# Vyond
**Vyond** is a web-based, subscription video creation platform for business, offering drag-and-drop 2D animation, AI avatars, text-to-speech, and AI text-to-video generation. It was founded as **GoAnimate** in 2007 by Alvin Hung and relaunched under the Vyond name on May 7, 2018; the operating company remains GoAnimate, Inc., a Delaware corporation headquartered in [San Mateo, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/san-mateo-california).[1](https://www.vyond.com/company/) • [2](https://www.vyond.com/press/goanimate-launches-vyond-brand/) • [3](https://www.vyond.com/terms/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2007 as GoAnimate by Alvin Hung; rebranded as Vyond on May 7, 2018[1](https://www.vyond.com/company/) • [2](https://www.vyond.com/press/goanimate-launches-vyond-brand/) |
| Headquarters | San Mateo, California; offices in Silicon Valley, Chicago, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Thailand; over 250 employees[1](https://www.vyond.com/company/) |
| Funding | $50 million Series A from PeakSpan Capital, April 16, 2021[4](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/vyond/financials) |
| Leadership | Scott Ernst appointed CEO effective June 1, 2026, succeeding Gary Lipkowitz, who moved to the board[5](https://www.vyond.com/blog/vyond-appoints-new-ceo/) |
| Scale | More than 17,000 customers and over 40 million videos created across training, HR, sales enablement, compliance, and internal communications[5](https://www.vyond.com/blog/vyond-appoints-new-ceo/) |
| Plans | Starter $99/month or $699/year; Professional $199/month or $1,199/year; Enterprise $1,649/year; Agency $1,999/year; Government $2,450/year (FedRAMP certified)[6](https://www.vyond.com/faqs/) |
| AI credits | Monthly credit allowance per plan; Vyond Go text-to-video costs 800 credits per video; voice cloning costs 20,000 credits per generation[7](https://help.vyond.com/hc/en-us/articles/37070262747284-AI-Credit-System) |
## History
Alvin Hung founded GoAnimate in 2007 as a consumer-oriented animation website. By 2013 the platform had passed 10 million videos created, and by 2014 its asset library contained over 10,000 items.[1](https://www.vyond.com/company/) On May 7, 2018, the company launched the Vyond brand at the Association for Talent Development conference in San Diego. Hung stated the rebrand was not the result of a sale or acquisition but reflected a rebuilt, HTML5-based product aimed at business communication rather than basic animation.[2](https://www.vyond.com/press/goanimate-launches-vyond-brand/) The company's own retrospective adds a second reason: some customers felt the name "GoAnimate" was not taken seriously as a business tool.[8](https://www.vyond.com/blog/vyond-2018-in-review/)
**Flash to HTML5.** The original Legacy Video Maker was built on [Adobe Flash](https://www.edgepedia.org/adobe-flash). Vyond retired it in December 2019, defaulting all accounts to the HTML5-based Vyond Studio from August 14, 2019, and allowing legacy videos to be migrated afterward.[9](https://www.vyond.com/blog/legacy-video-maker-retirement/) The retirement of the Flash-based tool, which had hosted the platform's older consumer themes, prompted parts of the hobbyist community to build independent revival software such as Wrapper: Offline and FlashThemes.[10](https://goanimate.fandom.com/wiki/GoAnimate_Community)
**Enterprise and AI era.** In April 2021 Vyond raised a $50 million Series A led by PeakSpan Capital.[4](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/vyond/financials) In 2023 it launched Vyond Go, which the company describes as an AI-powered script and video creator.[1](https://www.vyond.com/company/) In July 2025 Vyond received FedRAMP certification, opening the platform to [United States federal agencies](https://www.edgepedia.org/list-of-federal-agencies-in-the-united-states), and in June 2026 Scott Ernst, previously chief executive at Compete, Macromill, and Drift, replaced Gary Lipkowitz as CEO.[5](https://www.vyond.com/blog/vyond-appoints-new-ceo/) • [11](https://www.vyond.com/blog/how-vyonds-latest-ai-cut-your-content-creation-time-in-half-in-2025/)
## Platform and features
Vyond's core editor, Vyond Studio, runs in the browser and requires a modern computer with at least 8 GB of memory, Windows 7 SP1 or later or a Mac operating system, and [Microsoft Edge](https://www.edgepedia.org/microsoft-edge), Google Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox version 42 or later.[12](https://help.vyond.com/hc/en-us/articles/17221426409620-What-are-the-system-requirements-for-Vyond) Videos export as MP4 files in 720p or 1080p, and the platform also supports GIF, MP3, SCORM, SRT, VTT, and WebM outputs, with PNG and PowerPoint export on higher tiers.[13](https://help.vyond.com/hc/en-us/articles/17222478489620-What-are-the-technical-specifications-of-Vyond-Studio-s-video-formats) • [14](https://www.vyond.com/plans/?offer=add-linebreak)
The asset library is organized into visual styles: Business Friendly for corporate settings, Whiteboard Animation with a minimal black-and-white sketch look, Contemporary with flat design, and the newer [Storybook](https://www.edgepedia.org/storybook) style, which gained office scenes, home scenes, and children's characters through 2026 releases.[15](https://help.vyond.com/hc/en-us/articles/17221793384340-What-are-Business-Friendly-Whiteboard-Contemporary-and-Storybook-assets) • [16](https://product.vyond.com/) Automatic lip-sync, character customization, screen and webcam recording, and import of MP4 or MOV video files (up to 100 MB and 90 minutes per file, with a maximum of two videos per scene) round out the editing toolset.[2](https://www.vyond.com/press/goanimate-launches-vyond-brand/)
Enterprise features include a Brand Kit, custom color palettes, video approval workflows, shared spaces with per-member permission levels, and a shared library for team assets; several of these are restricted to Enterprise and Agency plans.[17](https://help.vyond.com/hc/en-us/articles/24181783954836-Brand-Kit) • [18](https://help.vyond.com/hc/en-us/articles/17215810191764-Shared-Spaces)
## AI features and credits
**Vyond Go** converts a text prompt, script, document, or URL into a draft video. Prompts are limited to 4,000 characters, generated videos run roughly two minutes, and avatar-template videos can take 30 minutes to an hour to generate. Results open in a Quick Edit view and can be sent to Vyond Studio for full editing.[19](https://help.vyond.com/hc/en-us/articles/17215758029460-Using-Vyond-Go-Text-to-video)
Since May 7, 2025, AI features run on a credit system. Credits reset monthly on the first of the month at 00:00 UTC, do not roll over, and are consumed at rates that vary by feature and provider: translation costs 160 credits per minute, text-to-speech costs 2 credits per 10 characters on AWS or Azure and 10 on Google or [ElevenLabs](https://www.edgepedia.org/elevenlabs), AI avatars cost 40 to 50 credits per 10 characters, and voice cloning costs 20,000 credits per generation. Annual [Professional](https://www.edgepedia.org/professional) and Agency users can borrow against the next month's quota.[7](https://help.vyond.com/hc/en-us/articles/37070262747284-AI-Credit-System) • [20](https://help.vyond.com/hc/en-us/articles/37895466747284-AI-Credits-Borrowing-Credits)
In September 2026 Vyond added a visible "AI" label that users can toggle onto videos, citing Article 50(4) of the EU AI Act, which requires deployers to disclose AI-generated or manipulated content resembling real people, places, or events.[21](https://help.vyond.com/hc/en-us/articles/53361646069908-How-do-I-disclose-AI-generated-content-in-a-video) • [22](https://ai-act-service-desk.ec.europa.eu/en/ai-act/article-50)
## Pricing and plans
Vyond offers five subscription plans. Starter ($99 monthly or $699 annually) is a single-user plan with 10,000 credits per user per month; Professional ($199 monthly or $1,199 annually) adds team collaboration, [Shutterstock](https://www.edgepedia.org/shutterstock) assets, and 20,000 credits; Enterprise ($1,649 per user per year, annual only) adds the Brand Management Suite, ultra-high-quality voices, and virtually unlimited credits; Agency ($1,999 per user per year) adds 400,000 credits and unlimited rights transfer for client work; and a Government plan at $2,450 per year is FedRAMP certified. Free trials include 2,000 credits, and trial exports carry a watermark.[6](https://www.vyond.com/faqs/) • [14](https://www.vyond.com/plans/?offer=add-linebreak) Subscriptions grant a perpetual license to videos created on the platform, which survives subscription expiration.[23](https://help.vyond.com/hc/en-us/articles/17221193330836-How-do-Vyond-subscriptions-work)
## Reception and use in education
On G2, Vyond holds a 4.7 out of 5 rating from 551 reviews, with ease of use and video creation the most cited strengths and limited customization the most cited drawback; G2 lists Animaker, Synthesia, Camtasia, Renderforest, and Powtoon as leading alternatives.[24](https://www.g2.com/products/vyond/competitors/alternatives) The company states that more than 65% of the [Fortune 500](https://www.edgepedia.org/fortune-500) use the platform, and its marketing targets learning and development, HR, sales enablement, and internal communications teams.[1](https://www.vyond.com/company/) • [6](https://www.vyond.com/faqs/)
Independent research has tested Vyond-made animation in classrooms. A 2026 quasi-experimental study in [Kyzylorda](https://www.edgepedia.org/kyzylorda), Kazakhstan assigned 165 primary students aged 8 to 10 to either culturally adapted Vyond animations or conventional textbook instruction over 12 weekly lessons. The animation group's knowledge scores rose from a mean of 12.4 to 18.7 on a 40-point scale, a gain of [Cohen's d](https://www.edgepedia.org/cohens-d) = 0.84 relative to the control group, and motivation rose from 3.12 to 4.61 on a 7-point scale, d = 0.69.[25](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2026.1878612/full)
## References
1. [About Vyond, Vyond Company page](https://www.vyond.com/company/)
2. [SaaS Video Creation Market Leader GoAnimate Launches New Vyond Brand and Website at ATD 2018, Vyond press release](https://www.vyond.com/press/goanimate-launches-vyond-brand/)
3. [terms of service | vyond](https://www.vyond.com/terms/)
4. [Vyond Stock Price, Funding, Valuation, Revenue & Financial Statements, CB Insights](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/vyond/financials)
5. [Vyond Appoints SaaS Industry Veteran Scott Ernst as Chief Executive Officer, Vyond Blog](https://www.vyond.com/blog/vyond-appoints-new-ceo/)
6. [Vyond FAQs](https://www.vyond.com/faqs/)
7. [AI Credit System, Vyond Help Center](https://help.vyond.com/hc/en-us/articles/37070262747284-AI-Credit-System)
8. [Vyond's 2018 in Review, Vyond Blog](https://www.vyond.com/blog/vyond-2018-in-review/)
9. [Legacy Video Maker Retirement, Vyond Blog](https://www.vyond.com/blog/legacy-video-maker-retirement/)
10. [GoAnimate Community, GoAnipedia (Fandom)](https://goanimate.fandom.com/wiki/GoAnimate_Community)
11. [How Vyond's Latest AI Cut Your Content Creation Time in Half in 2025, Vyond Blog](https://www.vyond.com/blog/how-vyonds-latest-ai-cut-your-content-creation-time-in-half-in-2025/)
12. [What are the system requirements for Vyond?, Vyond Help Center](https://help.vyond.com/hc/en-us/articles/17221426409620-What-are-the-system-requirements-for-Vyond)
13. [What are the technical specifications of Vyond Studio's video formats?, Vyond Help Center](https://help.vyond.com/hc/en-us/articles/17222478489620-What-are-the-technical-specifications-of-Vyond-Studio-s-video-formats)
14. [Vyond Plans and Pricing](https://www.vyond.com/plans/?offer=add-linebreak)
15. [What are Business Friendly, Whiteboard, Contemporary, and Storybook assets?, Vyond Help Center](https://help.vyond.com/hc/en-us/articles/17221793384340-What-are-Business-Friendly-Whiteboard-Contemporary-and-Storybook-assets)
16. [Vyond Product Releases](https://product.vyond.com/)
17. [Brand Kit, Vyond Help Center](https://help.vyond.com/hc/en-us/articles/24181783954836-Brand-Kit)
18. [Shared Spaces, Vyond Help Center](https://help.vyond.com/hc/en-us/articles/17215810191764-Shared-Spaces)
19. [Using Vyond Go (Text to video), Vyond Help Center](https://help.vyond.com/hc/en-us/articles/17215758029460-Using-Vyond-Go-Text-to-video)
20. [AI Credits - Borrowing Credits, Vyond Help Center](https://help.vyond.com/hc/en-us/articles/37895466747284-AI-Credits-Borrowing-Credits)
21. [How do I disclose AI generated content in a video?, Vyond Help Center](https://help.vyond.com/hc/en-us/articles/53361646069908-How-do-I-disclose-AI-generated-content-in-a-video)
22. [Article 50: Transparency obligations for providers and deployers of certain AI systems, EU AI Act Service Desk](https://ai-act-service-desk.ec.europa.eu/en/ai-act/article-50)
23. [How do Vyond subscriptions work?, Vyond Help Center](https://help.vyond.com/hc/en-us/articles/17221193330836-How-do-Vyond-subscriptions-work)
24. [Top 10 Vyond Alternatives & Competitors in 2026, G2](https://www.g2.com/products/vyond/competitors/alternatives)
25. [Abdrakhmanova S, Iskakov Y, Negay N, Maigeldiyeva S and Toleubay D (2026). Impact of tailored animations on cognitive drive and science literacy in Kazakhstan primary education. Frontiers in Education](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2026.1878612/full)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Computing and digital systems › Software and programming › Software industry and companies*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license