HeyGen review

4.1/5

AI video platform

All-in-one AI video creation platform. Its Video Agent turns a text prompt or script into a finished, share-ready avatar video (1080p/4K) without cameras, crews, or editing, plus AI avatars, digital twins, and 175+ language translation with lip sync.

Visit HeyGen → last verified 2026-05-31

Affiliate link · how we make money

Best for AI avatar video generation. HeyGen starts $29/mo (Creator, monthly) / $24/mo billed annually on a Freemium with credit-based subscription tiers (monthly credits + seat add-ons), plus pay-as-you-go API model. Subscriptions are credit-metered, not minute-flat. Video Agent and Avatar IV both burn 20 credits/min, while Avatar III is only 3 credits/min and lip-sync translation is ~5 credits/min. So the Creator plan's 600 credits equals roughly only ~30 min/mo of premium Video Agent/Avatar IV video (but ~120 min of lip-sync translation or ~200 min of Avatar III). Effective premium-video cost on Creator works out to about $1/min.

Spec

pricing modelFreemium with credit-based subscription tiers (monthly credits + seat add-ons), plus pay-as-you-go API
entry price$29/mo (Creator, monthly) / $24/mo billed annuallyverify livedecode →
free tierYes. Free plan: $0/mo, 3 videos/month up to 1 min each, 720p/1080p, watermarked.source →
self-hostNo
MCPServer
integrationsPay-as-you-go REST API and SDKs (including a Streaming Avatar SDK); Claude Code via official HeyGen Skill; native MCP server (OAuth) for Claude and AI agents; Zapier and developer marketplace connectors.source →
API accessYes
affiliate20% recurring, 12 months per referred Creator or Team plan; 60-day cookie

The gotcha

the pricing catch

The credit system makes the headline price misleading: premium models (Video Agent, Avatar IV) eat 20 credits/min, so 600 Creator credits is only ~30 minutes of premium video before you run dry. Credits roll over only one cycle on monthly plans, the free tier watermarks everything, and on Business adding seats does NOT add credits (the 1,500-credit pool is shared), so heavy solo users often get more from Pro than from a multi-seat Business plan.

Decode the real cost →

Best for

  • You want to turn a script or prompt into polished AI-avatar marketing, sales, or training videos in minutes without filming anything.

source: heygen.com/pricing →

HeyGen pricing tiers

Prices move. Cells flagged verify link to the live vendor page.

Decode HeyGen pricing →
tiermonthlyannualincludedunit
Free $0verify $0 3 videos/month (up to 1 min each), 720p, 1 custom digital twin, 500+ stock avatars, 30+ languages, watermarked per month
Creator $29verify $24/mo (billed annually) 600 monthly credits, videos up to 30 min, 1080p export, watermark removal, voice cloning, 175+ languages per month
Pro $49 n/a 1,000 monthly credits (customizable up to ~$4,300/mo tiers), 4K export, 30-min videos, script editing, faster processing per month
Business $149 + $20/seatverify n/a 1,500 monthly credits, 60-min videos, 5 custom digital twins, SSO/SAML, SCORM export, LMS integrations, brand kit per month + per seat
Enterprise Customverify n/a Unlimited video duration, fastest processing, highest concurrency, multi-workspace control custom contract

// pools and per-unit rates are volatile · cells flagged verify link to the live vendor page

Compare HeyGen with…

Questions

How much does HeyGen cost?

HeyGen starts $29/mo (Creator, monthly) / $24/mo billed annually. Subscriptions are credit-metered, not minute-flat. Video Agent and Avatar IV both burn 20 credits/min, while Avatar III is only 3 credits/min and lip-sync translation is ~5 credits/min. So the Creator plan's 600 credits equals roughly only ~30 min/mo of premium Video Agent/Avatar IV video (but ~120 min of lip-sync translation or ~200 min of Avatar III). Effective premium-video cost on Creator works out to about $1/min.

Can you self-host HeyGen?

No, HeyGen is cloud-only.

Does HeyGen support MCP?

HeyGen supports MCP as Server, so it works with assistants like Claude and ChatGPT.

What's the catch with HeyGen's pricing?

The credit system makes the headline price misleading: premium models (Video Agent, Avatar IV) eat 20 credits/min, so 600 Creator credits is only ~30 minutes of premium video before you run dry. Credits roll over only one cycle on monthly plans, the free tier watermarks everything, and on Business adding seats does NOT add credits (the 1,500-credit pool is shared), so heavy solo users often get more from Pro than from a multi-seat Business plan.