HeyGen vs Synthesia: which avatar video tool fits what you make?
Both put an AI presenter on screen reading your script. They differ on what a dollar buys, what the free plan lets you keep, seats, and who they are built for. Here is the comparison from their own pricing pages, plus the option neither pricing page mentions: no presenter at all.
HeyGen for a presenter that looks like you. Synthesia for a company's training library.
HeyGen starts at $29 a month for 600 credits, includes a custom avatar of yourself on every plan including the free one, and exports widescreen, vertical, and square. Every plan below Business is a single seat, and the meter is credits, so what a minute costs depends on the features you use.
Synthesia starts at the same $29 a month but meters in minutes: ten a month on Starter, thirty on Creator at $89. It has more stock presenters, 160+ languages, guest reviewers on every paid plan, and a free plan that lets you make a video but not download it. It is built for teams producing training and internal communications, and its API starts on Creator.
If the presenter is not the point, neither is the best buy. Brainrot Shorts turns the same script into motion graphics designed for those exact words, or a PDF into an illustrated explainer, with no face on screen: from $19 a month, motion graphics from $39, and unlimited motion graphics for normal use on Pro at $99.
HeyGen vs Synthesia, and a third way
The two tools on the same fields, plus our own row so you can see what changes when nobody is on camera.
| Criterion | HeyGen | Synthesia | Brainrot ShortsOur product |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it makes a video | AI avatar presenter | AI avatar presenter | Animated from the script |
| Starting price | $29/mo (Creator), or $24/mo billed yearly | $29/mo (Starter), or $18/mo billed yearly | $19/mo (Lite, 2,000 credits). Motion graphics and video ads from Hobby, $39/mo or $99 a quarter |
| What that plan buys | 600 credits a month on Creator; videos up to 30 minutes; 1080p; one seat | Up to 10 minutes of video a month on Starter (120 minutes a year on the annual plan); one editor plus 3 guests | Credits, not minutes: an illustrated explainer is about 105 credits, a video ad 300, a one-minute motion graphics video 1,500 (600 per extra minute). Pro, $99/mo, makes motion graphics unlimited for normal use |
| Free plan | Yes: 3 videos a month, up to 1 minute each, exported with a watermark | Yes, but nothing can be downloaded: up to 10 minutes a month, 9 avatars, watermark | Yes: 240 credits to try the explainer, quiz, and story studios; exports carry a watermark; motion graphics needs Hobby or above |
| Presenter or avatar | The product | The product | Optional |
| Languages and voices | 175+ languages and dialects and 1,000+ voices on paid plans; 30+ languages free | 160+ languages and voices; 125+ stock avatars on Starter | Illustrated explainers in 15+ languages with 13 AI voices; motion graphics read by AI voices or your own recording of up to 3 minutes |
| Output formats | 16:9, 9:16, and 1:1 MP4; 1080p on Creator, 4K from Pro | Not stated on the pricing page | 1080×1920 vertical MP4; motion graphics also in 16:9 |
| API | Sold separately from the plans | From Creator, $89/mo | MCP server from Hobby ($39/mo); REST API from Creator ($49/mo) |
| Best for | A presenter that looks like you, or a stock one, reading a script; translating talking-head videos across languages | A company's training and announcement videos, with one consistent presenter across many languages | Explainers, training clips, and ads where the words are the point and you do not want a face on screen |
Swipe sideways to see every column.
Pick by the videos you actually make
Pick HeyGen if
- You want an avatar of yourself: a custom video avatar is included even on the free plan
- You need widescreen, vertical, and square exports from one project
- You make occasional videos and 600 credits a month is plenty
- You translate talking-head videos and want the lips to match
Pick Synthesia if
- You are building a library of training videos for a company
- You want 125+ stock presenters and 160+ languages without filming anyone
- Colleagues need to review drafts: Starter includes three guest seats
- You plan to automate through an API from a mid-tier plan
Pick Brainrot Shorts if
- Nobody needs to be on camera: the words should be animated instead
- You start from a PDF, a deck, or a script rather than a presenter
- You want vertical explainers or ads for Reels, TikTok, and Shorts
- You want an MCP server from $39 a month or a REST API from $49, without an enterprise plan
Every price on this page comes from the vendor's own pricing page
We read each pricing page on the date shown and copied the plan names, prices, and limits as published. Vendors change prices without notice, so treat the figures as a starting point and check the linked page before you buy. Brainrot Shorts makes this page, so our own row is labelled and held to the same fields as everyone else's.
- HeyGenchecked September 16, 2026HeyGen pricingHeyGen homepage
- Synthesiachecked September 16, 2026Synthesia pricingSynthesia homepage
- Brainrot Shortschecked September 16, 2026Brainrot Shorts pricingAI Motion Graphics GeneratorAI Ad Video Generator
HeyGen vs Synthesia questions, answered
Is HeyGen cheaper than Synthesia?
At the entry level they cost the same, $29 a month billed monthly. Billed yearly, Synthesia's Starter drops to $18 a month and HeyGen's Creator to $24. The units differ: HeyGen gives 600 credits, Synthesia ten minutes of video, so which is cheaper depends on how long your videos run and which features you use. Both prices were read from the vendors' pricing pages on September 16, 2026.
Which has the better free plan?
HeyGen's. It allows three videos a month of up to one minute, exported with a watermark. Synthesia's free plan lets you make up to ten minutes of video but not download any of it, so it works as a preview rather than a plan.
Which supports more languages?
HeyGen lists 175+ languages and dialects on paid plans; Synthesia lists 160+ languages and voices. Both are far beyond what most teams use. If translating existing talking-head videos matters to you, HeyGen's lip-synced translation is the feature to test first.
Do I need an avatar at all?
Not for explainers, training clips, or ads where the content is the point. An animated explainer holds attention without a face, avoids the slightly-off presenter problem, and needs nobody to record or approve their likeness. Brainrot Shorts is built for that route: a script becomes motion graphics designed for the words, a PDF becomes an illustrated explainer, and a link becomes a vertical ad.
Can I try Brainrot Shorts before paying?
Yes. Every account starts with 240 free credits for the explainer and story studios, with a watermark on free exports. Motion graphics and video ads need Hobby, $39 a month or $99 a quarter, or above. On Pro, $99 a month, motion graphics is unlimited for normal use.
How current is this comparison?
Prices and plan limits were read from heygen.com/pricing and synthesia.io/pricing on September 16, 2026. The date is shown at the top of the page and next to each source at the bottom. Vendors change pricing without notice, so check the linked page before you buy.
See what a video looks like with no presenter at all
Every account starts with free credits. Turn a PDF into an illustrated explainer, or write a script and watch it become motion graphics designed for those exact words.