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PNP (Portable North Pole) alternatives: 5 Santa video options compared

Portable North Pole is the Santa video most parents have heard of, and its free trial video is a fair place to start. It is not the only format, though. Below: how PNP works, what to check before you pay for anything, and five alternatives (filmed-Santa services, AI-written videos and one phone-call option) with a note on who each suits.

Disclosure: aisanta.fun is one of the services listed. Competitor details come from their public sites; we don't quote their prices because they change seasonally.aisanta.fun team · Updated 18 October 2026

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What an AI-written Santa video looks like

Three real clips from aisanta.fun's gallery, the format this page compares against PNP. Santa says, by name, what someone typed for him.

See all example videos

PNP and the alternatives at a glance

PNP, aisanta.fun, Elfi and SantaCallsYou compared
 PNPaisanta.funElfiSantaCallsYou
Formatvideo, scheduled calls, chat, storiesvideovideo (+ optional call at the end, printed letter)phone call
How the message is madefilmed footage of Santa, personalised with name, photos and details; some AI-powered experienceswritten for your child from your details, every word editable, Santa speaks all of itready-made options (name, age, praise, activity) plus your own text and photosAI Santa conversation, scheduled by you
Read the script before payingn/a (filmed video)✓you write part of the messagen/a (live call)
Languages6, incl. English and PolishEnglish, PolishPolish, English and othersnot stated
Free optionfree trial + birthday video (trial usually until ~19 Dec)free message, paid videonone listednone listed
Deliverywithin minutes~15 minby email, ~1–2 hat the time you book

All competitor details are taken from the providers' own sites on 17 October 2026 and change by season, so check before you buy. Prices intentionally omitted. Synthesia (free Santa video generator, script-first) and hoHoHello (personalised video within 24 h) are covered in the cards below.

PNP alternatives: six services side by side

PNP (Portable North Pole)

Santa video service
Visit

Best for: Parents who want filmed Santa footage today. PNP builds each video around your child's name, photos and details using real footage of Santa, and has grown into a whole season of experiences: scheduled phone calls, a Talk to Santa chat, stories, and a few newer AI-powered options. The free trial video is usually available until mid-December; passes unlock the rest.

  • Free trial and birthday video
  • Established since 2008
  • Web plus free iOS and Android apps
  • Six languages, including English and Polish

aisanta.fun

AI-written video

Best for: Families who want Santa to talk about their child specifically: the dog, the swimming badge, the thing they said at dinner. You type the details, the AI drafts Santa's message, you edit any word, and only then pay. Santa speaks the whole message in a vertical video of about 40 seconds. The three clips above are the real output.

  • Whole message written for one child, every word editable
  • Read it free before paying
  • English and Polish spoken
  • Ready in about 15 minutes
  • Download for 7 days + share link

See How it works.

Elfi (elfisanta.com)

Personalised Santa video
Visit

Best for: Families who want a Santa video with their child's name, photos and their own message, in Polish, English or several other languages; Elfi can also add a phone call at the end of the video and ships a printed letter.

  • Ready-made options plus your own text and photos
  • Delivered by email in about 1–2 hours
  • No free option listed
  • We compare it separately in Elfi alternatives

SantaCallsYou

Phone call
Visit

Best for: Families who'd rather have Santa ring the house than send a file. You book a time and give your child's details; the site describes the call as an AI Santa who asks about their wishes. Check supported countries and languages on their site.

  • Phone call, not a video
  • Booked for a time you choose
  • No free option listed
  • See SantaCallsYou alternatives for the video equivalents

Synthesia

AI video platform
Visit

Best for: People who want a free, quick Santa clip and don't mind writing the script themselves. Synthesia's Santa page offers three Santa templates and 140+ languages; you type and edit the script, and the video is emailed to you.

hoHoHello

Personalised Santa video
Visit

Best for: Families who are happy to send details or a letter and wait up to a day: hoHoHello makes a personalised video from what you provide and sends it within 24 hours. The site doesn't say how the video is produced.

  • Personalised from details or a child's letter
  • Within 24 hours
  • No free option listed
  • Compared in hoHoHello alternatives

What to check before you pay for any Santa video

Five things to check before paying for any Santa video.

  1. Who writes the words? Some services use ready-made options plus your own text, others draft the message or let you write all of it. aisanta.fun and Synthesia show you the script before the video is made.
  2. Does Santa say the name, or show it? Check whether Santa says the name aloud, shows it on screen, or both.
  3. Which language, with which voice? For a bilingual home or grandparents abroad, check the voice is natively in that language.
  4. How is it delivered, and for how long? Is it a file you can keep, or viewable inside an app? aisanta.fun gives 7 days to download the MP4; check the terms of each service.
  5. Is it labelled as AI, and how is data handled? Ours carries content credentials in the file and a public verify page; the privacy policy says what we keep and for how long.

How PNP and AI-written videos differ, in practice

PNP's strength is production value: a filmed Santa, a whole season of experiences, and a free trial that has introduced it to families since 2008. The structure is a filmed video with personalisation fields: your child's name, photos and details go into footage that already exists, though PNP now adds a few AI-powered calls and stories on top.

AI-written services start from the other end: there is no video until you type. That is why the aisanta.fun clips above mention a dog called Biscuit and a 34-year-old who still eats the cookies. You read every word before you pay, and if the finished video is not right, you write to us and we work on it with you. How AI and filmed Santas differ is in the AI vs real Santa comparison.

Getting an AI Santa video in four steps

  1. Describe the child

    Name, who the video is from, a few details.

  2. Read Santa's message

    Edit anything. Free up to here.

  3. Pay once

    Flat price, no subscription, see pricing.

  4. Watch, download, share

    Usually inside 15 minutes.

Full walkthrough with screenshots: how to make a Santa video.

Common questions about PNP alternatives

Is Portable North Pole (PNP) really free?

Partly. PNP offers a free trial video and a free birthday video (the trial is usually available until around 19 December), and paid passes or credits unlock premium videos, calls and stories. Check portablenorthpole.com for what is included this season.

How does PNP compare to AI Santa video generators?

PNP personalises filmed footage of Santa with your child's name, photos and details, and now adds a few AI-powered calls and stories. AI generators such as aisanta.fun draft the whole message from your details and Santa speaks all of it; you read the script before paying. Choose PNP for filmed footage and a season of experiences, aisanta.fun to read and shape the whole message first.

Which alternative is closest to PNP's free tier?

Synthesia's Santa page is free: you write the script and the clip is emailed to you. aisanta.fun lets you write and read Santa's message free and pay only for the video. Elfi, SantaCallsYou and hoHoHello list no free option. Our guide to free personalised Santa videos tracks what is free each season.

Do PNP alternatives work outside the United States?

The video services deliver by link, email or app; SantaCallsYou is a phone call, so check supported countries on its site. Language matters more than country: PNP comes in six languages including English and Polish, aisanta.fun speaks English and Polish, Elfi sells in Polish, English and several others.

Can I get a Santa video for an adult?

With AI-written services, yes: the Jake clip above is for a 34-year-old. Check each service for adult recipients.

How fast can I get one on Christmas Eve?

PNP says videos are ready within minutes, but its free trial usually ends around 19 December. aisanta.fun takes about 15 minutes after payment, including on 24 December. Elfi quotes 1–2 hours, hoHoHello up to 24 hours, and phone-call services need booking in advance.

Want to see what Santa would say to your child before deciding? The message generator is free and takes a minute.

Write Santa's message, free

Also see: Santa video alternatives · Best Santa video makers · Santa video price · Elfi alternatives · AI vs real Santa video

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