What is Synthesia?
Synthesia is the AI avatar video platform specifically focused on corporate training and enterprise communication. It lets you create presentation and training videos with hyper-realistic digital avatars without a camera, actors or studio. It differs from HeyGen in being built and optimized from day one for the B2B market: native integrations with corporate LMS, training tracking tools and regulatory compliance.
Founded in 2017 in London, Synthesia is used by companies like Heineken, Zoom, Xerox and Reuters to create training content in multiple languages at scale, at dramatically lower cost and production time than traditional video.
Who is Synthesia for?
- L&D (Learning & Development) teams producing corporate training at scale.
- HR for onboarding, internal comms and compliance video materials.
- Customer Success and support creating tutorials and product videos for customers.
- Multinationals that need consistent content in multiple languages.
- Marketing teams producing product videos, demos and explainers.
Core features
1. 230+ avatars in 140 languages
Synthesia has the industry’s largest avatar library: 230+ avatars of different ethnicities, ages and professional styles, with lip-synced voice in 140 languages. The same training video can be generated in English, Spanish, German, Japanese and Mandarin without recording anything new — just changing the language in the panel.
2. Custom avatar (your image)
On Enterprise and Business+ plans, you can create an avatar of yourself or your company leaders. The process needs a 30-60 minute recording session in a controlled environment, and the result is a high-fidelity model that can present content in multiple languages with your image.
3. Editor with professional templates
Synthesia’s editor is purpose-built for corporate content: templates for onboarding, technical training, company announcements, software demos and step-by-step tutorials. Templates include elements like progress indicators, numbered lists, section dividers and screen-capture overlays for software tutorials.
4. SCORM and xAPI exports for LMS
The most critical feature for enterprises: Synthesia exports videos as SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004 and xAPI — the e-learning standards that allow embedding content in corporate LMS (Moodle, SAP SuccessFactors, Cornerstone, Workday Learning) with progress tracking, built-in quizzes and completion reports.
5. Synthesia STUDIO: API access
Synthesia’s API lets you generate videos programmatically. A company can connect its HR system or LMS to automatically generate personalized welcome videos when a new employee joins, or update training content automatically when procedures change.
Real-world use cases
Compliance training
A multinational needs to train 10,000 employees in 20 countries on the new data protection regulation. With Synthesia: they create the module in English, translate it to 19 languages with the same avatar, integrate quiz checkpoints, export as SCORM and deploy in the corporate LMS. Employees complete training from any device, and the system automatically records who’s done it for audit.
Updating training materials
A software company updates its product every 3 months. Previously, updating training videos required re-shooting with actors and editing. With Synthesia, they edit the script in the panel, regenerate updated slides and export. In 2 hours they have the updated materials in 15 languages with no extra production.
Pricing and plans
| Plan | Price/mo | Video minutes and features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 36 min video/year · 125+ standard avatars |
| Starter | ~$18-$29/mo | 10 min/mo · 125+ avatars · 1080p · watermark monthly |
| Creator | ~$53-$67/mo | 30 min/mo · 5 personal avatars · API · branded video pages |
| Enterprise | Custom | Unlimited avatars · LMS/SSO · SLA · dedicated support · studio avatars |
Synthesia vs. HeyGen for corporate training
| Criteria | Synthesia | HeyGen |
|---|---|---|
| LMS integration (SCORM) | Native | Not native |
| Number of languages | 140 | 40+ |
| Product focus | L&D and corporate training | Marketing and comms |
| Existing video translation | Good | Excellent |
| Entry price | $29/mo | $29/mo |
| Avatars available | 230+ | 100+ |
Pros and cons
✓ Strengths
- Most complete option for corporate training
- 140 languages: unmatched on the market
- Native SCORM/xAPI export for LMS
- 230+ high-quality avatars
- Professional L&D templates
- Mature company with major reference clients
✗ Weaknesses
- Pricey for individual creators
- Existing video translation less smooth than HeyGen
- Powerful editor has a learning curve
- Short videos on Starter plan burn fast
- No marketing tooling (more limited than HeyGen)
Frequently asked questions about Synthesia
Is Synthesia suitable for training courses in English?
Yes. Synthesia has voices and avatars for US, UK, Australian and other English variants. The pronunciation quality is high. For compliance training under specific national rules, Synthesia is a very solid choice.
Do Synthesia videos look natural?
For corporate training use, yes. Synthesia avatars have head motion, expression changes and gestures that make them more natural than early AI avatar generators. The biggest limits are usually no wide body motion (avatars stay waist-up) and some artificiality in the eyes during long stretches. For 2-5 minute content presentations, the result is professional and perfectly acceptable.
How long to produce a Synthesia training module?
A 10-minute module (about 1,200-1,500 words of script) can be ready in 2-4 hours: writing the script, building slides, configuring avatar and language and exporting. Traditional video production for the same module would take 2-5 days.
Related reads on NodoAI
- HeyGen · main alternative for video avatars.
- ElevenLabs · voice cloning standard.
- Best AI video generators 2026 · broader landscape.
