The Synthesia Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Synthesia 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.
Synthesia
The Insider’s Guide
AI video platform that turns scripts into avatar-presented videos
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among screen recording and video tools, read from Synthesia’s own pages.
Made by Synthesia Limited · checked Oct 5, 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 Synthesia’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Synthesia’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 11 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools we grade
Synthesia is an AI video platform aimed at businesses. A script, document, link or slide deck becomes a video presented by an AI avatar, with voices in more than 160 languages and tools to dub or translate existing videos. It also runs avatar-led roleplay practice and conversational surveys. Usage on every plan is metered in credits, and a free Basic plan renews each month.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Synthesia, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No store rating on record, and the work is still making the video: choosing avatars, editing scenes, watching the credit meter.
- 1
Best for training videos with no camera
Synthesia turns a script, a document or a slide deck into a video presented by an AI avatar, with voices in more than 160 languages.
- 2
Paid plans start at $18 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $18 per month, billed yearly ($29 billed monthly).
- 3
There is a 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.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web, with a browser extension too.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 11 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 Synthesia you could make: templates. What surrounds it you could not. The 5 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
Synthesia at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $18 per month, billed yearly ($29 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, Browser extension
- Made by
- Synthesia Limited, since 2017
- Category
- Screen Recording & Video
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for training videos with no camera
Synthesia turns a script, a document or a slide deck into a video presented by an AI avatar, with voices in more than 160 languages. Everything runs on credits, at about 100 a minute, so Starter's 1,250 credits at $18 a month add roughly 12 minutes. Free videos carry a watermark and can't be downloaded, self-serve plans include 1 editor, and SSO and SCORM export sit on Enterprise.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Starter is $18 a month on the year, the top of 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 $64. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Basic 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 | B | Avatar 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 | C | No 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 | B | A 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. |
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 Synthesia is for
- Fits if your training team needs videos without filming anyone
- Works for dubbing existing videos into other languages, or turning decks into narrated videos
Who it is not for
- 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 $18 a month billed yearly
- Pricey if you pay monthly: Starter is $29 and Pro, with personal avatars, is $89
Good to know
Good for
- Training and L&D teams producing videos without filming
- Localizing existing videos into many languages
- Turning slide decks and documents into narrated videos
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$18
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Synthesia has a free plan. Paid plans start at $18 per month, billed yearly ($29 billed monthly).
But videos carry a Synthesia watermark and you can't download them at all until Starter.
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
$18
per month, billed yearly; $29 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
$64
per month, billed yearly; $89 billed monthly
6,000 credits a month, 5 personal avatars, interactive videos, branded video pages, 5 guests and 180+ AI avatars.
Enterprise
Custom
Unlimited video minutes, 240+ avatars, 1-click translation, SAML/SSO, live team collaboration, brand kits and SCORM export.
The 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.
Read from synthesia.io on Oct 5, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save up to 4 months with yearly billing
Starter is $18 a month billed yearly against $29 billed monthly, and Pro is $64 against $89. Synthesia describes this as saving up to 4 months.
Stated on synthesia.io
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
2
Places it runs: Web and Browser extension
AI video platform that turns scripts into avatar-presented videos. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, real-time collaboration, templates, screen recording.
- 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 any plan at $29 per learner a month, or $25 a month on yearly billing.
- AI Screen Recorder and API
- A Chrome extension makes editable screen recordings, and the Synthesia API creates and dubs videos programmatically.
Where it runs
- Web
- Browser extension
What it works with
- PowerPoint
- HubSpot
- Slack
- Microsoft Teams
- Notion
- Workday
- Moodle
- Articulate 360
Synthesia is made by Synthesia Limited, and has been around since 2017.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
11/52
Other screen recording and video tools it is graded above
Synthesia's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 11 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 16.
It stands best on features (B, above 26 of 52) and worst on ease of use (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $18 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 31 of the 41 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 9 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 53 screen recording and video tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Synthesia’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 10 of 52
- CFree plan and trialAbove 4 of 52
- BFeaturesAbove 26 of 52
- CEase of useAbove 0 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. Synthesia 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 Synthesia you could make: templates. What surrounds it you could not. The 5 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 25 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools grade higher. It costs $216 a year.
What you could make
- Templates: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Recording the screen with its sound, and somewhere to keep the video.
- Several people working in it at the same moment.
- It plugs into other products, PowerPoint, HubSpot and Slack 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. Synthesia’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
HeyGen, Captions, VEED, Google Vids and Descript
The 5 tools Synthesia is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
HeyGen
Free plan · from $24/mo
AI video generator with realistic avatars and video translation.
- Only Synthesia lists a browser extension.
- Only HeyGen lists iOS and Android apps.
- Synthesia also covers screen recording.
- 2.4GPA
Captions
Free plan · from $4.99/mo
AI video editor and generator for short talking-head videos.
- Only Synthesia lists a browser extension.
- Only Captions lists iOS and Android apps.
- Synthesia also covers templates and screen recording.
- 2.4GPA
VEED
Free plan · from $25/mo
Browser-based AI video generator and editor for social video.
- Only Synthesia lists a browser extension.
- Only VEED lists iOS and Android apps.
- VEED also covers transcription, noise cancellation and video editing.
- 2.4GPA
Google Vids
Free plan · from $7/mo
Google Workspace's AI video creator and editor.
- Only Synthesia lists a browser extension.
- Google Vids also covers transcription and video editing.
- 2.4GPA
Descript
Free plan · from $16/mo
Audio and video editor that works by editing the transcript.
- Only Synthesia lists a browser extension.
- Only Descript lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Synthesia also covers templates.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
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 Synthesia free?
Synthesia has a 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.
How much does Synthesia cost?
Synthesia lists 4 plans. Basic: $0.
What platforms does Synthesia work on?
Synthesia is available on Web. It also has a browser extension.
Does Synthesia offer any discounts?
Synthesia publicly lists the following: Save up to 4 months with yearly billing.
Does Synthesia have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Synthesia is listed for Web.
Does Synthesia have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Synthesia is listed for Web.
Is Synthesia open source?
Synthesia is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
Does Synthesia have an API?
Yes. Synthesia offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Synthesia integrate with?
Synthesia's listing names PowerPoint, HubSpot, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Notion, Workday, Moodle and Articulate 360.
Who makes Synthesia?
Synthesia is made by Synthesia Limited. It dates from 2017.
What are the alternatives to Synthesia?
The closest alternatives to Synthesia in our directory are HeyGen, Captions, VEED, Google Vids and Descript.
How does Synthesia compare with other screen recording and video tools?
Synthesia's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 11 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 16.
Is Synthesia good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Synthesia C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $18 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 31 of the 41 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Synthesia?
The plain part of Synthesia you could make: templates. What surrounds it you could not.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Synthesia’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Synthesia's own pages on 5 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-04-03.
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 Synthesia Limited. Prices change, so check synthesia.io before you buy.
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
- Synthesia, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/synthesia
- 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, "Synthesia: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/synthesia
Know someone choosing between screen recording and video tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/synthesia/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded screen recording and video tools after Synthesia, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Screen Recording & Video Insider's GuideEvery one of the 53 screen recording and video tools we grade, compared
- DaVinci Resolve Insider's GuideVideo editing, color, effects and audio post-production in one app3.4 GPA
- 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 Synthesia’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. Synthesia is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Synthesia Limited. Prices and plans change: check synthesia.io before you buy.