AI Compare · AI tools
Synthesia: plans, prices, strengths and limits
Synthesia is an avatar video platform that turns a script into a video read by a stock or personal avatar, with dubbing, voice cloning and captions on every plan. On October 1, 2026 it renamed its Creator plan to Pro.
Prices for United States, before sales tax Data release 2026.10.16-3, Oct 16, 2026 Rules 2.1.0
- Made by
- Synthesia Limited
- Individual plans
- 3, one free
- Paid plans
- $29 to $89 a month
- Facts checked
- Oct 15, 2026
Quick verdict
Synthesia suits scripted presenter videos. Basic is free and monthly only: each month it gives 10 minutes of video creation or dubbing, 500 credits and 3 survey responses, with 9 stock avatars, but its videos carry the Synthesia watermark and cannot be downloaded, only shared by link. Starter is $29 a month, or $18 a month billed yearly, $216 a year paid up front by our calculation. It adds 1,250 credits a month, about 12 more video minutes at about 100 credits a minute, plus downloads, no watermark and 3 personal avatars. Pro, called Creator until October 1, 2026, is $89 a month, or $64 a month billed yearly, $768 a year paid up front by our calculation, with 6,000 extra credits a month (about 60 more video minutes) and 5 personal avatars. Credits do not roll over, and prices are before tax.
Commercial use is set by Synthesia's terms, not by plan. The Customer Terms say you own your inputs and outputs. Synthesia's licensing article says videos with stock or synthetic avatars are cleared for "Any use that does not include paid promo": paid ads and broadcast TV are not allowed. Those limits do not apply to videos with your own custom avatar. On Basic the same rules apply on paper, but the watermark and the lack of downloads limit what you can publish.
Synthesia states that it does not use your inputs or outputs to pre-train its AI. This verdict rests on what Synthesia documents, not on our tests, which we have not run yet.
Strengths and limits
Strengths
- Dubbing and voice cloning on every planAI Dubbing works on all plans, from a video file or YouTube link, into 70+ output languages with the voice preserved. Basic covers 10 minutes a month, Starter up to 16 more from credits and Pro up to 78. Voice cloning, also on all plans, needs 1 to 5 minutes of audio and a spoken consent passcode.
- No pre-training on your contentSynthesia's AI Governance page says it does not use Customer Data, including inputs or outputs, to pre-train its AI, and fine-tuning needs your written instruction. Usage information is still used to improve the service.
- Captions included on every planClosed captions are generated automatically on every plan, and you can add dynamic (styled) or burned-in captions. Caption files download as .srt or .vtt. Captions always match the script language.
- Personal avatars from a photo or a videoStarter includes 3 personal avatars and Pro 5, made from video or from one photo plus a live consent video. Stock avatars grow from 9 on Basic to 125+ on Starter and 180+ on Pro, with two-avatar dialogue on every plan.
- Video from a descriptionThe Syren AI agent builds a video of up to 3 minutes from a description, at about 1,000 to 2,000 credits a minute. AI Playground makes 8 second clips with Veo 3.1 and Gemini Omni, and from Starter it can start or end on an image you upload.
Limits
- Basic: watermark and no downloadsPlan limit. The Synthesia logo appears on every Basic video, and Synthesia's download help says Basic users cannot download videos, only share them by link. Personal avatars and animating a still image are documented as paid plans only.
- No paid ads with stock avatarsUsage limit. On every plan, Synthesia's licensing article excludes paid promotion and broadcast TV for videos with stock or synthetic avatars. Only videos with your own custom avatar are free of those limits.
- Credit costs: Synthesia's pages disagreeConflict. For dubbing with lip sync, the credits article says 80 credits a minute (40 without), the dubbing article says 240 and the pricing calculator 76. For a Nano Banana 2 image, one article says 9 credits and another 20.
- Credits expire each monthPlan limit. Unused credits on Starter and Pro do not roll over, and Basic is offered monthly only. The yearly estimator on the pricing page also shows inconsistent credit totals, so check your allowance in the account.
- Desktop editor, no appPlatform limit. The full editor works only in a desktop browser; on phones there is a mobile browser experience and no app. Uploading voiceover audio, editing a dubbing transcript and 1-click translation are Enterprise only. A tool that cuts long videos into short clips is not verified.
Based on what Synthesia Limited documents for each plan, not on our tests.
Who it suits
A good fit if you
- Training and explainer videos read by a stock or personal avatar
- Dubbing existing videos into 70+ languages with the voice preserved
- Turning PowerPoint decks into presenter videos
- Teams that want inputs and outputs kept out of pre-training
Look elsewhere if you
- Paid ads or broadcast TV with stock avatars: not allowed
- Downloading videos on Basic: share link only
- Cutting long videos into short clips: not verified
- Editing on a phone: the editor is desktop only
Plans and prices
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Synthesia Basic | Free | Oct 15, 2026 | |
| Synthesia StarterPricing page shows $18 per month billed yearly; annual total computed as 18 x 12 = $216 (not shown as a total on the page). | $29 a month | $216 a year | Oct 15, 2026 Source |
| Synthesia ProPricing page shows $64 per month billed yearly for the base Pro tier; annual total computed as 64 x 12 = $768. Larger tiers: 2x $176, 4x $347, 6x $514, 8x $676 per month billed monthly. | $89 a month | $768 a year | Oct 15, 2026 Source |
Prices for United States, before sales tax unless a plan says otherwise. A yearly plan is paid up front and is not cancel-any-time.
Features by plan
What Synthesia Limited documents for each plan. A hatched mark means we could not verify it, which is not the same as "not offered".
| Feature | Synthesia Basic | Synthesia Starter | Synthesia Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Images, video and voice | |||
| Image generation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Video generation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Video editing and presenters | |||
| Photo to video | No | Yes | Yes |
| Footage editing | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Avatar presenters | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lip sync | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic captions | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Clips from long videos | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Exports without a watermark | No | Yes | Yes |
| Music, voice and transcription | |||
| Voiceover from text | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Voice cloning | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dubbing into other languages | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Transcription | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations and agents | |||
| Connectors to other apps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Privacy and control | |||
| Opt out of model training | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Export your data | No | Yes | Yes |
| Shows ads | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear |
| Rights and licensing | |||
| Commercial use of outputs | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Apps and extras | |||
| Apps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
The details and sources of every row are in Compare two AIs and the data release.
What it documents for each use
- Images & Design Create images from a description · Make graphics for posts and slides
- Video & Animation Make short videos from a description · Edit my own video footage · Turn a photo into a video · Make a video with a presenter · Add captions to a video
- Business & Productivity Connect AI to the apps I already use
- Audio & Voice Turn a script into a voiceover · Use a copy of my own voice · Dub a video into another language · Transcribe recordings and files
A use is listed when at least one plan documents every feature a task needs. Answer quality is a separate question: see below.
Using it day to day
Synthesia runs in a desktop browser; self-serve users also get a mobile browser experience with no app to download, but not the editor. The AI Screen Recorder extension for Chrome and Edge transcribes your voiceover into an editable script, removes filler words and splits the recording into scenes. In the editor you can trim, split, loop or stretch uploaded video inside a scene. Every plan accepts .jpeg, .png and .svg images up to 300MB, .mp4 and .webm video up to 250MB, screen recordings up to 500MB or 30 minutes, and PowerPoint imports.
Starter and Pro download MP4 in Full HD 1080p, plus WAV audio, XLIFF, SRT and VTT, with bulk download. Starter has 1 editor and 3 guests; Pro has 1 editor and 5 guests and adds branded pages, interactive CTAs, the legacy v2 video API (up to 360 minutes a year) and an Excel Add-in. Larger Pro tiers cost $176, $347, $514 and $676 a month billed monthly. The Interactive Avatars API and AI image generation (1080p, paid in credits) are on all plans, and a Synthesia MCP for ChatGPT and Claude is in public beta with no plan limits stated. The Studio Express-1 avatar is a $1,000 a year add-on for annual plans only. Some help articles still use the old name Creator for Pro.
Privacy, data and ads
Synthesia states that it does not use Customer Data, including inputs and outputs, to pre-train its AI, and that fine-tuning needs your written instruction; usage information is still used to improve the service. Voice clones need a spoken consent passcode, and photo avatars a live consent video. Under the Customer Terms you may export your output during the subscription, but avatars cannot be exported. The Privacy Policy lists rights of access and portability for personal data by email request. Whether Synthesia shows ads is not verified.
Read the vendor's own page: Synthesia privacy and data controls. We make no legal or compliance claim.
Test results
We have not tested Synthesia yet, so this page makes no claim about answer quality, and we show no example outputs. Run the same kit in it and in the alternatives, in your own account:
- Summarize a report with traceable facts
- Analyze a spreadsheet and get the numbers right
- Edit an email without losing a detail
- Diagnose and repair a small program
- Research a question with sources that support the answer
- Make sense of documents that disagree
- Research a current question within a date window
- Edit an article without changing its facts
- Turn project notes into a report that agrees with itself
- Implement a small specification
- Refactor code without changing what it does
- Make a picture that follows a detailed brief
- Put exact text into a graphic
- Change one thing in a picture and nothing else
- Make a short clip that follows a brief
- Make a song that sings your lyrics exactly
- Read a script with names, numbers and abbreviations
- Design a logo with an exact name
Getting started
- Start on Basic: 10 minutes of video or dubbing a month, with a watermark and sharing by link only.
- Decide where the video will run. For paid ads or broadcast TV, stock avatars are not allowed, so plan on a personal avatar from Starter up.
- Choose Starter or Pro for 1080p downloads without a watermark. Credits do not roll over, so pick the plan by monthly use.
- Before you dub with lip sync, check the credit cost in the product, because Synthesia's pages list different rates.
- Compare Synthesia with HeyGen on our tools page, and read how we check vendor claims.
Your fit
Tell Find my AI what you do and what matters; it checks every plan of Synthesia against your priorities, next to the alternatives.
Alternatives
- HeyGen HeyGen's Terms for Creator and Pro do not restrict using output for your own purposes, including commercial ones, and Pro exports up to 4K, while Synthesia downloads MP4 at 1080p. About HeyGen
- Descript Descript edits your own footage by editing its transcript and can cut long recordings into 1 to 20 clips, a tool not verified for Synthesia; Hobbyist is $24 a month. About Descript
- Gemini On Gemini's free plan, Google Vids AI avatars speak your script, 6 a month combined with AI video clips, with preset avatars only. About Gemini
Recent changes
- Synthesia Pro added
- Synthesia Starter added
- Synthesia Basic added
Every change is in the change log.
Questions
Is Synthesia free?
Synthesia Basic costs $0 and gives 10 minutes of video creation or dubbing, 500 credits and 3 survey responses a month, with 9 stock avatars. Basic videos carry a watermark and can be shared by link but not downloaded.
What happened to the Synthesia Creator plan?
Synthesia renamed Creator to Pro on October 1, 2026. Pro is $89 a month, or $64 a month billed yearly, before tax. Some help articles still say Creator.
Can I use Synthesia videos commercially?
The Customer Terms say you own your inputs and outputs. Synthesia's licensing article allows videos with stock or synthetic avatars for any use without paid promotion, so no paid ads or broadcast TV. Videos with your own custom avatar are not under those limits.
Can I download videos on Synthesia Basic?
No. Synthesia's download help says Basic and trial users cannot download videos. Downloads start at Starter, as MP4 in Full HD 1080p.
Does Synthesia train on my videos?
Synthesia states that it does not use Customer Data, including inputs or outputs, to pre-train its AI, and that fine-tuning needs your written instruction. Usage information is still used to improve the service.
Do Synthesia credits roll over?
No. Starter's 1,250 and Pro's 6,000 monthly credits do not roll over to the next month.
Sources
17 official pages, checked Oct 15, 2026. This page was written by the What the tech desk with AI assistance from the facts in our data release; no company paid for or reviewed it.
- https://www.synthesia.io/
- How do I add media to my video?Synthesia
- How do I generate AI images in Synthesia?Synthesia
- How do I create a video with Syren?Synthesia
- How do I use the AI Playground in Synthesia?Synthesia
- How do I edit video asset timing in Synthesia?Synthesia
- How do I create a Personal Avatar from a photo?Synthesia
- Synthesia Pricing - Compare Free and Paid PlansSynthesia
- How do captions work in Synthesia?Synthesia
- How do I remove the Synthesia Watermark?Synthesia
- How do I clone my voice in Synthesia?Synthesia
- How do I dub a video?Synthesia
- Synthesia Video LicensingSynthesia
- How do I use the Synthesia MCP in ChatGPT and Claude?Synthesia
- AI Governance PracticesSynthesia
- How do I download my Synthesia video?Synthesia
- Can I use Synthesia on a mobile device?Synthesia
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