Criterion Descript Synthesia
CategoryAI Video GeneratorsAI Video Generators
In one sentenceEdit video and audio by editing the transcript, with an AI co-editor called Underlord.Business-focused AI video platform for training, communication and dubbing with AI avatars.
Problem it solvesTraditional timeline editing is slow and technical; Descript makes editing as easy as editing text.Corporate training and internal videos are slow to film and update; Synthesia lets teams produce and revise them from text.
Free planYesYes
Developer APIYes — docsYes — docs
Open sourceNoNo
PlatformsWindows, macOS, WebWeb, API
Pricing (summary)Free plan with 1 media hour and 100 one-time AI credits. Hobbyist $24/month ($16 annual), Creator $35 ($24 annual) and Business $65 ($50 annual) per person add media hours, monthly AI credits and higher export quality. Enterprise is custom.
Checked 2026-10-19
Free Basic plan with 10 minutes a month (watermarked). Starter is $29/month ($18 annual) and Pro $89/month ($64 annual), with credit allowances that convert to video minutes. Enterprise is custom with unlimited video minutes.
Checked 2026-10-19
Strengths
  • Very easy editing model
  • Strong audio clean-up
  • API included at no extra cost for paid users
  • Enterprise focus and governance
  • Wide avatar library
  • Clear per-minute API rates for interactive avatars
Limitations
  • Free exports are 720p with a watermark
  • Media hours and AI credits cap usage
  • API still in beta; some endpoints need Creator or higher
  • Free plan videos are watermarked
  • Minutes are limited on Starter
  • Plan structure changed on 1 Oct 2026, so older guides are outdated
  • Legacy video API limited to Pro and Enterprise