HeyGen vs Pictory
We give HeyGen a 2.6 GPA and Pictory a 2.0, out of 4.0. HeyGen grades higher on features and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan 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
Pictory
Turns scripts, articles and slides into narrated stock-footage videos
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAHeyGenGood | 2.0GPAPictoryFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | DStarter is $25 a month on yearly billing ($29 monthly), the dearest start among its listed rivals: invideo at $10, Runway and LTX Studio at $12, Synthesia at $18 and HeyGen at $24. It buys 2,400 video minutes a year of stock-footage editing, but only about 12.5 minutes of generated video. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | CA 14-day trial with 15 video minutes, 50 AI credits and exports up to 720p. The listing doesn't say whether it needs a card. |
| Features | 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. | CScript, blog link, PDF or slides into a narrated video with stock footage, text-based editing of recordings, ElevenLabs voices and brand kits. It does that job fully, but it's a smaller one: generated footage is about 12.5 minutes a year on Starter. |
| Ease of use | 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. | CNo app-store rating on record. Pasting a script or link gets a first cut, but scenes, templates and brand kits take some setting up. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | BWeb and a Chrome extension, with Zapier, Make, ElevenLabs, Getty and Storyblocks, and an API. No desktop or phone app. |
| Best for | presenter videos without a camera | turning articles and slides into videos |
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: HeyGen and Pictory. How we grade
Where they differ
- HeyGen starts at $24 per month, billed annually ($29 billed monthly). Pictory starts at $25 per month, billed annually ($29 billed monthly).
- HeyGen has a free plan. Pictory does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only HeyGen lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Pictory lists a browser extension.
- Pictory also covers transcription, video editing, image generation and video generation.
At a glance
| HeyGen | Pictory | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $24 per month, billed annually ($29 billed monthly) | $25 per month, billed annually ($29 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | 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. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial with 15 video minutes, 50 AI credits and exports up to 720p |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | HeyGen Technology Inc. | Pictory |
| Price read from | heygen.com | pictory.ai |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Pictory
- Turning blog posts and slide decks into narrated videos
- Training and course teams producing many explainer videos
- Trimming long recordings into short clips by editing text
Worth knowing
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.
Pictory
- Generated footage is limited: Starter's 1,200 yearly AI credits make about 12.5 minutes of AI video; most minutes are stock-footage edits.
- Paid subscriptions are not refunded; cancelling only stops the next renewal.
- Monthly billing gives fewer AI credits: Professional includes 500 a month when billed monthly against 12,000 a year when billed annually.
- The trial exports at up to 720p and allows 15 video minutes.
Key features
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.
Pictory
- Script, URL and slides to video
- Paste a script or link, or upload a PDF, PowerPoint or audio file, and Pictory splits it into scenes matched with stock footage, captions and voiceover.
- AI Studio
- Generate images from prompts and animate images into clips with Veo 3.1, Veo 3.1 Fast or PixVerse 5.5, then drop them into scenes in the editor.
- Edit video with text
- Upload a recording and cut it by editing its transcript, pull out highlight clips automatically, and add captions.
- Voices and avatars
- ElevenLabs voices in 29 languages, voice cloning and custom avatars on Professional and above, with uploaded voiceovers synced to scenes.
- Brand kits and templates
- Saved fonts, colors and logos keep videos on brand, and templates set the layout, text and timing of each scene.
- Zapier, Make and API
- Start videos from other apps through Zapier or Make, make a video from any web page with the Chrome extension, or build on the API.
Plans
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.
Pictory
Starter$25
per month, billed annually ($29 billed monthly)
2,400 video minutes and 1,200 AI credits a year (about 12.5 minutes of generated video or 2,000 images), 1 brand kit. Monthly: 200 minutes, 100 credits.
Professional$35
per month, billed annually ($59 billed monthly)
7,200 video minutes and 12,000 AI credits a year (about 125 minutes of generated video), custom avatars and voice cloning. Shown as a Pictory 2.0 offer.
Team$119
per month for 3+ users, billed annually ($199 billed monthly)
21,600 video minutes and 28,800 AI credits a year, 10 brand kits and a shared team workspace. The page does not say if the price is per user.
EnterpriseCustom
10+ users, custom minutes and credits, SSO, interactive video hosting with quizzes, SCORM export and done-for-you video creation.
Ways to pay less
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.
Pictory
- Annual discount
Save up to 40% with annual billing
Annual billing costs $25 a month for Starter against $29, $35 for Professional against $59, and $119 for Team against $199.
