HeyGen

Verdict

Start here: first steps with HeyGen

Editorial guidance based on the vendor details we recorded. We have not tested HeyGen, and we do not describe its screens or settings.

Who should start with it

Creators and small businesses testing avatar video without a card.

Before you create an account

• Pick one real job, for example "Make avatar videos", and prepare invented or non-sensitive input for the first try.
• Read the vendor's data and privacy terms. Our privacy review checklist lists what to look for.
• Commercial-use terms: we have not verified them. Read the vendor's terms for the plan you will use.

Which plan to start with

Start on the free plan. The limits we recorded: 3 videos per month, up to 1 minute each, 1 custom avatar.

A first small task

Try a small version of a real case like this one: A solo creator testing short one-minute avatar clips on the free plan.

How to tell whether it helps

Time the job by hand first. Then record minutes taken, minutes of editing and credits or usage used. Use the trial scorecard.

Common first-week mistakes

• Spending credits or usage on experiments without noting how much one job used.
• Building a routine on a free limit that resets daily or never, without checking which.
• Putting private or customer data in before reading how the vendor handles it.

When to consider another tool

• Anyone making videos longer than 1 minute on the free plan: Free caps videos at 1 minute (paid plans allow 30 minutes, Business 60).
• Buyers who want annual prices for Pro or Business: the page does not state them.

Alternatives: Synthesia, Runway. Reasons to switch.

What HeyGen actually does

• Creates videos presented by AI avatars from a script.
• Translates video into other languages with lip-sync.
• Creator and above add voice cloning.
• Pro adds 4K export and faster processing. Business adds SSO/SAML, centralised billing and SCORM export.
• Offers a developer API (REST, CLI and MCP server).

Source: HeyGen pricing page (opens in a new tab), HeyGen developer documentation (opens in a new tab).

Who it suits, and who should look elsewhere

Practical workflows

Illustrative: built from documented features, not from testing.

Strengths and limitations

Hands-on testing

Not tested by us yet, so this page describes what the vendor documents. How testing is recorded.

Pricing

How usage is counted

• Free: 3 videos a month of up to 1 minute each, 1 custom avatar, 30+ languages.
• Paid plans share a monthly credit pool. The credit cost per video depends on the model, length and complexity and is not published.
• Creator lists 175+ languages, 1080p export and credit rollover. Business allows videos up to 60 minutes and 5 custom avatars.

Pricing model

Credits

Currency

Shown as "$"; the vendor's page does not name the currency

Commercial use

Not verified

API

Yes · developers.heygen.com documents avatars, voices, Video Agent, translation and lipsync APIs. The docs do not say which plans include API access.

Pricing checked

20 Oct 2026 · Vendor pricing page (opens in a new tab)

• Per the FAQ, Pro credit tiers run from 1,000 credits at $49 to 100,000 credits at $4,300 per month; tiers in between are not priced on the page.
• Monthly subscribers' unused credits roll over for one month; annual subscribers' credits accumulate until renewal.

Prices are shown as each vendor lists them. Where a vendor shows only a "$" sign, its page does not name the currency, and vendors may show a local currency or regional price. Confirm on the vendor's page before buying.

Alternatives

S

Synthesia

Reason to consider it: A free allowance measured in video minutes (about 10 a month) and a published credit-per-minute estimate.

• Paid prices are in different, unnamed or not comparable currencies, so they are not compared here.

Compare HeyGen with Synthesia

Read the side-by-side comparison

Runway

Reason to consider it: Prompt-generated clips rather than avatar presenters.

• Paid prices are in different, unnamed or not comparable currencies, so they are not compared here.

Compare HeyGen with Runway

Compare HeyGen with Synthesia and Runway

Frequently asked questions

Keep comparing

• Compare ai video tools
• HeyGen vs Synthesia: AI video pricing and limits compared
• Explore AI tools with confirmed free plans
• Understand AI pricing, credits and billing commitments

Sources and update history

Not yet verified

These are gaps in our research, not claims about the product.

• Credit cost per video
• Annual prices for Pro and Business
• Refund policy
• Commercial-use terms

Research note

• Vendor-documented: prices, plan limits, features and terms are taken from the sources above on the dates shown.
• Editorial interpretation: the verdict, good fits, tradeoffs and workflows are our reading of those facts. None of it comes from testing the tool.
• Unverified: anything listed under "Not yet verified" is a gap in our research, not a claim about the product.
• Logo credit: HeyGen symbol, downloaded unmodified from the official brand kit. HeyGen is a trademark of its owner. Brand terms (opens in a new tab) checked 21 Oct 2026. Downloaded from the vendor brand kit. Terms: use only under its guidelines, no alteration, no implied sponsorship or endorsement without written permission, and HeyGen may revoke or change permission at any time. Used unaltered to identify the tool.

Update history

• 20 Oct 2026 · Initial research from the vendor's official pages.
• 21 Oct 2026 · Added the vendor-provided logo after reading its brand terms.

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