An HR officer testing a policy video
- Sign up for the free Basic plan
- Choose one of 9 avatars
- Paste a short script
- Generate up to 10 minutes per month (watermarked)
free plan works
Synthesia · Web app and API (AI avatar video for business)
Synthesia
Business-focused AI video platform for training, communication and dubbing with AI avatars.
- Provider
- Synthesia
- Latest confirmed model
- Not applicable / not verified
- Pricing
- Free plan + paid
- Free plan
- Yes
- API
- Yes
- Status
- Generally available
- Last verified
- Oct 19, 2026
What is Synthesia?
Synthesia turns scripts and documents into presenter-led videos using AI avatars and voices, aimed at corporate training and communications. It includes templates, dubbing, interactive roleplays and surveys, plus APIs for video generation and real-time interactive avatars. Plans changed on 1 October 2026, when the Creator tier was renamed Pro.
Corporate training and internal videos are slow to film and update; Synthesia lets teams produce and revise them from text.
Why use Synthesia?
Practical benefits
- Built for enterprise training workflows
- Easy updates by editing text
- Dubbing and many languages
- Interactive avatars API on every plan
Who it suits
- L&D and HR teams
- Internal communications
- Enterprises needing governance
When another tool may fit better
- Creative or cinematic video
- Individuals wanting a watermark-free free plan
- High-volume minutes on Starter
- Learning curve
- Beginner-friendly
- Skills needed
- None; script writing helps.
Example workflows
- Paste script or upload document -> choose avatar -> generate -> share link
- Upload video -> dub into another language
What can it do?
- AI avatars Depends on plan9 on Basic, 125+ on Starter, 180+ on Pro, 240+ on Enterprise.
- Personal avatars Depends on plan5 on Pro; unlimited on Enterprise.
- DubbingVideo dubbing with optional lip-sync.
- Roleplay training Depends on planInteractive roleplays with paid learner seats.
- APIs Depends on planInteractive Avatars API on all plans; Legacy video API on Pro and Enterprise.
Good for
- Employee training
- Onboarding videos
- Product and policy updates
- Localised communications
- Sales enablement
Where it runs
Pricing and plans
Free plan + paid 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.
| Plan | Price | Billing | Free trial / tier | Usage limits | Main inclusions | Model access | API access | Restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Free | per month | Free tier | 10 minutes of video or dubbing per month; 500 credits/month; 3 survey responses |
|
— | Interactive Avatars API | Synthesia watermark; 1 editor |
| Starter | $29/mo $18/mo billed annually | per month | — | 1,250 credits/month (about 12 min) on monthly billing; about 150 min/year on annual, plus free allowance |
|
— | Interactive Avatars API | No learner seats included |
| Pro | $89/mo $64/mo billed annually Formerly Creator (renamed 1 Oct 2026) | per month | — | 6,000 credits/month (about 60 min) monthly; 72,000/year (about 720 min) annual, plus free allowance |
|
— | Interactive Avatars and Legacy (v2) APIs | No learner seats included |
| Enterprise | Contact provider | per year | — | Unlimited video minutes |
|
— | Included | — |
API and developer access
- Official API
- Yes
- Documentation
- API docs (opens in a new tab)
- Authentication
- API key (scoped to Interactive Avatars or Legacy v2)
- Pricing model
- Per minute, drawn from the subscription credit balance
- Free API quota
- None documented — the free plan above (if any) is for the app, not the API
- Rate limits
- Write limits by tier (e.g. 60 requests/min on former Creator tier; 80-120 on Enterprise)
- Context / input limits
- Not documented
- SDKs
- Not documented
- Streaming
- Not documented
- Batch processing
- Not documented
- Structured output
- Not documented
- Tool / function calling
- Not documented
- Commercial use
- See the provider terms
- Data retention & privacy
- See the provider privacy terms
Published API rates
| Item | Price | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Interactive Avatars (avatar only) | $0.10 | per minute |
| Interactive Avatars (full stack) | $0.20 | per minute |
| Dubbing (voice only) | $0.40 | per minute |
| Dubbing with lip-sync | $0.80 | per minute |
A free Synthesia account is not the same thing as free API access. Unless a free API quota is listed above, API calls are billed separately.
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages
- Enterprise focus and governance
- Wide avatar library
- Clear per-minute API rates for interactive avatars
Disadvantages
- 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
Privacy: Personal avatars require consent; enterprise plans add security and governance controls.
Real-world examples
An L&D team producing a course
- Subscribe to Pro
- Create personal avatars of trainers
- Generate modules and translate them
- Share or export to the LMS
needs paid plan
A developer adding a live avatar to a website
- Create an Interactive Avatars API key in Synthesia Studio
- Integrate the real-time avatar SDK
- Pay per minute from the shared credit balance
needs API key
Synthesia alternatives
HeyGen
Create talking-avatar videos, digital twins and translated videos from a script.
Synthesia vs HeyGenDescript
Edit video and audio by editing the transcript, with an AI co-editor called Underlord.
Synthesia vs DescriptElevenLabs
Text-to-speech, voice cloning, transcription, music and voice agents from one platform and API.
Synthesia vs ElevenLabsFrequently asked questions
Is Synthesia free?
Yes. The Basic plan is free with 10 minutes of video or dubbing per month, 9 avatars and a watermark.
How much is Synthesia Starter?
$29 per month, or $18 per month billed annually.
What changed on 1 October 2026?
Synthesia renamed its Creator plan to Pro; Basic and Starter prices stayed the same.
Which plans include the API?
Synthesia's help centre says the Interactive Avatars API is available on every plan, while the Legacy (v2) video API needs Pro or Enterprise.
How much do interactive avatars cost via API?
$0.10 per minute for the avatar only and $0.20 per minute for the full stack, drawn from your credit balance.
Can I make videos of myself?
Yes. Pro includes 5 personal avatars and Enterprise unlimited.