Overview
What is Synthesia?
Synthesia is an all-in-one AI video platform for business. Its official pages describe creating studio-quality videos with AI avatars and AI voiceovers in 160+ languages, without cameras, microphones, actors, or studios. The platform supports text-to-video, script-to-video, PowerPoint-to-video, AI Video Assistant for documents and links, AI dubbing, translation, custom avatars, brand kits, collaboration, analytics, SCORM export, LMS integration, API access, and enterprise governance.
Good fit
Who should use Synthesia?
- Learning and development teams creating training, compliance, onboarding, software, and product education videos at scale.
- Global companies that need avatar-led business videos with AI voiceovers, translation, captions, and localization across many languages.
- Sales enablement, customer service, marketing, and internal communications teams turning scripts, decks, documents, links, and ideas into explainers or training videos.
- Enterprise teams that need brand kits, SCORM export, LMS integration, analytics, SAML/SSO, live collaboration, and centralized video governance.
- Teams replacing cameras, actors, microphones, studios, and repeated voiceover production with reusable AI avatars and AI voices.
Compare first
Who should compare alternatives first?
- Compare alternatives first if you need cinematic generative video, open-ended scene generation, or model-led visual effects rather than avatar-led business video production.
- Compare alternatives first if predictable usage is critical: Synthesia self-serve plans use credits, and the help center says each second of generated video uses 2 credits.
- Compare alternatives first if unused allowance rollover matters, because Synthesia pricing FAQ says unused minutes or credits do not roll over into the next billing period.
- Compare alternatives first if you need unlimited production, SAML/SSO, SCORM, dedicated onboarding, or custom credits without a sales conversation, because those are Enterprise-plan workflows.
- Compare alternatives first if your main need is lightweight social editing, mobile-first templates, or low-cost casual clips rather than structured workplace video.
Use cases
Synthesia use cases
- Create AI training videos for learning and development, compliance, technical training, cybersecurity training, leadership training, and software training.
- Convert existing PDFs, slide decks, web pages, documents, and ideas into avatar-led videos with Synthesia AI Video Assistant.
- Produce onboarding, internal communications, HR enablement, and company knowledge videos that can be updated without reshooting footage.
- Build sales enablement, customer service, product tutorial, explainer, and support videos with AI avatars and voiceovers.
- Localize business videos with translation, AI dubbing, subtitles, and voiceovers across 160+ languages and dialects.
- Create branded videos with brand kits, custom fonts, branded templates, logos, and consistent page styling.
- Publish training content through LMS workflows using SCORM export, LMS integrations, video analytics, and completion/drop-off reporting.
- Use interactive video elements, quizzes, calls to action, branching, and branded video pages for more guided workplace learning or customer education.
- Use API and workspace controls for programmatic video creation, bulk generation, team collaboration, and enterprise governance.
Capabilities
Synthesia features
- AI avatars and AI voiceovers for creating studio-quality business videos without cameras, actors, microphones, or studios.
- Voiceovers in 160+ languages, with language, dialect, and tone options listed across Synthesia product and training pages.
- AI Video Assistant that can turn documents, PDFs, web links, ideas, and scripts into draft videos.
- Text-to-video, script-to-video, PowerPoint-to-video, AI screen recording, templates, media library, and browser-based video editing.
- AI Dubbing, video translation, one-click translation workflows, subtitles, and multilingual video publishing.
- Custom avatars, Personal Avatars, stock AI avatars, custom on-brand avatars, voice cloning, and avatar-led scenes.
- Brand Kit, custom fonts, branded video pages, branded templates, logos, and style controls for consistent company videos.
- Collaboration features including workspaces, guest access, live team collaboration, comments, and shared video libraries.
- SCORM export, LMS integration, video analytics, completion tracking, drop-off analysis, and publish workflows for workplace learning.
- Enterprise controls such as SAML/SSO, SOC 2 Type II, GDPR alignment, ISO 42001, centralized billing, onboarding services, and dedicated customer success.
- API access for higher-tier workflows and enterprise programmatic video generation.
Pricing
Synthesia pricing, plans, and credits
Synthesia lists a free Basic plan with 1,200 credits per month, usable for up to 10 minutes of video per month or 25 AI-generated video assets. Paid plans start with Starter at $18/month when billed yearly, including 14,500 credits per year and up to 120 minutes of video or AI Dubbing per year. Creator is listed at $64/month when billed yearly, with 44,000 credits per year and up to 360 minutes of video or AI Dubbing per year. Enterprise uses custom pricing, custom credits, and unlimited video minutes for larger teams. Synthesia help docs say each second of generated video uses 2 credits.
1,200 credits/mo; up to 10 minutes video/month or 25 AI-generated video assets
Testing Synthesia and making occasional short AI videos.14,500 credits/year; up to 120 minutes video or AI Dubbing/year
Individuals and small teams producing regular avatar-led business videos.44,000 credits/year; up to 360 minutes video or AI Dubbing/year
Teams with higher video volume, branding, API, interactive, and personalization needs.Custom credits; unlimited video minutes
Organizations scaling secure, localized, LMS-ready video production across teams.Free plan and limits
Free Basic plan includes 1,200 credits/month, up to 10 minutes of video/month or 25 AI-generated video assets, and no credit card required.
Credits and billing checks
- Confirm whether usage is metered by credits, minutes, generations, seats, or exports.
- Check whether free usage renews monthly or is a one-time allowance.
- Verify whether team seats share one usage pool or receive separate allowances.
- Review export limits, watermark rules, commercial rights, and cancellation terms before paying.
Verification notes
What to verify before choosing it
- Confirm current pricing and free plan limits on the official site.
- Test the output quality against your real workflow before scaling usage.
- Compare the tool against close competitors for pricing, features, and workflow fit.
Tradeoffs
Synthesia strengths and tradeoffs
Pros
- Strong fit for enterprise training, L&D, onboarding, internal communications, and localized business video.
- Combines creation, editing, collaboration, translation, publishing, analytics, and LMS-oriented workflows in one platform.
- Plan allowances, credit usage, and credit-to-video-minute conversion are clear enough for enterprise buyers to model training-video volume before rollout.
- Enterprise plan supports security, governance, SAML/SSO, SCORM export, brand controls, implementation services, and dedicated support.
Cons
- Not the best primary choice for cinematic generative video, visual effects, or open-ended scene creation.
- Credit-based usage means retries, regeneration, AI dubbing, and longer videos need budget planning.
- Unused credits or minutes do not roll over, so occasional users may prefer tools with simpler low-volume plans.
- Advanced enterprise workflows, unlimited minutes, custom credits, and some avatar workflows can require custom pricing or paid add-ons.
Community evidence
Reddit and community signals
Public Reddit discussion around Synthesia is generally practical but cautious: users see it as useful for avatar-led training and business videos, while recurring concerns focus on avatar fatigue, voice naturalness, credit planning, add-ons, and whether the subscription is justified for simple videos.
Sentiment: Mixed-positive: strongest for repeat business, training, and enterprise video workflows; less compelling for one-off social clips or cinematic AI generation.
Next comparisons
Best alternatives and related comparisons
Related comparisons
Related alternatives
Recommendation
Should you use Synthesia?
Synthesia is worth shortlisting if you need avatar-led business video at scale for training, onboarding, internal communications, sales enablement, customer education, localization, and LMS-ready learning content. Compare HeyGen, InVideo, VEED, Runway, or other AI video tools first if your priority is social-first editing, cinematic generative video, cheaper casual clips, or unlimited low-cost experimentation.
Questions
FAQs of Synthesia
What does Synthesia do?
Synthesia is an AI video platform for business. Its official site describes creating studio-quality videos with AI avatars and AI voiceovers in 160+ languages, turning scripts, documents, links, and slides into training, marketing, customer service, and internal communication videos.
Is Synthesia free?
Yes. Synthesia lists a free Basic plan with no credit card required. The free plan includes 1,200 credits per month, usable for up to 10 minutes of video per month or 25 AI-generated video assets.
How much does Synthesia cost?
Synthesia pricing lists Basic at $0/month, Starter from $18/month billed yearly, Creator from $64/month billed yearly, and Enterprise with custom pricing. Plan allowances vary by credits, video minutes, avatars, collaboration, branding, API, and enterprise controls.
How do Synthesia credits work?
Synthesia help docs say self-serve plans use credits as the standard usage measure. Each second of generated video uses 2 credits, so 1 minute uses 120 credits. Credits are consumed when a video is generated, and regenerated edits can consume credits based on the changed video duration.
Is Synthesia good for training videos?
Yes. Synthesia has dedicated learning and development use cases for training videos, including converting PDFs, decks, web pages, and documents into videos, adding AI avatars and voiceovers, translating training content, and exporting SCORM for LMS workflows.
Does Synthesia support LMS, SCORM, and translation?
Yes. Synthesia lists SCORM export, LMS integration, analytics, brand kits, collaboration, AI dubbing, and translation workflows. Its official pages also describe voiceovers in 160+ languages and enterprise localization workflows.