Synthesia, HeyGen and Elai all make videos with AI presenters, and all three can turn one video into many languages. They solve that last job in different ways, though: translating a project you built in the tool, dubbing a video you recorded elsewhere, or both, at very different prices per minute. This comparison is for creators and small teams who need presenter or talking-head videos in several languages, including languages like Vietnamese.
Some links in this article are affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you sign up through them, at no extra cost to you. Plans and features were checked on each provider’s official pricing pages and help docs on October 5–6, 2026. We have used HeyGen to animate images for a video, but none of the three tools’ translation features on our own channel yet, so there are no scores here. Each vendor’s pages sometimes contradict each other; we flag the important cases.
Quick verdict
- Translating videos you already recorded: HeyGen. It has the lowest cost per translated minute (from about $0.19), lip sync and 175+ languages and dialects.
- Training and business videos at scale: Synthesia. It includes AI dubbing on every plan and enterprise features like SCORM export, but one-click translation of your own projects is Enterprise only.
- Budget presenter videos with built-in translation: Elai. One-click project translation with a proofreading step is on every plan, from $23/month billed yearly. Check its terms for commercial use first.
Comparison table
| HeyGen | Synthesia | Elai | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest paid plan | Creator $29/mo ($24 yearly) | Starter $29/mo ($18 yearly) | Creator $29/mo ($23 yearly) |
| Included per month (cheapest plan) | 600 credits | 1,250 credits (about 12 min of video) | 15 min |
| Languages | 175+ languages and dialects | 140–160+ for voices; dubbing into 70 (self-serve) | 75+ |
| Vietnamese | On the translation language list | Dubbing source and target; voice cloning | On the language list |
| Translate a project made in the tool | Yes | Enterprise only | Yes, all plans, with proofreading |
| Dub a video recorded elsewhere | Yes (upload or YouTube link) | Yes, all plans (upload or YouTube link) | Not confirmed |
| Lip sync | Yes (Speed / Precision) | Yes (uses 2× credits; paid plans) | Not confirmed for dubbing |
| Edit the translation before rendering | Pro and up | Enterprise only | Yes, all plans |
| Custom avatar of yourself | Digital Twin (incl. Free, 1) | From a photo or video (paid plans) | Selfie avatar add-on $199/yr |
| Free plan | Short watermarked videos, non-commercial | 10 min/mo, watermark, no download | 1 minute in total |
HeyGen: best for translating existing videos
HeyGen’s Video Translate takes a video you already have, from an upload or a YouTube link, and returns it in up to 10 languages per job in your own voice, with optional lip sync.
- Cost: on Creator ($29 for 600 credits), translation costs 4 credits a minute for audio only (about $0.19), 6 with Speed lip sync (about $0.29) and 10 with Precision lip sync (about $0.48).
- Avatars: 700+ stock avatars and a Digital Twin of yourself. The newest avatar engines cost several times more per minute.
- Limits: 30-minute videos on Creator and Pro. Proofreading the translation needs Pro. Audio-only download is Enterprise only.
More in our HeyGen review.
Synthesia: built for business video
Synthesia is the most enterprise-oriented of the three. It offers 125+ stock avatars on Starter, personal avatars from a photo or a short video, and a long list of voices. Its AI Dubbing works on every plan: upload a file (up to 5 GB or 2.5 hours) or paste a YouTube link, and it dubs the video while keeping the speaker’s voice. Vietnamese is supported as both source and target.
- Cost: Starter is $29/month or $18/month billed yearly. Synthesia’s pages give different dubbing rates (40 to 80 credits per minute, with lip sync doubling the cost), so check the calculator. Billed yearly, Starter’s “up to 197 minutes a year” of dubbing works out to about $1.10 per minute.
- Translation of your own projects: the one-click translation of scripts and on-screen text is Enterprise only, as is editing a dub’s translation.
- Business features: SCORM export for LMS, brand kits and live collaboration are on Enterprise. Pro adds bulk personalization and interactive calls to action.
- Important for ads: Synthesia’s acceptable use policy does not allow its stock avatars in paid or promoted social ads, TV or political content without written consent. Use your own avatar for ads.
Elai: affordable presenter videos with translation built in
Elai turns scripts, slides or PDFs into presenter videos, with 75+ languages and Vietnamese on its language list. Its standout for multilingual teams is Automatic Translation: one click translates a project’s speech and slide text, and you can proofread before rendering. It is available on every plan, including Free.
- Cost: Creator is $29/month for 15 minutes (about $1.93 per minute), or $23/month billed yearly with 180 minutes upfront. Team costs $100 to $125/month for 50 to 150 minutes. Extra minutes cost $2 to $2.50 each, as Elai’s pages differ.
- Custom avatars and voices: selfie avatar ($199/yr), studio avatar ($500/yr) and voice cloning ($200/yr) are add-ons on lower plans. Cloned voices work in fewer languages (32+) than stock voices.
- Not confirmed: dubbing of videos made outside Elai, and lip-sync dubbing. Elai’s terms describe a personal, non-commercial licence to its services, so confirm commercial rights for your videos with Elai before publishing monetized content.
What one 5-minute video in three languages costs
- HeyGen, translating a video you recorded: 15 translated minutes. With Speed lip sync that is 90 credits, about $4.35 on Creator.
- Synthesia, dubbing the same video: 15 dubbed minutes from Starter’s yearly allowance, about $16.50 at roughly $1.10 per minute.
- Elai, a presenter video built in Elai: 15 rendered minutes, about all of Creator’s monthly allowance ($23–29).
These figures use each vendor’s stated allowances in October 2026 and ignore free allowances and promotions.
How to choose
- You film yourself and want other languages with lip sync: HeyGen.
- You produce training, onboarding or internal video for a company: Synthesia, ideally Enterprise if you need project translation and SCORM.
- You build explainer videos from scripts or slides on a small budget and want translation included: Elai, after checking commercial terms.
- You only need the audio translated (screen recordings, faceless channels): an AI dubbing tool may be cheaper. See our AI dubbing tools comparison. In our own test, ElevenLabs cost about $0.50 per dubbed minute.
FAQ
Which tool supports Vietnamese best?
All three list Vietnamese. Synthesia’s docs confirm it as a dubbing source, a dubbing target and a voice-cloning language. HeyGen and Elai list it among supported languages. Test a short script with your own vocabulary before committing.
Can I use these videos in paid ads?
On HeyGen’s paid plans, yes. On Synthesia, not with stock avatars unless you have written consent; use a personal avatar instead. On Elai, confirm commercial rights with Elai first.
Which is cheapest for translating existing videos?
HeyGen, from about $0.19 per minute for audio-only translation and $0.29 with lip sync on the Creator plan.
