HeyGen
Free / Creator $29 per mo
Synthesia
Free / Starter ~$29 per mo
HeyGen and Synthesia both turn scripts into presenter-led avatar videos. HeyGen leans creator- and marketing-friendly with strong custom avatars and translation; Synthesia leans enterprise with training and corporate features. They are priced similarly. HeyGen wins for creators; Synthesia wins for enterprise training.
Pick HeyGen if you are a creator or marketer who wants strong custom avatars, expressive delivery, and excellent video translation.
Pick Synthesia if you make training, onboarding, and corporate explainer videos at scale and want enterprise polish and controls.
HeyGen and Synthesia are the two leading AI avatar-video tools, and they overlap heavily: type a script, pick a realistic AI presenter and language, and get a talking-head video. The difference is emphasis. HeyGen is popular with creators and marketers, with very strong custom avatars, expressive delivery, and standout video translation and lip-sync. Synthesia is the enterprise standard, with a polish and feature set aimed at training, onboarding, and corporate communication at scale, plus the governance larger organizations want.
On price, both start with a limited free plan and a paid tier around $29 a month (HeyGen Creator, Synthesia Starter), with usage measured in video minutes or credits. The choice is mostly creator- and marketing-friendly (HeyGen) versus enterprise training (Synthesia).
We compare avatar realism, translation, enterprise features, price, and use cases.
| Quick facts | HeyGen | Synthesia |
|---|---|---|
| Starting paid price | Creator $29/mo | Starter ~$29/mo |
| Custom avatars | Strong | Strong |
| Video translation | Best-in-class | Good |
| Enterprise / training focus | Good | Best-in-class |
| Best for | Creators + marketing | Enterprise training |
Each row reflects the feature on each product's current public release.
| Feature | H HeyGen | S Synthesia |
|---|---|---|
| Script-to-avatar video | Yes | Yes |
| Realistic AI presenters | Best-in-class | Best-in-class |
| Custom avatars | Strong | Strong |
| Video translation / lip-sync | Best-in-class | Good |
| Training / corporate features | Good | Best-in-class |
| Many languages | Yes | Yes |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Team / governance controls | Good | Strong |
Pricing and features change often. Always verify the current details on each product's official site. Last reviewed 2026-06-22.
Things neither product's marketing page leads with.
The two are close; HeyGen skews creator and marketing, Synthesia skews enterprise training and governance.
Both use credit or minute limits, so heavy production raises the real cost beyond the base plan.
AI avatars still are not right for every use, and disclosure matters when a video features a synthetic presenter.
The average person juggles a dozen subscriptions and forgets at least one. Subkept is a privacy-first subscription tracker: add HeyGen, Synthesia, and everything else, then get renewal reminders, price-hike alerts, and a clear monthly total, with no bank connection, ever. Free for up to 5 subscriptions, no time limit.
See how the price has moved