HeyGen vs Synthesia: Which AI Avatar Tool Fits You in 2026
The two leading AI avatar platforms compared on published prices, credit math, avatars, consent and moderation rules, security and ratings.
By , research by the BestBots team · Updated Oct 18, 2026
Fact checked against each company's published pricing, documentation and verified user ratings. How we score
Pick HeyGen for marketing, social ads and creator content: 4K from $49, 1,100+ stock avatars cleared for commercial use, lip synced translation into 175+ languages and the best ratings in the category. Pick Synthesia for corporate training: SCORM export, mandatory consent videos, moderation before render, API on every plan and a cheaper yearly Starter at $18.
HeyGen4.5From $29 per month (monthly or annual subscription with monthly credits; Business adds per seat fees)
Visit HeyGen
Synthesia4.2From $29 per month (monthly or annual subscription with shared credits; 100 credits per minute of video after 10 included minutes)
Visit SynthesiaSide by side
| Spec | HeyGen | Synthesia |
|---|---|---|
| BestBots Score | 4.5 | 4.2 |
| Starting price | $29 per month | $29 per month |
| Pricing model | monthly or annual subscription with monthly credits; Business adds per seat fees | monthly or annual subscription with shared credits; 100 credits per minute of video after 10 included minutes |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Free plan | 3 videos a month, up to 1 minute, 1080p with watermark | About 10 minutes of video a month, 9 avatars, watermark |
| Paid from | $29 per month (Creator), $24 billed yearly | $29 per month (Starter), $18 billed yearly |
| Credits or minutes per month | 600 (Creator), 1,000 (Pro), 1,500 (Business) credits | About 22 minutes (Starter) or 70 minutes (Pro) at 100 credits per minute after 10 included |
| Max resolution | 1080p on Free and Creator, 4K on Pro and above | 1080p on every plan |
| Commercial use | Allowed on every plan per the pricing table; stock avatars cleared for commercial use | Yes on every plan; stock avatars barred from paid social ads, news and political content without written consent |
| API | Yes, billed in dollars by avatar engine and length; rates in the developer dashboard | Yes on every plan; Pro includes 360 API minutes a year |
The short answer
- Best for marketers and creators: HeyGen. More avatars, 4K, looser ad rules, stronger ratings.
- Best for L&D and compliance teams: Synthesia. SCORM, consent workflow, moderation and transparent minute pricing.
- Best on a yearly budget for a few videos a month: Synthesia Starter at $18 per month.
Pricing
| HeyGen | Synthesia | |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 3 videos a month, 1 minute each, watermark | About 10 minutes a month, watermark |
| Entry | Creator $29 ($24 yearly), 600 credits | Starter $29 ($18 yearly), 1,250 credits |
| Mid | Pro $49, 1,000 credits, 4K | Pro $89 ($64 yearly), 6,000 credits |
| Team | Business $149 plus $20 per seat | Enterprise |
| Credit rate | Not published | 100 credits per minute after 10 included |
| Max length | 30 minutes (Creator, Pro), 60 (Business) | Not stated for standard video |
| Max resolution | 4K from Pro | 1080p on all plans |
Minute math. Synthesia Starter gives about 22 minutes a month and Pro about 70. HeyGen does not publish a rate, so you can only compare after a test month. What is clear: HeyGen's $49 Pro includes 4K, and Synthesia's $89 Pro does not. See HeyGen pricing and Synthesia pricing.
Models and features
| HeyGen | Synthesia | |
|---|---|---|
| Stock avatars | 1,100+ | 9 (Basic) to 240+ (Enterprise) |
| Custom avatar | Digital twin from one short video, 10 to 20 minutes | Personal avatar via webcam with consent video, ready in minutes |
| Studio avatar | Avatar V, up to 500 outfits and settings | Studio Avatar add on, $1,000 per year |
| Photo avatars | Avatar IV | Not listed |
| Languages | 175+ with lip sync | 140+; personal voices cloned into 29 |
| Voice cloning | 1 on Creator, more on higher plans | Included with personal avatars |
| Interactive video | Not listed on pricing | Pro |
| SCORM | Not listed | Enterprise |
| API | Yes, billed in dollars | Every plan; 360 minutes a year on Pro |
| Apps | iOS and Android | Web only |
Head to head scenarios
Paid social ads with an AI spokesperson
Winner: HeyGen. Its stock avatars are cleared for commercial use, and Avatar IV makes UGC style clips from a photo. Synthesia bans stock avatars in paid social ads without written permission.
Compliance training in an LMS
Winner: Synthesia. SCORM export on Enterprise reports completions into your LMS, and moderation plus consent videos satisfy legal review.
Translating a founder's video into 10 languages
Winner: HeyGen. 175+ languages with phoneme level lip sync on the translated video.
Weekly YouTube with your own twin
Winner: HeyGen. Twins in 10 to 20 minutes, 30 minute videos on Creator and 4K on Pro.
Developer prototype on a free plan
Winner: Synthesia. API access is included on the free Basic plan.
Lowest yearly cost for 20 minutes a month
Winner: Synthesia. Starter at $18 per month billed yearly covers about 22 minutes.
Commercial rights, consent and privacy
Both allow commercial use on every plan, including free tiers. The differences are in how avatars can be used.
HeyGen requires the explicit consent of anyone represented, bans avatars of real people including public figures without consent, bans political content and lets actors request removal of their likeness. Its security page lists SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, CCPA, the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the EU AI Act. Enterprise data is excluded from training by default; others can opt out.
Synthesia requires a recorded consent video for every personal avatar, moderates at the point of creation, and restricts stock avatars from implying endorsement, from news and political content and from paid social ads without written consent. It says it is SOC 2 and GDPR compliant with independent audits. The pages we read did not say whether customer videos train its models.
Neither publishes C2PA details on the pages we read. We found no lawsuits against either over training data in the sources we reviewed.
What users say
| HeyGen | Synthesia | |
|---|---|---|
| Trustpilot | 4.2 from 4,620 | 3.8 from 1,829 |
| App Store | 4.8 from 28,533 | No app |
HeyGen reviewers praise ease of use and multilingual output, and complain about credits draining fast. Synthesia reviewers praise onboarding and ease of use, and complain about strict moderation delays, price and credits that do not roll over.
How to choose
Start with where the video will run. If it runs as a paid ad on Meta, TikTok or YouTube, HeyGen's commercially cleared stock avatars remove a legal question that Synthesia's policy raises. If it runs inside an LMS for employees, Synthesia's SCORM export and consent trail are worth more than 4K.
Then look at resolution. If you need 4K for large screens or cropping, only HeyGen offers it on self serve plans.
Then budget. For a handful of videos a month on a yearly plan, Synthesia Starter is the cheapest at $18. For heavier use with 4K, HeyGen Pro at $49 undercuts Synthesia Pro at $89.
Test both free plans first. HeyGen Free gives 3 one minute videos and Synthesia Basic about 10 minutes. Render the same 60 second script on both and compare lip sync, voice and pronunciation of your product names.
Verdict
HeyGen wins for most buyers: cheaper mid tier, 4K, a larger avatar library, looser rules for ads and better ratings. Synthesia wins for enterprise training, where consent videos, moderation and SCORM matter more than resolution. If you are a marketer, start on HeyGen Creator. If you run L&D, start on Synthesia Starter yearly and plan for Enterprise.
Read the HeyGen review and Synthesia review, or see the best AI avatar generators.
Frequently asked questions
Is HeyGen better than Synthesia?
For marketing, social ads and creators, yes: 4K from $49, 1,100+ stock avatars, lip synced translation into 175+ languages and better ratings. Synthesia is better for corporate training, with SCORM export, mandatory consent videos, point of creation moderation and API access on every plan.
Which is cheaper, HeyGen or Synthesia?
Monthly, both start at $29. On yearly billing Synthesia Starter is $18 per month and HeyGen Creator $24. HeyGen Pro at $49 is much cheaper than Synthesia Pro at $89, and adds 4K.
Can I use Synthesia avatars in Facebook ads?
Not stock avatars without permission. Synthesia's acceptable use policy bars stock avatars from paid social media advertising without express written permission. HeyGen says its stock avatars are cleared for commercial use.
Which has more languages?
HeyGen lists 175+ languages and dialects on paid plans for translation with lip sync. Synthesia lists 140+ languages, and personal avatar voices are cloned into 29 languages.
Which is more secure?
Both list SOC 2 and GDPR. HeyGen's security page also lists SOC 2 Type II, CCPA, the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the EU AI Act, and excludes Enterprise data from training by default. Synthesia combines human and AI moderation with a Trust and Safety team.
Do both require consent for custom avatars?
Yes. Synthesia requires a recorded consent video before a personal avatar goes live. HeyGen requires explicit, verified consent from the person being recreated and lets them request removal at any time.