Synthesia vs HeyGen
Both put a synthetic presenter on screen, but they ask different things of a free user and of a training team. Synthesia's free Basic plan is a 500-credit pool with a watermark, while HeyGen's free plan is three short videos whose output may not be used commercially. The LMS question splits them too: HeyGen lists SCORM export on Business, Synthesia only on Enterprise.
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Choose Synthesia ifyou want to test a presenter video before paying, your company is based in the United Kingdom, or you can live with SCORM and SSO being a sales conversation.
Choose HeyGen ifyou need SCORM export and SSO without a custom contract, want 4K or videos of up to an hour, and will not publish anything made on the free plan.
Synthesia and HeyGen side by side
| Synthesia | HeyGen | |
|---|---|---|
| Our AI video generators rank | #1 of 12 | #6 of 12 |
| Established in | United Kingdom | United States |
| List price, 3 November 2026 | Basic free (500 credits); Starter $29, Pro $89 per month billed monthly; Enterprise custom | Free (3 videos, 1 minute each); Creator $29, Pro $49, Business $149 per month; extra seats $20; Enterprise via sales |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Self-hostable | — | — |
| Built for | Training and onboarding teams producing scripted presenter videos in many languages | Marketers and sales teams localising spokesperson videos into many languages |
| Not for | Teams wanting invented cinematic scenes instead of a presenter | Teams that need to publish free-plan output commercially |
Both are reviewed in full in our AI video generators ranking: Synthesia and HeyGen.
Where they differ
Synthesia 1 · HeyGen 3 · open 0- 01
Which free plan can a company actually publish from?
Synthesia's Basic plan costs nothing and gives 500 credits, which the page equates to 10 minutes of creation or dubbing, with a Synthesia watermark on the result. HeyGen's free plan gives 3 videos of up to 1 minute, and its terms bar selling or commercial use of that output. Neither is publishable as is, but a watermark can be removed by upgrading, whereas HeyGen's restriction is a licence rule.
Edge: Synthesia
- 02
What does one month of the first paid step cost?
Synthesia lists Starter at $29 a month and Pro at $89 when billed monthly, with a yearly toggle on the page. HeyGen lists Creator at $29 with 600 credits and Pro at $49 with 1,000 credits. The entry price is identical, yet HeyGen's second step is $40 lower. Synthesia counts a shared credit pool; HeyGen states credits per tier.
Edge: HeyGen
- 03
Where does an LMS export become available?
HeyGen's Business plan at $149 a month includes SCORM export, LMS integrations and SAML/SSO, with extra seats at $20 each. Synthesia keeps SCORM export, SAML/SSO and unlimited video minutes on Enterprise, which has no listed price. A training team that needs the course inside an LMS can buy HeyGen's route from the page, while Synthesia's needs a quote.
Edge: HeyGen
- 04
How long can one video run, and what resolution?
HeyGen states video caps by tier: 30 minutes with 1080p on Creator, 4K on Pro, and 60 minutes on Business. The Synthesia pricing page we read does not state a per-video length or resolution, only that unlimited video minutes come with Enterprise. For long lessons or 4K output, HeyGen gives you numbers to plan with.
Edge: HeyGen
When neither fits
If you need invented scenes rather than a presenter, or an avatar tool priced per video minute, look elsewhere. Colossyan and Elai are the other presenter-style tools in our AI video generators ranking.
Synthesia or HeyGen: questions
3 answersCan I use HeyGen's free videos in a client project?
Not under the terms we read: output from the free plan may not be sold, sublicensed, monetised or used for commercial activities.
Does Synthesia's free plan remove the watermark?
No. Basic videos carry a Synthesia watermark, and Starter is where content download and logo removal are added.
Which one has SCORM export on a published price?
HeyGen, on Business at $149 a month. Synthesia lists SCORM export under its custom-priced Enterprise plan.
Sources
Checked 3 November 2026- Synthesia pricing page: Basic credits and watermark, Starter and Pro monthly prices, Enterprise-only SCORM, SSO and unlimited minutes.
- HeyGen pricing page: free plan limits, Creator, Pro and Business prices, credits, video length caps, seat fee, SCORM and SSO on Business.
- HeyGen terms: free-plan output barred from commercial use.