ElevenLabs vs HeyGen
A spec-by-spec comparison of ElevenLabs and HeyGen: pricing, free tier, clip length, resolution, watermark, commercial use and API access.
Key differences
- ElevenLabs is cheaper to start: $6/month vs $29/month for HeyGen.
- Free tier: ElevenLabs — 10,000 credits/month; dubs are watermarked; HeyGen — 3 watermarked videos/month, up to 1 min each.
- Max length: ElevenLabs — 180 min per file (automatic dubbing in app); 45 min in Dubbing Studio; HeyGen — 30 min (Creator/Pro), 60 min (Business), no limit on Enterprise.
- Max resolution: ElevenLabs — Output usually 1080p (accepts up to 4K source); HeyGen — 4K (Pro and above).
- ElevenLabs is strongest at voiceover & dubbing; HeyGen at ai avatars.
| ElevenLabs | HeyGen | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan · from $6/mo | Free plan · from $29/mo |
| Free tier | 10,000 credits/month; dubs are watermarked | 3 watermarked videos/month, up to 1 min each |
| Max clip length | 180 min per file (automatic dubbing in app); 45 min in Dubbing Studio | 30 min (Creator/Pro), 60 min (Business), no limit on Enterprise |
| Max resolution | Output usually 1080p (accepts up to 4K source) | 4K (Pro and above) |
| Watermark on free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Commercial use | Paid plans | Paid plans |
| Developer API | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | No |
ElevenLabs is a voice AI platform best known for text-to-speech, and its dubbing tool translates video and audio into 90+ languages while keeping each speaker's voice and the background audio. Dubbing, TTS, voice cloning and sound tools all draw from one credit pool, and everything is exposed through an API. It suits creators and companies localizing video or adding voiceovers.
- Keeps original speaker voices and background audio when dubbing
- Long files supported (up to 180 minutes per dub)
- Dubbing API alongside the full voice toolset
- No visual lip-sync; dubbed video is a preview-quality output
- Dubbing is credit-heavy (2,000-3,000 credits per minute automatic)
- Commercial license starts at the $6 Starter plan, not free
HeyGen turns a typed script into a presenter-led video using stock or custom AI avatars, and can translate and lip-sync existing footage into 175+ languages and dialects. It runs on a shared credit system across its avatar engines (Avatar III/IV/V), its Video Agent, and bundled third-party generators. It suits marketers, creators and L&D teams who want spokesperson videos without filming.
- Free plan includes Avatar IV access and one custom video avatar
- 4K export and 30-minute videos from the $49 Pro plan
- Translation covers 175+ languages and dialects on paid plans
- Free videos capped at 1 minute and watermarked
- Creator plan exports top out at 1080p
- API usage is billed separately from plan credits
Specs last verified 2026-10-23 (ElevenLabs) and 2026-10-23 (HeyGen). See each tool page for sources.