Synthesia

Synthesia makes AI avatar videos for corporate training. The workflow is the same as other avatar video tools — type a script, pick an avatar, render the video — but everything around that core workflow is built for L&D teams rather than marketers or content creators.

You get stock avatars (125+ on Starter, 180+ on Pro, 240+ on Enterprise), templates for training formats, AI dubbing, and on Enterprise a brand kit and SCORM export that lets you push completed videos into an LMS such as Cornerstone, Docebo, or SAP SuccessFactors. SCORM is the feature most L&D teams care about, so note that Synthesia lists it only on Enterprise.

Current pricing and plan limits are at synthesia.io/pricing.

The free plan gives 500 credits a month, which Synthesia says covers up to 10 minutes of video, with a watermark — enough to show stakeholders what Synthesia produces. Starter is $14 a month billed yearly ($19 monthly) with 15,000 credits a year, downloads without the Synthesia logo, 3 personal avatars, and 125+ stock avatars. Pro is $59 a month billed yearly ($89 monthly) with 72,000 credits a year, 5 personal avatars, branded video pages, interactive videos, and 180+ stock avatars. Enterprise is custom and adds unlimited video minutes, one-click translation into 140+ languages, 240+ avatars, SSO, brand kits, and SCORM export.

Synthesia's avatar library covers a wide range of ages, skin tones, and presentation styles, and its size depends on the plan: 125+ on Starter, 180+ on Pro, and 240+ on Enterprise. For corporate training this matters: a global company needs avatars that look like the people in its workforce.

Personal avatar creation — making an AI version of a specific person, typically an executive or subject-matter expert — is available from the Starter plan, which includes 3 personal avatars; Pro includes 5 and Enterprise unlimited. The process requires recording a consent video followed by a scripted recording session. It is a more deliberate setup than a quick social-media avatar, which suits avatars that will front training content for years.

For training teams where the avatar will be used in hundreds of videos over multiple years, the additional setup time is worth it. For someone who wants a quick personal avatar for social media content, HeyGen is the more natural fit.

Synthesia also offers AI-generated avatars — photorealistic avatar faces that are not based on any real person. These are useful when a brand wants a consistent presenter character without assigning a real employee to the role, or when legal or privacy considerations make using a personal avatar complicated. Judge them on a free test before committing.

SCORM export is the clearest reason an L&D team looks at Synthesia, and on Synthesia's pricing page it is listed only on the Enterprise plan. SCORM is the standard file format for e-learning content that plays inside an LMS. Without SCORM export, training videos have to be hosted externally and linked from the LMS, which creates tracking problems — you cannot see whether a learner actually watched the video, completed it, or passed a knowledge check. With SCORM, all of that tracking happens natively inside your LMS. The SCORM.com explainer covers the standard in technical detail for L&D teams evaluating compatibility.

Brand kits, also on Enterprise, let teams define approved fonts, colours, logo placement, and background templates. Once configured, every video produced by any team member stays within the brand guidelines without requiring manual review. For organisations producing training content across multiple departments, this removes a significant quality-control burden.

Team management lets multiple users work in the same Synthesia workspace, share avatar libraries, and manage who can publish content. Enterprise adds live team collaboration, SAML/SSO, and one-click translation of whole videos into 140+ languages.

The choice between Synthesia and HeyGen comes down to use case and budget. Synthesia is built for structured corporate training; HeyGen for marketing, social media, and content creation.

If your primary output is employee training videos that go into an LMS, check where SCORM sits on each plan: Synthesia lists SCORM export on Enterprise (custom pricing), while HeyGen offers it on Business ($149 a month plus seats). For a large L&D team on an enterprise contract, Synthesia's training focus is the draw; for a smaller team that needs SCORM on a published price, compare HeyGen Business.

If you are a marketer making LinkedIn videos, product demos, or customer-facing explainers, HeyGen's Creator plan ($24 a month billed yearly, $29 monthly) is the more natural fit, with videos up to 30 minutes and 700+ stock avatars. Synthesia Starter is $14 billed yearly ($19 monthly).

Language coverage: Synthesia lists 140+ languages and voices on every plan and AI dubbing in 70+ languages below Enterprise; HeyGen lists video translation into 175+ languages and dialects on paid plans. Both cover the major business languages.

On avatar variety: Synthesia's full 240+ library is on Enterprise, which matters for large global organisations where representation in training materials is a deliberate policy consideration. If every avatar in your compliance training looks the same, someone in your L&D leadership will notice. Synthesia makes it easier to match avatar choice to the audience of each training module.

Individual content creators on a budget should look elsewhere. The Starter plan at $19/month ($14 billed yearly) includes 15,000 credits a year — up to about 150 minutes of video on top of the free allowance — and the Pro plan at $89/month ($59 billed yearly) is steep for someone who just wants to make LinkedIn content without being on camera. HeyGen's Creator plan ($24 billed yearly) suits individual creators better.

Synthesia is not a video editing tool. If your training content needs screen recordings, product walkthroughs, animated sequences, or footage from real environments, Synthesia handles only the avatar-on-screen talking portions. You would need to combine Synthesia output with a conventional video editor like Camtasia or Adobe Premiere for anything more complex.

And if your L&D team needs SCORM but cannot buy an enterprise contract, note that Synthesia lists SCORM export only on Enterprise. If training is delivered through shared folders, intranet links, or email instead of an LMS, Starter or Pro may be enough.

Synthesia also does not handle audio-only content. If your L&D programme includes podcast-style audio briefings, mobile-optimised audio modules, or voiceover narration for screen-recorded software demonstrations, ElevenLabs is better suited for the audio component. The two tools address different formats: Synthesia for avatar video, ElevenLabs for voice narration.