What Is Synthesia? AI Avatar Video for Training Teams
By Joris van Huët · Synthesia's own site
The short answer: if your team needs 22 minutes or less of avatar-presented training video a month, Synthesia's Starter plan covers it: every plan includes 10 minutes of video a month, and Starter's 1,250 extra credits add roughly 12 more, for $19 a month on monthly billing (pricing page, checked on 24 October 2026). It is an AI avatar video platform for business, mostly training and enablement, with scripted presenters in 140+ languages.
Disclosure: I may earn a commission through some links on this site. It does not change what this page says.
Three checks before you subscribe:
- Do the minute sum. For example, a 6-minute product update every week is 4 x 6 = 24 minutes a month, two more than Starter's 22 by the pricing page's own estimate. Edits are cheaper than first drafts: change three seconds and regenerate, and you pay for three seconds, per the same pricing FAQ.
- Start from the decks you have. PowerPoint import turns speaker notes into the script, for files up to 1 GB or 150 slides; animations do not come across (PowerPoint article).
- Check where the video has to land. SCORM export for a learning system is Enterprise only (sharing article), as is one-click translation (translation article); dubbing works on every plan.
What Synthesia does
The homepage calls it an "AI Video and Avatar platform for business". You write or import a script, pick a stock avatar or a personal one made from a real person who gave explicit consent (custom avatar article), and Synthesia renders the presenter. Assistant, an agent in the editor, revises scripts and visuals without using credits (Assistant article). Dubbing, interactive video, roleplay Sessions, an API and an MCP server in beta sit around it, and every video passes moderation.
Who it suits
Learning, enablement, HR and product marketing teams whose scripted video goes out of date: a policy, a release, a process. The update is the point: an embedded video changes everywhere it is embedded when you edit it (sharing article). It suits less well anyone who wants one video, as there is no pay-per-video option.
What it costs
USD, checked on 24 October 2026 on the Synthesia pricing page.
| Plan | Billed monthly | Billed yearly, per month | Credits on top of the free allowance | Avatars | Guests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $0 | $0 | None; watermarked | 9 stock | None |
| Starter | $19 | $14 | 1,250 a month, or 15,000 a year | 125+ stock, 3 personal | 3 |
| Pro | $89 | $59 | 6,000 a month, or 72,000 a year | 180+ stock, 5 personal | 5 |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom volume, unlimited video minutes | 240+ stock, unlimited personal | Custom |
Every plan includes 10 minutes of video, 3 survey responses and 500 credits a month; Studio Avatars cost $1,000 a year extra, per the same pricing page.
The features an L&D team needs to ship video into its learning system, SCORM export, one-click translation and the shared pronunciation glossary, sit on the plan without a public price. That is a sales design, not a flaw. Get the Enterprise quote before building a library on Pro.
How it compares
Colossyan. Colossyan sells "Videos and Courses, all-in-one" and lists 5 SCORM exports a month on its Professional plan. If the LMS needs SCORM and Enterprise is out of reach, that row decides it.
Elai.io. Elai.io sells minutes, not credits: Creator is $29 a month for 15 minutes, or $23 a month billed annually. Choose it when a fixed minute quota is easier to budget.
Murf AI. Murf AI is voice without a face: text to speech, voice changing and dubbing, with studio-quality speech at $0.03 per 1,000 characters on its API. Choose it when narration over slides or a screen recording will do.
Getting started
Import one existing deck on Basic first. How to use Synthesia turns a slide deck into a training video.
FAQ
Can I pay per video?
No. Synthesia runs on monthly or yearly subscriptions only, per the FAQ on the pricing page.
Do unused credits roll over?
No. Plan credits reset each billing period, and upgrading mid-cycle resets the balance to the new plan's allocation; credits bought separately last 12 months (credits article).
Why do two Synthesia pages give different minutes for Starter?
They count differently. The pricing FAQ adds roughly 12 minutes from the 1,250 extra credits to the 10 included, about 22 a month; the credits article counts the 500 base credits too, 1,750 in all, and puts it at about 17 minutes plus the 10. Plan on the lower figure.