Akool vs D-ID (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Akool and D-ID share a 2.2 GPA, and only Akool has a free plan.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Akool
AI face swap, avatars, video translation and video models in one suite
Which one is for you
Pick Akool if
- Fits if you make face swap or avatar videos and translate them into other languages
- Works for small teams that can budget per seat
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want no watermark for free, as free output has a full-screen one
- Tight if you need the newer video models, because Seedance 2.5 and the API start at Pro Max
- Pricey if you add people, since each admin or editor is charged at the owner's plan rate
- Watch out: Starter has a personal license, and the business license is listed under Business at $174.30 a seat
Pick D-ID if
- Fits if you turn scripts into talking-head videos without filming
- Works for developers who need an avatar API or live avatar agents
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need prices up front, since the plan table loads by script and was not readable
- Tight if you are on the trial or Lite, as their videos carry a watermark
- Watch out: unused minutes are lost each month, and length rounds up to the next 15 seconds
- Watch out: API pricing is separate from the Studio plans
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAAkoolFair | 2.2GPAD-IDFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CStarter is $12 a seat a month for 200 credits, between the $10 middle and the $15 dearer quarter for image tools. Pro is $21 and Pro Max $41.30 on yearly billing. | CNo price could be read, because plan prices load by script on the pricing page, so there is nothing to set against the $10 middle for image tools. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free plan with 20 credits, 720p and a full-screen watermark, plus 5 minutes of streaming avatar and live face swap. Enough to try, not to keep. | CA free trial exists, with a full-screen watermark, and free accounts are kept for 6 months of inactivity. How long it lasts and whether a card is needed were not readable. |
| Features | CFace swap, avatars, streaming avatars, video translation into 155+ languages and a model hub. Starter has only limited Seedance 2.0 and no API, and credit cost varies by model. | CAvatar videos from a script, avatar agents for live chat, video translation, an API and a self-hosting option. Video length rounds up to the next 15 seconds. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Credits cost different amounts per tool and model, and avatars and workspaces take some setting up. | CNo store rating on record. Video minutes round up to 15 seconds and do not carry over, so budgeting is part of learning it. |
| Platforms and integrations | BBrowser app only, but an API (from Pro Max) and Claude and Codex plugins are listed. No desktop or phone app is named. | BWeb studio plus a developer API that shares the same minutes balance, and a self-hosting option. No phone or desktop app is listed. |
| Best for | face swap and avatar videos | talking avatar videos from a script |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Akool and D-ID. How we grade
Where they differ
- Akool also covers image generation.
- D-ID also covers text to speech.
At a glance
| Akool | D-ID | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $12 per seat / month for 200 credits (Starter) | Not published |
| Free plan | A $0 plan with 20 credits for new users, tools that use no credits, 720p avatar videos up to 10 minutes with a full-screen watermark, and 1 instant avatar. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | AKOOL | D-ID |
| Price read from | akool.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Akool
- Free output carries a full-screen watermark, and new users get only 20 credits.
- Each admin or editor added to a workspace is charged at the owner's plan rate.
- Seedance 2.5 and API access start at Pro Max; Starter has only limited Seedance 2.0 access.
- Credit cost varies by model, video length and quality, so the videos a plan buys depend on the model chosen.
D-ID
- Plan prices load by script on the pricing page and could not be read as page text, so none are recorded.
- Minutes renew monthly and unused minutes are lost; video length rounds up to the next 15 seconds.
- Trial and Lite plan videos carry a watermark, a full-screen one on the trial.
Key features
Akool
- Face, character and motion swap
- Swap faces in photos and videos, replace a person in a clip with another character, or transfer the motion from one video to another.
- Avatars and talking photos
- Make presenter videos from public avatars, animate a photo, or create instant avatars of yourself: 1 on Free and Starter, up to 10 on Business.
- Streaming avatars and live face swap
- Real-time avatars that answer from a knowledge base, and live face swap; the free plan includes 5 minutes of each.
- Video translation
- Translate and re-voice videos into more than 155 languages, with voice cloning and lip-sync.
- Model Hub
- Generate images and video with third-party models such as Seedream 5.5, Seedance 2.5, Kling 3.0 and Nano Banana Pro, depending on plan.
- API and AI assistant plugin
- An OpenAPI for streaming avatars, translation, talking photos and face swap, from Pro Max up, plus a plugin for Claude and Codex.
D-ID
- AI video generator
- Creates avatar videos from a script in the Studio web app.
- AI avatar agents
- A separate AI Avatar Agent product and a Natural User Interface for live conversations.
- Video translate
- Video Translate is listed among the products.
- API
- A developer API shares the same minutes balance as the web app, with separate API pricing.
- Self-hosting
- The navigation lists a self-hosting option.
Plans
Akool
Free$0
20 credits for new users, full-screen watermark, slow processing, 720p avatar video and 5 minutes of streaming avatar and live face swap.
Starter$12
per seat / month, billed monthly or yearly ($144)
200 credits a month, selected models, all face swap models, 1080p, videos up to 15 minutes, no watermark and a personal license.
Pro$21
per seat / month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly)
600 credits a month (up to 2,400 at higher steps), all video and image models, up to 4K, 30-minute videos, 6 videos and 8 images at once.
Pro Max$41.30
per seat / month, billed annually ($59 billed monthly)
1,200 credits a month (up to 9,600), Seedance 2.5, 45-minute videos, API access and workspace collaboration.
Business$174.30
per seat / month, billed annually ($249 billed monthly)
6,000 credits a month (up to 80,000), 60-minute videos, 1 fine-tuned studio avatar, 20 videos at once and a business license.
EnterpriseCustom
Yearly plans with credits that do not expire, Ultra Avatar, SSO, dedicated servers and an account manager.
D-ID
Pricing could not be confirmed. See d-id.com.
Ways to pay less
Akool
- Annual discount
30% off Pro, Pro Max and Business billed yearly
Yearly billing is 30% below monthly on Pro, Pro Max and Business; Starter costs $12 a month either way.
- Education
Three free months for university researchers
Faculty and researchers at top-1000 ranked universities, and supervised student teams, can apply for 3 months of the Studio Plan free and 40% off an annual plan after.
D-ID
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Akool or D-ID?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Akool starts at $12 per seat / month for 200 credits (Starter), and D-ID has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Akool or D-ID?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Akool has a free plan. D-ID does not.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.