Free video from Santa, or a paid one?
Free Santa videos exist and some are fine. They usually come with a time limit, a short message or an upsell. A paid one is worth it when you want your child's name said properly and a video you can keep. Here is how to decide, with real prices.
$7.99. Ready in about an hour. No account.
What "free" usually means
Most free Santa videos are a free tier of a paid service. Portable North Pole, the best known, describes its free tier as trial Santa videos that are "usually available up to December 19", with longer videos, calls and stories unlocked as Premium or with a Magic Pass. Its page does not list prices, so you only see the cost inside the service.
Free also means you are paying with something else: an account, an email, or a photo and name entered into a service. Read what it says about keeping them before you type your child's details.
Free versus paid, line by line
| Ask any free service | Hollyhush, $7.99 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Is the video free, or only a trial? What unlocks the rest? | $7.99 for the video; extras are listed |
| Child's name | Can you say how it is pronounced, and is it checked? | You type how to say it, and automatic checks look for the name in every video; a person reviews videos that fail those checks |
| Length | How long is the video you get? | About 80 seconds |
| Account | Do you need an account or an email? | None |
| Keeping it | Can you download it, and for how long? | Download included; kept 30 days |
| If it is wrong | Who fixes it? | We fix it or refund you if you write within 30 days |
Use the middle column on any service, including ours. A free video that answers all six is a good deal.
When free is enough
- The child is under about four and mostly wants to see a Santa face.
- You just want a quick laugh for a family group chat.
- You do not need the name pronounced a specific way, and you are happy with whatever the template says.
When paid is worth $7.99
- The name is unusual and you want it said right.
- You want Santa to mention something real, like a pet, a sibling or what a grown-up told him.
- You want to download the file and play it on Christmas Eve, not stream it.
- You are deciding in December and want it done tonight; ours is ready in about an hour.
Want to see the quality first? Watch the sample on the Santa page, then decide. Make my child's video
What the $7.99 covers and what costs extra
The base video is $7.99. Extras are optional: a drawing on Santa's desk ($1.99), a sibling in the same video ($3.99), a longer message ($1.99), a 1080p HD download ($1.99) and a printable Nice List certificate ($0.99). The Everything bundle with all five is $12.99, so nobody pays more for the extras than the bundle price.
Side-by-side prices of the big apps are in the price comparison, and what to type is in what to tell Santa. The pictures and voice are computer-generated, and automatic checks run before delivery, with a person reviewing videos that fail. Nothing is posted anywhere. Your child's details and the video are deleted 30 days after the video is ready.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a truly free personalized video from Santa?
There are free trial videos from services such as Portable North Pole, with limits on length, date or features. Paid tiers add longer videos and calls.
How much does a personalized Santa video cost?
It varies. Hollyhush is $7.99 for about 80 seconds with the child's name. Apps list prices from about $7 to $20 for one video.
Is a free Santa video safe for my child?
Check what the service says about keeping your child's name and photo before you enter it. Hollyhush has no account and deletes everything 30 days after the video is ready.
How fast can I get a video?
Ours is ready in about an hour after you pay. Free services vary, and some stop offering trial videos in mid-December.
Can I get a refund?
Email hello@gethollyhush.com within 30 days. If the name is wrong or something is off, we fix it or refund you. Refunds are not automatic.
A video from Santa
Santa says your child's name in an 80 second video. You type a few details, pay once and watch it in about an hour.
Make my child's video- $7.99, no account
- Animated or Cinematic look
- Deleted after 30 days
Ready when you are
Type a few details about your child and pay $7.99. The video is ready in about an hour. No account.