HeyGen vs Synthesia: real cost at your volume

Verdict at 300 video minutes/mo · 1 seat · monthly billing · HeyGen on Avatar V

Synthesia saves you $3,360/year vs HeyGen

Synthesia: $514/mo on Pro (36,000 Credits) · HeyGen: $794/mo on Business (1,500 Credits) · 35.3% cheaper

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Free plan covers up to 10 video minutes

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HeyGen's default for real-human avatars and Digital Twins

HeyGen bills in credits. Minutes use the per-minute rate HeyGen publishes for each engine. Source

300 video minutes
55,000
1

HeyGenNo commission

Cheapest plan: Business (1,500 Credits)

$794/mo

$9,528/yr · $2,646.67 per 1k video minutes

≈ 14,400 credits at 48 credits/min

Plan price
$149 (18.8%)
Usage above plan
$645 (81.2%)

$645/mo (81.2%) of this bill is overage on Business (1,500 Credits). Tier jump ahead: at 345 video minutes/mo the cheapest plan becomes Pro (20,000 Credits) at $900/mo (+$106/mo vs. today).

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Cheapest plan: Pro (36,000 Credits)

Cheaper
$514/mo

$6,168/yr · $1,713.33 per 1k video minutes

≈ 29,000 credits at 100 credits/min after the 10 included video minutes

Plan price
$514 (100.0%)
Usage above plan
$0 (0.0%)

Tier jump ahead: at 400 video minutes/mo the cheapest plan becomes Pro (48,000 Credits) at $676/mo (+$162/mo vs. today).

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Break-even across 5 volume pointsCheapest plan per tool · monthly billing · 1 seat
  • HeyGen
  • Synthesia
$1,274
Sales
$3,074
Sales
$6,074
Sales
$9,074
Sales
$12,074
Sales
50010%
1,25025%
2,50050%
3,75075%
5,000100%

Volume in video minutes/mo. Labels mark the cheaper tool at each point; hover a bar for its exact cost. The cheaper tool first flips at 25 video minutes/mo.

Monthly cost at each benchmark volume
VolumeHeyGenSynthesia
500$1,274Contact sales
1,250$3,074Contact sales
2,500$6,074Contact sales
3,750$9,074Contact sales
5,000$12,074Contact sales

Hidden billing gotchas

HeyGen

  • HeyGen bills in credits. Minutes here use the per-minute rate HeyGen's help center publishes for the avatar engine you pick: Avatar V 48 credits/min, Avatar IV 31 (Video Look) or 16 (Photo Look), Avatar III 7 (Photo Look) or 4 (Video Look). HeyGen names Avatar V the default for real-human avatars and Digital Twins.
  • A HeyGen blog post updated 10 Oct 2026 puts Avatar III at 3 credits/min, below the help center's 4; we use the help center figure.
  • Video Agent (80 credits/min, or 240 with Seedance) and Avatar IV custom motion (+40 credits/min) cost more than any engine listed here.
  • Only Business can buy extra credits, at $5 per 100; Creator and Pro must move up a tier when credits run out.
  • Business includes one seat; extra team seats cost $20/month each and add no credits.
  • The Free plan has no credits: 3 watermarked videos a month, up to 1 minute each.

Synthesia

  • Minutes use Synthesia's own rate of about 100 credits per minute of finished video, plus the 10 minutes every plan gets each month. More on-screen avatar time uses more credits; API video uses 160 credits/min and lip-synced dubbing 80.
  • Every plan also gets 500 base credits a month (about 5 more minutes), not counted here.
  • Annual plans get the year's credits upfront as one pool, so a busy month can use more than the monthly figure; the 10-minute allowance still resets monthly.
  • Starter and Pro include one editor seat, and Synthesia publishes no self-serve price for more editors.
  • When credits run out, video creation pauses until renewal; extra credits are sold in-app at an unpublished price, and volumes above about 490 min/mo are Enterprise-only.

5-tier volume comparison

Cheapest plan for each tool at 10%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of the range — 1 seat, monthly billing. HeyGen figures use Avatar V (48 credits/min), HeyGen's default for real-human avatars and Digital Twins. Pick yours in the calculator above.

HeyGen vs Synthesia monthly cost at five usage volumes
Monthly volumeHeyGenon Avatar VSynthesiaCheapest & savings
50010% of range · video minutes$1,274/moBusiness (1,500 Credits)incl. $1,125 overageContact salesPro (48,000 Credits)Only HeyGen has a public plan
1,25025% of range · video minutes$3,074/moBusiness (1,500 Credits)incl. $2,925 overageContact salesPro (48,000 Credits)Only HeyGen has a public plan
2,50050% of range · video minutes$6,074/moBusiness (1,500 Credits)incl. $5,925 overageContact salesPro (48,000 Credits)Only HeyGen has a public plan
3,75075% of range · video minutes$9,074/moBusiness (1,500 Credits)incl. $8,925 overageContact salesPro (48,000 Credits)Only HeyGen has a public plan
5,000100% of range · video minutes$12,074/moBusiness (1,500 Credits)incl. $11,925 overageContact salesPro (48,000 Credits)Only HeyGen has a public plan

HeyGen vs Synthesia pricing FAQ

Is HeyGen or Synthesia cheaper at 300 video minutes per month?
It depends on HeyGen's avatar engine. On monthly billing at 300 video minutes/mo: Avatar V (48 credits/min): Synthesia is cheaper, $514/mo vs $794/mo for HeyGen. Avatar IV, Video Look (31 credits/min): HeyGen is cheaper, $460/mo vs $514/mo for Synthesia. Avatar IV, Photo Look (16 credits/min): HeyGen is cheaper, $240/mo vs $514/mo for Synthesia. Avatar III, Photo Look (7 credits/min): HeyGen is cheaper, $149/mo vs $514/mo for Synthesia. Avatar III, Video Look (4 credits/min): HeyGen is cheaper, $74/mo vs $514/mo for Synthesia.
At what usage volume does the cheaper option between HeyGen and Synthesia flip?
The cheaper tool flips at 25 video minutes/mo for a single seat on monthly billing. Below that volume and above it, re-run the calculator — tier jumps change the winner.
What hidden overage fees does HeyGen charge?
At 60 video minutes/mo on Avatar V the cheapest HeyGen plan is Pro (3,000 Credits) at $149/mo, of which $0 (0.0%) is overage. Watch out: HeyGen bills in credits. Minutes here use the per-minute rate HeyGen's help center publishes for the avatar engine you pick: Avatar V 48 credits/min, Avatar IV 31 (Video Look) or 16 (Photo Look), Avatar III 7 (Photo Look) or 4 (Video Look). HeyGen names Avatar V the default for real-human avatars and Digital Twins.
What hidden overage fees does Synthesia charge?
At 300 video minutes/mo the cheapest Synthesia plan is Pro (36,000 Credits) at $514/mo, of which $0 (0.0%) is overage. Watch out: Minutes use Synthesia's own rate of about 100 credits per minute of finished video, plus the 10 minutes every plan gets each month. More on-screen avatar time uses more credits; API video uses 160 credits/min and lip-synced dubbing 80.
How much does annual billing save on HeyGen and Synthesia?
At 60 video minutes/mo on Avatar V, annual billing drops HeyGen from $1,788 to $1,488 per year — $300 saved (16.8%). At 300 video minutes/mo, annual billing drops Synthesia from $6,168 to $4,440 per year — $1,728 saved (28.0%).

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