Head to head · 2026
HeyGen vs Synthesia
At a glance
| HeyGen | Synthesia | |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | ||
| Starting price | $24/mo | $18/mo |
| Free tier | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Category | AI Avatars | AI Avatars |
| Founded | 2020 | 2017 |
Feature comparison
| Feature | HeyGen | Synthesia |
|---|---|---|
| AI avatars | 500+ | 240+ |
| API access | Yes | Yes |
| Brand kit | — | Yes |
| Custom avatar | Yes | Yes |
| Languages | 175+ | 140+ |
| SCORM / LMS export | — | Yes |
| Screen recording | — | Yes |
| Talking photo | Yes | — |
| Team collaboration | Yes | Yes |
| Templates | Yes | 300+ |
| URL-to-video | Yes | — |
| Video translation | Best-in-class | — |
| Voice cloning | Yes | Yes |
Pricing side-by-side
HeyGen
| Free 3 videos / month (up to 1 min) |
Free |
| Creator Unlimited videos, no watermark |
$24/mo |
| Team Per seat, shared brand assets |
$69/mo |
| Enterprise API scale, SSO, dedicated support |
Custom |
Synthesia
| Free 3 min of video / month |
Free |
| Starter 120 min / year, 9 backgrounds |
$18/mo |
| Creator 360 min / year, custom avatar |
$64/mo |
| Enterprise Unlimited minutes, SSO, SOC 2 |
Custom |
HeyGen — pros & cons
- 500+ avatars plus Talking Photo
- Best-in-class video translation & lip-sync
- Fast rendering and generous features
- URL-to-video and template automation
- More approachable free tier
- Credit / minute caps fill quickly
- Watermark on the free plan
- Occasional avatar artifacts
- Fewer compliance tools than Synthesia
Synthesia — pros & cons
- 240+ studio-quality avatars
- 140+ languages with natural voices
- SOC 2 & GDPR — enterprise-grade security
- Intuitive slide-style editor
- Huge template & branding library
- No timeline / free-form video editing
- Watermark on the free plan
- Gets pricey at high volume
- Avatars can feel formal / corporate
How we compare
We base every comparison on real, verifiable data — pricing tiers, feature availability and documented capabilities — not vendor marketing. Figures were last verified June 2026; AI tools change fast, so we re-check regularly. We may earn an affiliate commission when you sign up through our links, which never influences our rankings or verdict.