Side-by-side comparison
Synthesia vs Captions: which AI video tool for your use case?
Synthesia vs Captions both put AI presenters in front of a camera, but for different audiences: Synthesia is a business platform for avatar-presented training, onboarding, and translated corporate video at scale, while Captions is a mobile-first short-form studio where AI actors, captions, and B-roll serve social creators. Their pricing, free tiers, and output formats are documented differently, and this comparison uses official sources for both.
Comparison table
The same five fields are shown for both products so the comparison does not quietly favor one side.
| Decision | Synthesia | Captions |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Teams producing training, sales, and explainer videos with consistent avatar presenters — and creators who want professional avatar video. | Mobile-first short-form creators who want to produce complete videos — including AI actors — from their phone. |
| Core uses | AI avatar video generation, AI voices and dubbing, video translation, training and explainer videos, motion graphics | AI video creation, AI actors and digital twins, prompt-to-video, captioning and text-based editing, B-roll and music generation |
| Pricing note | Free Basic plan (1,200 credits/month, ~10 minutes of video, watermarked). Starter $29/month (billed monthly) or from $18/month billed annually; Creator $89/month ($64/month annually); Enterprise custom. Plans include credits, avatars, and AI dubbing with limits by tier. | Free plan with limited credits (60-200 one-time credits per help docs). Max $24.99/month (500 credits/month); Scale $69.99/month (1,400 credits); Scale 2x $139.99/month (2,800 credits); Scale 4x $279.99/month (5,600 credits); Enterprise custom. Help docs also list a Basic tier at $9.99/month (200 credits). Prices reflect iOS plans per the official pricing page. |
| Main checks | Prices and credit allowances differ between monthly and annual billing; the official FAQ lists Starter at $29/month or $264/year. Free plan exports include a Synthesia logo/watermark. Avatar and voice rights, plus consent rules for custom avatars, must be reviewed before publishing. | Every AI generation consumes credits (e.g., prompt-to-video 16 credits per 6s; AI Edit 10-40 credits per help docs). Credit balance is capped at 3x the monthly allowance; individual credit top-ups are not available. Company rebranded to Mirage in 2025 — check which brand name the app shows in your region. |
| Pricing checked | Aug 13, 2026 | Aug 13, 2026 |
Pricing model
Synthesia's official pricing: Basic is free (1,200 credits/month, roughly 10 minutes of video, watermarked), Starter is $29/month billed monthly (from $18/month billed annually), Creator is $89/month billed monthly ($64/month billed annually), and Enterprise is custom with unlimited minutes, 240+ avatars, and SAML/SSO.
Captions uses monthly credit packs at iOS plan pricing: Max $24.99/month (500 credits), Scale $69.99/month (1,400 credits), Scale 2x $139.99/month (2,800 credits), Scale 4x $279.99/month (5,600 credits), with Enterprise custom-priced.
Synthesia meters by video minutes (credits): Starter provides 1,200 credits/month and Creator roughly 30 minutes of video per month, per the reviewed pricing record.
Captions' help docs also document a Basic tier at $9.99/month (200 credits) in addition to its paid Scale tiers.
Both products scale into enterprise/API territory, but Synthesia's enterprise story (SSO, unlimited minutes, translation to 160+ languages) is the more developed one.
Free-plan differences
Synthesia's Basic free plan offers 1,200 credits/month (~10 minutes of video) with 25 AI video assets and no credit card required.
Synthesia's free tier does not include video download, logo removal, or personal avatars, which limits it to in-app evaluation rather than production.
Captions' free plan grants limited one-time credits (60-200 per its help docs) — enough to try captioning and basic edits, not sustained output.
Neither free tier supports real production; both are designed to convert into paid credit plans.
Output limitations
Synthesia targets corporate formats: training, onboarding, product explainers, and sales-enablement videos, with 240+ stock avatars, 1,000+ AI voices, AI dubbing, and video translation in 160+ languages.
Captions targets social formats: vertical short-form clips with AI actors, prompt-to-video, auto-captions, B-roll, and music generation.
Synthesia's free plan forces watermarked output and no downloads; paid tiers unlock logo removal, personal avatars (Starter: 1; Creator: more), and API access on Creator.
Captions' credit packs tie output to credits per feature; heavy AI-actor or generation use drains credits faster than simple captioning.
Synthesia's video quality ceiling is presenter-driven business video; it is not a tool for cinematic generation, whereas Captions leans into fast social-native aesthetics.
Workflow differences
Synthesia's workflow is team-oriented: script in the editor, pick an avatar and voice, generate, translate, and manage assets across a company workspace with API automation.
Captions' workflow is creator-oriented: record or import on mobile, add AI actors or generated footage, auto-caption, and publish directly to social platforms.
Synthesia is used by 50,000+ teams including the majority of the Fortune 100 for L&D, HR, and internal communications; Captions serves individual creators and social teams.
If the video must look like a professional presenter with multilingual reach, Synthesia is purpose-built; if the goal is daily captioned Shorts, Captions is the faster surface.
Which should you choose?
Choose Synthesia if you need avatar-presented business video at scale — training, onboarding, sales, and translated content — with team workflows, SSO, and API access (Starter from $29/month or $18/month annually).
Choose Captions if you create short-form vertical social video with AI actors and auto-captions on mobile, and want lower entry pricing (Max at $24.99/month).
When neither is ideal: for script-to-video faceless channels, InVideo is the closer fit; for cinematic text-to-video generation, look at Veo via Google AI plans or Runway.
How to choose
Choose Synthesia if…
Teams producing training, sales, and explainer videos with consistent avatar presenters — and creators who want professional avatar video.
Choose Captions if…
Mobile-first short-form creators who want to produce complete videos — including AI actors — from their phone.
Questions creators ask
- Is Synthesia free?
- Synthesia has a free Basic plan with 1,200 credits/month (about 10 minutes of video) and 25 AI video assets, but it is watermarked and does not allow video download, logo removal, or personal avatars. Paid plans start at $29/month (or from $18/month billed annually).
- How much does Captions cost?
- Captions' official iOS plan pricing: Max $24.99/month (500 credits), Scale $69.99/month (1,400 credits), Scale 2x $139.99/month (2,800 credits), Scale 4x $279.99/month (5,600 credits). A free plan with limited one-time credits exists, and help docs list a $9.99/month Basic tier.
- Which is better for business training videos?
- Synthesia. It is built for corporate L&D and onboarding with 240+ avatars, 1,000+ voices, translation in 160+ languages, and enterprise features like SSO. Captions is oriented toward short-form social content.
- Can Captions make avatar videos like Synthesia?
- Captions includes AI actors for presenter-style short clips, but they are tuned for social formats rather than corporate training. For professional, translated business video, Synthesia's avatar platform is the more complete fit.
Sources
Verify changing features, pricing, and usage rights before purchasing.