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SEO & AI toolsSynthesia alternatives
By Cathy Riddell · Prices checked 31 Oct 2026 · Last updated 31 Oct 2026
How this page was made: I compared each vendor’s official pricing and feature pages on 31 Oct 2026. Hands-on test notes are added only after I’ve used the product on a real account; until then they’re marked as pending. My review method.
Synthesia
What every alternative here is compared against
- Free Basic plan: 10 minutes of video a month (watermarked)
- Starter: US$19/mo, or US$14/mo billed yearly (official page, as of Oct 2026)
- 125+ AI avatars on Starter, 140+ languages and voices on every plan
- Says it is SOC 2 and GDPR compliant
- Videos on the listed plans run up to 3 minutes each
Quick picks by need
Synthesia vs the closest alternatives
| Synthesia | HeyGen | Colossyan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 10 min of video/mo, watermarked | 3 videos/mo up to 1 min, watermarked | 20 min/mo with NEO avatars |
| Entry paid plan | Starter US$19/mo, or US$14/mo billed yearly | Creator US$29/mo, or US$24/mo paid annually | Professional US$59/mo on an annual plan |
| Languages | 140+ languages and voices | 175+ languages and dialects (Creator) | 120+ languages |
| Video length | Up to 3 min on listed plans | Up to 30 min on Pro | Up to 20 min on Starter |
| Security | Says SOC 2 and GDPR compliant | Not stated on the pricing page | Says SOC 2 Type II and GDPR compliant |
All figures from each vendor’s official pricing page, read 31 Oct 2026.
How do the Synthesia alternatives compare at a glance?
| Tool | Best for | Price (official page) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BenchmarkSynthesia | Short business training and explainer videos with AI avatars | Free Basic plan; Starter US$19/mo, or US$14/mo billed yearly; Pro US$89/mo, or US$59/mo billed yearly (official page, checked 31 Oct 2026) | Visit Synthesia |
| HeyGen | Creators and longer avatar videos | Free plan; Creator US$29/mo, or US$24/mo paid annually; Pro from US$49/mo (official page, checked 31 Oct 2026) | Visit HeyGen |
| Colossyan | Training teams who need SCORM export for an LMS | Free Starter plan; Professional US$59/mo on an annual plan (official page, checked 31 Oct 2026) | Visit Colossyan |
| Descript | Editing your own video and podcasts by editing text | Free plan; Hobbyist US$24/mo, or US$16/mo annually; Creator US$35/mo, or US$24/mo annually (official page, checked 31 Oct 2026) | Visit Descript |
| Pictory | Turning scripts and blog posts into stock-footage videos | Check current pricing on the official Pictory pricing page | Visit Pictory |
| InVideo | Generating clips and images with AI models, plus a timeline editor | Check current pricing on the official InVideo pricing page | Visit InVideo |
Why look for a Synthesia alternative?
- Video length: Synthesia’s listed plans cap videos at 3 minutes.
- LMS export: SCORM export sits on Synthesia’s Enterprise plan; Colossyan lists it on Professional.
- Different jobs: if you don’t need an AI presenter, an editor like Descript or a text-to-video tool may fit better.
HeyGen: closest alternative, with longer videos
HeyGen’s Free plan allows 3 watermarked videos a month, up to 1 minute each. Creator is US$29/mo (US$24/mo paid annually) with 1080p export, no HeyGen branding, a custom video avatar of yourself and 175+ languages and dialects. Pro starts at US$49/mo with 4K export and videos up to 30 minutes, and Business is US$149/mo plus US$20 per seat (official page, Oct 2026).
Compared with Synthesia: HeyGen’s entry paid plan costs more on a yearly bill (US$24/mo vs US$14/mo), but Pro allows much longer videos.
Colossyan: best for training teams and LMS export
Colossyan focuses on training and enablement videos and courses. Its free Starter plan includes 20 minutes a month with its NEO avatars, 15 custom avatars and 3 voices, brand kits and up to 1080p video. Professional is US$59/mo on an annual plan, adding NEO2 minutes, watermark removal, unlimited MP4 downloads, AI image generation, up to 3 editors and 5 SCORM exports a month. Colossyan lists 120+ languages and says it is SOC 2 Type II certified and GDPR compliant (official page, Oct 2026).
Compared with Synthesia: watermark removal starts at a higher price (US$59/mo annual vs Synthesia Starter at US$14/mo yearly), but SCORM export is on a self-serve plan.
Descript: best if you’re editing your own footage
Descript lets you edit video by editing a text transcript. Its Free plan includes 60 media minutes a month with 720p export. Hobbyist is US$24/mo (US$16/mo annually) and Creator US$35/mo (US$24/mo annually) with 4K export (official page, Oct 2026).
Pictory: best for turning scripts and articles into videos
Pictory builds videos from text, with AI voices from ElevenLabs and stock footage from Getty Images and Storyblocks, and offers a free trial. Its pricing page was showing discounted prices when I checked, so I haven’t quoted one; see the official pricing page.
InVideo: AI generation plus a timeline editor
InVideo combines AI image and video generation models with a timeline editor, sold as Starter, Plus and Max plans with monthly credits. It was running a time-limited sale when I checked, so I haven’t quoted a price; see the official pricing page.
Should I just stick with Synthesia?
If your videos are short presenter-led training or explainers, Synthesia’s free Basic plan is an easy way to check before switching: 10 minutes of video a month, with Starter from US$14/mo billed yearly (official page, Oct 2026).
Make a free video with Synthesia
[Cathy to add: hands-on notes from a real Synthesia, HeyGen and Colossyan account: plan tested, date, what was set up, screenshots]
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Synthesia?
For avatar videos, HeyGen is the closest: it has a free plan, and Pro (from US$49/mo) allows videos up to 30 minutes. For training teams that need SCORM export, Colossyan lists it on its Professional plan (official pages, Oct 2026).
Is there a free Synthesia alternative?
Yes. HeyGen’s Free plan allows 3 watermarked videos a month, Colossyan’s Starter plan is free with 20 minutes a month, and Descript has a free plan (official pages, Oct 2026).
Synthesia vs HeyGen: which is cheaper?
On a yearly bill, Synthesia Starter is US$14/mo and HeyGen Creator is US$24/mo; monthly they are US$19 and US$29 (official pages, Oct 2026).
Does Synthesia have a free plan?
Yes. Synthesia’s Basic plan is free with 10 minutes of video a month; videos carry a watermark (official page, Oct 2026).
Cathy is an Adelaide-based digital agency founder who sets up and runs small-business software for real clients. She writes every BizStacked guide and keeps the prices on each page dated and sourced. How I review →
Related guides
Sources
- https://www.synthesia.io/pricing: Synthesia official pricing page, checked 31 Oct 2026
- https://www.heygen.com/pricing: HeyGen official pricing page, checked 31 Oct 2026
- https://www.colossyan.com/pricing: Colossyan official pricing page, checked 31 Oct 2026
- https://www.descript.com/pricing: Descript official pricing page, checked 31 Oct 2026
- https://pictory.ai/pricing: Pictory official pricing page, read 31 Oct 2026; it was showing discounted (“Was”) prices, so no price is quoted
- https://invideo.io/pricing: InVideo official pricing page, read 31 Oct 2026; it was showing a time-limited sale, so no price is quoted
Prices are in USD unless stated and come only from the official vendor pages above. Vendors change prices and run promotions often, so confirm on the official page before you buy. Star ratings aren’t published until hands-on testing is complete.