HeyGen vs ElevenLabs (2026): Avatar Video or Voice?
Vorec Team · 2026-10-24 · About 6 min read
HeyGen and ElevenLabs solve different jobs: HeyGen makes videos with an AI presenter (an avatar) on screen, while ElevenLabs makes voice and audio files. Pick HeyGen when you need a face on camera; pick ElevenLabs when you only need the voice. On pricing pages read 24 October 2026, HeyGen's Creator plan is $29 a month (or $24 a month billed annually) and ElevenLabs' Starter plan is $6 a month, with a $1 first month marked "Until Nov 1". Both have a free plan: HeyGen allows 3 watermarked videos a month of up to 1 minute each, and ElevenLabs gives 10k credits a month. Facts come from HeyGen's and ElevenLabs' pricing pages read on 24 October 2026, plus our earlier reads of both pages (30 September and 1 October 2026, rechecked 23 October). We did not test either product, and "not checked" means our reads do not cover it. Vorec, which publishes this page, is mentioned briefly near the end.
Side-by-side
| HeyGen | ElevenLabs | |
|---|---|---|
| What it makes | AI avatar video: a presenter speaks your script, plus video translation | AI audio: text to speech, voice cloning, dubbing, sound effects, music |
| Free plan | 3 videos a month, watermarked, up to 1 minute each | 10k credits a month (about 10 minutes of text to speech, per the page's estimate) |
| Paid entry | Creator: $29 a month, or $24 a month billed annually; 600 credits | Starter: $6 a month (first month $1 "Until Nov 1"); 30k credits |
| Next tier | Pro: from $49 a month for 1,000 credits | Creator: $22 a month (first month $11, 50% off); 121k credits |
| Voice cloning | Free: 1 voice clone; Creator: "expanded usage"; Pro: "maximum usage" | Instant Voice Cloning from Starter; Professional Voice Cloning from Creator |
| Text to speech allowance | HeyGen Voice: up to 10 hours on Creator, 16+ hours on Pro | ~30 minutes on Starter, ~121 on Creator, ~600 on Pro (page estimates) |
| Avatars | 500+ stock presenters on Free, 700+ on paid plans; custom video avatar | Not checked |
| Video export | Up to 1080p on Creator, up to 4K on Pro | Pricing page lists "Image & Video" from Starter; not checked further |
| Team plan | Business: $149 a month plus $20 per seat a month | Scale: $299 a month, 3 workspace seats |
What does each tool actually produce?
HeyGen's output is a finished video. You type a script, choose a stock presenter or a custom avatar made from your own likeness, and HeyGen renders the presenter speaking it. Its pricing page also lists video translation (30+ languages on Free, 175 languages and dialects on paid plans), PowerPoint and PDF imports, and templates.
ElevenLabs' output is audio. Its pricing page groups text to speech, speech to text, sound effects, voice design, music and a Studio for long-form projects into one credit pool. You get a voice file and drop it into whatever editor you already use.
So the honest comparison is not "which is better" but "do you need a face on screen?" If yes, ElevenLabs alone will not get you there. If no, HeyGen is a lot of video tooling to buy for a voice track.
Which is cheaper?
For voice alone, ElevenLabs costs less to start. Starter is $6 a month standard (the $1 first month is an introductory offer, not the renewal price), and it already includes a commercial licence and Instant Voice Cloning. HeyGen's first paid plan is $29 a month.
The 24 October read showed ElevenLabs' monthly billing view. Our 23 October recheck of the annual view showed Starter at $5 a month, Creator at $18.33, Pro at $82.50, Scale at $249.17 and Business at $825, labelled as annual billing. HeyGen's FAQ, read 24 October, gives Creator as $24 a month "if you pay annually"; our earlier read showed Pro's annual bill starting at $488 a year.
Both sell credits, but the units are not comparable. HeyGen says the credits a video uses vary with the AI model, the video's length and the complexity of the generation. ElevenLabs' page converts its credits into approximate text-to-speech minutes. Do not divide one vendor's credits by the other's. For the full tier tables, see HeyGen pricing and ElevenLabs pricing.
HeyGen voice cloning vs ElevenLabs
Both clone voices, and both pricing pages describe cloning in plan terms rather than with quality claims we could check.
- HeyGen: the comparison table lists 1 voice clone on Free, "expanded usage" on Creator and "maximum usage" on Pro. Creator also lists a Custom Video Avatar "with your own voice and likeness", and the table includes a "Custom Voice Emotion" row.
- ElevenLabs: Free has no cloning. Instant Voice Cloning starts on Starter. Professional Voice Cloning starts on Creator, with 1 professional clone on Creator and Pro, 3 on Scale and 10 on Business. Custom voice slots run from 3 on Free to 10 on Starter, 30 on Creator and 160 on Pro.
If your clone is going to read voiceovers and nothing else, ElevenLabs gives you cloning at $6. If the clone needs to come with a matching on-screen avatar, that pairing is what HeyGen's Creator plan sells.
HeyGen or ElevenLabs for voiceover?
Choose ElevenLabs if you are narrating something you already have: a podcast, an audiobook, a product video edited elsewhere, or game audio. It is the cheaper entry, it bills audio by credits with minute estimates, and its higher plans add 192kbps output and API audio options.
Choose HeyGen if the video needs a presenter: training clips, sales outreach, localized explainers where a speaking face matters. Voice is included, so you are not paying for a separate voice tool.
Use both if you want ElevenLabs audio and a HeyGen presenter, but check how audio gets into HeyGen yourself. HeyGen's comparison table has an "Audio input" row and footer links to an "Audio to Video" product; we did not check how those work in practice, and neither page we read describes an integration between the two vendors.
For other options in each category, see ElevenLabs alternatives, HeyGen alternatives, Synthesia vs HeyGen and D-ID pricing.
Quick answers
Is HeyGen better than ElevenLabs?
They do different things. HeyGen is for avatar video and ElevenLabs is for voice and audio. If you need a presenter on screen, HeyGen; if you need a voice file, ElevenLabs.
Does HeyGen have a free plan?
Yes. Read 24 October 2026: 3 videos a month, watermarked, up to 1 minute each, with no credit card required per HeyGen's FAQ.
Does ElevenLabs have a free plan?
Yes: 10k credits a month and 3 projects in Studio. Our earlier read of ElevenLabs' licensing help page says Free output is noncommercial and needs attribution; the commercial licence starts on Starter.
Which is cheaper for voice cloning?
ElevenLabs Starter at $6 a month includes Instant Voice Cloning. HeyGen's Free plan lists 1 voice clone, and its paid plans start at $29 a month.
Does HeyGen use ElevenLabs voices?
Not established. Neither pricing page we read says so. HeyGen markets its own "HeyGen Voice" text to speech.
Where Vorec fits
If the video you need is a software walkthrough, neither a presenter nor a standalone voice file is quite the job. Vorec takes a screen recording (from its macOS recorder, which an AI agent can drive through the CLI, or an existing recording you upload), drafts narration from what happens on screen and generates the voiceover, with no microphone and no avatar. The editor adds cursor-follow zoom and click auto-zoom, freeze-sync holds a frame while narration finishes, and the same capture produces a written step-by-step guide. Plans: a free trial with no credit card required (current allowances on the pricing page) (3 projects, 1080p watermarked exports), then Starter $9 a month ($86 a year), Pro $24 ($230 a year) or Business $59 ($566 a year).
See also: HeyGen vs InVideo (2026): Avatar or AI Footage?, HeyGen vs Colossyan (2026): Training or Creator Video?.
Turn a silent screen recording into a narrated tutorial without recording your voice. Start your free trial, no card needed. Trial includes up to 3 projects; exports carry a watermark.