How much does an HTML5 banner cost? The main production drivers.

A single flat price is rarely meaningful without a brief. The effort depends largely on whether an approved creative only needs technical implementation or whether concept, motion and format logic still need to be developed.

Creative concept and storyboard

If idea, copy and visual direction still need to be developed, conceptual work comes before HTML5 production. An approved master creative can reduce this part of the effort.

Animation complexity

Simple fades take less work than multi-stage sequences, masking, product animation or interaction. The key factor is how many states need to be designed, animated and tested properly.

Number and variety of formats

Five similar rectangle variants require less adaptation than a mix of leaderboard, skyscraper, half-page and mobile banner. The more extreme the aspect-ratio differences, the more often the composition needs to be rebuilt.

Variants and language versions

Different headlines, products, audiences or languages increase scope. A modular creative system can make this much more efficient when variants are planned early.

Technical specifications and QA

Publishers can set different rules for file size, duration, clickTag handling, libraries or backup assets. These requirements influence development and testing and should therefore be known when the scope is estimated.

Approval processes also affect effort

The number of approval stages matters too. Separating master creative, motion and format-set approvals is usually more predictable than changing already adapted sizes in parallel.

What is needed for a reliable estimate?

• Number and list of formats
• Existing design or design still to be developed
• Static, GIF or HTML5
• Required animation and interaction
• Variants or language versions
• Target platform and technical specification
• Deadline and approval process