HeyGen creates AI avatar videos, translations and localized video from text or a photo.
Free stops at: 3 videos per month, Videos up to 1 minute
Listed Not yet reviewed
From $29/mo US · checked Oct 5
Head-to-head · profiles checked Oct 5, 2026
HeyGen vs ElevenLabs in 2026: avatar video or AI voice, which fits your work
Pick HeyGen for video with a talking avatar and lip-synced translation, from $29/mo on Creator. Pick ElevenLabs for speech, voice cloning, dubbing and voice agents, from $6/mo on Starter. Both have a free plan, and neither replaces the other.
Starting price$29/mo · $6/moHeyGen · ElevenLabs
Free tierYes, 3 videos/month · Yes, 10,000 creditsHeyGen · ElevenLabs
Paid plans documented4 · 5 self-serve, plus EnterpriseHeyGen · ElevenLabs
Main outputAvatar video · Speech audioHeyGen · ElevenLabs
We wrote this from our own profiles of both tools, HeyGen verified on October 5 and ElevenLabs verified on September 30; we used no third-party benchmarks and took no vendor payments.
Is HeyGen better than ElevenLabs? The short answer
Pick HeyGen if the end product is a video with a talking presenter: it builds avatars from a script, photo or your own footage, translates video with lip-sync and exports SCORM on Business. Pick ElevenLabs if the end product is audio: narration, cloned voices, transcripts, dubbing, music and voice agents, with a commercial license from Starter at $6/mo. They overlap on translation and dubbing, but they start from different media, so many teams use both. We ran no head-to-head quality test, so we make no claim about which voice or avatar looks or sounds better.
Based on our profiles of both tools: HeyGen verified on October 5 and ElevenLabs verified on September 30. We ran no benchmark task for this pair.
HeyGen and ElevenLabs, as their sites look today
Our own captures of each vendor's public pages. Click a frame for the full-size image.
HeyGen or ElevenLabs: which to use, by task
If you only want the answer, this is the table. Everything below is the evidence from the two documented profiles.
| You want to | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Make a talking-presenter video from a script | HeyGen | HeyGen generates avatar video with Avatar IV; our ElevenLabs profile describes no avatar presenters. |
| Narrate a video, audiobook or podcast | ElevenLabs | ElevenLabs lists narration as a core use, with text to speech in 90+ languages on Eleven v4. |
| Translate an existing video with lip-sync | HeyGen | HeyGen's video translator matches lip movement; ElevenLabs dubbing is documented without lip-sync. |
| Dub audio or video and keep the speaker's voice | ElevenLabs | ElevenLabs dubbing v2 aims to preserve the original voice across 92 languages. |
| Clone your own voice | ElevenLabs | ElevenLabs has instant cloning from Starter and Professional Voice Cloning from Creator. |
| Turn a photo into a speaking clip | HeyGen | HeyGen's Talking photo animates a still photo; Photo Avatars are unlimited on Creator and above. |
| Transcribe audio to text | ElevenLabs | ElevenLabs Scribe transcribes in 90+ languages; our HeyGen profile lists no transcription. |
| Build a conversational voice agent | ElevenLabs | ElevenLabs has an agents platform with call minutes and Twilio telephony; HeyGen lists LiveAvatar but no call plans. |
| Export a course module to an LMS | HeyGen | HeyGen Business adds SCORM export and LMS integrations. |
| Add generated speech to your own app | ElevenLabs | ElevenLabs offers Python and JS SDKs, a CLI and a hosted MCP server; HeyGen's API docs URL is not confirmed. |
Who should pick which
Pick HeyGen if
- You need an on-screen presenter and cannot or do not want to film.
- You want to translate an existing video into other languages with matching lip movement.
- You make courses and need SCORM export or LMS integrations (Business, $149/mo).
- You want a free plan that already includes Avatar IV, limited to 3 videos of 1 minute a month.
Pick ElevenLabs if
- Your output is audio: voiceovers, audiobooks, podcasts or transcripts.
- You want to clone your own voice: instant cloning from Starter ($6/mo), Professional Voice Clone from Creator ($22/mo).
- You need a developer API, SDKs and a voice agent platform in the same account.
- You want the lowest paid entry price with a commercial license, $6/mo on Starter.
What HeyGen does better, and what ElevenLabs does better
HeyGen
- Avatar video from a script, with Avatar IV on the Free plan.
- Video translation with matching lip movement.
- Custom video avatars: 1 on Free, 5 on Business.
- SCORM export and LMS integrations on Business.
ElevenLabs
- Speech in 90+ languages with several models for quality versus latency.
- Instant and Professional voice cloning with own-voice verification.
- Speech to text, dubbing, music and sound effects in one account.
- Developer tooling: SDKs, CLI, hosted MCP server and an agents platform.
HeyGen vs ElevenLabs pricing: plans and free tiers
| Plan | Tool | Price | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | HeyGen | $0/mo | 3 videos per month, up to 1 minute each |
| Creator | HeyGen | $29/mo | 600 credits; videos up to 30 minutes; 1080p |
| Pro | HeyGen | $49/mo | 1,000 credits; videos up to 30 minutes; 4K export |
| Business | HeyGen | $149/mo plus $20/seat | 1,500 credits; videos up to 60 minutes; SAML/SSO |
| Enterprise | HeyGen | Custom | No video duration max; SCIM; highest concurrency |
| Free | ElevenLabs | $0 | 10,000 credits per month; non-commercial only |
| Starter | ElevenLabs | $6/mo | 30,000 credits; commercial license; instant voice cloning |
| Creator | ElevenLabs | $22/mo (first month shown at $11) | 121,000 credits; 1 Professional Voice Clone |
| Pro | ElevenLabs | $99/mo | 600,000 credits; 10 concurrent requests |
| Scale | ElevenLabs | $299/mo | 1.8M credits; 3 workspace seats |
| Business | ElevenLabs | $990/mo | 6M credits; 10 workspace seats |
| Enterprise | ElevenLabs | Custom | Custom credits and seats; Zero Retention Mode; BAAs |
USD as published on each vendor's pricing page, checked Oct 5, 2026. HeyGen pricing in full · ElevenLabs pricing in full
Usage limits: what the vendors state
| HeyGen | ElevenLabs | |
|---|---|---|
| Messages / rate limits | Credit-based on paid plans (600 on Creator, 1,000 on Pro, 1,500 on Business); concurrency 2x Pro on Business | Monthly credit pool per plan; concurrent requests from 2 on Free to 25 on Business |
| Context / file size | Videos up to 1 minute on Free, 30 minutes on Creator and Pro, 60 minutes on Business | Not stated |
| Seats / team | Extra Business seats $20 per seat per month | 3 workspace seats on Scale, 10 on Business, custom on Enterprise |
Feature comparison
| Feature | HeyGen | ElevenLabs |
|---|---|---|
| Image generation | Not stated | Image listed on Free; Image and Video on Starter |
| Voice | Voice cloning from Creator; 175+ languages | Text to speech, instant and professional cloning, voice design, 90+ languages |
| File upload | Yes: photo, recorded video, existing video, PowerPoint or PDF as inputs | Yes: audio for cloning and transcription, video and audio for dubbing |
| Web search | Not stated | Not stated |
| Agents / tools | LiveAvatar is listed; details not confirmed | Yes: ElevenAgents with workflow builder, knowledge base, MCP tools and Twilio |
| API | Separate API pricing; docs not confirmed | Yes, on all plans, with Python and JS SDKs |
| Mobile apps | Not confirmed | Yes: mobile listed |
| IDE integration | Not stated | Hosted MCP server for Claude Code, Cursor and other clients |
Privacy and data training
| HeyGen | ElevenLabs | |
|---|---|---|
| Training on your data | Policy lists AI model training among purposes where HeyGen is controller; opt-out terms not confirmed | Audio and text may be used to train AI models; Terms grant a perpetual license to content and user voice models |
| Retention | Not confirmed | Kept as long as needed; Zero Retention Mode is Enterprise and API-only |
| Business controls | SAML/SSO on Business; SCIM and team MFA on Enterprise | Data residency (US, EU, India, Singapore), SSO and SCIM, audit logs, scoped API keys, SOC2, BAAs |
Taken from each vendor's published policy pages at the time of our check. Policies change; the source links are at the bottom.
Switching between HeyGen and ElevenLabs: what carries over
HeyGen → ElevenLabsCarries over
- Scripts and translated text can be reused as input for speech.
- Voice cloning habits: both ask for clean source audio and consent.
- Avatar presenters and talking photos: not described in our ElevenLabs profile.
- Lip-synced video translation and SCORM export.
ElevenLabs → HeyGenCarries over
- Scripts and dubbing source files carry over as inputs.
- The habit of testing on a free plan before paying.
- Speech to text, music, sound effects and voice agents.
- The developer toolkit: SDKs, CLI and a hosted MCP server.
Pros and cons
HeyGen
- Free plan includes Avatar IV access
- Published monthly prices for every tier
- Video translator with lip-sync
- Free plan limited to 3 videos/month, 1 min each
- Paid plans use credits
- Business adds $20 per extra seat
ElevenLabs
- Low entry price with commercial license from $6/mo
- 90+ languages and several TTS models
- Pay-as-you-go top-ups on every self-serve tier
- Free plan is non-commercial only
- Shared credit pool drains fast on music, dubbing and voice changer
- Zero Retention Mode, BAAs and SSO are Enterprise-only
The two tools
AI audio platform for text-to-speech, voice cloning, dubbing, transcription, music and voice agents.
Free stops at: 10k credits per month, 3 Projects in Studio
Listed Not yet reviewed
Verified elevenlabs.io (opens ElevenLabs website in a new tab)
Free · paid from $6/mo US · checked Sep 30
HeyGen or ElevenLabs: how to choose
- Need a person on screen? HeyGen. Need only the voice? ElevenLabs.
- Tight budget? ElevenLabs starts at $6/mo with a commercial license; HeyGen starts at $29/mo.
- Translating video? Try both on the free plans: HeyGen offers lip-sync, ElevenLabs offers 92-language dubbing v2.
- Building an app or phone agent? ElevenLabs lists an API on every plan and an agents platform.
- Strict data rules? Both train on some data by default; ElevenLabs offers Zero Retention Mode on Enterprise, and HeyGen's opt-out terms are not confirmed.
- Our pick: HeyGen for avatar-led video, ElevenLabs for audio, and both if you make narrated video at scale.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, HeyGen or ElevenLabs?
ElevenLabs has the lower entry price: Starter is $6/mo against $29/mo for HeyGen Creator. The two sell different things, so compare the plan that matches your output. HeyGen Pro is $49/mo and Business $149/mo; ElevenLabs Creator is $22/mo and Pro $99/mo.
Do HeyGen and ElevenLabs have a free plan?
Yes, both. HeyGen Free allows 3 videos a month of up to 1 minute each. ElevenLabs Free gives 10,000 credits a month, about 10 minutes of text to speech, for non-commercial use only.
Can ElevenLabs make avatar video like HeyGen?
Our ElevenLabs profile lists text to speech, cloning, transcription, dubbing, music and sound effects, and an image and video option from Starter. It does not describe talking-avatar presenters, so for that we confirm only HeyGen.
Can HeyGen replace ElevenLabs for voice work?
Not for audio-only work. HeyGen lists voice cloning on Creator and above, but its outputs are video files. Our profile describes no audio-only output, transcription or voice agents for HeyGen. ElevenLabs outputs MP3, PCM, Opus and transcripts.
Which is better for translating video?
Both offer it. HeyGen translates a video with lip-sync, free up to 1 minute and up to 30 minutes on paid plans. ElevenLabs dubbing covers 29 languages in v1 and 92 in v2 and can add a watermark unless a higher credit rate is paid. We did not compare output quality.
Sources
- https://www.heygen.com/
- https://www.heygen.com/pricing
- https://help.heygen.com/
- https://www.heygen.com/privacy
- https://elevenlabs.io/
- https://elevenlabs.io/pricing
- https://elevenlabs.io/pricing/api
- https://elevenlabs.io/pricing/agents
- https://elevenlabs.io/docs/overview/capabilities/text-to-speech
- https://elevenlabs.io/docs/overview/capabilities/voices
- https://elevenlabs.io/docs/eleven-api/quickstart
- https://elevenlabs.io/docs/eleven-api/resources/zero-retention-mode
- https://elevenlabs.io/privacy
- https://elevenlabs.io/terms
Only official vendor pages. No third-party benchmarks, forum threads or press were used. How we review.