24 Best Animation YouTube Channels to Follow
Aksara NKR - May 12, 2023 - Leave your thoughts. 12 min read
As someone passionate about animation and who loves exploring new channels on YouTube, I know how overwhelming it can be to find the best channels out there. With so many options available, knowing where to start and whether the channels you find will be worth your time is challenging.
As an open platform, YouTube has emerged as one of the best platforms to showcase and promote creativity in various forms. And animation is one of the most trending ways for storytelling, many animators and animation studios have created their channels on YouTube to showcase their works.
But, finding the best animation channels on YouTube can be overwhelming with the multitude of options available. When selecting the animation channels on YouTube, the choice is endless. This means you can find an animated YouTube channel that matches your energy and sense of humor.
To save you the time and effort of finding the right and the best channels, I did some research and have come up with a guide. Here’s what I did to collate the list.
- Look for channels with
- A high engagement rate on their videos
- A consistent upload rate
- A large and active subscriber base - Watch a few videos to get an idea of the content
Whether you're new to animation or a seasoned fan, this guide will equip you with the knowledge to navigate the YouTube animation community. So, sit back, relax, and read on to discover the best animation channels on YouTube!
Please note - The below-mentioned numbers are as of May 2023.
1. TheOdd1sOut
Robert James Rallison, also known on YouTube as TheOdd1sOut, is an animator and cartoonist who creates animations that discuss his beliefs and life experiences. He refers to the animated characters in his videos as "the marshmallow people" because of their spherical, white appearance. He is also the co-creator, executive producer, and co-star of the Netflix animated series Oddballs.
- Subscriber count – 19 Million
- Start Date: Aug 31, 2014
- Total Views so far: 4.4 Billion views
- Number of videos: 138 videos
- Category: Entertainment, Personal experiences
- Most Popular video - Life is Fun - Ft. Boyinaband (164M Views)
2. Domics
Domics is a hugely popular YouTube channel known for its amusing and engaging animated content. This channel features random skits of funny stories, relatable events, and lots more. The insightful commentary and observations are sure to leave the audience entertained. Several websites, including CBS News, have showcased Domics’ videos.
- Subscriber count – 7.3 Million
- Start Date: Aug 13, 2012
- Total Views so far: 1.2 Billion views
- Number of videos: 210 videos
- Category: Personal experiences
- Most Popular video - Crushes (33M Views)
3. Ted-Ed
Ted-Ed is a well-known YouTube channel that educates the audience on various topics through its animations. It is becoming a go-to channel to learn about a variety of topics, ranging from philosophy to history. The collaborative efforts of expert educators and animators make learning more effective.
- Subscriber count – 18.3 Million
- Start Date: Mar 12, 2012
- Total Views so far: 3.5 Billion views
- Number of videos: 2000+
- Category: Educational
- Most Popular video: Questions No One Knows the Answers to (28M Views)
4. Jaiden Animations
Known for her animated story-telling videos, Jaiden makes her videos visually stunning and entertaining to watch. From making animations on her personal stories to also gameplay animation videos, Jaiden’s videos are refreshing to watch.
- Subscriber count – 11.9 Million
- Start Date: Jul 24, 2014
- Total Views so far: 2.2 Billion views
- Number of videos: 123 videos
- Category: Personal experiences, Humor, Entertainment
- Most Popular video: I Attempted my First Pokemon Nuzlocke (87M Views)
5. How it should have ended
This YouTube channel provides hilarious alternate endings to popular TV shows and movies. The witty scriptwriting and creativity combined with awesome animations make the audience look forward to their videos. Whether it is to learn animation or to have a good laugh, this channel is worth checking out.
- Subscriber count – 10.4 Million
- Start Date: Mar 7, 2007
- Total Views so far: 3.2 Billion views
- Number of videos: 452 videos
- Category: Entertainment
- Most Popular video: How Avengers Infinity War Should Have Ended - Animated Parody (48M Views)
6. Cocomelon
Cocomelon is a very popular nursery rhyme YouTube channel that has a massive following. It is one of the most-watched channels that makes nursery rhymes with catchy music and colorful animations. This is a great channel to check out if you are a fan of 3D animation. Parents of kids and infants, beware of this channel! Because once your kid starts watching it, there’s no going back!
- Subscriber count – 154 Million
- Start Date: Sep 2, 2006
- Total Views so far: 159.5 Billion views
- Number of videos: 906 videos
- Category: Edutainment
- Most Popular video: Bath Song | CoComelon Nursery Rhymes & Kids Songs (6.1B Views)
7. Pencilmation
Pencilmation is known for its hand drawn-pencil sketches. The main character, “Pencilmate,” is a childish person who often gets into mischief. Apart from Pencilmate, their videos include many other quirky characters. The imaginative storylines of their videos make them a delight to watch. Most importantly, this kid-friendly channel is consistent with its video uploads.
- Subscriber count – 20 Million
- Start Date: Jun 15, 2009
- Total Views so far: 11.2 Billion views
- Number of videos: 1.4K videos
- Category: Edutainment
- Most Popular video: Pencilmate Needs A Bathroom! (269M Views)
8. Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell
This YouTube channel provides animated educational content across topics ranging from history to economics and much more. The enthusiastic hosts and the engaging animations make even complex topics easy to learn. This channel is an excellent source to expand knowledge on just about anything and, most importantly, animation style.
- Subscriber count – 20.5M subscribers
- Start Date: Jul 11, 2013
- Total Views so far: 2.2 Billion views
- Number of videos: 178 videos
- Category: Educational
- Most Popular video: The Coronavirus Explained & What You Should Do (88M Views)
9. sWooZie
Adande Thorne, better known as Swoozie, is an animator whose videos garner millions of views for their relatable content. His videos feature different stories, ranging from his personal experiences as a Disney animator to relationship advice.
- Subscriber count – 7.7 Million
- Start Date: Feb 9, 2006
- Total Views so far: 1.4 Billion views
- Number of videos: 408 videos
- Category: Entertainment
- Most Popular video: 2 Girls 1 Cup of ICE (31M Views)
10. Simon’s cat
This YouTube channel is basically a series that brings the mischief of an adorable cat to life through animation. This animated cat has become a global sensation with its delightful style and playful sound effects. This channel is a definite go-to for cat lovers!
- Subscriber count – 5.9 Million
- Start Date: Mar 4, 2008
- Total Views so far: 1.4 Billion views
- Number of videos: 364 videos
- Category: Entertainment
- Most Popular video: Cat Man Do - Simon's Cat | SHORTS #1 (65M Views)
11. Egoraptor
This channel offers hilarious animated content on well-known game characters like Mario, Zelda, etc. One of Egoraptor’s most popular videos is Zelda’s rap which has garnered over 49 million views. His quick wit, commentary, and animation style are a delight to watch. He is also popular for his work on popular web series called “Game Grumps” and “Sequelitis.” This channel is perfect for animation and gaming enthusiasts.
- Subscriber count – 2.8 Million
- Start Date: Mar 31, 2008
- Total Views so far: 569 Million views
- Number of videos: 98 videos
- Category: Entertainment, Gaming
- Most Popular video: Luigi's Ballad ANIMATED MUSIC VIDEO - Starbomb (58M Views)
12. Hotdiggedydemon
This channel is known for its satirical comedy, often pushing the boundaries of humor. Their videos include animations of topics ranging from pop culture to societal issues with a bit of dark humor. Their most popular video is called “Luigi’s day out,.” This video was posted almost a decade back, but the animations still look afresh!
- Subscriber count – 1.9 Million
- Start Date: May 6, 2007
- Total Views so far: 414 Million views
- Number of videos: 92 videos
- Category: Entertainment
- Most Popular video: LUIGI'S DAY OUT (45M Views)
13. Harry partridge
Known for its off-beat sense of humor, this channel has a devoted audience, thanks to its original animations and political parodies that are satirical in nature! Their animation style varies from video to video, and it really provides a good insight to those who want to look up different animation styles.
- Subscriber count – 986K
- Start Date: Aug 24, 2007
- Total Views so far: 58 videos
- Number of videos: 202 Million views
- Category: Entertainment
- Most Popular video: Skyrim (24M Views)
14. Little baby bum
This channel focuses on animated educational content in the form of rhymes for young children. The colorful animation style keeps the young audience captivated and also makes learning effective. Whether it is for a young child or a curious animator, this channel is a must-watch.
- Subscriber count – 40 M
- Start Date: Aug 30, 2011
- Total Views so far: 39.2 Billion views
- Number of videos: 2.3K videos
- Category: Edutainment
- Most Popular video: Wheels On The Bus | Sing with Little Baby Bum (2.4B Views)
15. Eddsworld
Eddsworld features animated characters that go on mundane yet fantastical adventures. This channel was started in 2004 by Edd Gould. Even after his passing in 2012, his friends continued making videos on his channel to keep their friend’s legacy alive.
- Subscriber count – 4 M
- Start Date: Mar 18, 2006
- Total Views so far: 872 Million views
- Number of videos: 89 videos
- Category: Entertainment
- Most Popular video: Eddsworld - Fun Dead (109M Views)
16. Meatcanyon
Known for its satirical take on social justice and pop culture, this channel takes popular characters/celebrities and gives them a dark, disturbing touch. The grotesque animation style with edgy commentary makes this channel stand out from the rest of the animated content-creating channels.
- Subscriber count – 5.5M
- Start Date: Jan 28, 2017
- Total Views so far: 884 Million views
- Number of videos: 149 videos
- Category: Entertainment
- Most Popular video: When you wish upon a star (33M Views)
17. Pinkfong
Baby Shark Do do do!! I bet you have heard this before! Pinkfong is the proud creator of this viral song that has garnered over 12 billion views on YouTube! Pinkfong is an educational YouTube channel that covers educational content, like teaching shapes, colors, nursery rhymes, etc., to kids with captivating animations.
- Subscriber count – 67 M
- Start Date: Jun 24, 2014
- Total Views so far: 37.9 Billion views
- Number of videos: 2.7K videos
- Category: Edutainment
- Most Popular video: Baby Shark Dance (12B Views)
18. Cartoon hangover
With a unique animation style, this channel features original animated series, music video parodies, and skits. This channel is known for producing the hit animated TV show called “The Adventure Time.” In addition to their regular content, they also highlight other independent animators, providing them with a platform for diversity in the animation community.
- Subscriber count –2.2 M
- Start Date: May 18, 2012
- Total Views so far: 331 Million views
- Number of videos: 330 videos
- Category: Entertainment
- Most Popular video: Bee and PuppyCat Full Series (19M Views)
19. Looloo kids
Yet another kids channel to the list! LooLoo Kids is a YouTube channel that features entertaining and educational content for young minds. With a cute animation style, this channel has gained a strong following. They provide content in multiple languages, making it accessible worldwide. Their most popular videos include “Five Little Ducks,” “Johny Johny,” etc.
- Subscriber count – 53.6 M
- Start Date: Jan 29, 2015
- Total Views so far: 31.8 Billion views
- Number of videos: 668 videos
- Category: Edutainment
- Most Popular video: Johny Johny Yes Papa 👶 THE BEST Song for Children (6.6B Views)
20. Mondo media
Mondo Media features animated content in a variety of genres but with crude humor. Their popular shows include “Happy Tree Friends,” which features cute woodland creatures. Often seen as controversial, this channel provides edgy content that is quite different from the mainstream animated content that we see regularly on Youtube.
- Subscriber count – 5.5 M
- Start Date: Jan 31, 2007
- Total Views so far: 3.5 Billion views
- Number of videos: 1.5K videos
- Category: Entertainment, Humor
- Most Popular video: Happy Tree Friends - Friday the 13th (110M Views)
21. ExplosmEntertainment
This channel has become one of the most popular destinations for animated content enthusiasts. With its content ranging from pop culture to politics, this channel often is controversial with its edgy humor. Their most popular series is “Cyanide & Happiness,” which features stick figures in absurd situations.
- Subscriber count – 11 M
- Start Date: Sep 7, 2009
- Total Views so far: 3.7 Billion views
- Number of videos: 1.2K videos
- Category: Entertainment
- Most Popular video: Cyanide & Happiness Compilation - #5 (65M Views)
22. Andrei Terbea
This is one of the popular growing YouTube channels. With distinctive animation style and insightful commentary on pop culture topics, their videos provide quality content to their audience. This channel also offers tips on animation techniques and styles. This is a go-to channel for a growing animator.
- Subscriber count – 2.8 M
- Start Date: May 1, 2013
- Total Views so far: 319 Million views
- Number of videos: 157 videos
- Category: Edutainment
- Most Popular video: How KSI Saved Logan Paul's Career (20M Views)
23. My Story Animated
This channel features animated videos of real-life experiences submitted by the viewers.
From comedic content to heartwarming tales, this channel has become a go-to destination for those looking for uplifting stories.
- Subscriber count – 17.1 M
- Start Date: Jan 14, 2019
- Total Views so far: 809 Million views
- Number of videos: 1K videos
- Category: Personal experiences
- Most Popular video: No one knew I was a famous singer (53M Views)
24. Animaker
This YouTube channel offers a variety of animation techniques and tools for animation enthusiasts to create quality animations without any prior experience. They provide tutorials on how to make awesome videos effectively using their own video-making software, Animaker. Apart from that, this channel also provides great tips about different softwares and tools that make the life of content creators and brands easy! So for all those looking for tools to create great animation videos, following this channel is a no-brainer!
- Subscriber count – 140K
- Start Date: Jun 23, 2014
- Total Views so far: 11.1 Million views
- Number of videos: 258 videos
- Category: Educational
- Most Popular video: How to make animated videos - Tutorial for beginners (3.5M Views)
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What an interesting list!
In conclusion, the animation community on YouTube has become more diverse and creative with its content, providing entertainment as well as educating the audience on various topics.
The popularity of animation videos highlights the fact that it belongs to an audience that is not defined by age. It all depends on the creativity and punch with which the content is delivered!
Check out this post on how to make an avatar if you want to make an animated character that will be the star of your new YouTube channel.
I hope you found this list interesting and useful. Feel free to add more such channels that caught your attention in the comments section below!
