Seven HeyGen alternatives, with and without an avatar (2026)

HeyGen makes videos in which an AI avatar presents your script, including an avatar of yourself, and translates them with lip sync into many languages. Its free plan makes 3 watermarked videos a month, each up to 1 minute long. Paid plans count usage in credits, which vary with the AI model and the length of the video. To export videos as SCORM packages, the format that learning management systems use to track courses, you need the Business plan or higher.

This guide compares seven HeyGen alternatives: avatar tools similar to HeyGen, a tool for video ads and two that make animated video instead. It then covers what HeyGen does well, what it costs, how it compares with Synthesia and why people switch. All prices and limits are from each tool’s own pricing page as of October 2026.

What is HeyGen?

HeyGen is an AI video tool that generates a talking presenter from your script. You pick one of its stock presenters or make an avatar with your own face and voice. Then you type or paste a script, and HeyGen generates the presenter speaking it. It also translates existing videos with lip sync, and HeyGen markets it for social content, marketing, online courses, localization and sales outreach.

HeyGen alternatives compared

This table puts HeyGen and seven alternatives side by side on presenter, languages, free option and entry price, in US dollars. Each tool’s section below has more detail.

Tool	Presenter	Languages	Free option	Cheapest paid plan	Best for
HeyGenAI avatar videos	Avatar	30+ free, 175+ paid	3 videos a month up to 1 min, watermarked	$29 a month, $24 billed yearly	Marketing, social and translated videos
ScenemaAI generator	No presenter	75+	200 credits once, scripts up to 1,000 characters, watermarked	See pricing	Long animated explainers with consistent characters
SynthesiaAI avatar videos	Avatar	140+	Basic plan: 10 min a month, watermarked, no download	$19 a month, $14 billed yearly	Training and company videos with a presenter
ColossyanAI avatar videos	Avatar	120+	Starter plan with 20 min a month	$59 a month billed yearly	Training teams that need SCORM export
AI StudiosBy DeepBrain AI	Avatar	30+ free, 150+ paid	Up to 3 videos of 1 minute	$29 a month, $24 billed yearly	Avatar videos up to 60 minutes on a team plan
CreatifyAI video ads	AI actors	75+	10 credits a month, watermarked	$15 a month, $10 billed yearly	Short video ads for social media
Elai.ioAI avatar videos	Avatar	75+	1 minute of video	$29 a month, $23 billed yearly	Short avatar videos on a small budget
VyondAnimation builder	Animated characters	95	Free trial	$99 a month, $58 billed yearly	Training animation you build yourself

How we compared these tools: Every price and limit here comes from each tool’s own website and pricing page, read in October 2026. HeyGen’s figures come from its pricing page and help center. We did not test video quality, and plans change, so confirm on each site before you buy. Scenema is our own product.

The best HeyGen alternatives

Scenema makes animated explainers without a presenter

If you are looking at HeyGen to explain a product, a process or a course, Scenema makes that kind of video without a presenter. You give it a prompt, a script or a document such as a PDF. It writes the narration, plans every shot and animates the video in one of 78 styles, from whiteboard drawings to 3D product scenes. Characters and style stay the same across the whole video, including long videos split into chapters. Narration comes from more than 500 voices in more than 75 languages, so there is nobody to film and no avatar to set up. HeyGen has a ChatGPT plugin, and Scenema also works from an AI assistant: You add its MCP server to Claude or Cursor. The free plan gives 200 credits once, enough for a watermarked video of up to 60 seconds.

Best for: Product, process and training videos that explain more clearly as animation than with a presenter.

Synthesia is the closest avatar tool, with a cheaper entry plan

Synthesia makes avatar videos from a script, like HeyGen, but it leans toward training and company communication. Its entry plan costs less: Starter is $19 a month, or $14 a month billed yearly, against $29 for HeyGen Creator. Its free Basic plan gives 10 minutes of video a month, shared by link only, which is more free video than HeyGen’s three 1 minute videos. Pro costs $89 a month, or $59 a month billed yearly, and includes 5 personal avatars. Synthesia lists voices in more than 140 languages and puts SCORM export on Enterprise. Our guide to Synthesia alternatives covers its plans in detail.

Best for: Training and company videos with a presenter, at a lower entry price than HeyGen.

Colossyan puts SCORM export on a cheaper plan

Colossyan is an avatar video tool for workplace learning. HeyGen keeps SCORM export for its Business plan, while Colossyan includes 5 SCORM exports a month on Professional, at $59 a month billed yearly. It has more than 300 stock avatars and more than 120 languages, all with lip sync. Its free Starter plan gives 20 minutes of video a month, the most free video of any tool here, and videos of up to 20 minutes.

Best for: Training teams that want avatar videos and SCORM export without paying for HeyGen Business.

AI Studios by DeepBrain AI makes hour long avatar videos for less

AI Studios is DeepBrain AI’s avatar video tool, and its plans line up closely with HeyGen’s. The Personal plan costs the same as HeyGen Creator, $29 a month or $24 billed yearly, for videos of up to 30 minutes. The difference is at 60 minutes. AI Studios Team allows hour long videos for $69 a seat a month, or $55 billed yearly, while HeyGen needs its $149 Business plan. AI Studios localizes videos in more than 150 languages with voice cloning and lip sync. Its free plan makes up to 3 videos of 1 minute each in 720p, and SCORM export is on Enterprise only.

Best for: Teams that need avatar videos longer than 30 minutes without HeyGen’s Business plan.

Creatify is built for video ads

HeyGen markets itself for social content and sales outreach, and Creatify narrows that down to one job: short video ads. Its AI actors look like the creators in social media videos. The Standard plan includes 300 actors and videos of up to 2 minutes, and Pro and higher plans include 1,500 actors and videos of up to 10 minutes. Creatify supports more than 75 languages and adds tools for tracking competitors’ ads and launching ads on Meta and TikTok. The free plan gives 10 credits a month, enough for up to 2 watermarked video ads. Standard costs $15 a month, or $10 a month billed yearly.

Best for: Marketing teams making many short ads for social media.

Elai.io prices avatar video by the minute

Elai.io turns text into avatar videos, with a smaller library than HeyGen: more than 80 avatars and more than 75 languages. Its Creator plan costs $29 a month, the same as HeyGen Creator, or $23 a month billed yearly. The plan includes 15 minutes of video a month, so you know what a video costs in minutes rather than credits. Its free plan gives 1 minute of video, less than HeyGen’s.

Best for: Short avatar videos when you want a cost you can count in minutes.

Vyond swaps the avatar for animated characters

Vyond is an animation builder. You get animated characters, props and backgrounds in place of a realistic presenter, and you assemble each scene yourself, with AI help. Its Starter plan costs $99 a month, or $58 a month billed yearly, more than HeyGen Creator, and allows videos of up to 25 minutes. Larger plans allow up to 90 minutes. Vyond lists 95 languages and has a free trial in place of a free plan.

Best for: Teams that want animated characters and control over every scene.

What does HeyGen do well?

HeyGen is a strong choice when a video needs a realistic presenter:

Avatars and voices: Paid plans include more than 700 stock avatars and more than 1,000 AI voices. Every plan, including the free one, lets you make a custom avatar of yourself.
Translation: HeyGen translates videos with lip sync into what it counts as 175+ languages and dialects, including regional variants. It can translate one video into up to 10 languages at once.
Longer videos on paid plans: Videos can run up to 30 minutes on Creator and Pro, and up to 60 minutes on Business.
SCORM on a business plan: SCORM export for learning management systems is included on Business, while Synthesia lists it on Enterprise.

Is HeyGen free, and does it have a free trial?

HeyGen offers a free plan as the way to try it, and you need no credit card to sign up. The free plan makes up to 3 videos a month, each up to 1 minute long, with a HeyGen watermark. It includes more than 500 stock presenters, one custom avatar, more than 30 languages and limited trial use of its newest avatar and translation features. Removing the watermark and making longer videos needs the Creator plan or higher.

Free HeyGen alternatives and what each free plan includes

HeyGen’s free plan makes 3 watermarked videos a month, each up to 1 minute long. All the alternatives here except Vyond have a free plan, and Vyond has a free trial. This is how each one compares, as its pricing page described it in October 2026:

Colossyan: The free Starter plan gives 20 minutes of video a month, the most free video on this list.
Synthesia: The Basic plan gives 10 minutes a month, watermarked and shared by link only.
AI Studios by DeepBrain AI: Up to 3 videos of 1 minute each, the same as HeyGen, exported in 720p.
Creatify: 10 credits a month, enough for up to 2 watermarked video ads.
Elai.io: 1 minute of video.
Scenema: 200 credits once when you sign up, and scripts of up to 1,000 characters. That makes a watermarked animated video of up to 60 seconds, the only free option here without an avatar.
Vyond: A free trial rather than a free plan.

HeyGen pricing, plans and credits in 2026

HeyGen costs $29 a month on its Creator plan, or $24 a month billed yearly. Pro costs $49 a month, or $41 a month billed yearly. Business costs $149 a month, or $119 a month billed yearly, plus $20 a month for each extra team member. These are the prices on HeyGen’s pricing page in October 2026:

Plan	Billed monthly	Billed yearly, per month	Longest video	Highlights
Free	$0	$0	1 minute	3 watermarked videos a month, 500+ presenters, 30+ languages
Creator	$29	$24 ($288 a year)	30 minutes	600 credits a month, 1080p, 700+ avatars, 175+ languages
Pro	$49	$41 ($488 a year)	30 minutes	1,000 credits a month, 4K export
Business	$149 plus $20 a seat	$119 ($1,428 a year)	60 minutes	1,500 credits a month, SCORM export, 5 custom avatars
Enterprise	Custom	Custom	No maximum	Credits set to your usage

How HeyGen credits work

Each plan includes a monthly allowance of credits, and HeyGen says the credits a video uses depend on the AI model, the video’s length and its complexity. On monthly plans, unused credits roll over for one more month. Pro also comes in larger tiers, from 1,000 credits a month at $49 up to 100,000 credits a month at $4,300. HeyGen’s API is billed separately, pay as you go.

HeyGen vs Synthesia: which suits your videos?

HeyGen and Synthesia both make avatar videos from a script, and they differ mainly in focus and price:

Focus: HeyGen leans toward marketing, social video and translation. Synthesia leans toward training and company communication.
Free plan: Synthesia’s free plan gives 10 minutes of video a month, shared by link only. HeyGen’s gives 3 videos of up to 1 minute each.
Cheapest paid plan: Synthesia Starter costs $19 a month, or $14 billed yearly. HeyGen Creator costs $29 a month, or $24 billed yearly.
SCORM export: HeyGen includes it on Business. Synthesia lists it on Enterprise.

For tools that compete with Synthesia, see our guide to Synthesia alternatives.

Why do people look for a HeyGen alternative?

HeyGen’s own pricing page explains most of the reasons people switch:

A small free plan: The free plan makes 3 videos a month of up to 1 minute each, all watermarked.
Credits: Usage is counted in credits, and the credits a video uses change with the AI model, its length and its complexity. That makes the cost of a video harder to predict than a flat price per minute.
SCORM export: SCORM starts on the Business plan, at $149 a month or $119 a month billed yearly. Colossyan includes it on Professional.
Video length: Videos run up to 30 minutes on Creator and Pro, and longer videos need Business or Enterprise.
Videos that do not need a face: HeyGen’s avatars suit sales messages, announcements and social videos. A product walkthrough, a process or a course module can be easier to follow as a drawn and animated explainer.

What do Scenema’s styles look like?

These are three of Scenema’s 78 styles that suit the product, process and training videos people often make with a HeyGen presenter. Each style keeps the same look and characters across a whole video, and the rest are on the styles page.

Scenema Clay Studio SaaS 3D style: clay characters on three steps labelled create account, pick a template and invite your team — **Clay Studio SaaS 3D:** Glossy clay scenes for product tours and onboarding.

Scenema Azure Isometric 3D style: an isometric supply chain from factory to distribution centre to retail stores — **Azure Isometric 3D:** Clean isometric diagrams for processes, systems and company updates.

Scenema Brutalist style: a phishing email with bold labels pointing to the fake sender, false urgency and a suspicious link — **Brutalist:** Bold type and labels for security and compliance training.

How to choose a HeyGen alternative

Start from what you use HeyGen for today. Tick each point that applies to your videos, and the notes under it name the tools that cover it.

Checklist for choosing a HeyGen alternative

Do you need a presenter on screen?For a HeyGen style presenter, compare Synthesia, Colossyan, AI Studios and Elai.io, or Creatify for ads. For product walkthroughs, processes and lessons, Scenema and Vyond make animated videos with no avatar.
Translation into many languagesHeyGen counts 175+ languages and dialects for translation with lip sync. AI Studios lists more than 150 languages, Synthesia more than 140 and Colossyan more than 120.
SCORM export for your learning systemColossyan includes SCORM export on Professional. HeyGen lists it on Business, and Synthesia and AI Studios on Enterprise.
A cost you can predictHeyGen counts usage in credits, and a video’s cost depends on the AI model, its length and its complexity. Work out what one video of your usual length costs on each plan before you choose.
Your own face or voiceHeyGen lets you make an avatar of yourself on every plan. If you need that, check each tool’s limits: Synthesia includes 5 personal avatars on Pro, and AI Studios includes 3 custom avatars on Personal.
One real test videoMake the same short video on HeyGen’s free plan and on each alternative’s free plan or trial, then compare them before paying for anything.

Explain it without a presenter

Turn a script, a product brief or a PDF into a narrated, animated video. No avatar to set up and nobody to film.

Start your explainer

The TL;DR on HeyGen alternatives

What is HeyGen? HeyGen is an AI video tool that generates a talking presenter from your script, and the presenter can be an avatar of yourself. It also translates videos with lip sync into what it counts as 175+ languages and dialects.

Is HeyGen free? HeyGen has a free plan that makes up to 3 videos a month of up to 1 minute each, with a watermark. Longer videos without a watermark need a paid plan.

Does HeyGen have a free trial? HeyGen offers a free plan as its way to try the product, with no credit card required. It makes 3 watermarked videos a month of up to 1 minute each.

How much does HeyGen cost? HeyGen’s Creator plan costs $29 a month, or $24 a month billed yearly. Pro costs $49 a month, or $41 billed yearly, and Business costs $149 a month, or $119 billed yearly. Prices are from HeyGen’s pricing page in October 2026. Enterprise pricing is custom.

What are some free alternatives to HeyGen? Colossyan’s free Starter plan includes 20 minutes a month, and Synthesia’s free Basic plan includes 10 minutes a month. AI Studios by DeepBrain AI makes up to 3 videos of 1 minute, Creatify gives 10 credits a month and Elai.io includes 1 minute. Scenema’s 200 free credits make one animated video of up to 60 seconds.

Which HeyGen alternative is closest to HeyGen? Synthesia is the closest match, with AI avatars, personal avatars, voices in more than 140 languages and a free plan.

Is HeyGen better than Synthesia? HeyGen suits marketing, social video and translation. Synthesia suits training and company videos, and it has a cheaper entry plan and a larger free plan. HeyGen includes SCORM export on Business, and Synthesia lists it on Enterprise.

Which HeyGen alternative is best for video ads? Creatify is built for short social media ads. Its Pro plan includes 1,500 AI actors, and it has tools for launching ads on Meta and TikTok.

Is there a HeyGen alternative without an avatar? Scenema generates narrated, animated explainers with no one on screen. Vyond is an animation builder with its own cartoon characters.

Sources

Each tool’s website and pricing page, read in October 2026: heygen.com/pricing, synthesia.io/pricing, colossyan.com/pricing, aistudios.com/pricing, creatify.ai/pricing, elai.io/pricing, vyond.com/pricing, scenema.ai/pricing.
HeyGen Help Center, “Video Translation: Languages We Support”, and HeyGen Academy, SCORM export guide, read in October 2026.

Synthesia alternatives for training, free and paid compares avatar and animation tools for training videos.
Best AI tools for long-form explainer videos compares tools for videos of 5 to 20 minutes.
Best AI educational video generators for teachers compares AI tools for lessons and training.
Mayer’s principles of multimedia learning explains what makes a training video easy to learn from.