HeyGen Review: Our Insider Tips and Verdict [2023]

HeyGen is an AI-powered video creation tool that simplifies the process of producing professional-looking animated videos.I

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Added: Jun 13, 2023

HeyGen Thumbnail, showing the homepage and logo of the tool

HeyGen Review: Our Insider Tips and Verdict [2023]

HeyGen is an AI-powered video creation tool that simplifies the process of producing professional-looking animated videos.I
Logo of HeyGen

Added: Jun 13, 2023

What does HeyGen do?

Between TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, it can seem like video is everywhere these days. But making something that looks professional can often be a daunting task. This is the problem that HeyGen (which used to be known as Movio) promises to fix.

HeyGen is an AI-powered video creation platform that lets you make unique talking-head clips. When you load up the app, you are presented with several options, including the ability to generate a “TalkingPhoto” video, or to begin with one of HeyGen’s avatars. TalkingPhoto lets you create an AI-generated image (similar to Midjourney or Stable Diffusion) that you can then turn into an animated video. I opted to start with an avatar, and selected one from the dozen pre-created characters that were available. These include a few fun ones, including Mona Lisa and William Shakespeare, though premium customers have access to a larger range of avatars.

You can customize several elements before you create your clip, including the format (landscape or portrait), and your avatar’s voice. Again, there are more options for premium users, and even the ability to clone your own voice for a one-off fee of $99. Here, I went with a free voice and then input the text that I wanted the character to say. You can of course upload your own audio, but you’ll have to be mindful of your video’s runtime, as each time you generate a video, you use credits; the longer the clip, the more credits you’ll use.

HeyGen gives you a voice preview feature which is helpful for checking how your avatar will sound before you create the end clip, and when you press render, the wait time is also mercifully quick. The end result is a very good animated video, which, while not quite able to get over the uncanny valley, is more than good enough for an explainer video, presentation, or even a social media response clip. (Just maybe don’t try to use it for a TikTok duet.)

Click to enlarge
HeyGen has a decent selection of free avatars to get you started.
HeyGen has a decent selection of free avatars to get you started.
The avatar editing interface is clean and simple. You can even adjust the speed and pitch of the speaking voice.
The avatar editing interface is clean and simple. You can even adjust the speed and pitch of the speaking voice.
The video creation tool is pared back and simple, but you can still preview the character’s audio before you render your video.
The video creation tool is pared back and simple, but you can still preview the character’s audio before you render your video.

Features

  • Quickly create a talking heads video.
  • Clone your own voice with just two to eight minutes of audio.
  • Create 4K videos.

Use-Cases

  • Once your free credits are spent the service gets pricey.
  • Audio-syncing isn't perfect.

Our Insider Tips

  • The TalkingPhoto renders are very good and definitely worth exploring.
  • Tweak the audio settings before you render your clip. You can adjust both the pitch and the pace - even on the free voices.
  • Try the Templates feature - there are some great pre-rendered backgrounds that can help elevate your video and make it feel less generic.

Pros

  • Very easy to use.
  • The facial animations are consistently good.
  • The video render time is excellent.

Cons

  • Once your free credits are spent the service gets pricey.
  • Audio-syncing isn’t perfect.

Alternatives

  • - D-ID - A close competitor with many similar features.
  • - Synthesia - Competitive on price and with broad language support.

Our Verdict on HeyGen

HeyGen is very impressive at what it does. The animations seem to avoid the repetitive head movements that can hamper the output of some other AI video services, and even the free voices are of high quality.

Nonetheless, HeyGen’s pricing might make some people hesitant - particularly when other platforms charge notably less for their premium offerings.

HeyGen Pricing - Creator

$29.0/mo

Or purchase Yearly with 20% discount

This tool comes with a generous free tier. AllThingsAI always recommends trying before you buy

HeyGen is suitable for enterprise usage. Get in touch with the team for higher usage limits, better security options and other enterprise-grade features

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About this Review

Reviewed By
Tom Wilton
Tom Wilton
Tool Reviewer

Tom Wilton is a writer and filmmaker specialising in audiovisual AI tools.

Nile Frater
Nile Frater
Editor in Chief

Nile Frater is an entrepreneur and seasoned tool reviewer based in Scotland.

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