Two avatar-video leaders compared on plans, credits, consent rules, and output rights.
Decision point
HeyGen
Synthesia
Best for
AI avatars, video localization, and presenter-style business videos
Enterprise training videos and AI avatar presentations
Category
Video
Video
Price
See evidence below — official sources checked 2026-09-18
See evidence below — official sources checked 2026-11-03
AIToolsEssentials editorial score
4.2/5
4.2/5
Scores are editorial product assessments — job fit, likely output quality, ease of adoption, and operational cost — not lab benchmarks, and no tool here has a published hands-on result. How we score.
Evidence status
HeyGen
Free $0 with up to 3 videos/month. Creator is $29/month or $24/month billed annually with 600 credits/month. Pro starts at $49/month with 1,000 credits/month; official pricing says Pro tiers scale to 100,000 credits/month at $4,300/month. Business is $149/month plus $20 per additional seat/month with 1,500 credits/month. Enterprise pricing and limits are custom.
Checked 2026-11-03 at https://www.synthesia.io/pricing. Basic is $0 per month with 500 credits/month. Starter is $9 for the first month and $19 per month after that, with 1,250 credits/month. Pro is $49 for the first month and $89 per month after that, with 6,000 credits/month. The served page also lists higher monthly credit rungs on the Pro card and a yearly toggle that says save up to 4 months. It does not print the 2026-09-18 figures of $29 Starter, $18 yearly, 1,200 Starter credits, $64 Creator yearly, or 14,500 and 44,000 yearly credits. Enterprise pricing is custom. No rollover rule is stated.
Match each platform to your actual workflow constraints: editor preference and model access for coding tools; task-based versus credit-based versus execution-based pricing, self-hosting needs, and technical depth for automation. Run one real workflow in each finalist before paying.
Quick recommendation
Use the trial checklist on each review page and the free scorecard to record time-to-result, corrections needed, and monthly cost at your expected volume before committing to a plan.
Do HeyGen and Synthesia allow commercial use of videos?
Rights differ by plan: HeyGen's terms give Free-plan output only a personal, non-commercial license, while paid Creator/Pro/Business users own their outputs. Synthesia's terms vary by plan tier too. Read the vendor's current terms for your specific plan before client delivery.
Do these tools require consent for avatars?
Yes — both platforms require consent for custom avatar creation and prohibit impersonating real people without permission. AI-origin disclosure is required where applicable under their terms.
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