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Synthesia vs HeyGen for training videos
For HR and L&D teams: credit models, minutes per month, SCORM, dubbing, lip sync and security compared.
If you run training at a company you know the scene. A new safety procedure, a product launch the sales team must learn, an onboarding video filmed three years ago with half the managers gone. Avatar video platforms fill that gap: write a script, an on-screen presenter delivers it, fix the script when the procedure changes.
Synthesia and HeyGen look similar on paper, but one is built for corporate training teams and the other for creators and marketers. That difference decides it. We did not test them with our own content.
| Synthesia | HeyGen | |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Basic: 10 min video or dubbing/month, 500 credits, watermark | 3 videos/month up to 1 min, watermark |
| Entry paid | Starter: $14/month billed yearly, 1,250 credits | Creator: $29/month ($24 annual), 600 credits |
| Mid tier | Pro: $59/month billed yearly | Pro: from $49/month, 1,000 credits |
| Team | Enterprise (custom) | Business: $149/month + $20/seat |
| Stock avatars | 125+ / 180+ / 240+ | 500+ free, 700+ paid |
| SCORM | Enterprise | Business |
| Export | 1080p | 1080p Creator, 4K Pro and up |
Synthesia's annual prices appeared inconsistently on the page, so we list monthly billing only.
Credits mean different things
Synthesia gives every plan 10 fixed minutes a month with credits on top. Its FAQ says a typical finished minute uses about 100 credits, so Starter adds roughly 12 minutes, about 22 in total. Only newly generated footage is charged: fix three seconds and pay for three seconds. Unused minutes do not roll over.
HeyGen's credits vary by model, length and complexity. Monthly plans roll unused credits over one month; annual plans accumulate until renewal. Flexible, but harder to budget. If you must defend a budget in minutes, Synthesia is easier.
Why training teams lean Synthesia
PowerPoint import, embeds that update when you edit, a multilingual player, in-video surveys (3 responses a month included, 350 credits each after) and AI roleplay training. The weak point is SCORM, which sits on Enterprise.
Why marketers lean HeyGen
Cinematic avatars, text-to-video models, 4K, gesture control. It has training features too: SCORM and LMS integrations, quizzes and branching on Business, which reaches SCORM at a lower published price. Videos run up to 30 minutes on Creator and Pro, 60 on Business. Still, split training into five to seven minute modules.
Languages and dubbing
Synthesia lists 140+ languages and voices, dubbing into 70+ languages on self-serve plans; lip sync doubles dubbing credits (80 instead of 40 per minute). A brand glossary helps with product names. HeyGen lists 30+ languages free and 175+ on paid plans. Test the actual voice paired with your avatar; reviews mention accents on some stock voices. Synthesia also accepts uploaded voiceovers, so you can bring audio from ElevenLabs (see our comparison).
Security and consent
Synthesia states SOC 2 and GDPR compliance and moderates all videos. HeyGen lists SAML/SSO on Business and SCIM and MFA on Enterprise. If you build personal avatars of employees, get explicit consent and decide in writing what happens when that person leaves.
My pick
An LMS-driven team producing regular training on a minutes budget: Synthesia. A team that also makes marketing video, or wants SCORM without an enterprise negotiation: HeyGen. Run a free pilot first and show it to employees before committing.
Before you start
Is Synthesia free?
Basic is free: 10 minutes a month, 3 survey responses, 500 credits, watermarked.
Which is cheaper?
On the entry tier, Synthesia Starter comes to $14 a month billed yearly, against $29 for HeyGen Creator. Synthesia's included minutes make the math clearer.
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