 2015, which shows in the details. The core loop is simple: write the script, turn it into frames, generate or upload images, build an animatic, then send one link to the client. Clients comment on individual frames without creating an account, and you can see exactly who approved which version. For an agency that has lost a weekend to v3_FINAL.pdf, that alone is worth the subscription.
The AI image generation is useful but rationed. Solo gives you 250 AI images a month, Pro gives 1,000. If you regenerate frames heavily, you will feel that cap. The free plan is genuinely usable for evaluation, with 5 active storyboards and 8 sample AI credits, no credit card required. Setup is quick, and the integrations with Slack, Google Drive and Dropbox keep boards inside the tools teams already use.
What we like- Guest commenting with no login required
- Version history keeps every sign-off on record
- Exports to PDF, MP4, Google Slides and more
Watch out for- AI image generation capped at 250 per month on Solo
- Price jumps fast as you add seats
Starting price$35/month (Starter, limited-time pricing)
Free planFree trial
Storyboarder.ai is built by filmmakers, and it feels like it. You upload a script in PDF, FDX, Fountain or Word, and it returns a shot list, a storyboard and an animatic. The character consistency engine locks in faces, clothing and proportions across shots, which is the thing most AI storyboard tools still get wrong. The 3D camera tool lets you orbit and reframe a scene from a single image, which is handy when the director knows the angle but cannot draw it.
The standout policy is unlimited image generation on paid plans, so you can iterate without watching a counter. The tradeoff is on the video side: Starter includes only 10 free video generations a month. The limited-time pricing (Starter $35 instead of $69) runs until the end of October, so the regular price is nearly double. Check the current number on their pricing page before you budget around the promo.
What we like- Unlimited image generations on every paid plan, no credit system
- 3D camera-angle tool for exact framing
- One-click pitch deck export
Watch out for- Free trial caps at 2 projects with watermarked exports and no commercial use
- Video generations limited to 10 to 20 per month
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes
Katalist used to be a straightforward storyboard tool, and it has since grown into an AI creative studio for performance teams. The workflow starts from a script, breaks it into shots, and generates a board with consistent characters. The distinctive feature is product swap: upload a reference photo and Katalist replaces the item in a shot or video with your product, keeping shape, label and colors. For teams running dozens of ad variants a week, that is a real time saver.
The catch for storyboard buyers is that the homepage now leads with ad creative, not pre-production. You can still sign up free and generate your first storyboard with free credits, but once those run out you book a call to get on a plan. There is no self-serve price list anymore. If your main need is storyboards for films or client pitches, confirm on the call that the storyboard workflow you want is fully supported before committing.
What we like- Product swap drops your real product into existing creatives
- Characters stay consistent across shots
- Free credits with no card to try it
Watch out for- Pricing is now gated behind a sales call, so you cannot budget without a conversation
- The product has pivoted toward video ads more than classic storyboarding
Starting price$19/month (Solo, billed monthly)
Free planNo
StoryboardHero comes from the team behind fewStones, a corporate video agency in Singapore, and it is built for exactly that kind of work. You enter a short brief, the AI writes a structured script with voiceover, camera angles and transitions, then generates the frames. The PDFs you export carry your branding only, with no mention of AI or StoryboardHero, which matters when boards go to clients.
What sets it apart is the fallback. If an AI frame is not good enough, you can pay credits (10 credits for $99) to have their in-house sketch artists draw it. Every plan includes unlimited standard AI images, though the premium tier is capped. The Solo plan at $19 a month is the cheapest entry point on this list for unlimited generation, but there is no free plan, so the 7-day money-back guarantee is your trial. Teams should look at Starter at $59 a month for 5 seats.
What we like- Unlimited standard AI images on every plan
- Optional human sketch artists when AI frames fall short
- PDFs carry only your branding
Watch out for- Premium AI images capped at 100 per month on Solo
- No free plan, only a 7-day money-back guarantee
#5
LTX Studio
Best for: Creators turning storyboards into finished AI video
Visit ltx.studio
Starting price$15/month (Lite)
Free planYes
LTX Studio is the only tool here where the storyboard is a step toward a finished video rather than the end product. You develop a concept, build boards with controlled camera movement and keyframes, then generate video directly. The AI storyboards feature sits on Standard ($35 a month) and above, alongside pitch decks and commercial-use licensing. The model bench is deep: Veo 3.1, Kling, Nano Banana and LTX's own models are all in the mix.
The free plan gives 800 one-time credits and is genuinely useful for learning the tool, but the personal-use license means you cannot use it for client or business work. Lite at $15 a month adds 8,000 monthly credits and removes watermarks, but commercial use starts at Standard. Note that credit costs differ per action, so a heavy month of video generation can burn through the allowance faster than expected. Top-ups are available on Pro.
What we like- AI storyboards included from the Standard plan up
- Precise camera controls, keyframes and visual references
- Wide model choice including Veo 3.1
Watch out for- Free plan is personal use only, so commercial work needs a paid tier
- Credit consumption varies by action and is hard to predict
#6
Atlabs
Best for: Series creators who need locked characters
Visit atlabs.ai
Starting price$15/month
Free planNo
Atlabs positions itself as an AI video creator first, but its storyboard capability is built for a specific job: animated series and episodic content where the same characters must be recognizable from episode one to episode twenty. You design a character once and the platform keeps the face and look consistent across every scene. With 50+ visual styles, 50+ AI models and 40+ languages for voiceover, it covers the full path from script to finished episode.
The tradeoff is focus. If you want a dedicated storyboard tool with shot lists, animatic timing and client review, Atlabs feels broader and less specialized than Boords or StoryboardHero. Pricing runs from $15 to $189 a month depending on the tier, which is worth confirming against your usage before you commit. It suits creators making kids' edutainment, faith content or training series far more than agencies doing one-off client boards.
What we like- Character consistency maintained across scenes and episodes
- 50+ visual styles and 40+ languages
- Exports to Premiere Pro fully editable
Watch out for- Storyboarding is one feature inside a broader video platform
- Pricing page lists a range ($15 to $189) rather than a single clear tier
#7
Krock
Best for: Teams that want review and storyboarding together
Visit krock.io
Starting price$10/user/month (Pro)
Free planYes
Krock is primarily a video review platform, and the storyboard tool rides along with it. That makes it a practical pick for teams that already need frame-accurate commenting, version comparison and client approvals, and would like to sketch the boards in the same workspace instead of paying for a second tool. The free plan includes the storyboard tool, unlimited reviewers, one workspace and two projects, which is enough to run a real pilot.
The storyboard features are lighter than the dedicated tools here. You get boards and animatic export, but not the deep script-to-shot pipelines of Storyboarder.ai or the client sign-off machinery of Boords. AI tokens are limited to 50 on the free plan. Pro at $10 per user per month adds unlimited projects, 4K playback and custom branding. If storyboarding is your main job, buy a specialist; if review is your main job, Krock's storyboard add-on is a useful bonus.
What we like- Free plan includes the storyboard tool and unlimited reviewers
- Version comparison and time-coded comments
- 7-day trial on paid tiers
Watch out for- Storyboarding is secondary to video review
- Free plan limited to 2 projects and 50 AI tokens
#8
Toon Boom Storyboard Pro
Best for: Animation studios with trained board artists
Visit toonboom.com
Starting price$90/month (billed monthly)
Free planNo
Storyboard Pro is the professional standard for a reason. It combines bitmap and vector drawing, 3D environments, camera work, animatic editing with effects and unlimited sound tracks, and script import in one desktop application. Studios like Disney Television Animation and DreamWorks use Toon Boom tools, and the pipeline integration with editorial is something no browser-based AI tool matches. The new Ember add-on brings AI assistance for script breakdowns and art upscaling, though it deliberately assists artists rather than replacing them.
The price reflects the audience: $90 a month billed monthly, or about $65 a month on the annual plan. There is no free plan, so this is a commitment. For a marketing team that needs ten frames for a client pitch by Friday, it is overkill, and one of the AI generators above will get you there faster and cheaper.
What we like- Industry-standard drawing and animatic tools
- Ember AI add-on assists with script breakdowns
- Deep 3D and editorial pipeline integration
Watch out for- Most expensive option here at $90 a month
- Real learning curve, not built for non-artists
- AI is assistive, not generative
Starting price$9.99/month (personal)
Free planYes
Storyboard That takes a completely different approach: instead of generating images with AI, you assemble boards from a large library of scenes, characters, items and speech bubbles. For a teacher building a lesson, or a marketer mocking up a concept with zero drawing ability, that is faster and more predictable than prompting an image model. The free version gives you 3 cells with basic scenes and characters, and personal plans start at $9.99 a month.
The look is the limitation. Everything has the same friendly cartoon style, which is fine for classrooms and internal planning but will not pass for film pre-visualization. Teams plans start at $24.99 a month with collaboration and business templates, and education plans add FERPA and COPPA compliance with Google Classroom and Clever rostering. Pick this when accessibility matters more than cinematic quality.
What we like- Drag-and-drop art library with hundreds of scenes and characters
- Genuinely free version
- Strong education features with LMS rostering
Watch out for- Art style is cartoonish and fixed, not cinematic
- Limited AI involvement compared to the rest of this list
- Premium artwork locked behind paid tiers
How we chose
We researched this category from pricing pages, feature documentation and public reviews on G2 and Capterra, plus community discussion on Reddit and filmmaking forums. Every tool on this list exists today and generates storyboards with AI assistance as a core or clearly supported function. We excluded pure video generators with no storyboard workflow, discontinued products, and tools that only assemble stock art without any AI generation, except where the non-AI option fills a real buyer need (Storyboard That for education).
We weighted script-to-board workflow, character consistency, export options, collaboration and review features, and honest pricing. Prices come from each vendor's own pricing page. Where a vendor gates pricing behind a sales call, we say so instead of guessing.
What to check before you pay
Start with your deliverable. If the board goes to a paying client, you need clean exports, version control and guest review, which points to Boords or StoryboardHero. If the board is a step toward a finished video, LTX Studio or Atlabs make more sense because the board lives inside the production pipeline. If you are a teacher or a non-artist, Storyboard That will get you further than any AI generator.
Count the real cost, not the headline price. Several tools ration AI images or video generations per month, and overage or add-on costs can double the bill. Check whether the free tier allows commercial use, because a few do not. Confirm export formats before you subscribe: PDF is universal, but FDX, Fountain and Premiere Pro round-tripping matter if the board feeds an edit. Finally, test character consistency with your own characters, not the demo ones, since that is where most tools fall apart.
Common mistakes buyers make
The biggest mistake is buying for the demo, not the workflow. A tool that generates a beautiful single frame may still fail at keeping the same character across twenty shots, which is the actual job. Run your own test scene before paying.
The second mistake is ignoring the generation caps. Unlimited plans are not always unlimited: premium image quotas, video generation limits and credit pools all hide behind the headline. Read the plan comparison table on the pricing page, not just the hero banner.
The third is assuming the free plan covers commercial work. Some free tiers are personal use only, and using client work on them can violate the terms. If you are an agency, confirm commercial rights in writing on the pricing or terms page before client boards go through the tool.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need drawing skills to use an AI storyboard generator?
No. That is the point of the category. You describe shots in text or import a script, and the tool generates the frames. Tools like Storyboard That go further and let you assemble boards from a drag-and-drop art library. Drawing skills still help for refining frames, which is why StoryboardHero offers human artists as an add-on.
Which AI storyboard generator is best for client work?
Boords and StoryboardHero are the strongest for client-facing work. Boords wins on review workflow with no-login guest commenting and full version history. StoryboardHero wins on output polish, with branded PDFs and unlimited standard AI images. Both support commercial use on paid plans.
Can AI storyboard tools keep characters consistent?
The better ones can, within limits. Storyboarder.ai, Katalist, Atlabs and LTX Studio all have character consistency features that lock in a face or design across shots. Results vary with complex scenes, multiple characters and unusual angles. Always test with your own characters before committing to a tool for a full project.
Are there free AI storyboard generators?
Yes, with limits. Boords, Krock and Storyboard That all offer free plans. Storyboarder.ai and LTX Studio offer free trials or free tiers with restricted commercial rights. Free plans typically cap projects, generations or exports, and some are personal use only, so check the terms if the work is for clients.
What is the cheapest paid AI storyboard generator?
StoryboardHero's Solo plan at $19 a month and LTX Studio's Lite plan at $15 a month are the lowest entry prices on this list. Storyboard That starts at $9.99 a month, though it is an art-library tool rather than an AI generator. The cheapest plan is not always the cheapest workflow, so compare generation limits before deciding.
How long does it take to generate a storyboard with AI?
Minutes for a first draft. Most tools take a script or brief and return a full set of frames in under ten minutes. The real time goes into iteration: refining frames, fixing character consistency and adjusting shot order. Budget an hour or two for a polished board, compared to days with manual drawing.
Sources we checked (9)
- https://boords.com/pricing
- https://app.storyboarder.ai/pricing
- https://katalist.ai/pricing
- https://storyboardhero.ai/pricing
- https://ltx.studio/pricing
- https://atlabs.ai/
- https://krock.io/pricing
- https://shop.toonboom.com/en/products/storyboard-pro
- https://storyboardthat.com
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.