Synthesia vs Tolstoy (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Synthesia grades higher than Tolstoy: 2.4 against 1.6 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 the free plan, features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Synthesia
AI video platform that turns scripts into avatar-presented videos
Tolstoy
AI studio for ecommerce product videos, ads and shoppable video
Which one is for you
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
Pick Tolstoy if
- Fits if you run an online store and want product photos and ads made with AI
- Works for teams that want shoppable video on product pages
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free plan, since none is listed on the pricing page
- Pricey if you add people, at $20 a seat a month on Plus and Business
- Watch out: video viewers are counted separately, and extra ones cost $10 per 1,000 on Plus
- Watch out: credits drain at different rates for different models and actions
- Skip it if you sell nothing online, because it is built for stores
How we grade them
| 2.4GPASynthesiaFair | 1.6GPATolstoyWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | CPlus is $16 a workspace a month billed yearly ($20 monthly), which sits level with the category's $14 middle. Business is $80, and extra seats cost $20 each. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | FThe pricing page lists no free plan or trial. The homepage says Start for free, but its terms weren't confirmed. |
| Features | 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. | CMedia Studio, Ads Studio, Storefront Studio and Shop Bots. Credits aren't a fixed number of photos or videos, so what a plan buys is hard to predict. |
| Ease of use | 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. | CNo store rating on record. Connecting your store, setting up bots and learning the credit system comes first. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | CWeb only, with Meta the only integration listed. |
| Best for | training videos with no camera | AI product photos, ads and shoppable video for online stores |
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: Synthesia and Tolstoy. How we grade
Price against what you get
Synthesia starts at $14 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Tolstoy starts at $16 a month and scores 2.0.
Synthesia scores higher and starts $2 a month lower. Of the other screen recording and video tools on the chart, 11 score higher than Synthesia for less, and 51 score higher than Tolstoy 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
- Synthesia also covers templates and screen recording.
- Tolstoy also covers video generation, chatbots and ad creative.
At a glance
| Synthesia | Tolstoy | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | $14 per month, billed yearly ($19 billed monthly) | $16 per workspace / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | 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. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Synthesia Limited | Tolstoy |
| Price read from | synthesia.io | gotolstoy.com |
| Checked | Nov 2, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Tolstoy
- Usage is capped monthly: AI credits, plus video viewers counted separately; extra viewers cost $10 per 1,000 on Plus and $7 on the first two Business steps.
- Credits are not a fixed number of photos or videos; models and actions use different amounts.
- Extra team members cost $20 per seat a month on Plus and Business.
- The homepage offers Start for free, but the pricing page lists no free plan; its terms were not confirmed.
Key features
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.
Tolstoy
- Media Studio
- Creates product photos, reshoots, colorways, videos and creator-style content.
- Ads Studio
- Turns content into ad creative and Meta campaigns, including creative refreshes.
- Storefront Studio
- Adds virtual try-on, shoppable video and a Personal Shopper assistant to a store.
- Shop Bots
- AI agents for roles such as creative director or ads manager, whose work the team reviews and approves.
- Forward
- Hands-on setup and workshops from Tolstoy's team, an add-on to Business and included in Enterprise.
Plans
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.
Tolstoy
Plus$16
per workspace / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly)
4,000 AI credits a month (3,000 Studio, 1,000 Onsite AI) and 5,000 video viewers a month; extra viewers $10 per 1,000.
Business$80
per workspace / month, billed annually ($100 billed monthly)
20,000 AI credits and 25,000 video viewers a month; steps at $160 and $400 a month billed annually add credits and viewers. Studio credit top-ups available.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom usage and contracts, security and permission controls, bot versioning, custom integrations, and Tolstoy Forward included.
Ways to pay less
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.
Tolstoy
- Annual discount
Yearly billing lowers the monthly price
Plus is $16 a month billed yearly ($192) against $20 monthly; the Business steps are $80, $160 and $400 against $100, $200 and $500.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Synthesia or Tolstoy?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Synthesia is cheaper to start with: $14 a month, against $16 a month for Tolstoy. Synthesia starts at $14 per month, billed yearly ($19 billed monthly), and Tolstoy starts at $16 per workspace / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Synthesia or Tolstoy?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Synthesia has a free plan. Tolstoy does not.
Which platforms do Synthesia and Tolstoy 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.