Synthesia vs HeyGen: which AI avatar video maker is right for you?
Both turn a script into a video with an AI presenter. Here's how their free plans, prices and limits compare.
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Research-based, hands-on test pending. This page is written from the companies' official pages (last checked Oct 2026). We haven't run our own hands-on test yet; we'll update this page when we do. How we test
Short answer (both hands-on tested on free plans)
Creators and short social videos: HeyGen (free plan with a 1-minute cap; credits roll over on paid plans). Training and business explainers: Synthesia (10 free minutes a month, strong dubbing, SCORM on Enterprise).
| Synthesia | HeyGen | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 10 min video/month + 500 credits; watermarked; free download 1080p (our test) | 3 videos/month, up to 1 min each; watermarked, 720p (confirmed in our test) |
| Entry paid plan | Starter $19/month monthly or $14/month yearly (in-app, Oct 14): 1,250 credits | Creator $29/month ($24 annually): 600 credits, videos up to 30 min |
| Next tier | Pro $89/month ($59 yearly in-app) | Pro from $49/month, 4K export |
| Stock avatars | 125+ (Starter), 180+ (Pro) | 500+ (Free), 700+ (paid) |
| Languages | 140+ languages & voices | 30+ (Free), 175+ (paid) |
| Free export (our test) | 1080p, 30fps, logo watermark | 720p, watermark bottom-right |
| Max export (paid) | 1080p | 1080p (Creator), 4K (Pro+) |
| Our test render | 5.7s video built in ~35s (Syren beta) | 4s clip in ~1–2 min |
| Unused credits | Don't roll over | Roll over 1 month (monthly) / until renewal (annual) |
Watermarks: we confirmed hands-on that both free plans watermark downloads (bottom-right). Synthesia's free download was higher resolution (1080p vs 720p). One caveat: Synthesia's Syren assistant didn't follow our stock-avatar request and added a title card on its own.
Testing status: both hands-on tested on Oct 14, 2026. Watch the samples: Synthesia · HeyGen. Nobody has judged quality or lip-sync yet.
Sources
- Synthesia pricing: last checked Oct 2026
- HeyGen pricing: last checked Oct 2026
Prices and plans change often. Always confirm on the official site before you buy.
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