I tested 7 Synthesia alternatives: Here’s the best AI video generator in 2025

I get it. You’ve seen those polished AI avatar videos and had that "I need this" moment. Synthesia has really set the standard for what AI video can do. But then reality hits: you look at the price tag, consider what you actually need to do, and start wondering if there’s a better fit out there.

That was me a few weeks ago. So, I decided to dive in and spend way too many hours testing the most talked-about Synthesia alternatives. I wanted to see which tools are actually good, who they’re for, and how they perform on a real project.

This list isn’t just a head-to-head comparison of avatar video tools. I’ve also included a completely different way to think about the problem. Sometimes, the goal isn’t just to make a video; it’s to solve the business problem that made you think about video in the first place, like getting customer support under control.

What is Synthesia and why look for Synthesia alternatives?

Synthesia is a platform that lets you create videos from a simple text script. You pick an AI avatar, type out their lines, and it generates a video of them speaking. It’s become popular for corporate training videos and marketing clips because it’s much faster than hiring a camera crew.

But it’s not the perfect tool for every situation. Here are the common reasons people start looking for Synthesia alternatives:

• The cost. Let’s be honest, the pricing can be a hurdle, especially for smaller teams. The plans are based on how many minutes of video you generate, and those minutes can disappear fast.

• It’s not right for every job. Synthesia is great for "talking head" style videos. But if you need to show a customer how to actually use your software, it doesn’t quite work. An avatar can tell someone where to click, but it can’t show them.

• The maintenance headache. Videos are static. The moment your product’s UI changes or a process is updated, the video is out of date. You have to go back and re-render the whole thing, which can be a real time-sink.

• It’s a one-way conversation. A customer can watch a how-to video, but they can’t ask a quick follow-up question or get help for their specific issue right then and there.

How I evaluated the best Synthesia alternatives

To keep things fair, I focused on a few key things that really matter when you’re using these tools for work:

• Ease of use: How fast can you get going without a background in video editing? Is the tool straightforward or did I have to search for tutorials just to find a basic feature?

• Avatar & voice quality: Do the AI presenters look and sound like real people? Or do they look a little… off?

• What it’s actually good for: Is the tool a generalist, or is it built for a specific task like marketing, training, or product demos?

• Pricing: Is the pricing easy to understand? Does it feel like a good deal for what you get?

• Scalability: Can the tool handle the needs of a growing team? Does it have decent collaboration features?

The top 7 Synthesia alternatives at a glance

Here’s a quick rundown of the platforms I tested and what they do best.

Tool	Starting Price (Monthly)	Best For	Key Feature	Free Plan
HeyGen	$29/mo	Marketing & Social Media	Talking Photo & Streaming Avatars	Yes, 3 videos/mo
Colossyan	$27/mo	Learning & Development	Scenario-based learning & PPT import	Yes, 5 mins total
Clueso	$120/mo	Product Demos & Documentation	AI-powered screen recordings	7-day trial
DeepBrain AI	$24/mo	Realistic Presenters	Advanced avatar gestures	Yes, demo video
Vidnoz	$19.99/mo (approx.)	Generous Free Usage	Suite of free AI tools	Yes, 2 mins/day
Elai.io	$23/mo	Cost-Effective Creation	Interactive video capabilities	Yes, 1 min/mo
eesel AI	$299/mo	Automating Support & Internal Q&A	In-workflow AI agents (not video)	N/A (Business plans)

A detailed look at the 7 best Synthesia alternatives in 2025

1. HeyGen

HeyGen is probably the name you’ll hear most often next to Synthesia, and for good reason. The platform is super easy to get the hang of and is loaded with avatars, templates, and voices. It’s a great fit for marketing teams that need to create a lot of content without a lot of fuss.

• What I liked:

  • The free plan is actually useful and lets you properly try it out.

  • The "Talking Photo" feature, which animates a still picture, is genuinely cool and perfect for making social media content that stands out.

  • Videos render really quickly, so you’re not stuck waiting.

• What could be better:

  • The team features on the cheaper plans are a bit limited.

  • It’s not built for creating complex, interactive training material.

• Pricing: HeyGen has a free plan that gives you 3 videos a month (up to 3 minutes each). Paid plans start at $29/month for the Creator tier, which gives you unlimited videos up to 30 minutes long.

2. Colossyan

If your world revolves around creating training content, you should check out Colossyan. It’s designed specifically for learning and development (L&D) folks, with features you just won’t find in other video makers. I was really impressed that it could turn a PowerPoint deck into a video and that it supports SCORM for easy uploading to a Learning Management System (LMS).

• What I liked:

  • It has a clear focus on education, with options for quizzes and branching scenarios.

  • You can put multiple avatars on screen at once, which is great for creating conversation-style training.

  • The built-in ChatGPT helper for scriptwriting is a nice touch.

• What could be better:

  • The avatars are good, but not quite as lifelike as Synthesia’s.

  • I noticed that rendering could be a bit slow, especially for longer videos.

• Pricing: Colossyan’s pricing starts at $27/month for the Starter plan, which gets you 15 minutes of video. The Business plan at $88/month offers unlimited video minutes, making it a solid option for teams creating lots of content.

3. Clueso

Clueso takes a different path. Instead of having an avatar talk about your product, Clueso helps you show it. You just record your screen while you do something, and its AI turns that recording into a slick demo. It automatically adds zooms to highlight clicks, generates a voiceover that doesn’t sound robotic, and even creates a written step-by-step guide from the same recording.

• What I liked:

  • It’s made for showing, not just telling. This is perfect for customer onboarding, tutorials, and sales demos.

  • Getting both a video and a help article from one recording is a huge time-saver.

  • When your UI changes, you can just edit one step instead of re-recording the entire thing.

• What could be better:

  • It’s not the tool for creating marketing videos or company announcements with a presenter.

  • The starting price is a bit higher than the avatar-based tools.

• Pricing: Clueso’s plans start at $120/month, which covers 30 minutes of video, 30 documents, and 2 users.

4. DeepBrain AI

DeepBrain AI (which also goes by AI Studios) is all about quality. Its main claim to fame is its incredibly realistic avatars. What really caught my eye was the ability to add custom body gestures. You can make an avatar nod, wave, or point, which makes the videos feel much more natural. This makes it a great choice for important videos like a message from the CEO or a big sales pitch.

• What I liked:

  • Adding gestures makes the videos feel more human and less static.

  • The avatar quality is some of the best I’ve seen.

  • It’s used by some big-name companies, which is a good sign of its quality.

• What could be better:

  • I found the interface a little clunky compared to some of the others on this list.

• Pricing: DeepBrain AI’s pricing includes a free plan for 3 video exports. The Personal plan is $24/month for unlimited videos up to 30 minutes long.

5. Vidnoz

If you’re working with a small budget or just want to play around with AI video, start with Vidnoz. Its free plan is one of the best I’ve come across, giving you two minutes of video creation every day. It also throws in a few other simple AI tools for free, like a background remover.

• What I liked:

  • The free plan is fantastic and gives you more than enough time to create real content.

  • It comes with a bunch of other useful AI tools at no extra cost.

  • The library of templates and stock avatars is huge.

• What could be better:

  • The platform doesn’t have the same polished, professional feel as Synthesia or HeyGen.

  • It lacks some of the more advanced features you’d need for a larger business.

• Pricing: The Vidnoz official pricing page was down when I tested, but the free plan gives you 2 minutes of video per day. Other reviews suggest paid plans start around $19.99/month.

6. Elai.io

Elai.io hits a sweet spot between price and features. It’s an affordable tool that does more than you’d expect. I was especially impressed that you can make interactive videos by adding clickable buttons and quizzes. This makes it a flexible choice for both marketing and e-learning.

• What I liked:

  • It’s great value for the money, with a solid set of features for a low price.

  • The ability to create interactive videos is a real plus for engagement.

  • It supports SCORM exports, so it’s a legitimate option for L&D teams.

• What could be better:

  • The lip-syncing wasn’t always perfect, especially on longer sentences.

  • The avatar library is a bit smaller than what you get with other platforms.

• Pricing: Elai.io offers a free plan with 1 minute of video. The Creator plan starts at just $29/month ($23/month annually) for 15 minutes of video, making it very accessible.

7. eesel AI

Here’s where we pivot. The tools above help you make videos to explain how to do things. But what if you could just solve the problem directly, cutting down on support tickets and answering questions instantly? This is for teams who realize the goal isn’t just to produce content, but to automate support.

Instead of a customer having to find and watch a "how-to" video, eesel AI gives them an immediate, interactive answer right where they are. It’s a different tool because it’s a more direct solution.

• Why it’s a smart alternative:

  • It’s incredibly fast to set up. You can connect eesel AI to your helpdesk (like Zendesk or Freshdesk) and knowledge bases (like Confluence or Google Docs) in a few clicks. You can get it running yourself without needing to talk to a sales team.

  • It solves problems on the spot. An AI Agent can handle support tickets on its own, an AI Copilot can help your team write better replies faster, and an AI chatbot can offer 24/7 help on your website. It’s an interactive fix, not a static video.

  • It’s always up to date. It learns from your newest documents and past support tickets automatically. No need to re-record a video every time you update your product.

  • It brings all your knowledge together. It connects to everything, so it can give complete answers based on your entire company’s knowledge, not just what’s in a single script.

• Keep in mind:

  • It’s a customer service automation platform, not a video creation tool.

  • It’s built for support, IT, and internal help desks, not for creative marketing campaigns.

• Pricing: eesel AI’s pricing is straightforward. Plans start at $299/month for the Team tier, which includes up to 1,000 AI interactions. The cost is based on usage, so you won’t get hit with a surprise bill if you have a busy month.

How to choose the right Synthesia alternatives for your team

Still not sure which way to go? Here’s a quick guide to help you pick.

• For marketing videos: Your best options are HeyGen or Vidnoz. They’re full of templates and features designed for making content that will grab attention on social media.

• For training content: Go with Colossyan or Elai.io. Their LMS compatibility and interactive features are built for creating educational material.

• For product demos: Clueso is the clear winner. It’s made specifically for turning screen recordings into easy-to-follow demos and guides.

• If your real goal is to cut down on support tickets: A video maker might not be the right tool. An AI support platform like eesel AI offers a more direct and scalable solution by automating answers and workflows for your customers and team.

This video provides a helpful comparison of HeyGen and Synthesia, two of the leading AI avatar platforms.

Go beyond video with true automation

The best Synthesia alternative is simply the tool that best matches what you’re trying to accomplish. There are some amazing AI video tools out there that can help you create great content faster and for less money. But they all share one limitation: they produce static content that goes out of date the second your business changes.

For teams working in customer support, IT, or internal knowledge sharing, the real goal isn’t just creating content; it’s automation. It’s about solving problems more quickly and cutting down on repetitive work. While a video can explain a solution, a true AI agent can actually deliver it.

Ready to see how an AI agent can solve customer issues instead of just talking about them? Get started with eesel AI and you can be up and running in minutes.