Best HeyGen alternatives for short-form video
The best HeyGen alternative depends on what you make: six tools ranked below for short vertical videos, then HeyGen's own plans in detail. HeyGen makes avatar videos, from a photo or a trained digital twin, and translates them into 175+ languages. This page lays out its plans from its own pricing page and compares them with UGCLive, which aims at short vertical videos that our AI researches, makes and posts.
Updated . Outside prices and features are read from each company's own pages on the dates shown with them.
The best HeyGen alternative depends on what you make. For short vertical videos, UGCLive makes the talking video and also edits and schedules it; for ads, Creatify, Arcads and MakeUGC make them with AI actors; Captions edits your own footage; Crayo is for faceless clips. HeyGen stays the stronger pick for long avatar videos, training and sales videos, and translating into many languages.
- HeyGen Free
- 3 watermarked videos/mo
- HeyGen Creator
- $29/mo
- Longest video
- 30 min on Creator
- Translation
- 175+ languages
From HeyGen's pricing page, re-read on October 27, 2026.
The 6 best HeyGen alternatives in 2026
Ranked for short vertical videos (TikTok, Reels, Shorts), by how much of the job each one covers. Prices are from each tool's own pricing page, read on October 27, 2026; no star ratings, since we haven't scored them.
1. UGCLive
Best for short vertical videos, start to finish
- Makes
- Talking videos with AI presenters or AI creators, and faceless videos from a script, then edits and schedules them
- Price
- Free Starter; Pro $20/mo ($14/mo yearly) to Max $100/mo
Our AI finds what's working in your niche before it makes anything. Takes run 10–30 seconds, so it isn't built for long training videos.
2. Creatify
Best for video ads from a product link
- Makes
- Avatar ads from a product URL, with a large AI actor library
- Price
- Free with 10 credits a month; Standard $10 a month for 55 credits
Paid credits expire after 2 months, and free exports carry a watermark.
3. Arcads
Best for ads spoken by AI versions of real actors
- Makes
- Script-to-video ads with AI actors, in 74 languages
- Price
- Shown only inside the app; a 72-hour trial with 1,000 credits
The licence isn't exclusive: another customer could generate a similar video. It runs in Chrome on a computer.
4. MakeUGC
Best for UGC-style ads with published prices
- Makes
- Talking-actor UGC ads, 300+ actors on Starter
- Price
- $59 a month, or $29 a month billed yearly; a $1 trial
Its documents disagree on whether you keep the licence after you cancel, so ask before relying on it.
5. Captions
Best for editing talking-head videos on iPhone
- Makes
- Captions, AI edits and AI twins, mostly from your own footage
- Price
- Max $24.99 a month for 500 credits
AI twins and AI Edit need Max; on Basic, AI features add a watermark.
6. Crayo
Best for clips and faceless story videos
- Makes
- Auto clips, AI voiceovers, subtitles and AI images
- Price
- $29 a month, or $16.58 a month billed yearly
No talking avatars or twins: a different job from HeyGen's, for faceless channels.
What do HeyGen's plans include?
| Plan | Price | Credits or videos | Longest video | Avatars and extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 3 videos a month, watermarked | 1 minute | Up to 3 photo avatars, 1 digital twin |
| Creator | $29/mo ($24/mo yearly) | 600 credits | 30 minutes | Unlimited photo avatars, 1 digital twin |
| Pro | From $49/mo | 1,000 credits (up to 100,000) | 30 minutes | 4K export, translation with script editing |
| Business | $149/mo | 1,500 credits | 60 minutes | 5+ twins, $20 per extra seat |
| Enterprise | Contact sales | Set to usage | No maximum | 10+ twins |
Creator and Pro credits roll over one month; yearly subscribers' credits build up until renewal. Every Pro tier has the same features, only more credits HeyGen pricing.
HeyGen vs UGCLive, feature by feature
| HeyGen | UGCLive | |
|---|---|---|
| Talking avatar videos | Photo avatars and Avatar IV, up to 30 min on Creator | AI presenters say your script (10–30 s talking videos) |
| A twin of you | Digital twin (1 on Free and Creator) | Not offered: our AI creators are AI people, and faceless videos need no one on camera |
| Translation | 175+ languages and dialects | Translate and dub into 10 languages |
| Finding what to post | Not listed | Analyze any TikTok, Reel or Short, or an account: why it worked and what to post |
| AI creators posting daily | Not listed | AI creators with locked faces make a video a day; you approve each one |
| Editing | Built-in editor | Browser editor: AI edit, captions, 3 hooks, clean audio, eye contact |
| Posting and scheduling | Not listed | Schedules to Instagram and Facebook (TikTok and YouTube coming) |
| Price | Free; Creator $29/mo; Pro from $49/mo | Free Starter; Pro $20/mo ($14/mo yearly) to Max $100/mo |
Which one should you pick?
Pick HeyGen if
- Yes: Your videos run minutes, not seconds: courses, demos, sales videos
- Yes: You need 175+ languages or 4K export
- Yes: A team needs seats and several twins
Pick UGCLive if
- Yes: You post short vertical videos to TikTok, Reels and Shorts
- Yes: You want our AI to find what's working before it makes anything
- Yes: You want editing, captions, hooks and scheduling in one place
UGCLive doesn't make a digital twin of you. Its match for HeyGen's photo avatars is a talking AI avatar that reads any script, and with no one on camera, a faceless video made from the script. More AI video ad tools side by side: Creatify pricing, Arcads credits and licence and AI UGC videos.
What this page can't tell you
- How the avatars look side by sideWe haven't rendered the same script on both for this page.
- API pricesHeyGen's pricing page links to API pricing but lists no figures.
Free tools for the same video
Sources
Each company's own pricing page, read on October 27, 2026. Prices change often and can differ by country, platform and promotion; the checkout screen has the final word. Nobody pays to be listed: how we research and test.
Best HeyGen alternatives for short-form video FAQ
Is there a free HeyGen alternative?
HeyGen's own Free plan makes 3 watermarked videos a month up to 1 minute. UGCLive's free Starter plan covers the editor and free tools; AI videos come with Pro, from $14 a month billed yearly.
Is HeyGen better than UGCLive?
For long talking-head videos, training videos and translating into 175+ languages, HeyGen goes further: videos up to 30 minutes on Creator and Pro. UGCLive is built for short vertical videos: it finds what's working in your niche, makes the video, edits it and schedules it.
Can I make a digital twin of myself with UGCLive?
No. UGCLive's talking videos use AI presenters and AI creators, and its Editor makes faceless videos from a script. For a twin of yourself, HeyGen and Captions both sell one.
How much does HeyGen cost?
On its pricing page: Free $0, Creator $29 a month ($24 a month billed yearly), Pro from $49 a month with 1,000 credits, Business $149 a month, Enterprise on request.
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Other comparisons
Make UGC videos with an AI creator, or a faceless video from a script.
Our AI writes the hooks, makes the parts and edits them together.
