Synthesia vs HeyGen (2026): Which AI Avatar Video Tool Fits You?
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How we researched this: This comparison is based entirely on Synthesia's and HeyGen's official pricing pages, help centers, and developer docs as of October 17, 2026. We have not tested either tool hands-on yet, so you won't find scores, speed tests, or quality ratings here. Hands-on testing is coming, and we'll update this page when it's done. Prices and plan details change often, so check the official pages before you buy.
Both Synthesia and HeyGen let you type a script and get back a video of a realistic AI presenter. No camera, no studio, no retakes. But they're built for different people. Synthesia leans toward corporate training and learning teams. HeyGen leans toward creators, marketers, and anyone translating video for a global audience.
Both companies also changed their plans in 2026. Synthesia renamed its Creator plan to Pro on October 1, 2026, and HeyGen moved to credit-based plans. A lot of older comparisons are now out of date. Here's where things actually stand.
Quick verdict
Choose Synthesia if… - You make training, onboarding, or compliance videos and need them to work inside an LMS (Synthesia documents integrations with Docebo, Articulate 360, SAP Litmos, Moodle, Workday, and more). - You want a free plan with real minutes: 10 minutes of video (or dubbing) every month. - You want the lowest annual entry price: Starter is $18/month billed yearly. - You want interactive training features like quizzes, clickable CTAs, and branching.
Choose HeyGen if… - You're a solo creator or marketer making social, sales, or YouTube videos. - You need 4K export without an enterprise contract. It starts on the $49/month Pro plan. - Translation and dubbing are central to what you do. Paid plans list 175+ languages and dialects. - You want an API you can use without a subscription: HeyGen's API is pay-as-you-go.
Check Current Synthesia Pricing → · Check Current HeyGen Pricing →
Pricing comparison (as of Oct 17, 2026)
| Synthesia | HeyGen | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Basic: $0, 10 min/month video or dubbing, 500 credits | Free: $0, up to 3 videos/month (1–3 depending on region), 1 min max each |
| Free plan watermark | Yes (Synthesia logo) | Yes (HeyGen watermark) |
| Entry paid plan | Starter: $29/mo, or $18/mo billed yearly | Creator: $29/mo, or $24/mo billed annually |
| Entry plan usage | 1,250 credits/mo (about 12 extra min of video on top of the free 10) | 600 credits/mo (minutes depend on avatar engine) |
| Mid tier | Pro: $89/mo, or $64/mo billed yearly; 6,000 credits/mo (~60 extra min) | Pro: from $49/mo (1,000 credits) up to $4,300/mo (100,000 credits) |
| Team tier | Enterprise (custom pricing) | Business: $149/mo + $20 per extra seat; 1,500 credits/mo |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom (contact sales) |
| Do credits roll over? | Not stated on the pages we reviewed | Yes: one extra month on monthly plans; until renewal on annual |
What this means: At $29/month, both entry plans cost the same. Billed yearly, Synthesia's Starter is cheaper ($18 vs. $24/month). Synthesia sells credits in terms of minutes, with roughly 100 credits per minute of finished video. HeyGen's credit cost depends on the avatar engine you pick. Per HeyGen's help center, an Avatar III video-based avatar uses 4 credits per minute, Avatar IV uses 31, and Avatar V uses 48. So 600 Creator credits can go a long way or not very far, depending on your choices.
We couldn't verify HeyGen's annual prices for the Pro and Business plans on the new credit-based system.
Features comparison
| Feature | Synthesia | HeyGen |
|---|---|---|
| Stock avatars | 9 (Basic), 125+ (Starter), 180+ (Pro), 240+ (Enterprise) | 500+ (Free), 700+ (paid) |
| Custom avatar of yourself | 3 on Starter, 5 on Pro, unlimited on Enterprise; from a photo or video | 1 on Free; Creator/Pro "1 to 5 slots" depending on account age and region; Business 10 by default (5 for some accounts) |
| Voice cloning | Available on all plans | 1 clone (Free), up to 40 (Creator), up to 70 (Pro) |
| Languages | 140+ languages & voices | 30+ (Free), 175+ languages & dialects (paid) |
| Dubbing / translation | AI dubbing into 70+ languages (140+ on Enterprise), optional lip-sync, voice preservation | Video translation with lip-sync, brand glossary, proofreading (Pro+) |
| Max resolution | 1080p (Full HD) | 1080p (Creator), 4K (Pro and up) |
| Templates | 60+ | 75+ |
| Max video length | Not stated per plan (the Syren AI agent is capped at 3 min) | 1 min (Free), 30 min (Creator/Pro), 60 min (Business) |
| AI video agent | Syren (describe a video, it builds it) | Video Agent (prompt-to-video) |
| Editor extras | PowerPoint import, AI screen recorder, bulk personalization (CSV), auto captions | PowerPoint & PDF import, screen recorder, brand kit |
| Interactive video / SCORM | Interactive videos on Pro; SCORM listed for Enterprise | Interactive video and SCORM on Business+ |
| API | Video API on Pro and above (360 min/year included); Interactive Avatars API on all plans | Pay-as-you-go API, no subscription needed |
| Integrations | Zapier, PowerPoint, many LMS platforms, Slack/Teams | Zapier, Make, n8n, HubSpot, LMS (on Business), ChatGPT plugin |
Synthesia: pros and cons
Pros - A free plan with 10 minutes of video or dubbing every month - Cheapest annual entry price of the two ($18/month for Starter) - Voice cloning on every plan, including free - A deep list of LMS and training-platform integrations - Interactive features (quizzes, CTAs, branching) aimed at learning teams
Cons - Free plan videos carry a watermark, and downloading appears to require a paid plan - Starter adds only about 12 minutes of extra video per month - No 4K mentioned. Downloads are listed as Full HD 1080p - The Video API requires Pro ($89/month) or higher - SSO, live collaboration, brand kits, and the full avatar library are Enterprise features
Check Current Synthesia Pricing →
HeyGen: pros and cons
Pros - 4K export from the $49/month Pro plan - Paid plans list 175+ languages and dialects for translation - Unused credits roll over - Large stock library (700+ avatars on paid plans) and unlimited photo avatars - API is pay-as-you-go, separate from any subscription - Business plan connects to Zapier, Make, n8n, and HubSpot
Cons - Free videos max out at 1 minute and are watermarked, with a 720p share link per the help center - Credit use varies a lot by avatar engine, so monthly output is harder to predict - Custom avatar slots vary by account creation date and region - Creator can't buy extra credits. You have to upgrade - Team collaboration, SSO, and SCORM start at $149/month (Business)
Check Current HeyGen Pricing →
Who should pick which?
L&D and HR teams: Synthesia's documentation is built around training: LMS embeds, SCORM, quizzes, branching, and HRIS integrations. HeyGen also offers SCORM and interactive video, but only from its Business plan up. If your videos live in an LMS, start your trial with Synthesia.
Solo creators and social marketers: HeyGen's Creator plan gives you 30-minute videos, 1080p export, watermark removal, and voice cloning for $29/month ($24 billed annually). If you'll want 4K later, Pro costs $49.
Localization-heavy teams: Both dub with lip-sync. HeyGen lists more languages on its paid plans (175+). Synthesia dubs into 70+ languages on self-serve plans and 140+ on Enterprise. Before you commit, check that your target languages are supported.
Developers: HeyGen's pay-as-you-go API means you don't need a plan. Synthesia's Video API needs Pro or higher, but includes 360 minutes a year.
Just exploring on a $0 budget: Synthesia's free plan offers more minutes (10/month). HeyGen's free plan lets you create a custom avatar and try Avatar IV, but caps each video at 1 minute.
Alternatives worth a look
- InVideo AI: an AI video creation and editing platform that uses AI agents and a range of generative models to build and edit videos from prompts (invideo.io).
- Descript: an AI video and audio editor that lets you edit by editing the transcript, with a free plan available (descript.com).
FAQ
Is there a free version of Synthesia or HeyGen? Yes. Synthesia's Basic plan is free and includes 10 minutes of video or dubbing per month. HeyGen's Free plan includes up to 3 videos per month (1–3 depending on region), each up to 1 minute. Both add a watermark to free videos.
Which is cheaper, Synthesia or HeyGen? Monthly, both entry plans cost $29. Billed yearly, Synthesia Starter is $18/month vs. HeyGen Creator at $24/month. At the next tier up, HeyGen Pro starts at $49/month and Synthesia Pro is $89/month ($64 billed yearly). What you actually get for the money depends on how many minutes each plan's credits cover for your type of video.
Can I create an AI avatar of myself? Yes, on both. Synthesia offers Personal Avatars on Starter and above (3 on Starter, 5 on Pro). HeyGen includes 1 custom video avatar even on the Free plan, and more on paid plans (the slot count varies by account).
Does either tool export in 4K? HeyGen does, on its Pro, Business, and Enterprise plans. Synthesia's pricing page lists Full HD 1080p downloads. We found no mention of 4K.
Last updated: October 17, 2026. Based on official documentation and pricing. Hands-on testing to come.
Check Current Synthesia Pricing → · Check Current HeyGen Pricing →