HeyGen vs Synthesia
HeyGen and Synthesia do different jobs. Here is what each costs, what each is stronger at and who should pick which, from their own pages.
Updated 25 October 2026. Every figure about HeyGen and Synthesia links to its source below.
Quick verdict
Pick HeyGen if you want a presenter who looks and sounds like you, or a ready-made one, talking to camera for explainers, courses or videos in many languages, and you are happy to pay in credits. Pick Synthesia if you make training, onboarding or internal communications videos with an AI presenter, and want interactive videos, surveys and enterprise controls around them. If you want a finished Short made from an idea instead, DreamWild makes 15 DreamCake videos or 20 story Shorts a month, 30 seconds each on Starter.3 2 5 4 8 7 11
HeyGen, Synthesia and DreamWild
| DreamWild | HeyGen | Synthesia | |
|---|---|---|---|
| In its own words | Create videos from an idea or script with AI narration, visuals and captions. | “AI videos starring you, made in minutes.”1 | “Create studio-quality videos with AI avatars and voiceovers in 140+ languages.”7 |
| Starting point | Start with an idea and a template | Get started for free, no credit card required1 2 | Get started for free with no credit card required7 |
| Entry plan | Starter: $29 a month, or $24.50 a month billed yearly | Creator: $29 a month, or $24 a month billed yearly3 4 | Starter: US$29 per month billed monthly, or US$18 per month billed yearly8 9 |
| Credits on the entry plan | 1,500 credits a month | Creator 600 credits a month, Pro from 1,000, Business 1,5003 5 | Starter adds 1,250 credits a month (15,000 a year) and Pro adds 6,000 (72,000 a year), on top of the 500 credits, 10 minutes of video and 3 survey responses every plan includes8 9 10 |
| What the entry plan makes | 15 DreamCake videos or 20 story Shorts a month, 30 seconds each | AI presenter videos from a script or a prompt, using a ready-made presenter or a custom video avatar of you; each video is paid for in credits, and the credits used depend on the AI model, the length and the complexity3 2 | AI presenter videos, dubbing, surveys and interactive avatars from one shared pool of credits; a finished minute of video uses about 100 credits11 10 |
| Video length | Create Shorts from 10 seconds to 3 minutes, including 3D animation and fully generated motion. For longer stories, create narrated long-form videos up to 10 minutes. | Free videos up to 1 minute; Creator and Pro up to 30 minutes each; Business up to 60 minutes each; Enterprise has no maximum3 5 | Videos up to 3 minutes on every plan8 |
| Unused credits | None on Starter; 1 month on Creator, 2 months on Pro, 3 months on Max | Monthly plans: unused credits roll over for one more month; yearly plans: credits accumulate until the renewal date; credits do not carry over after you cancel2 4 | No roll over: the monthly allowance and the plan's extra credits reset each billing period, yearly plans get the year's credits upfront, and credits bought separately are valid for 12 months11 |
| Paying yearly | Up to 35% off yearly | Billed yearly: Creator $24 a month ($288 a year), Pro $41 a month ($488 a year), Business $119 a month ($1,428 a year)4 6 | Billed yearly: Starter US$18 a month and Pro US$64 a month, with the whole year's credits available upfront; the page says save up to 4 months with yearly9 11 |
Where HeyGen Is Stronger
- A free plan with no credit card, and a Creator plan that removes the branding and lets you make a custom video avatar with your own voice and likeness.3 2
- Long videos: up to 30 minutes each on Creator and Pro and up to 60 minutes each on Business, with 4K export from Pro.3 5
- Voice and translation in 175+ languages and dialects on paid plans, against 30+ on Free.3
- On yearly plans credits accumulate until renewal instead of lapsing after one more month.4
Where Synthesia Is Stronger
- Interactive videos with quizzes and branching, surveys, and roleplay practice for learners, with SCORM export and SAML/SSO on Enterprise: tools built for training teams.8
- 140+ languages and voices on every plan, with AI dubbing into 70+ languages and a library of 125+ stock avatars on Starter, 180+ on Pro and 240+ on Enterprise.8
- A free Basic plan with no credit card: 10 minutes of video and 500 credits every month.7 11
Sources
- HeyGen homepage, checked 25 October 2026.
- HeyGen pricing FAQ, credits, tiers and cancelling, checked 25 October 2026.
- HeyGen pricing, Free, Creator and Pro billed monthly, checked 25 October 2026.
- HeyGen pricing, Creator and Pro billed yearly, checked 25 October 2026.
- HeyGen pricing, Business and Enterprise billed monthly, checked 25 October 2026.
- HeyGen pricing, Business billed yearly, checked 25 October 2026.
- Synthesia homepage, checked 25 October 2026.
- Synthesia pricing, billed monthly, checked 25 October 2026.
- Synthesia pricing, billed yearly, checked 25 October 2026.
- Synthesia help centre, what credits are and how they work, checked 25 October 2026.
- Synthesia pricing FAQ, credits, roll over and pay per video, checked 25 October 2026.
Figures for each company are what its own pages said on the date shown. Prices change; check the source before you buy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Does HeyGen Cost?
Creator: $29 a month, or $24 a month billed yearly. Checked 25 October 2026.
How Much Does Synthesia Cost?
Starter: US$29 per month billed monthly, or US$18 per month billed yearly. Checked 25 October 2026.
What Does DreamWild's Starter Plan Make?
15 DreamCake videos or 20 story Shorts a month, 30 seconds each, from 1,500 credits a month.
