Synthesia Alternatives: 6 AI Video Tools Compared (2026)

Why do teams look for a Synthesia alternative?

Teams look for a Synthesia alternative when its plan structure or focus does not match how they make video. Synthesia's own pricing page sets the baseline (Synthesia pricing):

• Free plan limits: Basic is $0 with 10 minutes of video creation or dubbing a month, 3 survey responses and 500 credits, and its videos carry a Synthesia watermark.
• Paid plans: Starter is $29/month billed monthly with 1,250 credits (about 12 extra minutes); Pro is $89/month billed monthly or $64/month billed yearly with 6,000 credits; Enterprise is custom.
• Avatar access by tier: 125+ AI avatars on Starter, 180+ on Pro and 240+ (the full selection) on Enterprise.
• No rollover, no pay-per-video: monthly allowances reset each billing period, and Synthesia says it sells subscriptions only.
• Business focus: learner seats, roleplays, surveys and SCORM export point the product toward training and internal communication.

If you mostly make ads, want audio only, need a cheaper training setup or publish to Chinese platforms, another tool may fit better.

Synthesia alternatives at a glance

This table summarizes what each official page listed on October 17, 2026. Vendors count languages in different ways, so treat that column as a rough guide.

1. HeyGen

HeyGen is the closest all-round Synthesia alternative, especially for marketing videos and translation. Its Free plan gives 3 videos a month of up to 1 minute with no credit card; Creator is $29/month ($24/month billed annually) with 600 credits, videos up to 30 minutes, voice cloning and 175+ languages and dialects; Pro starts at $49/month with 4K export; Business is $149/month plus $20 per extra seat (HeyGen pricing).

• What stands out: 700+ stock video avatars on paid plans, unlimited photo avatars from Creator, and monthly credits that roll over for one more month.
• For training teams: SCORM export, LMS integrations and SAML/SSO are on the Business plan, not on Creator or Pro.

For a full head-to-head, read HeyGen vs Synthesia.

2. Colossyan

Colossyan is the Synthesia alternative most focused on training and courses. Its free Starter plan includes 20 minutes a month with NEO avatars, access to all 300+ stock avatars and 700+ stock voices; Professional is $59/month on an annual plan, plus $30/month per additional member, with 30 minutes of NEO and 10 minutes of NEO2 video, watermark removal and five SCORM exports a month (Colossyan pricing).

• What stands out: a course outline editor, unlimited course creation, interactive videos, 120+ languages, and a stated policy of not training AI models on customer content.
• Keep in mind: unused minutes don't roll over. SSO, EU or US data residency and SOC 2 Type II documentation are tied to Enterprise.

Colossyan also says its Enterprise onboarding can audit and plan a migration of content from Synthesia.

3. Elai.io

Elai.io is a Synthesia alternative with simple minute-based pricing. The free plan includes 1 minute, 80+ avatars and 75+ languages; Creator is $29/month for 15 minutes ($276 billed annually); Team is $125/month for 50 minutes with three editors, three guests and 4K video (Elai.io pricing).

• What stands out: URL-to-video, an AI storyboard that drafts scripts from prompts, links or documents, branching and quizzes, and a public API on paid plans.
• Keep in mind: every render uses minutes, including re-renders of the same video, extra minutes cost $2, and SCORM export is listed on Enterprise only.

4. Arcads

Arcads is the alternative to consider when your videos are ads rather than training. It calls itself an AI platform for making ads, covering UGC-style ads with AI actors, product videos, B-roll, static ads, captions and translations on one credit balance (What is Arcads).

• What stands out: a library of 1,000+ AI actors (based on real actors who consented and are paid, per its FAQ), bundled video models, Workflows for batch variations, and 176 language and accent options for video translation.
• Keep in mind: dollar prices are shown only in the app. The help center lists plans from Starter (8,000 credits a month) to Business (192,000), and its 72-hour trial needs a card and rolls into the Starter plan unless you cancel (How does Arcads pricing work?).

We compare it with HeyGen in detail in HeyGen vs Arcads.

5. ElevenLabs

ElevenLabs is the right alternative if you used Synthesia mainly for narration or dubbing and don't need a presenter on screen. It is an audio platform. The free plan includes 10,000 credits a month; Starter is $6/month with a commercial license, instant voice cloning and Dubbing Studio; Creator is $22/month with professional voice cloning (ElevenLabs pricing).

• What stands out: one credit pool across text to speech, dubbing and other audio tools, with text to speech in 74 languages.
• Keep in mind: you will still need a video editor or avatar tool for visuals. If you only need a quick marketing voiceover, our free AI voiceover generator is another way to draft one.
• Comparing voice tools: if ElevenLabs itself is not the right fit, see our ElevenLabs alternatives guide.

6. Deepege (引擎AI)

Deepege is a Synthesia alternative only for a specific group: Chinese-speaking business teams that market in China and overseas. It is an AI content marketing platform focused on marketing video production, asset organization and multi-account publishing, with digital avatar marketing among its listed capabilities (about Deepege).

• What stands out: its English site lists publishing to Douyin, Kuaishou, WeChat Channels and Xiaohongshu in China and to multiple TikTok accounts by language and region, with a director's plan you approve before a video is made.
• Keep in mind: new users get free credits on sign-up, but there is no public price list; Deepege runs a fit assessment first and says it is not the right choice for a one-off brand film (Deepege pricing).

Is there a free Synthesia alternative?

Yes. HeyGen, Colossyan, Elai.io and ElevenLabs all list an ongoing free plan, and Synthesia itself has one. Free plans are for testing: they cap minutes, videos or credits, and some limit watermark removal (Synthesia's free videos are watermarked, and Colossyan's free plan does not include watermark removal). Of the free plans, Colossyan's 20 minutes a month is the largest video allowance listed, though it applies to its NEO avatars.

Open-source talking-head models are another route, but their licenses and hardware needs vary. Our HeyGen alternatives guide covers what to check before using one.

Which Synthesia alternative is best for training videos?

Colossyan is the closest training-focused alternative, and HeyGen is the main option if you also need marketing video. The deciding detail is usually where LMS features sit in each price list:

If your courses also need translated versions, test dubbing quality in your top language before you migrate. Our video localization guide explains what to check.

How do you switch from Synthesia without losing work?

Plan the move before you cancel. Synthesia says videos you embed or share by link update automatically with your latest edits, so treat them as served by Synthesia and replace them before your access changes. This checklist keeps the switch orderly:

1. Inventory every live video, including LMS packages, website embeds and shared links.
2. Download MP4 masters of the videos you will keep (Synthesia lists Full HD 1920 x 1080 downloads).
3. Re-export or replace SCORM packages in your LMS before access changes.
4. Rebuild templates and brand settings in the new tool, then recreate personal avatars and voice clones there with fresh consent from the person featured.
5. Pilot one real script in two shortlisted tools and have a fluent reviewer check any translations.
6. Time your cancellation for the end of a billing period, since Synthesia's allowances don't roll over.

How we compiled this list

We included tools whose plans we could read on their official pages on October 17, 2026, and that each match a common reason for leaving Synthesia. We did not test output quality, and no vendor paid to be included. D-ID and VEED were left out because their pricing pages did not load in a form we could verify in our last check on October 16, 2026. Some Synthesia figures (the yearly Starter price and learner seat prices) appeared differently in two places on its pricing page, so we left them out. Deepege is our own product; we included it only for the use case it is designed for.

Conclusion

There is no single best Synthesia alternative. HeyGen is the broadest match, Colossyan and Elai.io suit training teams on a budget, Arcads suits ad production, ElevenLabs suits audio-only work, and Deepege suits Chinese-speaking teams publishing to Chinese platforms and TikTok. Use the free plans to render the same script in two or three tools, check SCORM and seat needs against each price list, and plan your exit before you cancel.

FAQ

What is the best Synthesia alternative?

It depends on the job. HeyGen is the broadest match, Colossyan suits training and courses, Elai.io suits minute-based budgets, Arcads suits ad production, ElevenLabs suits audio-only voiceover and dubbing, and Deepege suits Chinese-speaking teams publishing to Chinese platforms and TikTok.

Is there a free alternative to Synthesia?

Yes. HeyGen, Colossyan, Elai.io and ElevenLabs all list free plans (checked October 17, 2026). Colossyan's free plan includes 20 minutes a month with NEO avatars, and HeyGen's allows 3 videos a month of up to 1 minute. Free plans cap usage, and some limit watermark removal.

Is there a cheaper alternative to Synthesia?

Entry prices are similar: HeyGen Creator and Elai.io Creator are $29/month, the same as Synthesia Starter billed monthly, and HeyGen Creator is $24/month billed annually. ElevenLabs Starter is $6/month but covers audio only. Compare cost at your real monthly volume.

Which Synthesia alternative is best for training videos?

Colossyan is the closest fit, with a course outline editor, interactive videos and five SCORM exports a month on its Professional plan ($59/month, annual). HeyGen lists SCORM export, interactive video and LMS integrations on its Business plan ($149/month).

Is Synthesia free?

Synthesia's Basic plan is free and includes 10 minutes of video creation or dubbing a month, 3 survey responses and 500 credits. Videos made on the free plan carry a Synthesia watermark.

Further Reading

• HeyGen vs Synthesia
• HeyGen vs Arcads
• HeyGen alternatives guide
• video localization guide
• AI voiceover generator
• ElevenLabs alternatives

References

• Synthesia pricing
• HeyGen pricing
• Colossyan pricing
• Elai.io pricing
• What is Arcads
• How does Arcads pricing work?
• ElevenLabs pricing