Elai vs Synthesia (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Synthesia grades higher than Elai: 2.4 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 2, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 2, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Synthesia grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Elai
AI avatar video maker that turns text, URLs and slides into video
Synthesia
AI video platform that turns scripts into avatar-presented videos
Which one is for you
Pick Elai if
- Fits if you make training or explainer videos with an avatar presenter
- Works for teams who need SCORM export
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free, as the free plan covers 1 minute of video
- Watch out: every render uses minutes, even a re-render of the same video
- Pricey if you need more minutes, as extra ones cost $2 each and only on paid plans
- Watch out: voice clones and selfie avatars cost $200 and $199 a year on Creator
Pick Synthesia if
- Fits if your training team needs videos without filming anyone
- Works for dubbing existing videos into other languages, or turning decks into narrated videos
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you make long videos, because Starter's 1,250 credits add roughly 12 minutes a month
- Skip it if you need SSO, SCORM export or live team collaboration, as those are listed under Enterprise
- Not for you if you want teammates editing with you, since self-serve plans include 1 editor and guests only comment
- Watch out: free videos carry a watermark and can't be downloaded; both need Starter at $14 a month billed yearly
- Watch out: on monthly billing the first month is $9 for Starter and $49 for Pro, then it's $19 and $89 a month
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAElaiFair | 2.4GPASynthesiaFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CCreator is $23 a month billed yearly for 15 minutes, or $29 monthly, around the top of the category's usual range. | CStarter is $14 a month on the year, $19 monthly, inside this category's normal range against a $10 middle, and it buys roughly 12 minutes of video a month at about 100 credits a minute. Pro, with personal avatars and interactive video, is $59 on the year and $89 monthly. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free plan with 1 user and 1 minute of video, which you will outgrow quickly. | CBasic renews monthly with 10 minutes of video or dubbing, 500 credits and 9 avatars. But videos carry a Synthesia watermark and you can't download them at all until Starter. |
| Features | CAvatars, script, URL and slide input, translation, API and SCORM export, but voice clones and selfie avatars are paid add-ons. | BAvatar videos from a prompt, link, file or PowerPoint deck, dubbing into 70+ languages in the speaker's own voice, a personal avatar from one photo, interactive videos with branching and quizzes, roleplay, a screen recorder and an API. No gap in the core job. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record, and you build scripts and scenes before you get a video. | CNo store rating on record, and the work is still making the video: choosing avatars, editing scenes, watching the credit meter. Handing the Video Assistant a prompt or a deck is the easy start of it. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, with Panopto the one integration listed beside the API. | BA web app plus a Chrome extension for screen recordings, with an API and ties to PowerPoint, HubSpot, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Notion, Workday and Moodle. No phone app and no desktop app. |
| Best for | talking-avatar videos from text | training videos with no 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: Elai and Synthesia. How we grade
Price against what you get
Elai starts at $23 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Synthesia starts at $14 a month and scores 2.7.
Synthesia scores higher and starts $9 a month lower. Of the other screen recording and video tools on the chart, 59 score higher than Elai for less, and 11 score higher than Synthesia for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Elai also covers video generation, text to speech and voice cloning.
- Synthesia also covers templates and screen recording.
At a glance
| Elai | Synthesia | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $23 per month for 15 minutes, billed annually ($29 billed monthly) | $14 per month, billed yearly ($19 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | 1 user, 1 minute of video, 80+ avatars, 75+ languages and all Creator features. | Basic plan: each month 10 minutes of video creation or dubbing, 3 survey responses and 500 credits, with 1 editor and 9 AI avatars. Videos carry a Synthesia watermark. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Elai Inc. | Synthesia Limited |
| Price read from | elai.io | synthesia.io |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 2, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Elai
- Plans are measured in render minutes, and every render uses minutes, even a re-render of the same video.
- Extra minutes cost $2 each and can only be bought on paid subscriptions.
- Voice clones and selfie avatars are add-ons on Creator ($200 and $199 per year); Team annual includes one of each.
- The free plan is limited to 1 minute of video.
Synthesia
- Basic videos carry a Synthesia watermark; downloading videos and removing the logo start on the Starter plan.
- Usage is metered in credits: video costs about 100 credits a minute, so Starter's 1,250 monthly credits add roughly 12 minutes.
- Self-serve plans include 1 editor; Starter adds 3 guests and Pro 5, and guests are invited to comment on videos.
- SAML/SSO, live team collaboration, SCORM export and 1-click translation are listed under the Enterprise plan.
Key features
Elai
- Avatar videos from a script
- Choose from 80+ avatars and 300+ standard voices, type or upload a script, and render the video.
- URL, PPTX and AI storyboard input
- Paste a URL or upload a PowerPoint file, or have a script drafted from a prompt, link or document.
- Interactivity
- Add buttons, hotspots, branching paths and text quizzes; image and multi-select quizzes need a higher plan.
- Translation and captions
- Translate a video automatically, and add captions or subtitles, in 75+ languages.
- API and SCORM export
- A public API is listed in the plan comparison but not on the free plan; SCORM export is listed for Enterprise only.
Synthesia
- AI avatars
- Videos are presented by stock AI avatars, from 9 on Basic to 240+ on Enterprise, or by a personal avatar created from a single photo.
- Script, file or slides to video
- The AI Video Assistant turns a prompt, link or file into an editable video, and PowerPoint decks can be imported and narrated.
- AI dubbing and translation
- Dub an uploaded video or YouTube link into 70+ languages, 140+ on Enterprise, keeping the speaker's voice. Lip-sync uses twice the credits.
- Interactive videos
- Add clickable calls to action, branching paths and quizzes that show viewers a final score. Interactive videos are listed from the Pro plan.
- Roleplay and Survey Sessions
- Avatar-led roleplay practice and conversational surveys. Roleplay learner seats can be added to a plan for an extra monthly charge.
- AI Screen Recorder and API
- A Chrome extension makes editable screen recordings, and the Synthesia API creates and dubs videos programmatically.
Plans
Elai
Free$0
1 user and 1 minute of rendered video; 80+ avatars and 75+ languages.
Creator$23
per month for 15 minutes, billed annually ($29 billed monthly)
1 user, Full HD video and the full avatar, voice and language library. $276 billed annually.
Team$100
per month for 50 minutes, billed annually ($125 billed monthly)
3 editors and 3 guests, 4K video, premium voices, custom images and fonts, 1 selfie avatar and 1 voice clone. $1,200 billed annually.
EnterpriseCustom
Unlimited users, brand kit, workspaces, SSO and premium avatars; sold through sales.
Synthesia
Basic$0
10 minutes of video or dubbing, 3 survey responses and 500 credits a month, with 1 editor and 9 AI avatars. Videos carry a watermark.
Starter$14
per month, billed yearly ($168); $19 billed monthly
1,250 credits a month on top of the free allowance, video downloads, no Synthesia logo, 3 guests and 125+ AI avatars.
Pro$59
per month, billed yearly ($708); $89 billed monthly
6,000 credits a month (tiers up to 48,000 for $448 a month yearly), 5 personal avatars, interactive videos, branded video pages and 5 guests.
EnterpriseCustom
Unlimited video minutes, 240+ avatars, 1-click translation, SAML/SSO, live team collaboration, brand kits and SCORM export.
Ways to pay less
Elai
- Annual discount
Save 20% with annual billing
Elai's pricing page shows a 20% saving when Creator or Team is billed annually instead of monthly.
Synthesia
- Annual discount
Save up to 4 months with yearly billing
Starter is $14 a month billed yearly against $19 billed monthly, and Pro is $59 against $89. Synthesia describes this as saving up to 4 months.
- Other savings
Discounted first month on monthly billing
On monthly billing the pricing page shows the first month of Starter for $9 and of Pro for $49, then $19 and $89 a month. No end date is given.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Elai or Synthesia?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Synthesia is cheaper to start with: $14 a month, against $23 a month for Elai. Elai starts at $23 per month for 15 minutes, billed annually ($29 billed monthly), and Synthesia starts at $14 per month, billed yearly ($19 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Elai or Synthesia?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Elai and Synthesia have a free plan.
Which platforms do Elai and Synthesia run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Synthesia lists a browser extension. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.