Key facts
- French-speaking Switzerland: SME presentation video CHF 2,000–4,000, campaign with 5 to 10 cut-downs CHF 5,000–10,000+ (Snapshot Media, 2025).
- Short social media clip from a provider: CHF 800–3,000 (Uftritt).
- Each extra language from a provider: voice-over CHF 200–600, subtitles CHF 80–250 (Snapshot Media).
- Marqo software: CHF 149 to 499 a month for 15 to 50 videos, about CHF 10 per video if you use the full quota; you film yourself.
The four options side by side
There are four ways to get videos for your social media. They differ not only in price but also in how much of your time they take and the publishing pace they allow.
| Video agency | Freelance videographer | In-house, by hand | Software (e.g. Marqo) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | SME presentation video: CHF 2,000–4,000; campaign with 5 to 10 cut-downs: CHF 5,000–10,000+ | By the hour or fixed fee: filming (per person) and editing CHF 120–180/h each | No production invoice: the cost is your team's time | CHF 149–499/month for 15 to 50 videos, about CHF 10 per video |
| Your time | Briefing, being on set, approving the edits | The same, plus coordination depending on the quote | Everything: script, filming, editing, captions, translation, publishing | Review the script, film with the teleprompter, check the edit |
| Quality | The most polished: crew, lighting, sound, direction, animation | Professional, varies with the person | Depends on skills and the time available | Consistent, designed for talking-to-camera videos, not cinema |
| Sustainable pace | Per project; every extra video is billed | Per shoot day, several clips if planned | As long as someone has time | Every week: 15 to 50 videos a month depending on the plan |
| Languages | Each language is billed: voice-over CHF 200–600, subtitles CHF 80–250 | The same; plan for it in the quote | Translate, re-record or subtitle each version yourself | AI dubbing in your voice, up to 32 languages (Pro and Business: CHF 209 or 349/month per language) |
| Control | The agency leads, you approve; rights to be set out in the contract | Direct contact; rights to be set out | Full | Full over message and schedule; the look follows the tool's styles |
Ranges: Snapshot Media (French-speaking Switzerland) and Gryps (hourly rates), which do not separate agencies from freelancers. Marqo is not registered for VAT: no VAT is added. For the full breakdown, see how much a business video costs.
When to choose an agency or a videographer
An agency brings what software cannot replace: an outside eye, a film crew, lighting, sound and real direction. It is the right choice when:
- You want a brand film that will serve for years on your website, at trade fairs or in recruitment. Gryps puts image films at CHF 2,000 to 30,000 depending on scope.
- You are launching a paid advertising campaign: the film has to be designed for advertising, and running the ads is a job in itself.
- The shoot is complex: several locations, a drone, actors, an event, animation. At Snapshot Media, an event highlight costs CHF 1,800–3,200 and simple motion design CHF 1,500–3,000.
- Nobody on the team wants to be on camera: an agency can work with actors, a voice-over on footage or animation.
Snapshot Media puts it plainly: for a video aimed at an external audience, sound, lighting and colour grading make the difference between ‘home-made’ and ‘professional’.
When to choose a tool and do it yourself
Software that automates editing, captions, dubbing and publishing makes sense when video becomes a habit rather than a project:
- You want to publish every week. At the bottom of Uftritt's range for a short clip (CHF 800), four videos a month already add up to CHF 3,200. Marqo Starter costs CHF 149 a month for 15 videos.
- Your videos are built on your expertise: tips, customer questions, behind the scenes, products. What matters is the person speaking, not the staging.
- You communicate in several languages. Publishing in French, German and Italian on the Pro plan costs 299 + 2 × 209 = CHF 717 a month, with every piece of content adapted automatically into all three languages. See multilingual video.
- Your budget is tight, but you have a little time every week.
- You want to stay in control of the message and the schedule, and publish while the topic is current.
The limits are real: with Marqo you film yourself (a tablet and a phone are enough) and a real person speaks on screen, not an AI avatar. The tool is built for organic content, not paid campaigns, and it does not publish to X.
An example with real figures. Motoro, a Swiss used-vehicle marketplace and a company related to Marqo, published 97 videos from 25.04 to 21.09.2026, 96 of them in French, German and Italian, from a single shoot per video. Read the case study
The hybrid approach: the agency for the film, the tool for everyday content
The two options are not mutually exclusive. A logical split:
- The agency: the presentation film, the launch campaign, the event of the year.
- The tool: the weekly talking-to-camera videos, answers to customer questions, the versions in other languages.
Rough figures for one year: an agency presentation video (CHF 2,000–4,000 according to Snapshot Media) plus twelve months of Marqo Starter (12 × 149 = CHF 1,788), or about CHF 3,800 to 5,800 for a brand film and up to 15 short videos a month.
Ask the agency to hand over the brand assets (logo, colours, fonts) so that your weekly videos stay consistent with the film. And if your team is new to the camera, a coaching session with a videographer on lighting and sound is money well spent.
Questions to ask a video agency before you sign
Snapshot Media advises comparing what is actually delivered and asking for real examples rather than a bare price. In practice:
- What is delivered, and when? Number of videos, lengths, formats (16:9, 1:1, 9:16), deadline.
- How many rounds of changes are included, and what does an extra round cost?
- Who writes the script, and who approves it? According to Snapshot Media, the biggest saving is made upfront, with a clear script.
- What rights do you get? Licensed music (CHF 30–200 per track), permitted duration and channels, handover of the raw footage.
- What does each language cost? Voice-over, subtitles (.srt files), translated on-screen text.
- What extra costs apply? Location hire (up to CHF 800 and more), make-up (CHF 150–400), travel.
- Can several videos be shot on the same day? That spreads the fixed costs.
- Is publishing included? If not, who puts the videos online, and how often?
Starting in-house without it becoming a chore
Doing it yourself does not need a studio, it needs a routine. The risk is not a lack of ideas but time: if editing rests on one person, the pace breaks in the first busy month.
- Set a pace you can keep: one video a week, always on the same day, beats five videos followed by two months of nothing.
- Pick a recurring format: the customer question of the week, a tip, a job on site. The same frame each time makes preparation lighter.
- Write short: a hook, one idea, a call to action, 30 to 60 seconds. A teleprompter saves you learning the text by heart.
- Film several videos in one session rather than setting up the kit every week.
- Get sound and light right first: a lapel microphone and a face turned towards a window improve the result more than a new camera.
- Caption everything: the video must make sense with the sound off.
- Automate the rest: cutting silences, assembling takes, captioning, translating, scheduling. That is what a tool like Marqo does (the video studio).
Marqo subscriptions are monthly, with no minimum term: book a demo, a free 20-minute video call, or see pricing.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a video agency cost in Switzerland?
Snapshot Media, based in French-speaking Switzerland, publishes these ranges: CHF 800–1,500 for an interview with one person, CHF 2,000–4,000 for an SME presentation video and CHF 5,000–10,000+ for a campaign with 5 to 10 cut-downs. Gryps puts company videos at CHF 2,500–6,500. Voice-over (CHF 200–600) and subtitles (CHF 80–250) are added for each language.
Can you make a business video yourself with a smartphone?
Yes, for short social media videos: a smartphone, a lapel microphone and good light are enough. For a brand film aimed at an external audience, Snapshot Media points out that sound, lighting and colour grading make the difference. The hard part is not the filming but keeping up the editing and publishing every week.
Can an agency produce our videos every week?
Yes, but every video is billed. At the bottom of Uftritt's range (CHF 800 per short clip), one video a week comes to CHF 41,600 a year. Shooting several videos on the same day lowers the unit price: ask for a quote for a series.
Can software replace a video agency?
Not for everything. A brand film, an advertising campaign or a complex shoot remain agency work. For regular talking-to-camera videos, software such as Marqo writes the script and handles editing, captions, dubbing and publishing, but you are the one filming and speaking on screen.
What if nobody wants to be on camera?
Then an agency or a videographer is a better fit: actors, voice-over on footage or motion design (CHF 1,500–3,000 for simple motion design according to Snapshot Media). Marqo does not create AI avatars. One willing person on the team is enough, though, not necessarily the boss, and the teleprompter saves learning the text.
How long does it take to get a video?
With an agency, from 5 days for a simple interview to 3–4 weeks for a corporate film with location scouting, according to Snapshot Media. In-house, most of the time goes into filming: preparing the location, reading the script, then checking the edit before publishing. With a tool that edits automatically, you no longer spend hours in editing software.
Videos every week, without a film crew
Marqo writes your scripts, edits your takes and publishes your videos on your networks. From CHF 149 per month, up to 32 languages with the Pro and Business plans.