What is Synthesia?
Synthesia is a web app that turns text into video. You paste a script, upload slides or a document, or give it a link, and an AI avatar reads the content on screen in a natural-sounding voice. You can change scenes, add text and media, then export or share the video. Since October 2026 most work is measured in credits, which come from one shared balance, so video, dubbing, surveys and other AI features all draw from the same pool.
Where many AI video tools aim at social media creators, Synthesia is built mainly for workplace use: training, onboarding, internal updates and help content. That shows in features such as quizzes inside videos, SCORM export for learning systems, brand kits and team controls on higher plans. It is less about flashy generated clips and more about steady, repeatable presenter videos, often in several languages at once.
Synthesia key features
AI avatars
Choose from a library of stock presenters (the number grows with each plan, up to 240+ on Enterprise) to read your script on camera. This saves booking a presenter or filming yourself.
Personal avatars
Pro includes 5 personal avatars, so you can create a digital version of yourself or a colleague. Synthesia requires the person's informed consent before an avatar of them is made.
Voices in 140+ languages
Stock voices cover more than 140 languages and accents, including Hindi. One script can become many language versions without hiring voice actors.
Dubbing and translation
Existing videos can be dubbed, with or without lip-sync, using credits. Enterprise adds one-click translation into 140+ languages.
Interactive videos and surveys
Pro adds interactive videos, and every plan includes a few survey responses each month. This lets you check whether viewers actually understood a training video.
AI Video Assistant
Paid plans include an assistant that helps turn your material into a first draft video. It speeds up the blank-page stage.
Shared credits
Since 1 October 2026, one credit balance covers video (about 100 credits per finished minute), dubbing, surveys and more. You can spend your allowance on whichever feature you need that month.
Business tools
Enterprise adds SAML/SSO, brand kits, live team collaboration and SCORM export for learning platforms. These matter for larger HR and L&D teams.
Who uses Synthesia, and how
Turn a policy document or onboarding slides into a short presenter video, then add a quick survey to check understanding.
Make one product-update video in English and dub it into the languages your staff or customers speak.
Create short how-to and FAQ videos for a help centre without filming each one.
Make explainer and product videos for a website or YouTube channel, keeping in mind stock avatars cannot appear in paid ads.
Build lesson videos from slides with a consistent on-screen presenter and export them for a learning platform on Enterprise.
Synthesia plans and prices
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $0/month | Free |
| Starter | $19/month | Billed monthly; the pricing page shows $9 for the first month. Yearly billing is also offered (cheaper). |
| Pro | $89/month | Billed monthly; $49 for the first month. Higher-credit Pro tiers (2x to 8x) cost more. |
| Enterprise | Custom | Contact sales |
Prices in USD as shown on the official pricing page. Usage is metered in credits, which are shared across video, dubbing and other AI features. India prices may differ. Checked on 2026-11-05.
Free vs paid: what you really get
Free plan
- Basic costs $0 and gives 10 minutes of video or dubbing, 3 survey responses and 500 credits each month.
- Only 9 AI avatars and 1 editor seat.
- Videos carry a Synthesia watermark.
- Good for testing the workflow, not for finished client or company videos.
Paid plans add
- Starter ($19/month) removes the Synthesia logo, lets you download videos and adds the AI Video Assistant and 125+ avatars.
- Pro ($89/month) gives far more credits (6,000 extra), 5 personal avatars, interactive videos and branded video pages.
- Higher Pro tiers (12,000 to 48,000 credits) suit teams making lots of video.
- Enterprise adds unlimited video minutes, SSO, brand kits, SCORM export and one-click translation into 140+ languages.
Which plan should you pick?
You want to try avatar videos and do not mind a watermark.
You make a few short videos a month and need them without the Synthesia logo.
You make training or marketing videos regularly, want your own avatar, or need dubbing in several languages.
Your company needs SSO, brand control, SCORM export, unlimited minutes or large-scale translation.
Ways to save on Synthesia
- The pricing page says yearly billing can save up to 4 months compared with paying monthly.
- First-month offers are shown on the pricing page: Starter $9 and Pro $49 for the first month.
- Higher Pro credit tiers carry small built-in discounts (about 1.25% to 5%).
- Start on the free Basic plan to test before paying.
Pros and cons
What we like
- Very fast way to turn scripts and slides into tidy presenter videos.
- Wide language coverage, with voices in 140+ languages and accents.
- Built for workplace training, with surveys, interactive videos and SCORM export on higher plans.
- Says it does not use customer inputs or outputs to pre-train its AI.
- Clear consent rules for custom avatars.
Watch out for
- Stock avatars cannot be used in paid ads or on TV without permission, which limits marketing use.
- Free videos are watermarked and only 9 avatars are available.
- Pro at $89/month is a big step up from Starter at $19.
- The credit system covers many features at different rates, so costs can be hard to predict.
- Its help centre says full editing works best on a computer, not a phone.
- Avatar videos suit talking-head content; they are not designed for cinematic or creative footage.
How to start with Synthesia in 5 steps
- Sign up for the free Basic plan on synthesia.io.
- Start a new video from a template, a script, slides, a document or a web link.
- Pick an avatar and a voice in the language you need.
- Edit scenes, text and media, then preview the result.
- Export or share the video, and upgrade if you need it without a watermark.
What users say: public ratings
| Where | Score | Based on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trustpilot | 3.9 / 5 | 1,817 reviews | See reviews |
Ratings as shown on each site on 5 Nov 2026; they change over time. App store scores rate the mobile app; Trustpilot often collects billing and support complaints.
Synthesia compared with alternatives
Synthesia vs HeyGen
HeyGen leans more toward creators and marketers, with photo avatars, short-form tools and paid-plan commercial rights. Synthesia is more focused on company training with surveys and SCORM.
Synthesia vs Descript
Descript is an editor for real recordings, edited through a transcript. Pick Descript if you film yourself, and Synthesia if you want an AI presenter instead.
Synthesia vs Runway
Runway generates creative video clips and effects rather than talking presenters. Choose Runway for visuals and Synthesia for explainer-style videos.
Synthesia in India
Synthesia has Hindi voices, but its pricing page lists prices only in US dollars and mentions no INR plans or UPI.
Good to know
- Free plan videos carry a Synthesia watermark
- Roleplay sessions are capped at 10 per month on Basic, Starter and Pro
- Synthesia's help centre says full editing works best on a desktop or laptop; mobile browsers support only some workflows
Synthesia FAQ
Is Synthesia free?
Basic plan ($0): each month you get 10 minutes of video or dubbing, 3 survey responses and 500 credits. It includes 9 AI avatars and 1 editor, and videos carry a Synthesia watermark.
How much does Synthesia cost?
Paid plans start from $19/month. Prices in USD as shown on the official pricing page. Usage is metered in credits, which are shared across video, dubbing and other AI features. India prices may differ.
Who makes Synthesia?
Synthesia is made by Synthesia.
Who is Synthesia for?
Company training, HR and communications teams that want presenter-style videos in many languages without filming
Can I use Synthesia videos for commercial work?
Yes for many uses, such as training videos, product videos and posts on YouTube or social media. But Synthesia's help centre says stock avatars and voices cannot be used in paid promotion like Facebook, YouTube or TV ads. Custom avatars of a consenting person are not bound by that rule.
Does Synthesia support Hindi?
Yes. Synthesia offers Hindi text-to-speech voices that you can use in its videos. Its help centre does not list other Indian languages by name, so check the language menu in the app.
Is my data used to train Synthesia's AI?
Synthesia's AI governance page says it does not use customer data, including inputs and outputs, to pre-train its AI. Any fine-tuning on customer data happens only under the customer's written instructions and agreement.
How many credits does a video use?
Under the plan changes from 1 October 2026, a finished minute of video uses about 100 credits. Dubbing with lip-sync uses 80 credits a minute, and without lip-sync 40.
Can I make an avatar of myself?
Yes. Pro includes 5 personal avatars, and Enterprise allows unlimited ones. Synthesia requires that the person is of legal age and has given informed consent.
Synthesia vs HeyGen: which is better?
Synthesia suits companies that need training videos, surveys and learning-system export. HeyGen suits creators and marketers who want avatars, translation and short-form tools, and its paid plans allow commercial use of outputs.
Sources
- www.synthesia.io/pricing
- help.synthesia.io/en/articles/17217419-what-s-changing-in-synthesia-plans-on-october-1-202
- help.synthesia.io/en/articles/8517240-which-synthesia-pricing-plans-are-available
- help.synthesia.io/en/articles/9994493-what-is-synthesia
- help.synthesia.io/en/articles/6341928
- www.synthesia.io/ai-governance
- help.synthesia.io/en/articles/7194908-what-stock-voices-languages-does-synthesia-have
- www.synthesia.io/features/ai-voice-generator/hindi
Facts from the official pages listed above, in our own words; ratings from the public review pages linked in the ratings table. Techpings is independent and not affiliated with the companies listed. Some links are affiliate links (disclosure).