Synthesia Alternative Without a Subscription: An AI Presenter From Your Own Photo, Paid Per Second (November 2026)
Live figures last changed · 4 min read · The GenMagic team
Synthesia makes presenter videos with stock AI avatars, on plans: a free plan with 10 minutes a month and a watermark, Starter at $19 a month and Pro at $89. When you want the presenter to be a photo of your own and no monthly plan, HeyGen's Avatar IV turns one portrait into a presenter who reads your script, lip-synced, paid per second of speech on GenMagic.
This guide covers what Synthesia's plans include, how the two approaches differ, which to pick, making a presenter video from a photo, and questions.
A note on who wrote this: GenMagic runs HeyGen's Avatar IV, so it is one of the options compared. Synthesia's plans were read on its pricing page on November 10, 2026; GenMagic's prices come from its live catalog. Where Synthesia fits a job better, this guide says so.
Table of contents
- What Synthesia's plans include
- How the two approaches differ
- Which to pick
- Making a presenter video from a photo
- Questions
What Synthesia's plans include
| Plan | Monthly | Billed yearly | Video | Stock avatars | Watermark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $0 | $0 | 10 minutes a month | 9 | Synthesia watermark |
| Starter | $19 ($9 the first month) | $168 a year | About 12 more minutes a month, about 150 a year on the yearly plan | 125+ | Logo can be removed |
| Pro | $89 ($49 the first month) | $708 a year | About 60 more minutes a month, about 720 a year | 180+ | Logo can be removed |
| Enterprise | By contract | By contract | Unlimited | 240+ | Logo can be removed |
Source: Synthesia pricing, November 10, 2026. Starter includes 3 personal avatars ("your digital twin") and Pro 5; the page counts minutes through credits (500 a month on Basic, 1,250 on Starter monthly, 6,000 on Pro monthly).
How the two approaches differ
| Synthesia | Avatar IV on GenMagic | |
|---|---|---|
| The presenter | A stock avatar, or a personal avatar on a paid plan | Any portrait you upload: yourself, or a presenter you made with an image model |
| How it is paid | A monthly or yearly plan | Per second of speech, $0.075, from a balance topped up from $5 |
| Watermark | On the free plan | No visible watermark |
| Voices | 70+ languages on most plans, 140+ on one, by its pricing page | Twelve voices: English, German, Spanish, French, Japanese and two multilingual |
| Editing | Scenes, templates and a video editor | One clip per script; join clips in your own editor |
Which to pick
- Training courses with scenes, slides and many languages: Synthesia. Its editor, templates and language list do what a single talking clip does not, and its free plan covers 10 minutes a month.
- A presenter who is a real photo of you or your brand's face, a few videos at a time: Avatar IV per second, with no plan to keep paying in quiet months and no watermark.
- One voice across a whole series: either. On GenMagic, pick the voice by name and every clip speaks in it.
- Many minutes every month: a plan usually costs less per minute than paying per second; compare with your own volume.
Making a presenter video from a photo
- Open the studio on Avatar IV ( AI avatar videos from one photo) and attach a sharp, front-facing portrait.
- Paste the script. It is said word for word, and the clip lasts as long as the script; split a long script into chapters.
- Pick a voice by name, and keep it for the series.
- Generate. The price for your script shows first, and a failed clip is never charged.
In our first two clips on November 10, 2026, 16 English words made a 4.6-second clip and 30 German words an 11.3-second one, ready in 59 and 90 seconds. Use a photo of yourself or of someone who agreed to it, and keep an AI presenter a presenter: never script one as a customer who used a product. Other ways to make a photo talk, and HeyGen's own plans: make a photo talk, is HeyGen free?, D-ID alternative.
Questions
Is there a Synthesia alternative without a subscription? Yes: HeyGen's Avatar IV on GenMagic is paid per second of speech from a balance, with no plan, and turns a photo you upload into the presenter.
Is Synthesia free? Synthesia's Basic plan is free, with 10 minutes of video a month, 9 stock avatars and a Synthesia watermark.
Can I make an AI avatar from my own photo? Yes. Avatar IV animates one portrait into a presenter who reads your script; use a photo of yourself or of someone who agreed to it.
Which languages can the presenter speak? On GenMagic, Avatar IV has voices for English, German, Spanish, French and Japanese, and two multilingual voices that read any language. Synthesia's pricing page lists 70+ languages on most plans and 140+ on one.
Can I try it for free? Synthesia's Basic plan is free. On GenMagic, a new account gets $0.50 of credit once its email is verified, about 6 seconds of Avatar IV speech.