Synthesia vs HeyGen 2026: Honest Head-to-Head Comparison
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The honest summary
Synthesia and HeyGen both make AI talking-head avatar video. They compete for the same buyer — Segment 1 (SMB marketer) and Segment 4 (agency) — but each wins different sub-use-cases.
The short answer:
- Under £30/mo: HeyGen Creator wins (unlimited videos vs Synthesia Starter’s 10-video cap)
- Enterprise compliance: Synthesia wins (SOC 2 + ISO 42001)
- Vertical video: HeyGen wins (better 9:16 preset)
- Avatar variety: Synthesia wins (240+ vs 175+)
Neither tool is built for building fictional Instagram personas. If that is what you need, both tools will disappoint you. The actual workflow for building a consistent-face persona like Aitana López is Midjourney plus a custom LoRA — a different software category entirely. See the decision wizard to confirm which branch you are on.
Pricing comparison (May 2026)
| Synthesia | HeyGen | |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 3 videos, watermark | 3 videos, watermark |
| Entry paid | £15/mo (10 vids) | £23/mo (unlimited) |
| Creator/Pro | £50/mo (30 vids) | £23/mo (unlimited) |
| Team | N/A | ~£64/mo |
| Enterprise | USD 7,500-25,000/yr | Custom |
The price trap: Synthesia Starter at £15/mo looks cheaper than HeyGen Creator at £23/mo. But Synthesia’s 10 credits/month means most real users hit the ceiling in week 2 and upgrade to Creator at £50/mo. At that point, HeyGen Creator is less than half the price for unlimited output.
Feature matrix
| Feature | Synthesia | HeyGen |
|---|---|---|
| Stock avatars | 240+ | 175+ |
| Languages | 160+ | 175+ |
| 9:16 vertical video | Weak | Strong |
| Personal avatar | From Creator | From Team |
| Brand kit | Yes | Limited |
| SOC 2 Type II | Yes | Yes |
| ISO 42001 | Yes | No |
| Agency console | No | Yes (Team tier) |
| API | Enterprise only | Creator+ |
Verdict by segment
- Segment 1 (SMB marketer): HeyGen Creator at £23/mo for budget; Synthesia Creator at £50/mo for brand-kit features
- Segment 3 (faceless YouTube): HeyGen for vertical, Synthesia if you prefer the avatar library
- Segment 4 (agency): HeyGen Team for the multi-client console
- Segment 5 (enterprise L&D): Synthesia on compliance