HeyGen makes videos with digital presenters called avatars and translates videos into other languages. The free plan is useful for testing. Paid plans allow longer videos and higher-resolution exports. They also include monthly credits for features such as advanced avatars.
HeyGen deducts credits when you use certain features. Each feature has its own credit cost, so a plan’s monthly allowance does not buy a fixed number of finished videos. HeyGen lists Creator at $29 per month, Pro at $49 per month, and Business at $149 per month for the first seat. Check HeyGen’s pricing page before subscribing for current prices and plan details.
If you want narrated explainer videos or product demos without paying for video-generation credits, explainroo is a free, open-source alternative. It uses an AI coding agent to create videos on your computer, rather than offering HeyGen’s avatar-based video workflow.
HeyGen plans and prices
HeyGen’s free plan includes a limited number of videos each month. Paid plans use credits and add longer videos, higher resolutions, or access for multiple users.
| Plan | Published price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | 3 videos per month, up to 1 minute each, with a watermark; 500+ stock avatars, 1 custom avatar, and 30+ languages |
| Creator | $29 monthly, or $24 per month billed annually | 600 credits per month, videos up to 30 minutes, 1080p export, watermark removal, voice cloning, 175+ languages, and credit rollover |
| Pro | Starts at $49 per month | 1,000 credits per month at the base tier, 4K export, faster processing, advanced AI models, and tools to edit and proofread translated scripts |
| Business | $149 per month for the first seat, then $20 per additional seat | 1,500 credits per month, videos up to 60 minutes, 4K export, shared workspace, SAML/SSO, SCORM export, learning-management-system integration, and interactive video |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing | Options include SCIM user provisioning, invoice billing, a dedicated success manager, and unlimited voice clones |
The plan details come from HeyGen’s pricing page and its credit and subscription help page. The Business price listed here is the official help page’s stated price; confirm the amount shown at checkout, since published prices can vary by region or change.
Creator and Pro are single-seat plans. Business adds seats for people who share a HeyGen workspace. If you make short videos on your own, compare Creator’s 1080p limit with Pro’s 4K export. The larger credit allowance alone does not determine which plan is best.
How HeyGen credits affect video costs
Paid-plan credits pay for features, and different avatar options use credits at different rates. HeyGen lists Avatar III Video Look at 4 credits per minute, Avatar IV at 31 credits per minute, and Avatar V at 48 credits per minute. A minute with Avatar V uses much more of your monthly allowance than a minute with Avatar III.
This difference affects how many videos you can make with Creator’s 600 monthly credits. The total depends on video length and the features you use. Advanced avatar models and lip-synced translation, which matches translated speech to a speaker’s mouth movements, use credits faster. Check each feature’s credit cost before setting a regular production schedule.
The free plan allows three videos per month, each up to one minute, and does not use credits. Its watermark and short video limit make it better for testing than for publishing finished videos.
Unused paid credits also expire. With monthly billing, they expire after one additional billing cycle, so they do not build up indefinitely. Business users can buy extra credits in blocks of 100 for $5, or $0.05 per credit, according to HeyGen’s subscription details.
Which HeyGen plan fits your needs?
Choose Free to try avatar creation and translation before you pay. The plan limits you to three one-minute videos per month and adds a watermark, which makes it less suitable for regular publishing or finished videos.
Creator is the lowest-cost paid plan for one person who needs watermark-free 1080p videos, longer videos, or voice cloning. Choose Pro if you need 4K export, faster processing, advanced avatars, or translation-script editing. These features can use credits quickly, so check their rates before deciding whether Pro’s base allowance will cover your needs.
Choose Business if several people need access or you need SAML/SSO, SCORM export, or interactive video. For organizations, Enterprise offers custom options such as invoice billing or SCIM provisioning, which automatically manages user access.
How explainroo compares, and when it is a better fit
explainroo uses an AI coding agent to make narrated explainer videos and product demos. Options include Claude Code, Codex, Pi, OpenCode, and Gemini CLI. The agent writes a narration script and JavaScript to draw the scenes. explainroo renders the video on your computer and saves it as an MP4. It works best with Claude Code.
explainroo uses Kokoro, an open voice model, for English narration. Whisper, a speech-recognition tool, marks when each word is spoken so scene changes match the narration. explainroo also creates background music and sound effects. Its checks show scene stills and a contact sheet, detect cut-off or overlapping text, and flag mispronounced words.
For product demos, the agent can recreate a product’s screens from its code or website. It can show a pointer clicking and typing as the narration explains the product. You can request different looks and video sizes, including wide, tall, portrait, and square. explainroo does not make talking avatars or live-action footage, edit camera footage, or include a drag-and-drop editor.
The kit is free and open source under the MIT license. Optional AI illustrations cost money per image. The coding agent is a separate service with its own pricing. explainroo suits people who want narrated diagrams, charts, code, screenshots, or software walkthroughs and are comfortable directing an AI coding agent.
To try it, paste this prompt into a compatible coding agent, replacing the bracketed words with your topic:
Make me a short explainer video about [your topic]. Use explainroo for it: set it up, read its AGENTS.md, and follow the steps.
The agent sets up explainroo, makes and checks the video, and gives you an MP4 file. See example videos or the explainroo documentation before you start.
