The Tolstoy Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Tolstoy 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.
Tolstoy
The Insider’s Guide
AI studio for ecommerce product videos, ads and shoppable video
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among screen recording and video tools, read from Tolstoy’s own pages.
Made by Tolstoy · checked Nov 13, 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 Tolstoy’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Tolstoy’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
1.6
GPA, above 1 of the 133 other screen recording and video tools we grade
Tolstoy is an AI platform for online stores. Media Studio creates product photos and videos, Ads Studio prepares ads and Meta campaigns, and Storefront Studio adds shoppable video, virtual try-on and a shopping assistant. Shop Bots are AI agents that do work a team reviews.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Tolstoy, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Connecting your store, setting up bots and learning the credit system comes first.
- 1
Best for AI product photos, ads and shoppable video for online stores
Tolstoy is an AI suite for online stores: product photos and video, ad creative, shoppable video and AI agents.
- 2
Paid plans start at $16 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $16 per workspace / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly).
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
Media Studio
Creates product photos, reshoots, colorways, videos and creator-style content.
- 5
Ads Studio
Turns content into ad creative and Meta campaigns, including creative refreshes.
- 6
Storefront Studio
Adds virtual try-on, shoppable video and a Personal Shopper assistant to a store.
- 7
A 1.6 GPA, above 1 of 133
That is against the other screen recording and video tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
To replace Tolstoy you would be making a video model, which you can rent by the second but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Tolstoy at a glance
- Pricing
- Paid, from $16 per workspace / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Tolstoy
- Category
- Screen Recording & Video
- Our grade
- 1.6 GPA, weak
The report card
Best for AI product photos, ads and shoppable video for online stores
Tolstoy is an AI suite for online stores: product photos and video, ad creative, shoppable video and AI agents. Plus starts at $16 a workspace on yearly billing with capped credits and viewers, extra seats are $20 each, and the pricing page lists no free plan.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Plus 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 | F | The pricing page lists no free plan or trial. The homepage says Start for free, but its terms weren't confirmed. |
| Features | C | Media 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 | C | No store rating on record. Connecting your store, setting up bots and learning the credit system comes first. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Web only, with Meta the only integration listed. |
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 Tolstoy is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Online brands producing product photos, videos and ads with AI
- Stores adding shoppable video or virtual try-on
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$16
A month to start
Tolstoy is a paid product, starting at $16 per workspace / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly).
The pricing page lists no free plan or trial.
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.
Enterprise
Custom
Custom usage and contracts, security and permission controls, bot versioning, custom integrations, and Tolstoy Forward included.
Read from gotolstoy.com on Nov 13, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on gotolstoy.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
AI studio for ecommerce product videos, ads and shoppable video. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, video generation, chatbots, ad creative.
Media Studio, Ads Studio, Storefront Studio and Shop Bots.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Meta
Tolstoy is made by Tolstoy.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
1/133
Other screen recording and video tools it is graded above
Tolstoy's GPA of 1.6 is higher than 1 of the 133 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 6.
It stands best on value for money (C, above 20 of 133) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $16 a month, against a middle price of $12.25 for the category: 56 of the 88 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. 51 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 134 screen recording and video tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Tolstoy’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 20 of 133
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 133
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 133
- CEase of useAbove 2 of 133
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 17 of 133
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 102 screen recording and video tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Tolstoy 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
To replace Tolstoy you would be making a video model, which you can rent by the second but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 126 of the 133 other screen recording and video tools grade higher. It costs $192 a year.
What you could not
- A video model, which you can rent by the second but not make.
- Ad images and videos made to each network's sizes.
- A chatbot builder hooked into the messaging apps.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. Tolstoy’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, Synthesia, VEED, Wave.video and Captions
The 5 tools Tolstoy 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.
- HeyGen has a free plan. Tolstoy does not.
- Only HeyGen lists iOS and Android apps.
- Tolstoy also covers video generation, chatbots and ad creative.
- 2.4GPA
Synthesia
Free plan · from $14/mo
AI video platform that turns scripts into avatar-presented videos.
- Synthesia has a free plan. Tolstoy does not.
- Only Synthesia lists a browser extension.
- Tolstoy also covers video generation, chatbots and ad creative.
- 2.4GPA
VEED
Free plan · from $25/mo
Browser-based AI video generator and editor for social video.
- VEED has a free plan. Tolstoy does not.
- Only VEED lists iOS and Android apps.
- Tolstoy also covers video generation, chatbots and ad creative.
- 2.0GPA
Wave.video
Free plan · from $16/mo
Video editor, hosting and live streaming in one browser tool.
- Wave.video has a free plan. Tolstoy does not.
- Tolstoy also covers video generation, chatbots and ad creative.
- Wave.video also covers templates, video editing, text to speech, webinars and multistreaming.
- 2.4GPA
Captions
Free plan · from $4.99/mo
AI video editor and generator for short talking-head videos.
- Captions has a free plan. Tolstoy does not.
- Only Captions lists iOS and Android apps.
- Tolstoy also covers video generation, chatbots and ad creative.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
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 Tolstoy free?
No. Tolstoy is a paid product, starting at $16 per workspace / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly).
How much does Tolstoy cost?
Tolstoy lists 3 plans. Plus: $16 per workspace / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly).
What platforms does Tolstoy work on?
Tolstoy is available on Web.
Does Tolstoy offer any discounts?
Tolstoy publicly lists the following: Yearly billing lowers the monthly price.
Does Tolstoy have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Tolstoy is listed for Web.
Does Tolstoy have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Tolstoy is listed for Web.
Is Tolstoy open source?
Tolstoy is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
What does Tolstoy integrate with?
Tolstoy's listing names Meta. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Tolstoy?
Tolstoy is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Tolstoy?
The closest alternatives to Tolstoy in our directory are HeyGen, Synthesia, VEED, Wave.video and Captions.
How does Tolstoy compare with other screen recording and video tools?
Tolstoy's GPA of 1.6 is higher than 1 of the 133 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 6.
Is Tolstoy good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Tolstoy C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $16 a month, against a middle price of $12.25 for the category: 56 of the 88 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Tolstoy?
To replace Tolstoy you would be making a video model, which you can rent by the second but not make.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Tolstoy’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Tolstoy's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
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 Tolstoy. Prices change, so check gotolstoy.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 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.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Tolstoy, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/tolstoy
- 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, "Tolstoy: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/tolstoy
Know someone choosing between screen recording and video tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/tolstoy/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
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- 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 Tolstoy’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. Tolstoy is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Tolstoy. Prices and plans change: check gotolstoy.com before you buy.