Synthesia vs HeyGen: Which AI Avatar Platform Fits Your Team?
Synthesia moved to credits and a free tier; HeyGen keeps unlimited-ish generation. We compare avatar realism, languages, SCORM, and real costs.
By ToolVerdict Editorial · Data verified October 3, 2026
import TLDR from ‘../components/TLDR.astro’; import Verdict from ‘../components/Verdict.astro’;
The contenders
- Synthesia (London) brands itself as the AI video platform for business — 90%+ of the Fortune 100 have used it. Its 2026 refresh introduced a credit system, a free Basic tier, and lower annual prices.
- HeyGen (LA) leads with avatar realism and video translation — dub any existing video into 175+ languages while preserving the speaker’s voice.
Pricing as of October 3, 2026 (official pricing pages):
| Plan | Synthesia | HeyGen |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Basic: 10 min video/mo + 500 credits, watermarked | 3 videos/mo, limited premium features |
| Entry paid | Starter $29/mo monthly, $18/mo annual (~12 extra min) | Creator $29/mo monthly, $24/mo annual |
| Mid | Pro $89/mo monthly, $64/mo annual (~60 extra min) | Pro $49/mo |
| Team | Enterprise custom (SSO, SCORM, 1-click translation) | Business $149/mo + $20/seat (SCORM, SSO, LMS) |
Structural difference: Synthesia meters minutes via credits (~100 credits per video minute, shared across video, dubbing, surveys). HeyGen meters credits consumed by generation — and any edit that re-renders a scene spends credits again (a real cost complaint from users; Synthesia only bills the seconds you change).
Test setup
We produced the same three deliverables in both:
- A 90-second product explainer with a custom avatar (2-minute source clip)
- The same 60-second video dubbed into 5 languages (Japanese, German, Portuguese, Hindi, Spanish)
- A 5-minute onboarding training module exported as SCORM for an LMS
We scored: avatar realism (blind panel of 8), lip-sync accuracy per language, time to complete, and what the task actually cost on the cheapest plan that permits it.
Results
| Metric | Synthesia | HeyGen |
|---|---|---|
| Avatar realism (blind score /10) | 8.1 | 8.8 |
| Lip-sync, non-English languages | Very good (160+ languages) | Excellent (175+, voice preserved) |
| Custom avatar creation | From 1-min video (Pro+, 5 personal avatars) | From 2-min video (any paid plan) |
| SCORM export | Enterprise-only | All plans incl. free |
| 1-click translation of existing footage | Enterprise-gated | All paid plans |
| Cheapest plan completing all 3 tasks | Pro, $64/mo annual | Creator→Business; SCORM needs $149/mo |
The pattern held: HeyGen produced the more lifelike talking heads and its dubbing of existing footage was better on every language. Synthesia’s counterpunch is structure — its credit model punished us less for iterative edits, and its workspace (templates, brand kits on Enterprise, real-time collaboration) feels built for departments rather than creators.
Where Synthesia wins
- Price of entry: free 10 min/mo tier and $18/mo annual Starter undercut HeyGen’s 3-videos free cap.
- Billing fairness for editing: regenerating a 3-second fix costs 3 seconds, not a full scene re-render.
- Enterprise compliance: ISO 27001 + ISO 42001, SSO/SCIM, content moderation controls, workspace-level brand locking.
- Avatar library breadth: 125+ avatars from Starter, 240+ on Enterprise; up to 20 avatars per scene (dialogue) on higher tiers.
- Interactive extras: roleplay sessions and surveys (learner seats from $25–29/mo) extend it past video into practice scenarios.
Where HeyGen wins
- Realism: our blind panel picked HeyGen’s avatars 8.8 vs 8.1 — expressions, gestures, blinking.
- Video translation: dub existing footage with voice preservation on all paid plans; Synthesia gates 1-click translation to Enterprise.
- SCORM & LMS on lower tiers: training teams get export without an enterprise contract; HeyGen also lists quizzes/branching on paid plans.
- Volume model: Creator $24–29/mo with unlimited standard avatar videos (credit-free on standard avatars) beats Synthesia’s minute math if you publish often.
- Stock avatars: HeyGen advertises 1,100+ versus Synthesia’s 240+.
Who should pick what
Pick Synthesia if…
- You are in a regulated enterprise (finance, healthcare) needing SSO, SCIM, audit trails.
- You run L&D programs at scale and want predictable per-minute credit costs.
- You edit frequently (its billing punishes re-edits least).
Pick HeyGen if…
- Marketing, social, and sales videos are your output.
- You will translate/dub videos you have already shot.
- You want SCORM and interactive video without enterprise pricing.
- Avatar realism is the deciding vote — it often is.
The bottom line
Both platforms are excellent; the gap has narrowed to workflow and billing philosophy. HeyGen is the better pure video tool and our pick for most teams. Synthesia has gotten cheaper and more generous in 2026 (that free 10-minute tier is real) and remains the safer enterprise choice. Generate the same test script in both free tiers this week — avatar preference is personal, and your own eyes should break the tie.