Every six months a new wave of AI storyboard tools launches. Some are genuinely good. Most are GPT-4 wrappers with a storyboard skin. None of them tell you, honestly, when their tool is the wrong choice.
This guide is what I wish existed when researching AI storyboard tools — a head-to-head of every serious tool, tested on the same script, with the same brief.
The test
I took a 12-page short-film script (dystopian thriller, two leads, six scenes). Fed it identically to every tool. Asked for a 24-frame lineart storyboard. Rated on five axes: generation time, character consistency, composition variety, line quality, total cost.
Mid-tier paid plans tested (the realistic choice for a working director).
1. STORYLINER — $39/mo Starter
- Generation time: ~2 minutes
- Character consistency: high. Character Memory held both leads across all 24 frames
- 7 distinct shot types in the output
- Free tier: 30 frames, no credit card required
Where it loses: highly stylized prompts ("a clock melting like a Dali painting") render literally rather than surreally on default settings.
2. Katalist — $79/mo
- Generation time: ~2.5 minutes
- Character consistency: high
- 8 shot types
- Free trial: limited, credit card required
Where it wins: slightly more compositional variety. Where it loses: twice the price of equivalent STORYLINER tier; no pay-as-you-go option.
3. Boords — $44–89/mo per seat
Not really an AI storyboard tool. Manual storyboarding platform that added AI as a 2024 feature.
- Generation time (AI mode): 4+ minutes
- Character consistency: limited — drifts across frames
- Best for: traditional storyboard artist teams that want AI as an option
4. LTX Studio — full platform pricing
Genuinely impressive but NOT a storyboard tool. It's a full video production platform with storyboarding as one step.
- Generation time for storyboard alone: 6+ minutes (engine geared toward animatic)
- Character consistency: high
- Best for: AI-forward video studios building full short films end-to-end
5. FrameForge — $399 one-time
Desktop 3D pre-visualization software, not AI-driven. Build scenes by placing 3D characters and cameras.
- Best for: feature-film pre-production with complex camera setups
6. Storyboarder — Free, open-source
Free desktop tool from Wonder Unit. Manual drawing only.
- Best for: indie filmmakers who actually want to draw their own storyboards
7. Plot.com — $20/mo
Lightweight storyboard SaaS focused on collaboration. Limited AI features. Strong shot-list integration.
- Best for: small commercial teams that already have a storyboard artist
Generic AI image tools (Midjourney, DALL-E, Stable Diffusion)
Not storyboard tools. Different person nearly every frame. Composition control: limited. Workflow: manual prompt-per-frame.
Do not use these for storyboarding. The character continuity problem is a deal-breaker.
How to choose
- Cost-conscious director or solo filmmaker: STORYLINER (free tier or $39/mo)
- High-volume daily user generating 2,000+ frames/month: Katalist or STORYLINER Pro ($99)
- Traditional storyboard artist team: Boords or Storyboarder
- AI-forward video studio building full short films: LTX Studio
- Anyone needing a storyboard tonight: STORYLINER free tier, no card
The compounding cost question matters: if you generate 5 boards/year, even $39/mo subscriptions add up. Some tools (STORYLINER) offer $5 PAYG packs for this segment.
Full comparison + reviews: storyliner.online/alternatives
