HeyGen: pricing, free plan, and Avatar IV

What is HeyGen?

HeyGen is an AI video company and app that turns a photo or a short recording into a talking avatar video. According to the company's blog, it was founded in December 2020 under the name Movio. Its founders are Joshua Xu, a former Snap engineer, and Wayne Liang; its about page lists offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

HeyGen announced Avatar IV in April 2025. It makes a talking video from one photo and a script, shapes facial expressions to the tone of the voice, and adds hand gestures. On April 8, 2026, the company announced Avatar V, which builds a digital twin of a person from a 15-second recording.

The model on Klakix is Avatar IV. Avatar V and digital twins aren't available here; if you're after the newest HeyGen model, that's on HeyGen's own site.

HeyGen pricing (2026)

HeyGen's pricing page lists four individual plans plus Enterprise, which is priced on request. Paying yearly lowers the monthly price.

• The number of free videos depends on where you look: the help center says 1 to 3 videos a month depending on region, while the pricing page says 3. The watermark on free videos can't be removed.
• Paid plans spend credits: according to HeyGen's help center, Avatar IV uses 16 credits per minute in photo mode and 31 in video mode, and Avatar V uses 48 per minute.
• Prices were checked on each company's own pages in September 2026 and may change.

HeyGen Avatar IV on Klakix

HeyGen Avatar IV works in two tools here. In both, you don't pick a duration: the video runs as long as your script takes to say.

• Talking Photo: upload a portrait, type up to 200 characters, and the person says it with natural expressions. Aspect ratio 9:16 / 16:9.
• UGC Ads: upload a presenter photo and a product photo, then write a script of up to 320 characters. First a single frame of the presenter holding the product is created, then that frame is made to talk. Aspect ratio 9:16 / 1:1 / 16:9.
• Your script is voiced with one of 8 English voices (US and UK accents), and the lip movement is matched to it.
• Output is a fixed 720p in both tools; there's no 1080p or 4K option. A video takes about 90 seconds.
• You can't upload your own audio file, and there's no voice cloning: voiceovers use the ready-made voices in the lineup.
• Signing up is free, and the 20 free credits you get after verifying your email work for voiceovers. Talking Photo and UGC Ads unlock after your first credit purchase; we pay the AI provider for every generation, so there's no free trial. Before you buy, you can watch unedited samples on the examples page.

How many credits does HeyGen Avatar IV cost?

The cost depends on the length of your script: billed time is the character count divided by 14, with a 5-second minimum, plus the cost of the voiceover. UGC Ads also includes the cost of combining the presenter and the product into one frame. The numbers below come straight from our model catalog, and the exact price shows on screen before you generate.

• In dollars, a 70-character talking photo comes to about $1.16–$2.13, depending on the credit pack (taxes calculated at checkout).
• The smallest option is the Mini pack, 75 credits for $5. No subscription is required; every pack and plan is on the pricing page.
• If a generation fails because of a technical error or the provider's safety filter, the credits are refunded automatically.

HeyGen, OmniHuman, or H3 Lip Sync?

Talking Photo offers three models. All three use the same voices; they differ in realism, resolution, speed, and price.

• On a budget, H3 Max Lip Sync starts at 26 credits for up to 70 characters; details are on the Hailuo AI (MiniMax H3) page.
• For ads that are going live, where body language matters, OmniHuman 1.5 costs more but looks more realistic. You can compare all three on the Talking Photo page.

HeyGen vs. D-ID vs. Synthesia vs. Hedra

All four make talking avatar videos. The table shows each one's free tier, cheapest paid plan, and video translation, as stated on their own pages.

• D-ID's monthly price changes with the minutes tier; the table shows the lowest tier. Hedra's own blog still mentions older prices; the numbers on its pricing page are the current ones.
• Klakix doesn't require a subscription; you spend credits as you go. A 70-character talking photo with HeyGen Avatar IV is 32 credits.
• Prices were checked on each company's own pages in September 2026 and may change.

What HeyGen's own site has that we don't

• Custom avatar training and digital twins (Avatar V, from a 15-second recording). Here, every generation uses a single portrait photo, and no avatar is saved.
• Voice cloning. Here, you choose from the ready-made voices in the lineup.
• Video translation and lip-synced dubbing: HeyGen's translation tool covers 175+ languages and dialects, and its free plan can translate videos of up to 1 minute into 30+ languages. Klakix doesn't translate or dub existing videos.
• 1080p and 4K output, and videos that run for minutes. Here, output is 720p, and because of the script limit, speech runs about 23 seconds at most.
• In exchange, Klakix needs no subscription, doesn't add a visible watermark, and gives you text to video, image to video, and image generation in the same account.

Using someone else's photo: consent

Talking Photo and UGC Ads ask you to tick a confirmation before every generation: "This is me, or I have permission from the person in this photo, and they aren't a celebrity or public figure. I won't use it to impersonate them or to create misleading content." In UGC Ads, you also confirm that you'll disclose the video was made with AI if you use it in an ad. Without the tick, the generation doesn't start.

HeyGen's own moderation policy also bans making someone else's avatar without their explicit consent, and asks for a consent video recorded by the person for digital twins. Our consent step is a confirmation, and the responsibility stays with you. The likeness or voice of celebrities, politicians, and public officials isn't allowed; see our acceptable use policy.

How to make a video with HeyGen Avatar IV

• Sign up, open Talking Photo or UGC Ads, and choose HeyGen Avatar IV from the model list.
• Upload a front-facing portrait where the face is clearly visible. In UGC Ads, put the product photo in the second slot.
• Type the script (up to 200 or 320 characters) and pick a voice. In a UGC script, have the presenter describe the product; don't have them claim they've used it, and don't promise health or beauty results.
• Pick the aspect ratio, tick the consent box, and press Generate. The credit cost shows above the button, and the finished video waits in your Library as an MP4.

Sources

HeyGen pricing, HeyGen credits and plans explained, Avatar IV announcement, Avatar V announcement, HeyGen video translation, D-ID pricing, Synthesia pricing, Hedra pricing.

Klakix isn't affiliated with HeyGen; we offer access to HeyGen Avatar IV through API providers. Competitor details were checked in September 2026 and may change.