The HeyGen Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about HeyGen in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
HeyGen
The Insider’s Guide
AI video generator with realistic avatars and video translation
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among screen recording and video tools, read from HeyGen’s own pages.
Made by HeyGen Technology Inc. · checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from HeyGen’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on HeyGen’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 28 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools we grade
HeyGen is an AI video platform that generates presenter-style videos from a script or a prompt, using stock avatars or a custom avatar of yourself. It also clones voices and translates existing videos into more than 175 languages and dialects with lip-sync. Paid plans are metered in monthly credits, and a free plan allows 3 short videos a month.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about HeyGen, taken from its own pages and our grades.
One reviewer who hands anything technical to their teenager made videos alone.
- 1
Best for presenter videos without a camera
If you need a video now and then, or a bill you can predict, look elsewhere.
- 2
Paid plans start at $24 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $24 per month, billed annually ($29 billed monthly).
- 3
There is a 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.
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 28 of 52
That is against the other screen recording and video tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
The plain part of HeyGen you could make: templates. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
HeyGen at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $24 per month, billed annually ($29 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- HeyGen Technology Inc.
- Category
- Screen Recording & Video
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
- Store rating
- 4.8 on the App Store, 26,479 ratings
The report card
Best for presenter videos without a camera
HeyGen makes talking-head videos from a typed script, with stock presenters or an avatar of you, in 175+ languages. But Creator is $24 a month for 600 credits, about 12 minutes with the newest avatar, you can't top up without moving to Pro, unused credits vanish when you cancel, payments are generally non-refundable, and support complaints are piling up this year. If you need a video now and then, or a bill you can predict, look elsewhere.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D | Creator 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 all the advanced models need Pro at $41. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Three videos a month, a minute each, and the help center says the quota is 1 to 3 depending on region. No card needed, but the watermark stays until you pay, and 1080p starts on Creator. |
| Features | B | Stock 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. Synthesia covers the same ground, and here credits meter all of it. |
| Ease of use | A | 4.78 from about 26,000 App Store ratings, the highest in this category. One reviewer who hands anything technical to their teenager made videos alone. Working out what things cost in credits is the hard part, going by the one-star reviews. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, 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. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who HeyGen is for
- Fits if you need a presenter on screen and don't want to film one
- Works for videos that must go out in several languages with the lips matching
Who it is not for
- Pricey if you only need a video now and then, since you pay every month regardless
- Tight if you want the newest avatars, where Creator's 600 credits is about 12 minutes and there's no top-up
- Not for you if you need to know the bill in advance, as credit use varies with the model, length and complexity
- Skip it if refunds or quick support matter: payments are generally non-refundable, and reviewers report unanswered emails
- Watch out: credits vanish when you cancel or pause, SSO and SCORM start on Business at $149 a month, and extra seats add no credits
Good to know
Good for
- 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
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$24
A month to start. There is a free plan too
HeyGen has a free plan. Paid plans start at $24 per month, billed annually ($29 billed monthly).
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.
Enterprise
Custom
No maximum video duration, multi-workspace management, SCIM provisioning, invoice billing and a dedicated customer success manager.
The 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.
Read from heygen.com on Oct 9, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on heygen.com
How its prices have moved
- Jun 3, 2026Pro: $99 per month, billed monthly → From $49 per month, billed monthly (1,000 credits), with larger credit tiers at higher pricesThe archived copy of 3 June 2026 shows Pro from $49 a month with a monthly credit allowance; the copy before it, of 12 May 2026, shows $99. The price changed between the two, as HeyGen moved its plans to credits.
- Feb 24, 2026Pro: new, $99 per month, billed monthlyThe archived copy of 24 February 2026 shows a Pro plan at $99 a month between Creator and Business; the copy before it, of 15 January 2026, has no Pro plan. It was added between the two.
- Jan 15, 2026Business: Team: $39 per seat / month, billed monthly, 2 seats minimum → Business: $149 per month, billed monthly, plus $20 per extra seatThe archived copy of 15 January 2026 shows Business at $149 a month where the copy before it, of 1 December 2025, shows Team at $39 a seat. Team was replaced between the two.
- Apr 10, 2025Team: $89 per seat / month, billed monthly → $39 per seat / month, billed monthly, 2 seats minimumThe archived copy of 10 April 2025 shows Team at $39 a seat on monthly billing; the copy before it, of 6 February 2025, shows $89. The price changed between the two.
- Sep 4, 2024Team: $1,440 a year ($120 per month), with team members at no extra cost → $828 per seat, billed yearly ($69 per seat / month)The archived copy of 4 September 2024 shows Team at $828 per seat billed yearly, though its comparison table still gives the old price; the copy before it, of 7 July 2024, shows $1,440 a year for the whole team.
- Apr 6, 2024Team: Business, with 3 seats → Team, multi-seat, at $120 per month, billed yearlyThe archived copy of 6 April 2024 shows a Team plan with 30 credits a month where the copy before it, of 1 February 2024, shows Business with the same credits. The plan was renamed between the two.
What the app costs elsewhere
Each country’s App Store price for “HeyGen Creator Credit Weekly”, against $10.00 in the United States, in dollars at the day’s rate. The four cheapest and the four dearest of 11.
| Country | Price there | In dollars | Against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | Rp 169ribu | $9.45 | 5% less |
| Philippines | ₱ 599.00 | $9.54 | about the same |
| Canada | $14.00 | $9.84 | about the same |
| Turkey | ₺499,99 | $10.17 | about the same |
| Germany | 10,00 € | $11.21 | 12% more |
| Brazil | R$ 59,90 | $11.97 | 20% more |
| South Africa | R199.99 | $12.10 | 21% more |
| United Kingdom | £10.00 | $13.22 | 32% more |
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
AI video generator with realistic avatars and video translation. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, templates.
Synthesia covers the same ground, and here credits meter all of it.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- ChatGPT
- Canva
- Adobe Express
- Zapier
- Make
- HubSpot
- n8n
HeyGen is made by HeyGen Technology Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
28/52
Other screen recording and video tools it is graded above
HeyGen's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 28 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 9.
It stands best on ease of use (A, above 49 of 52) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $24 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 35 of the 41 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 53 screen recording and video tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. HeyGen’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 52
- CFree plan and trialAbove 4 of 52
- BFeaturesAbove 26 of 52
- AEase of useAbove 49 of 52
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 15 of 52
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 46 screen recording and video tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. HeyGen is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
The plain part of HeyGen you could make: templates. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
It costs $288 a year.
What you could make
- Templates: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It plugs into other products, ChatGPT, Canva and Adobe Express among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. HeyGen’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Synthesia, Captions, VEED, Descript and CapCut
The 5 tools HeyGen is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Synthesia
Free plan · from $18/mo
AI video platform that turns scripts into avatar-presented videos.
- Only HeyGen lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Synthesia lists a browser extension.
- Synthesia also covers screen recording.
- 2.4GPA
Captions
Free plan · from $4.99/mo
AI video editor and generator for short talking-head videos.
- HeyGen also covers templates.
- Captions also covers transcription, noise cancellation and video editing.
- 2.4GPA
VEED
Free plan · from $25/mo
Browser-based AI video generator and editor for social video.
- VEED also covers transcription, noise cancellation, screen recording and video editing.
- 2.4GPA
Descript
Free plan · from $16/mo
Audio and video editor that works by editing the transcript.
- Only HeyGen lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Descript lists macOS and Windows apps.
- HeyGen also covers templates.
- 2.8GPA
CapCut
Free plan · from $9.99/mo
Video and photo editor with effects, auto captions and AI tools.
- Only HeyGen lists a web app.
- Only CapCut lists macOS and Windows apps.
- HeyGen also covers templates.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is HeyGen free?
HeyGen has a 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.
How much does HeyGen cost?
HeyGen lists 5 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does HeyGen work on?
HeyGen is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does HeyGen offer any discounts?
HeyGen publicly lists the following: Save about 16% to 20% with annual billing.
How is HeyGen rated?
HeyGen's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.8 out of 5 from 26,479 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
Does HeyGen have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. HeyGen is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does HeyGen have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. HeyGen is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is HeyGen open source?
HeyGen is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 9, 2026.
Does HeyGen have an API?
Yes. HeyGen offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does HeyGen integrate with?
HeyGen's listing names ChatGPT, Canva, Adobe Express, Zapier, Make, HubSpot and n8n.
Who makes HeyGen?
HeyGen is made by HeyGen Technology Inc.
What are the alternatives to HeyGen?
The closest alternatives to HeyGen in our directory are Synthesia, Captions, VEED, Descript and CapCut.
How does HeyGen compare with other screen recording and video tools?
HeyGen's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 28 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 9.
Is HeyGen good value for money?
ToolGPA grades HeyGen D for value for money. Its paid plans start at $24 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 35 of the 41 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of HeyGen?
The plain part of HeyGen you could make: templates. What surrounds it you could not.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from HeyGen’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Based on HeyGen's home, pricing, integrations and Video Agent pages and its help centre articles on credits, plans, refunds and cancelling as of 9 October 2026, its App Store reviews and Hacker News threads about it. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-02-10.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by HeyGen Technology Inc. Prices change, so check heygen.com before you buy.
- heygen.com/en-in
- heygen.com/en-in/pricing
- heygen.com/en-in/integrations
- heygen.com/en-in/about
- help.heygen.com/en/articles/15125761-heygen-credit-based-pricing-plans-subscriptions-explained
- apps.apple.com/us/app/ai-avatar-generator-heygen/id6711356409
- play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.heygen.app&hl=en_US&gl=US
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- HeyGen, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/heygen
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "HeyGen: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/heygen
Know someone choosing between screen recording and video tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/heygen/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
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- Zencastr Insider's GuideFree podcast recording, chat-based editing and hosting in one app3.4 GPA
- Cap Insider's GuideOpen-source screen recorder with instant share links and an editor3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what HeyGen’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. HeyGen is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by HeyGen Technology Inc. Prices and plans change: check heygen.com before you buy.