What Is HeyGen? AI Avatars and Lip-Synced Translation
By Joris van Huët · HeyGen's own site
The short answer: if the job is putting one recorded video into several languages, price HeyGen's translation first, because it is cheaper than it looks: lip-synced translation on the Speed engine costs 6 credits a minute, so the 600 credits in the $29 Creator plan cover 100 minutes (translation guide, checked on 24 October 2026). Around it sits an avatar platform for teams that want a presenter without filming each time.
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Before you buy:
- Run the credit sum. For example, a 12-minute demo into four languages on Precision, at 10 credits a minute, is 12 x 4 x 10 = 480 credits; on Speed, 288. Avatar video costs more: Avatar IV from a video look is 31 credits a minute (credits article).
- Start from footage you have. Translation takes a file up to 5 GB or a YouTube or Google Drive link, but Creator and Pro cap each video at 30 minutes and Business at 60 (translation guide).
- Judge one language first. HeyGen recommends it, and the share page reports watch time and completion rate, so compare the translated cut with the original.
What HeyGen does
The homepage leads with "AI videos starring you": avatar models led by Avatar V, a Video Agent that turns a prompt into a video, an AI Studio editor, and translation that re-voices a speaker in their own voice with the lips synced, in 175+ languages and dialects. An avatar of a real person needs that person's own consent video (consent article). Developers get an API and a remote MCP server billed in plan credits.
Who it suits
A marketing team localising demos, onboarding and founder updates for several markets, or a sales team that wants a presenter without a crew. Less so a team that needs on-screen text translated: only speech is re-voiced, and graphics stay in the source language (translation guide).
What it costs
USD, checked on 24 October 2026 on the HeyGen pricing page.
| Plan | Price | Credits a month | Longest video | Export |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | None; 3 watermarked videos | 1 minute | Share link |
| Creator | $29 monthly, $24 a month billed annually | 600 | 30 minutes | 1080p |
| Pro | From $49 a month | 1,000 to 100,000 | 30 minutes | 4K |
| Business | $149 a month, plus $20 per extra seat | 1,500, shared | 60 minutes | 4K |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | No maximum | 4K |
The Pro tiers run up to 100,000 credits for $4,300 a month, per the FAQ on the pricing page. Monthly credits roll over one cycle; on annual plans they build up until renewal.
Read the top-up rules before choosing. Creator cannot buy extra credits and Pro can only move up a tier; one-off packs, $5 per 100 credits, are for Business (credits article). That design turns one busy month into a permanent upgrade, so size the plan for a normal month.
How it compares
Arcads. Arcads sells ad creative from a library of 1,000+ AI actors. Its pricing address returned a not-found page on 24 October 2026, so compare on a quote. Choose it when the output is a paid-social ad.
Creatify. Creatify builds ads from product links, with templates, a competitor ad tracker and an ad agent on Pro, $55 a month or $38 billed annually. A performance marketer's tool where HeyGen is a communicator's.
Fliki. Fliki turns scripts, blog posts and slides into voiced video; Standard is $28 per user a month, or $16.80 billed annually. Choose it when stock footage and a voice will do.
Getting started
Translate a one-minute clip on Free before you pay. How to use HeyGen takes a product video through translation step by step.
FAQ
Can plan credits pay for HeyGen runs through Zapier, Make or n8n?
No. Those integrations need an API key and API credits, which are separate from plan credits and can be bought on any account, per the credits article.
Can I make an avatar of a colleague?
Yes, if they record the consent video themselves. They can scan a QR code and submit it from their phone, wherever they are (consent article).
What happens to unused credits if I cancel?
They expire. You keep paid features until the cycle ends, then the account moves to Free, per the pricing page.