What it does
Synthesia takes a script and turns it into video. Pick an avatar from a library of 230 options, choose a language and a voice, and the platform renders your script as an on-screen presenter reading it back to you. There is no camera, no editing timeline in the usual sense, and no production crew standing around waiting for a good take. It all happens in a browser tab.
What is new in 2026
The big update this year is Express-2, a new avatar model built on a diffusion transformer trained on thousands of hours of professional speaker footage. The result gestures with some purpose: emphasis beats, finger-counting through a numbered list, head turns that track with what is being said. It narrows the uncanny valley gap. It does not close it.
Three more additions round out the release. Express-Voice handles accent-preserving voice cloning. AI Dubbing translates existing videos into 30-plus languages with lip sync matched to the avatar, so a training video you already made does not need a full re-shoot to reach a new market. Generative Assets, powered by Google Veo 3, handles B-roll generation. And PowerPoint import converts slide decks and speaker notes directly into Synthesia videos, which is probably the single most useful feature if you are already sitting on a pile of training decks.
Pricing
Synthesia trimmed its paid-tier prices recently, and annual billing is clearly the better deal: Starter drops from $29 to $22 a month, Creator from $67 to $53. Confirm the current numbers on Synthesia's pricing page before you subscribe, since vendors revise these more often than review pages get updated.
| Plan | Monthly billing | Annual billing | Key limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | ~10 min/mo, watermarked, limited avatars |
| Starter | $29/mo | $22/mo | Unwatermarked, full avatar library |
| Creator | $67/mo | $53/mo | ~30 min/mo, 5 personal avatars, collaboration |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Median ~$30,000/yr; SSO, dedicated support |
Personal avatar creation, meaning a Synthesia avatar built from your own face, is available starting on the Creator plan. Enterprise contracts are custom quoted, but verified procurement data puts the median around $30,000 per year for mid-sized organisations.
Good at, and where it is not
No tool aces every category, and Synthesia is honest about where it stops.
- Training and L&D video at scale without production overhead
- Multilingual content: 160-plus languages, 1,000-plus voices
- PowerPoint-to-video conversion that actually preserves slide design
- AI Dubbing with frame-accurate lip sync in 30-plus languages
- Consistent output quality with none of the scheduling headaches of live recording
- Avatars are not cinematic; they work in professional contexts, not consumer storytelling
- Quality is inconsistent across the 230-plus avatar library; older options show their age
- Output is avatar-over-background, not full scene video; not a Runway or Sora replacement
- Monthly minute caps on Starter and Creator can bite teams with irregular volume
Who it is for
Synthesia is built for corporate L&D, internal communications, and product education teams that need a repeatable video production process without a production budget. A global company that needs onboarding videos in 12 languages gets immediate, obvious value. A freelance content creator making YouTube videos does not. The tool is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is a point in its favour.
If you produce two or more training or explainer videos a month and camera-based production is the bottleneck, Synthesia at $22 to $53 a month is a reasonable operational investment. Below that threshold, the free plan or a trial will tell you what you need to know before you commit.
If none of that describes you, three alternatives are worth a look. Runway handles generative video that goes well past avatar-style presentations into full scene creation. HeyGen covers personal avatar video with a cleaner interface and competitive pricing at smaller volumes. Descript suits teams that want audio and video editing bundled in with AI presenter features. The full comparison is on our Synthesia alternatives page.
Things to know before you subscribe
A few caveats worth knowing before you sign up. Avatar quality is not uniform: the newer Express-2 avatars hold up well in professional settings, but plenty of the older options in that 230-avatar library show their age, so preview whatever avatar you are about to build a template around instead of trusting the thumbnail. Starter and Creator both carry monthly minute caps (Creator tops out around 30 minutes), which is fine for steady output but tight for teams whose volume spikes without warning. And despite the polish, this is not a full-scene video generator: what you get is an avatar layered over a background, not the kind of generative scene work Runway or Sora do. If that is what you actually need, look there instead.
Questions worth answering
Is Synthesia free?
Synthesia has a free plan with roughly 10 minutes of generated video per month, watermarked output, and access to a limited avatar set. Paid plans start at $22/month billed annually (Starter) for unwatermarked output and the full avatar library.
Can I make a video in my own language with Synthesia?
Yes. Synthesia supports 160-plus languages with over 1,000 voices. The AI Dubbing feature translates existing videos into 30-plus languages with frame-accurate lip sync on the avatar, which is useful for localising existing training content without re-recording.
How realistic are Synthesia avatars?
The newest Express-2 avatars are convincing in professional contexts: good eye movement, contextual gestures, and accurate lip sync. Older stock avatars in the library are less polished. Quality is not uniform across all 230-plus options, so preview your chosen avatar with a short test script before committing to a template.
Does Synthesia work for training videos?
That is its strongest use case. L&D teams use Synthesia to produce onboarding and compliance videos because it removes the need for cameras, studios, or on-camera presenters. Updating a video is as simple as editing the script and re-rendering, which is a real operational win for content that changes regularly.
Marcus Vance covers AI productivity tools for this site and tracks vendor changelogs closely, since video AI tools tend to update faster than their marketing pages. See Notion AI profile · See Jasper profile