If you’re running a small business and need to create videos without hiring a film crew, Synthesia could save you serious time and money. You just type what you want the avatar to say, pick from their collection of digital people, and boom – you’ve got a professional-looking video.
The real strength here is how fast you can pump out content. Need a quick training video for new employees? Done in 20 minutes. Want to explain your product in Spanish, French, and German? No problem – they support over 140 languages. For businesses trying to reach customers around the world, that’s huge.
But let’s be real about what you’re getting. These avatars look pretty good, but they’re not going to fool anyone into thinking they’re real people. Some folks find them a bit stiff or robotic. If you’re hoping for Oscar-worthy performances, this isn’t it.
The customization limits might frustrate you too. Want to make your avatar wear your company’s exact uniform? Can’t do it unless you’re on the pricier plans. They also block certain words and phrases, which can be annoying if you’re in an industry with specific terminology.
Here’s something that might give you pause – once you buy a subscription, there’s no getting your money back. So if you sign up and realize it’s not what you expected, tough luck. That’s why starting with their free trial makes sense before committing any cash.
For most small business owners, the time savings alone make Synthesia worth considering. Instead of spending thousands on video production or hours fumbling with complicated editing software, you can create decent videos in minutes.
Just go in with realistic expectations about what AI-generated avatars can and can’t do, and you’ll probably find it useful for training materials, product demos, and basic marketing content.
Synthesia offers a free Basic plan with 3 minutes of video per month, featuring 1 editor seat and 9 AI avatars. The Starter plan costs $18/month when billed annually ($29/month if billed monthly) and includes 10 minutes of video monthly, 125+ AI avatars, video downloads, AI Video Assistant, and AI Dubbing capabilities.
The Creator plan is priced at $64/month annually ($89/month monthly) with 30 minutes of video per month, 180+ AI avatars, 5 personal avatars, branded video pages, API access, and interactive video features.
The Enterprise plan offers custom pricing with unlimited video minutes, no duration limits, 230+ AI avatars, unlimited personal avatars, SAML/SSO, live team collaboration, brand kits, and SCORM export functionality.
All paid plans include features like 140+ languages and voices, auto-generated closed captions, background music, voiceover uploads, and PowerPoint import capabilities. Video minutes are consumed only when videos are generated, not during editing, and unused minutes don’t roll over to the next month.
Annual plans include additional benefits such as personal avatar creation, with Starter and Creator plans offering 3 and 5 personal avatars respectively. Studio avatars are available as a paid add-on for $1,000/year. The platform uses a credit system where credits serve as the shared currency for usage-based features across all plans.
