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HeyGen vs Synthesia, and a third option for AI video
HeyGen and Synthesia both put a realistic AI avatar in front of your script and translate the result with lip sync; HeyGen leans to creators and marketers with a larger avatar library and long videos, while Synthesia leans to training teams with SCORM, interactivity and team features. OneCraft is a third column for short promos, UGC ads and tutorials built from screenshots.
Updated , competitor details checked . HeyGen and Synthesia are trademarks of their owners. OneCraft is not affiliated with or endorsed by either.
Nuwan Madhusanka · Co-founder
3 min read · Published
The short verdict
HeyGen suits creators and marketers who want a large avatar library, custom avatars, translation of existing videos with voice cloning and lip sync, and videos up to an hour. Synthesia suits training and internal communications teams who want avatars plus SCORM, quizzes, branching, analytics and team collaboration. OneCraft suits short promos, creator style ads and step by step tutorials from screenshots, where an avatar is optional.
| Feature | HeyGen | Synthesia | OneCraft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free $0; Creator $29 a month or $24 billed annually; Pro $49 a month; Business $149 a month plus $20 a seat; Enterprise by quote checked 2026-10-05 | Basic free with 10 minutes a month; Starter $29 a month; Pro $89 a month or $64 billed yearly; Enterprise custom checked 2026-10-05 | Free $0 with 100 credits a month, Starter $8, Pro $25, Pro+ $125; about 20 credits per video generation |
| Avatars | 500+ stock avatars on Free and 700+ on paid plans; custom avatars on every plan checked 2026-10-05 | 9 avatars on Basic, 125+ on Starter, 180+ on Pro, 240+ on Enterprise; 3 personal avatars on Starter and 5 on Pro checked 2026-10-05 | No library. UGC mode generates one persona per video from a description, on the Pro plan and up |
| Translation | Translates uploaded videos or YouTube links into 175+ languages with voice cloning, lip sync and AI subtitles checked 2026-10-05 | One click translation into 140+ languages and dubbing that keeps the speaker's voice with lip sync checked 2026-10-05 | No translation of a finished video and no lip sync; the brief's language sets copy and narration, with 56 languages mapped to a voice |
| Talking length | 1 minute per video on Free, 30 minutes on Creator and Pro, 60 minutes on Business checked 2026-10-05 | Metered in credits: about 12 minutes a month on Starter and 60 on Pro checked 2026-10-05 | A UGC video stays under 30 seconds with at most 3 talking scenes |
| Tutorial from your screen | A screen recorder listed in the plan comparison table checked 2026-10-05 | An AI screen recorder that transcribes and polishes narration, on Enterprise checked 2026-10-05 | Still frames, one per press of Capture step, each with a marked click and No zoom, 1.5x or 2.1x; tutorials need the Starter plan |
| Captions | AI generated subtitles as part of video translation checked 2026-10-05 | Not itemised on the pages checked checked 2026-10-05 | Built from the narration text, on by default, with a per scene toggle |
| Export resolution | Up to 1080p on Free and Creator, up to 4K on Pro, Business and Enterprise checked 2026-10-05 | Full HD 1920x1080 on every plan checked 2026-10-05 | MP4, with 4K from the Starter plan |
| SCORM and LMS | SCORM export and LMS integrations listed in the plan comparison table checked 2026-10-05 | SCORM export on Enterprise checked 2026-10-05 | No SCORM. Videos leave as MP4 files or a read only share link that plays live in the browser |
Where HeyGen is better
The largest avatar choice
HeyGen lists more than 700 stock avatars on its paid plans and custom avatars on every plan, including Free. OneCraft has no avatar library and never builds an avatar of a real person.
Translating videos you already have
HeyGen translates an uploaded video or a YouTube link into more than 175 languages, keeping the speaker's voice and syncing the lips. OneCraft cannot translate a finished video.
Long presenter videos
Creator and Pro allow videos of up to 30 minutes and Business up to 60. A OneCraft video targets 10 to 30 seconds.
Where Synthesia is better
Built for training teams
Synthesia adds quizzes, calls to action and branching scenarios to videos, tracks views and watch time, and exports SCORM on Enterprise. OneCraft has none of these.
Personal avatars on mid plans
Starter includes 3 personal avatars and Pro 5, so a trainer can appear in every lesson. OneCraft's persona is generated from a description, never from a real person.
Working as a team
Synthesia lists real time collaboration and commenting, with guests on Starter and Pro. A OneCraft video has one editor and a read only share link.
Where OneCraft is different
Tutorials from screenshots
Snap a still frame per step, mark the click, choose a zoom, and the director writes 10 to 25 words of narration for each 5 to 9 second step in an instructional voice.
Short ads with a creator
UGC mode writes one creator, one portrait and one voice, animates up to three talking beats and closes on the offer, all under 30 seconds.
Promos without a presenter
Promotional videos are built from text, charts, diagrams, maps, your images and Pexels stock clips, so not every video needs a face.
A finished example
Tutorial video exampleMade with OneCraft, exactly as the generator and editor left it. Open the page for the full breakdown.Pricing in plain terms
Checked 5 October 2026. HeyGen lists Free at $0 with 3 videos a month and a watermark, Creator at $29 a month or $24 billed annually, Pro at $49 a month, Business at $149 a month plus $20 a seat a month, and Enterprise by quote. Synthesia lists Basic free with 10 minutes a month, Starter at $29 a month with 1,250 credits, Pro at $89 a month or $64 billed yearly with 6,000 credits, and Enterprise by quote. OneCraft lists Free at $0, Starter at $8, Pro at $25 and Pro+ at $125. UGC videos need Pro and tutorials need Starter.
Choosing between HeyGen and Synthesia
Ask who watches. For a public audience, ads and social video, HeyGen's avatar range, custom avatars and long videos fit the job, and its translator turns one video into many languages. For employees and learners, Synthesia's quizzes, branching, analytics and SCORM export fit an LMS, though SCORM sits on Enterprise. Both translate with lip sync, so translation alone does not decide it.
Where a third option fits
OneCraft is not an avatar platform. It fits three jobs: a 10 to 30 second promo from a brief, a creator style ad under 30 seconds with one generated persona, and a how-to video built from screenshots with marked clicks. If your video is a person talking to camera for minutes, either HeyGen or Synthesia is the better tool.
What could not be checked
HeyGen's Business plan card and its pricing FAQ both give $149 a month plus $20 a seat a month, and the page publishes no annual price for Business. Its plan table lists SCORM and a screen recorder without a readable plan for each. Synthesia's pages do not itemise captions. Every OneCraft cell names a row in an internal fact ledger checked against the product's source code.
Who should stay with HeyGen or Synthesia
Stay with HeyGen if you need many avatars, custom avatars, lip-synced translation of existing videos or long presenter videos. Stay with Synthesia if you produce training with SCORM, quizzes, analytics and a team. OneCraft fits short promos, UGC ads and how-to videos from screenshots.
Questions people ask
Is HeyGen or Synthesia cheaper to start with?
Both have a free plan. HeyGen's Creator plan is $29 a month, or $24 billed annually, with videos up to 30 minutes. Synthesia's Starter plan is $29 a month with 1,250 credits, about 12 minutes of video. Compare by minutes and avatars you need, since both plans meter output differently.
Which one has more avatars?
HeyGen, on the pages checked: more than 500 stock avatars on Free and more than 700 on paid plans. Synthesia lists 9 on Basic, more than 125 on Starter, more than 180 on Pro and more than 240 on Enterprise. OneCraft has no library and generates one persona per UGC video.
Can OneCraft make a training video like Synthesia?
A short one. Tutorial videos turn screenshots into narrated steps of 5 to 9 seconds each, with a marked click and zoom, and a long video holds 6 to 12 scenes. There is no avatar presenter, no quiz, no SCORM and no viewer analytics, so a course for an LMS belongs in Synthesia.
Do HeyGen and Synthesia both lip sync translations?
Yes. HeyGen's translator keeps the speaker's voice with cloning and syncs the lips across more than 175 languages. Synthesia's dubbing keeps the original voice with lip sync, and its translation covers more than 140 languages. OneCraft does neither; it generates a fresh video in the language of the brief.
Which plan do I need for a OneCraft how-to video?
Tutorial videos are a paid feature from the Starter plan, $8 a month with 500 credits. A free account sees the tutorial type locked. A video generation uses about 20 credits, and the export bills its render time; most tutorials need new narration, which is billed by length, roughly 3 credits a minute of speech.
Try the video side of OneCraft
The button opens the generator with a starting prompt already filled in. Change the wording to match your own work before you run it.
Create a video with OneCraftMore comparisons
- A HeyGen alternative for creator-style adsA HeyGen alternative for short creator-style ads: OneCraft and HeyGen compared on price, avatars, translation, talking scenes, voices and video length.
- A Synthesia alternative for tutorials and promosOneCraft as a Synthesia alternative: tutorial videos from your screenshots, promos from a brief, one UGC persona and 56 voice languages.
- A Colossyan alternative for training videosA Colossyan alternative for short training videos without avatars: OneCraft and Colossyan compared on price, avatars, structure, languages and SCORM.
What the module actually does, feature by feature: the AI video maker page.
Step by step in the builder: Make a how to video with AI, then Make a UGC creator video.
Written and checked by the OneCraft team. Last checked .