Heygen Review: Is It Worth It?

Published:February 26, 2025

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Would you like to create high-quality videos without needing a camera, actors, or editing skills? That’s what Heygen promises — AI videos in mere minutes with lifelike avatars and realistic voiceovers.

AI video creation is booming because it’s fast, affordable, and scalable. . Rather than hiring a production crew, with Heygen you write out a script, select an avatar, and receive a studio-quality video immediately.

But is it really that good? In this Heygen review, we’ll cover how Heygen works, who it’s best for, pricing & key features, pros, cons, and alternatives.

TL;DR

Heygen in a Nutshell

  • Lifelike avatars & voiceovers for AI-powered video creation.
  • Interactive and personalization in videos.
  • 300+ avatars, multilingual support voiced avatars
  • Generation is simple and takes minutes, only text is required. No editing skills are needed.
  • Time & Cost Saving (as compared to regular video production)
  • Fantastic for businesses, marketers, educators and content creation

Pros & Cons

ProsCons
Realistic AI avatars & voiceoversAvatars can still feel slightly robotic
Supports multiple languages & accentsLimited customization for avatar expressions
Fast video creation, no camera neededHigher pricing for premium features
Web-based – no software installationWatermark on free plan videos
Great for explainer, marketing & training videosNot ideal for highly cinematic content

Who is Heygen Best For?

1. Content Creators & Influencers

Not camera-ready? Well, That’s okay. The ultimate in creative content, Heygen enables you to create engaging videos without having to record yourself, and provides an instant customizable avatar.

For example, a finance YouTuber can use Heygen to create AI avatars that read out their drafts professionally, engagingly, and at scale.

2. Marketers & Sales Teams

Personalized video marketing is known to increase engagement, but it’s time-consuming to record a customized video for every prospect. Heygen automates video outreach by enabling users to create dynamic, AI-generated videos that contain personalized messages.

A real estate agent, for instance, can use Heygen to create personalized listing videos for various clients without spending hours recording.

3. E-learning & Training Professionals

Professional-looking videos are often a prerequisite of online courses, corporate training, and educational content. Heygen allows educators to create AI instructors that present lessons clearly and interest-tingling in multiple languages.

For instance, a global company can generate multi-language training videos to train its employees using just one instructor rather than hiring separate instructors for separate languages using Heygen.

4. Businesses & Startups

Looking for a cost-effective alternative to hiring video production teams? Heygen is a perfect fit for companies engaged in:

  • Product / service explainer videos
  • Training videos for new hires
  • Videos for customer support to respond to FAQs

5. Social Media Managers

Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn are dominated by short-form video content. Heygen helps repurpose your blogs, advertisements, or product promotional videos into these fun AI videos that increase visibility for your brand with the least resistance.

Let’s say your brand is launching a product and want to promote it, you can use Heygen to easily generate short AI-generated testimonial videos, and make your marketing campaigns more interesting.

Alternative To Heygen

Heygen is a solid AI video generator, but how does it compare to similar tools like Synthesia, DeepBrain AI, D-ID, and Pictory?

Heygen vs. Alternatives

FeatureHeygenSynthesiaDeepBrain AID-IDPictory
Best ForMarketing, social media, explainer videosBusiness training, corporate useUltra-realistic avatarsSimple AI animationsBlog-to-video conversion
AI AvatarsYes (300+)Yes (230+)Yes(100+)Yes (25+) No
Languages175+140+80+40+20+
Custom AvatarsYesYesYes NoNo
Ease of Use⭐⭐⭐⭐☆⭐⭐⭐⭐☆⭐⭐⭐☆☆⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
Pricing$29+/month$18 – $64/month$24–$55/month$4.7–$108/month$19 – $975/month
Free PlanYesYesYesNo (But free trial exists)No

Heygen Pricing

Heygen offers 4 main pricing tiers:

PlanPriceKey FeaturesBest For
Free$0/month
Create 3 videos per month
500+ Stock Avatar Looks
Videos up to 3-mins
Export up to 720p
Casual users testing the tool
Creator$24/monthCreate unlimited videos
Videos up to 5-mins
Export up to 1080p
Individual creators & freelancers
Team$69/monthCreate unlimited videos
Videos up to 30-mins
Export up to 1080p
Marketers & businesses needing custom branding
EnterpriseCustom pricingCreate unlimited videos
No video duration max
Export up to 4k
Large businesses & agencies

Catch the full comparison of all 4 plans here!

Overview & Main Features

Heygen Review

Heygen makes AI video creation simple, even if you have zero experience with video editing. From choosing an avatar to customizing animations, the platform provides a smooth workflow that helps you create professional-looking videos in minutes.

Let’s go step by step through Heygen’s core features and how they work.

Step 1: Start with a Template

Step 2: Choosing an Avatar (Or Uploading Your Own!)

Heygen has avatars that act as your virtual presenters, delivering your message in a natural, engaging way.

Pre-made Avatars – Over 300 avatars varying in ethnicity, age and professional style are available on Heygen. It gives you professional, lifestyle, UGC and AI-generated options.

Custom Avatars – Seeking an avatar that reflects you digitally? You can upload a short video of yourself to create a custom avatar on Heygen. The AI then generates an avatar that mimics your voice and expressions.

Talking Photo Avatars – You can even animate any photo to talk it. Simply upload an image, enter the script, and the AI will take care of the rest. Great for personal branding, historical characters, or converting static photos into videos

Step 3: Adding Voiceovers (AI Text-to-Speech or Your Own Voice)

After you’ve selected your avatar, it’s time to assign them a voice. Heygen provides two primary alternatives:

AI Text-to-Speech (TTS) – Enter your script and Heygen’s AI will generate realistic voice overs in multiple languages and accents. You also get the option to select tonebased on your content (for instance formal, casual, energetic).

Upload Your Own Voice – Want a personal touch? Upload an audio file, and Heygen will match your voice with the avatar’s lip movements.

Multi-Language Support – Heygen can be 175 languages as well as dialects, including Spanish from Mexico or Argentina, and 300 different voices

Step 4: Customizing Videos

Heygen offers advanced customization options to fine-tune your video.

Text & Subtitles

  • Add some overlay text animations to emphasize on the key ideas.
  • Generate subtitles automatically for accessibility and engagement.

When making training videos, for example, adding text callouts and subtitles helps reinforce key messages for better retention.

Step 5: Exporting & Sharing Your Video

Exporting is smooth sailing once your video is complete.

Download Options

  • Export in 720p, 1080p or 4k for crisp, high-quality videos.
  • Choose between MP4 or WebM for different platforms.

One-Click Sharing

  • Upload directly to YouTube, LinkedIn, or Twitter from the platform
  • Share using a Heygen link without downloading the file.

The Bottom Line

Heygen is one of the most comprehensive AI video tools on the market, they offer:

  • More realistic avatars that move like humans
  • Loads of customization (gestures, expressions, branding)
  • Translated into multiple languages for international users
  • Flexible pricing for both individuals and businesses

If you need AI-generated videos for marketing, training, or content creation, Heygen is a powerful and user-friendly option.

FAQs

1. What is Heygen used for?

Heygen is an AI-powered video creation tool that helps users generate professional-looking videos using digital avatars. It’s commonly used for marketing, training, e-learning, and social media content.

2. Is Heygen free or paid?

Heygen offers both free and paid plans. The free plan has limited features, while paid plans provide access to high-quality avatars, custom branding, and premium editing tools.

3. Is Heygen a Chinese company?

No, Heygen is a U.S.-based company. While it has global team members, it operates from California.

4. Is Heygen any good?

Yes! Heygen is known for its realistic avatars, easy-to-use interface, and customization options. It’s great for businesses, educators, and content creators who want to make high-quality AI videos quickly.

5. Is Heygen safe to use?

Yes, Heygen is safe. It follows industry security standards to protect user data and content. However, always check their privacy policy before uploading sensitive information.

6. Are Heygen avatars real people?

No, Heygen avatars are AI-generated. Some avatars are based on real actors, while others are fully synthetic, created using AI technology.

Onome

Contributor & AI Expert