Synthesia vs HeyGen: Pricing, Avatars and Fit in 2026

Synthesia vs HeyGen comes down to fit: Synthesia suits enterprise training teams that need SSO, SCORM export and ISO-based governance, while HeyGen suits teams that want more stock avatars and 175+ languages, though its entry plan costs more ($29 per month for Creator against $19 for Synthesia Starter, and the billing units differ). This desk-research comparison finds sources split on which avatars look more realistic, so check credits, seats and Trustpilot billing complaints against your monthly volume before choosing.

This is a desk-research comparison. Nobody at Open Developer has used either product, and nothing below is a test result. It draws on the vendors' own pricing pages, public review platforms, news coverage and other comparison articles. Last researched: November 9, 2026.

Synthesia vs HeyGen at a glance

Both are leading AI video platforms, and both are AI tools for video creation. You write or paste a script, pick an AI presenter such as a stock avatar, choose a voice, and the platform renders video content. Each one lets you generate video from a script without a camera. The difference is mostly in who each platform courts and how it charges.

All figures in the table come from each vendor's pricing page as read on the research date. Neither page shows a date, so they can change without notice.

How to read the vendor claims

Both companies publish adoption statistics, and both are self-reported. HeyGen says it has more than 30 million users and adoption across 85% of the Fortune 100. Synthesia is described in secondary coverage as used by 70% of the FTSE 100. Neither claim traces to an independent audit.

Each vendor also publishes its own "versus" page about the other. Those pages are marketing and are not evidence of quality. Several third-party comparison sites are also run by companies that sell video production, learning software or competing AI video tools, and at least one carries affiliate links. Treat their verdicts with the same caution.

Avatar realism and quality

On avatar realism, sources split: HeyGen wins more of the realism comparisons below, while Synthesia wins on polish and consistency in others, so the HeyGen vs Synthesia answer depends on the kind of avatar video you need.

• Teachfloor's comparison favors HeyGen on avatar realism and says Synthesia offers simpler editing.
• Vidico reports G2's comparison scoring HeyGen 5 out of 5 on lip sync against 4.7 for Synthesia.
• Venture Harbour ran a same-script test and gave the avatar realism round to HeyGen.
• An individual author, Samtinkerbox, found the HeyGen avatar felt more natural but judged the Synthesia avatar more polished and consistent, and named Synthesia the winner.
• G2's own editorial comparison scored HeyGen 4.8 out of 5 and Synthesia 4.6, while a separate G2 result called Synthesia's win narrow. The two do not agree on the winner.
• Toolradar names Synthesia its pick in one comparison and HeyGen in another.

A pattern does emerge. Where testers favor HeyGen, they cite natural avatar motion and lip sync. Synthesia counters with consistency and polish across many videos, and Synthesia tends to win where testers prize a uniform avatar look. Several of the tests used free tiers, and Magic Hour says its own comparison is based on documentation, not a same-script benchmark.

On the Synthesia side, G2 reviewers most often flag limited avatar expression and gesture customization, with about 443 reviews raising it. That matters if your avatar needs a lot of emotional range.

Feature comparison of custom avatar options

Both platforms let you build a personal avatar, and the plan limits differ on how many custom avatar slots you get.

• Synthesia allows 3 personal avatars on Starter, lists 5 on Pro and offers unlimited on Enterprise.
• HeyGen lists 1 custom avatar on Free, 1 or more custom avatars on Creator and Pro, 5 or more on Business and 10 or more on Enterprise.

Synthesia says it requires consent before a person's voice or likeness is cloned, for stock and custom avatars.

Languages and video translation

Synthesia supports 140+ languages and AI voices on every plan. Its dubbing and translation output covers 70+ languages, or 140+ on Enterprise. HeyGen offers 30+ languages on Free, and HeyGen supports 175+ on paid plans.

One February post by an individual author listed 120+ languages for Synthesia and 40+ for HeyGen. Those numbers conflict with both vendor pages, so this article uses the vendor figures. If a specific language matters to you, check it on the vendor's current language list before you buy.

Synthesia vs HeyGen pricing

The two platforms bill in different units, which makes a direct price comparison unreliable. Cost-benchmark site CostBench makes the same point.

Synthesia plans

The page says Starter credits produce about 12 minutes of video per month and Pro about 60. Synthesia charges one shared credit pool across video, dubbing, surveys and the Syren AI video agent. Enterprise carries custom pricing and lists unlimited video minutes.

HeyGen plans

On Creator, HeyGen allows videos up to 30 minutes, and HeyGen Pro keeps the same 30-minute cap with more credits. According to eesel.ai, the Team plan was retired in January and replaced by Business, API usage is billed separately with no free API credits since February, and annual commitments are non-refundable. Those points come from one aggregator.

Where the price sources disagree

• Synthesia credits: a Creatify article that says it checked the official page on October 10 reports Starter and Pro at $19 and $89 but lists credits of 500, 1,750 and 6,500. The vendor page read on November 9 shows 1,250 and 6,000 for Starter and Pro. This article uses the vendor page.
• Synthesia tier names and prices: other sites list Starter at $29 and a Creator tier at $89, or Starter at $18 to $22 and Creator at $59 to $69.
• HeyGen: some aggregators list Pro at $99 and Business at $89, against $49 and $149 plus seats on the vendor page.
• Techsy says HeyGen looks cheaper until premium Avatar IV credits run out, which it estimates at about 30 minutes per month. It also noted that HeyGen's site showed euro prices.

Because the sources vary this much, treat any third-party price as a hint and confirm the number on the checkout page. Also check how many people need seats before you compare plans, since HeyGen's Business plan charges per seat.

Security, compliance and AI transparency

Synthesia says it is the first AI video platform with ISO/IEC 42001 certification, audited by A-LIGN. Synthesia also lists ISO 27001, ISO 27701 and a SOC 2 Type II report through its Trust Portal. HeyGen says it meets SOC 2 Type 2, GDPR, CCPA and EU AI Act standards and publishes an acceptable use and moderation policy.

All of this is vendor-reported. Synthesia's own comparison page says HeyGen has SOC 2 Type II but no ISO certification, which is competitor marketing and not verification. If compliance paperwork decides your purchase, ask both vendors for the documents directly.

What reviewers say about HeyGen vs Synthesia

Review-platform scores are close on G2 and Capterra and far apart on Trustpilot. Synthesia compared with HeyGen looks similar on the first two, but not on the third. The figures below come from search summaries of each platform, counts differ between snapshots, and the numbers should be read as approximate.

Recurring themes for Synthesia include cost and limited avatar expression on G2, and on Trustpilot purchased credits expiring unused, an account deleted without clear communication, mixed support and content moderation flagging content incorrectly. For HeyGen, G2 reviewers praise ease of use and avatar video quality and complain about price and plan limits, while aggregator-reported Trustpilot themes are billing confusion, credit depletion and cancellation friction.

Both sets of Trustpilot themes involve credits and billing on each platform, which is worth checking in the plan terms before you commit.

Company size and funding behind each platform

Synthesia raised a $200 million Series E in January at a $4 billion valuation, led by GV, with an employee secondary. Its CFO told CNBC that annual recurring revenue reached $150 million and is expected to pass $200 million this year. For a short HeyGen overview, the company announced on June 25 that it passed $200 million in annual recurring revenue, doubling in eight months, and its CEO said it has been cash-flow break-even. Its last priced round found was a $60 million Series A at a $500 million valuation in June 2024.

Both revenue figures are self-reported, so do not read the larger number as verified. Funding totals for HeyGen range from $65.6 million to $74 million depending on the source. Neither company's size says much about whether its platform fits your team.

When to choose Synthesia

Synthesia fits if you need:

• SAML/SSO, SCORM export, brand kits and a dedicated customer success manager on an Enterprise plan, which suits a learning management workflow.
• Consistent, polished avatar output across a large training video library, which some reviewers rate above HeyGen.
• Published ISO-based governance claims to show a security team, which suits a regulated use case.
• A larger number of personal avatars on the top plans.

If you use Synthesia for heavy dubbing, note that its credit pool covers video, AI dubbing and the AI agent, so dubbing draws down the same balance as new videos.

When to choose HeyGen

HeyGen fits if you need:

• A broad stock avatar library and 175+ languages on paid plans, with more avatar options to pick from.
• Avatar motion and lip sync that several testers describe as more natural.
• Multi-workspace control, SCIM and team MFA at the Enterprise level, which fits a team workflow with many workspaces.

Watch the credit meter. HeyGen meters usage in credits, and Techsy estimates that premium Avatar IV credits run out at about 30 minutes per month, so run the plan's included credits against your real monthly volume before you pick a tier.

Frequently asked questions

Is HeyGen cheaper than Synthesia?

On the vendor pages, HeyGen costs more at entry than Synthesia's Starter ($29 per month against $19), but the units differ. Techsy says HeyGen looks cheaper until premium credits run out. The honest answer is that it depends on your monthly volume.

Which one has more avatars?

Vendor pricing pages list 700+ stock avatars on HeyGen paid plans and 125+ to 240+ AI avatars on Synthesia. Vidico reports vendor claims of 1,100+ for HeyGen and 662+ for Synthesia. Counts depend on how each vendor defines an avatar.

Which is better for corporate training?

Third-party sources lean toward Synthesia as the better choice for enterprise learning and development because of its governance features and SCORM export on Enterprise. A third-party review also points to a learning-software vendor that favors it, so check the features you need on the Enterprise plan.

Can both make a custom avatar?

Yes. Both list custom or personal avatars on their plans, with different avatar limits by tier.

Is there a free plan?

Both have one. Synthesia's is watermarked and capped at 10 minutes per month, and HeyGen's allows 3 videos per month at up to 1 minute each.

Next step

Shortlist both, list the three features you cannot do without, and check each against the current pricing and Enterprise pages and your own avatar library needs. Then read the wider field on the AI image and video generation hub, and see the methodology for how Open Developer treats vendor claims.