Synthesia

Starting at: $19/mo
Free trial: Yes
Founded: 2017

About

Synthesia is an AI video company founded in London in 2017. It pioneered avatar-based video, where a realistic AI presenter reads your script, and it is widely used by companies for training, onboarding and internal communication.

Users type or paste a script, choose an avatar and voice, add slides or media, and Synthesia produces a finished video without cameras, studios or actors. Teams can create personal avatars of themselves, translate videos into many languages and keep content updated by editing text instead of reshooting.

As of October 2026, Synthesia has a free Basic plan, Starter at about $19 a month on monthly billing (cheaper annually), Creator for heavier use, and Enterprise pricing for large organisations. Plans differ by video minutes or credits, number of editors and avatar options.

Features and integrations

AI Avatars: Choose from a large library of realistic stock avatars to present your script on screen.
Personal Avatars: Create a digital version of yourself or a colleague to present videos in your own likeness.
Text-to-Video Editor: Build videos from scripts, slides, media and templates in a browser-based editor.
Multilingual Voices and Translation: Produce and translate videos into more than 140 languages and accents.
Templates and Brand Kits: Use templates and brand settings to keep training and company videos consistent.
Collaboration and Integrations: Share, comment and export to learning platforms and other tools used by enterprise teams.

Pros and cons

Pros

No filming needed: Professional-looking presenter videos can be made from text alone.
Easy to update: Changing a video means editing the script, not reshooting.
Strong multilingual support: One video can be produced in many languages quickly.
Enterprise-ready: Security, collaboration and compliance features suit large organisations.

Cons

Avatars can feel artificial: Some viewers notice the AI presenter, especially in emotional content.
Minute limits: Plans cap video minutes or credits, which limits high-volume production.
Per-editor pricing: Teams need a subscription for each editor on self-serve plans.

Founder

Victor Riparbelli

Founder, Synthesia

Victor Riparbelli is the co-founder and CEO of Synthesia, which he started in London in 2017 with Steffen Tjerrild and computer-vision professors Matthias Niessner and Lourdes Agapito.