Arcads vs HeyGen
We give Arcads a 1.8 GPA and HeyGen a 2.6, out of 4.0. Arcads grades higher on value for money. HeyGen grades higher on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
HeyGen
AI video generator with realistic avatars and video translation
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAArcadsWeak | 2.6GPAHeyGenGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo dollar price is on record: Arcads shows prices only inside the app, so this is the ordinary grade for a missing price, not a judgment. What's known is that Starter gives 8,000 credits a month, a talking-actor video costs 800, and yearly billing is 20% off. | DCreator is $24 a month on yearly billing against a $10 middle for video tools here, and that buys 600 credits. HeyGen's help page puts its newest avatar at 48 credits a minute, so about 12 minutes of video. 4K and the best models need Pro at $41. |
| Free plan and trial | DNo free plan. A 72-hour trial with 1,000 credits needs a card, and Starter monthly begins by itself unless you cancel. That's short, and the price isn't published outside the app. | CThree videos a month, a minute each, and the help centre says the quota is 1 to 3 depending on region. No card needed, which is decent, but the watermark stays until you pay. |
| Features | C1,000+ AI actors, custom actors, video and image models such as Veo 3.1 and Kling 3.0, unboxings, app showcases, translation with lip sync and batch workflows. It does the making fully, but that's one job: no rivals' ads, no reports on your accounts. | BStock and custom avatars, voice cloning, lip-synced translation into 175+ languages, a Video Agent that builds a whole video from one prompt, and an API with an MCP server. The job is covered, as Synthesia covers it, and credits meter all of it. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. Writing a script and picking an actor is simple, but credits vary by model and Arcads says rates may differ by account, so working out what a video costs takes care. | A4.78 from about 26,000 App Store ratings, which is as high as this category goes. One reviewer who hands anything technical to their teenager made videos alone. Working out what things cost in credits is the only hard part. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, and it doesn't connect to any ad account. Its links are ElevenLabs voices and an MCP server for Claude and ChatGPT, and the API only comes on Pro and above. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with an API, an MCP server and Canva and Adobe Express plugging straight in. There's no desktop app, and Zapier, Make and HubSpot are listed under Business. |
| Best for | UGC-style video ads read by AI actors | presenter videos without a camera |
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: Arcads and HeyGen. How we grade
Where they differ
- HeyGen has a free plan. Arcads does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only HeyGen lists iOS and Android apps.
- Arcads also covers AI agents, image generation, video generation and ad creative.
- HeyGen also covers templates.
At a glance
| Arcads | HeyGen | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $24 per month, billed annually ($29 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | Up to 3 videos a month of up to 1 minute each (1 to 3 depending on region), with 500+ stock video avatars, 1 custom video avatar, 1 voice clone and 30+ languages. No credit card required. |
| Free trial | 72-hour free trial with 1,000 credits; a card is required and Starter monthly begins unless cancelled | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | FRESHR SAS | HeyGen Technology Inc. |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | heygen.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Arcads
- App and e-commerce marketers testing many UGC-style video ads
- Agencies making ads in several languages from one script
- Teams that want video ads without filming or hiring creators
HeyGen
- Marketers and creators making presenter videos without a camera
- Translating existing videos for audiences in other languages
- Teams producing training content with SCORM export on the Business plan
Worth knowing
Arcads
- Dollar prices are not published outside the app; plans run Starter (8,000 credits a month), Creator, Pro, Scale and Business (192,000), with yearly billing 20% off.
- Starter and Creator stop generating at the credit limit and reset monthly; Pro and up roll credits over and bill extra use on the next invoice.
- A talking-actor video costs 800 credits and a Veo 3.1 clip 800; Arcads says it tests other rates, so accounts may differ.
- The API, team seats, custom actors and ElevenLabs voices start on Pro.
HeyGen
- The Free plan allows up to 3 videos a month of 1 minute each, and the help centre says the quota is 1 to 3 depending on region. Watermark removal and 1080p export start on Creator.
- Paid plans are metered in credits, and the number a video uses varies with the AI model, its duration and its complexity.
- SAML/SSO, SCORM export, LMS integrations and workspace collaboration are listed from Business at $149 a month, plus $20 per extra seat.
- Unused credits roll over for one month on monthly billing and are lost when a subscription is cancelled.
Key features
Arcads
- AI actors
- Talking-actor videos up to 2 minutes from a library of 1,000+ AI actors based on consenting real actors, or a private custom actor or clone of yourself.
- Video and image models
- Generates clips with Seedance, Veo 3.1, Kling 3.0 and others, and images with Nano-Banana, GPT Image and Seedream, all from one credit balance.
- Product and app videos
- Turns a product photo into a first-person unboxing or an app screenshot into an app showcase video.
- Translation and editing
- Translates videos with lip sync into 176 language and accent options, and adds captions, overlays, trims, resizes and upscales.
- Workflows and Mark
- Workflows make a whole batch in one run, such as one script across 10 actors in 2 languages; Mark is an AI agent briefed in plain language.
- API and MCP
- A public API on Pro and above, and an MCP server for using Arcads from Claude or ChatGPT.
HeyGen
- AI avatars
- Scripts are delivered by stock video avatars or a custom avatar of yourself, with lip-sync across more than 175 languages and dialects.
- Video Agent
- Type an idea and get a finished video with presenter footage, motion graphics and B-roll. Every element stays editable afterwards in AI Studio.
- AI Studio editor
- A text-based editor that directs words, gestures and emotion from the script, with Brand Kit, auto captions and comments for teams.
- Video translation
- Upload a file or paste a YouTube link to translate a video with cloned voice and lip-sync. Pro adds editing and proofreading of the translated script.
- Voice cloning
- Clone your voice so avatar and translated videos keep your tone and delivery. Voice cloning is listed from the Creator plan.
- API and integrations
- Developer APIs for video generation, translation and lip-sync, an MCP server, and direct integrations with tools such as Canva and Adobe Express.
Plans
Arcads
Pricing could not be confirmed. See arcads.ai.
HeyGen
Free$0
Up to 3 videos a month (1 to 3 depending on region) of up to 1 minute each, 500+ stock video avatars, 1 custom video avatar, 1 voice clone and 30+ languages.
Creator$24
per month, billed annually ($288); $29 billed monthly
600 credits a month, videos up to 30 minutes, 1080p export, watermark removal, voice cloning and 175+ languages and dialects.
Pro$41
per month, billed annually ($488); $49 billed monthly
From 1,000 credits a month, with larger credit tiers at higher prices, 4K export and access to all advanced AI models.
Business$119
per month, billed annually ($1,428); $149 billed monthly
1,500 credits, videos up to 60 minutes, 5 or 10 custom video avatars depending on the account, SAML/SSO, SCORM export and collaboration. Extra seats are $20 a month each.
EnterpriseCustom
No maximum video duration, multi-workspace management, SCIM provisioning, invoice billing and a dedicated customer success manager.
Ways to pay less
Arcads
- Annual discount
20% off with yearly billing
Arcads' pricing help article says plans are billed monthly or yearly, and yearly billing is 20% off.
HeyGen
- Annual discount
Save about 16% to 20% with annual billing
Creator is $24 a month billed annually ($288) against $29 billed monthly. Pro is $41 against $49, and Business is $119 against $149.
