Is Synthesia Free? The Free Plan and Its Two Big Catches

Synthesia is the AI video platform that turns a script into a video with a talking AI avatar, which is why it's popular for training, onboarding and explainer videos. Here's what the free plan really covers, what the paid plans add as of October 2026, and when it's worth upgrading.

What Synthesia's free plan includes

• 10 minutes of video creation or dubbing a month.
• 3 survey responses a month.
• 500 credits a month to spend on any usage-based feature.
• Pre-built libraries, templates, roleplays and surveys.
• Sharing online via a share link.
• Videos carry a Synthesia watermark.

The catches on the free plan

Look at what the Starter plan adds and you'll see what Basic leaves out. Synthesia lists download your content, remove the Synthesia logo, the AI video assistant and survey analytics as Starter features. So a free video can be watched through its share link, but you can't download it to upload to YouTube, LinkedIn or your course platform, and it carries the watermark. For testing a script or showing a colleague, that's fine. For anything client-facing, it isn't.

Synthesia paid plans, as of October 2026

Plan	Price	Credits a month	Video, per Synthesia
Basic	$0	500	10 minutes
Starter	$19 a month ($9 first month)	1,250	Up to about 12 minutes
Pro	$89 a month ($49 first month)	6,000	Up to about 60 minutes
Enterprise	Custom	Custom volumes	Unlimited video minutes

Starter adds downloads, logo removal, more than 125 stock AI avatars, 3 guests and chat or email support. Pro adds 5 personal avatars, more than 180 stock avatars, branded video pages, interactive videos and 5 guests. Enterprise adds unlimited personal avatars, one-click translation into more than 140 languages, SSO and SCORM export for learning systems.

How Synthesia credits work

Credits are Synthesia's shared currency across its AI features. The pricing page says video costs 100 credits per minute, with the first 10 minutes included on every plan, and survey responses cost 350 credits each after the first 3. It also says real credit use depends on what's in your video, since avatars, B-roll, motion graphics and dubbing count differently. AI roleplay training is an add-on at $29 per learner a month.

How to get the most from the free plan

1. Write and time your script first, so you don't spend your 10 minutes on drafts.
2. Keep test videos short and use them to choose an avatar and voice.
3. Share the link with colleagues for feedback rather than downloading.
4. Upgrade only for the video you'll publish, and consider the discounted first month.

Synthesia vs HeyGen

HeyGen is the obvious rival. I've compared them side by side in HeyGen vs Synthesia, and my guide to whether HeyGen is free covers its own free allowance.

Synthesia credit rules worth knowing

• Credits are only used when something is generated, never while you edit or preview.
• Only new footage is charged. Edit three seconds of an existing video and regenerate, and Synthesia says you pay for three seconds.
• Dubbing uses 80 credits a minute with lip-sync and 40 without.
• Your monthly allowance doesn't roll over. Unused minutes and credits reset each billing period.
• If you run out, video creation pauses until your plan renews, unless you buy extra credits.
• Credits you buy separately last 12 months, and you can't pay per video.

The regeneration rule is the one that saves you credits. Fix a typo in one line and you aren't charged for the whole video again.

What the free plan is good for

Synthesia's free plan works well for a few jobs. You can test whether an AI avatar suits your brand before committing, draft an internal training video and share the link with your team, or try dubbing a short clip into another language. Because the 10 free minutes renew every month, it's also fine for the occasional internal update. Synthesia's FAQ adds that ten one-minute videos use the same allowance as one ten-minute video, so you can split your free minutes however you like.

It's not the plan for marketing videos you want on social media or your website, because of the watermark and the lack of downloads.

How to cancel Synthesia

Synthesia's FAQ says you can cancel any time from your account settings. Payment is recurring, monthly or annual, rather than a one-time fee, and Pro comes in several credit levels you can change from Plan and billing.

My verdict: is Synthesia free?

Yes, for testing. The free Basic plan gives you 10 minutes of video a month, which is plenty to try avatars and scripts. But you can't download free videos and they carry a watermark, so anything you publish needs Starter at least, at $19 a month after a $9 first month as of October 2026. Pro at $89 a month makes sense once you need personal avatars or more than about 12 minutes of video a month.

Want generated scenes rather than a presenter? Check whether Luma is free.

Frequently asked questions

Is Synthesia free?

Yes. The Basic plan is $0 and includes 10 minutes of video creation or dubbing, 3 survey responses and 500 credits a month.

Can I download videos on Synthesia's free plan?

No. Synthesia lists downloading your content as a Starter plan feature, so free videos are shared by link.

Do free Synthesia videos have a watermark?

Yes. Synthesia says videos on the Basic plan carry a Synthesia watermark.

How much is Synthesia Starter?

As of October 2026 Starter is $19 a month, with the first month at $9, and includes 1,250 credits.

How much is Synthesia Pro?

Pro is $89 a month, with the first month at $49, and includes 6,000 credits as of October 2026.

How many credits does a minute of Synthesia video use?

Synthesia says 100 credits per minute, with the first 10 minutes included on every plan.

Do unused Synthesia minutes roll over?

No. Synthesia says the monthly allowance and plan credits reset each billing period. Credits bought separately last 12 months.

Can I pay per video on Synthesia?

No. Synthesia says it's based on monthly and yearly subscriptions only.

How do I cancel Synthesia?

Synthesia says you can cancel any time from your account settings.