Launch Video Maker vs Lumen5
Published 28 September 2026. Lumen5's prices, features and terms are from its own pages, checked on 28 September 2026 (see Sources). Lumen5 showed its prices in US dollars, even to a UK visitor, and didn't show pounds.
Short answer: Lumen5 turns written content (a blog post, a script, a document or a link) into a video built from stock footage, text and AI voice-over, which you then edit. It's a good fit for a marketing team that wants to repurpose articles into video every week. There's a free plan with a Lumen5 outro, and paid plans are yearly or monthly subscriptions. Launch Video Maker is a one-off purchase: we write a motion reel from your website, with facts you approve and music generated for it, for £9 to £49.
| Launch Video Maker | Lumen5 | |
|---|---|---|
| What you do | Give us your web address, approve the facts, pick a look and music or let us choose | Paste a link, script or document, let its AI build a first cut, then edit scenes, media and voice |
| Time | A few minutes of yours; no fixed turnaround published, and we email you when it's ready | Minutes for a first cut, plus your editing time |
| Cost | £9, £29 or £49 per video, VAT included, no subscription | Free; Basic $19 a month, Starter $59, Pro $149, all billed yearly (monthly billing also offered); Team on request |
| What you get | A motion reel in one of 22 looks with generated music and sound effects; 16:9, 9:16 or 4:5; 3 free edits | Free: Lumen5 outro, 720p, up to 2 minutes, 5 videos a month. Basic: no branding, 720p. Starter and up: 1080p, 50M+ stock. AI voices on every paid plan |
| Business use | Use it anywhere to promote your business once you've paid, paid ads included | Full commercial rights, client work allowed; take care with editorial media |
| Who it suits | A one-off launch reel without designing it | Teams turning articles into videos every week |
What Lumen5 gives you
Lumen5's pricing page says it's "designed for business use", turning blog posts, scripts and ideas into video. The free plan makes up to 5 videos a month, up to 2 minutes long, at 720p, with a Lumen5-branded outro. Basic ($19 a month billed yearly) removes the branding and allows unlimited videos up to 10 minutes, still at 720p, with AI voices and some animation minutes. Starter ($59) moves to 1080p and adds 50 million+ stock photos and videos and a brand kit. Pro ($149) adds Shutterstock editorial media, your own fonts, a custom watermark and three workspaces. Team, for several users with approvals and single sign-on, is priced on request. Paying yearly saves 25%, it says.
Using it for a business
Lumen5's help centre says you have full commercial rights to the videos you make, that almost every file in its media library is free for commercial use, and that you can make videos for clients and charge them for it. The one caution it gives is editorial media, which has its own rules. Its terms add that stock from Storyblocks and Freepik is covered by those companies' own licences.
Where Lumen5 is the better choice
- You publish articles and want videos from them. That's exactly what Lumen5 is built for.
- You need longer videos. Up to 10 minutes on paid plans, against our 15, 30 or 60 seconds.
- You want a voice-over. AI voices and voice cloning are included; we don't do voice-over.
- You need stock footage of the real world. Its library covers that, while we animate your brand and screens.
Where Launch Video Maker is the better choice
- You need one launch reel. Pay once, with nothing to cancel.
- You want motion design rather than stock with captions. See the looks, each with a real reel.
- You want fact checking built in. We list every fact with the page it came from, and only approved facts go on screen.
- You want full HD without a subscription. Every package delivers 1080p, and you pay once.
Verdict by use case
- A weekly blog turned into social videos: Lumen5.
- A podcast's new season: us for the trailer. See launch videos for podcasts.
- A SaaS product launch: us. See launch videos for SaaS.
Questions
- Is Lumen5 free?
- There's a free plan: 5 videos a month, up to 2 minutes, at 720p, with a Lumen5-branded outro. Paid plans remove the branding.
- Can I use Lumen5 to make videos for clients?
- Yes. Lumen5's help centre says you can create videos for clients and charge them, with full commercial rights, taking care over editorial media.
- Is Launch Video Maker a subscription?
- No. You pay once per video: £9, £29 or £49, VAT included, with 3 free edits after delivery.
Sources
All checked on 28 September 2026.
- Lumen5: Pricing (plans, prices in US dollars billed yearly shown to a UK visitor, feature comparison)
- Lumen5 Help: Can I monetise my videos or create them for my clients?
- Lumen5: Terms of service (licences, third-party stock)