Synthesia alternatives for training videos in 2026

Synthesia is the default name in AI training video. Its homepage says it is used by over 90% of the Fortune 100, and for compliance modules and SOP walkthroughs with a presenter on screen, it does the job well.

The two most common reasons people look elsewhere are cost and the avatar itself. Cost is the complaint that comes up most often in G2 reviews, and reviewers on G2 and Capterra mention stiff expressions and voices that still sound a bit robotic. If either one is why you're here, these are the alternatives worth a look. We make Rekka, the last one on the list, so weigh that part accordingly. Prices are from each vendor's pricing page as of November 10, 2026.

Quick comparison

Tool	What the video looks like	Entry paid price	SCORM
Synthesia	AI avatar presenter over slides	$19/mo, or $14/mo annual	Enterprise only
Colossyan	AI avatar, with quizzes and branching	$59/mo, billed annually	5 exports/month from Professional
HeyGen	AI avatar	$29/mo, or $24/mo annual	Business plan ($149/mo)
Vyond	Animated characters and scenes	$99/mo, or $58/mo annual	Download on all plans; direct LMS export on Enterprise
Powtoon	Animated templates and characters	$15/mo, billed annually	Not listed on pricing page
Rekka	Hand-drawn whiteboard explainer	$5/mo	No; exports mp4

Synthesia

Synthesia's entry plan is $19 a month ($14 billed annually) for roughly 12 minutes of video a month on top of the free plan's 10. Pro is $89 a month ($59 annually) for about 60 extra minutes. You can start from a script, a document, a PowerPoint (speaker notes become the script) or a URL, and translate into 140+ languages. Once you run out of minutes, video creation pauses until your plan renews. SCORM export is Enterprise only.

Best for: large companies that want a presenter on screen, in many languages, with brand controls and approvals.

Colossyan

Colossyan is the closest like-for-like swap. It's also avatar-based, but its pitch to training teams is interactivity: quizzes and branching inside the video, plus SCORM export. The free plan includes 20 minutes a month of standard avatar video. Professional is $59 a month billed annually, includes 5 SCORM exports a month, and charges $30 a month for each extra member.

Best for: L&D teams who want avatars plus built-in quizzes and SCORM without an enterprise contract.

HeyGen

HeyGen is the avatar tool marketing teams know best, and it's priced lower than Synthesia to start: Creator is $29 a month ($24 annually), with 175+ languages. SCORM export and LMS integrations sit on the Business plan at $149 a month plus $20 per seat.

Best for: teams that make training and marketing video in the same tool.

Vyond

Vyond doesn't use avatars. It's a character animation studio, where people walk, gesture and talk in flat-design scenes. Every plan can now draft a video from a document, script or URL. Starter is $99 a month, or $58 a month per user billed annually. SCORM downloads come with every plan, and direct export to an LMS is on Enterprise.

Best for: scenario-based training ("what should Sam say to the customer?") where characters acting out a situation is the point.

Powtoon

Powtoon is template-first animation with a low entry price: Lite is $15 a month billed annually, and Professional is $40. AI avatars are available through a HeyGen integration that uses AI credits. Its Institutions plan mentions LMS integration, but SCORM isn't listed on the pricing page.

Best for: small teams on a budget who are happy to build videos from templates themselves.

Rekka

Rekka has no presenter and no templates. You attach the document you already have, like a policy, an SOP, a training deck or a manual of up to 30 pages, and Rekka writes the narration and draws the explanation on screen as it's spoken. It suits training that explains how something works (a process, a system, a safety rule, a product) more than training that needs a person on screen.

Pricing is per video, not per minute or seat: one credit makes up to 100 seconds of finished video, and plans start at $5 a month for 26 credits. There are no seat fees, and an API lets you generate videos from your own systems. It doesn't export a SCORM package, so you upload the mp4 to your LMS as a video lesson, and it has no avatars or timeline editor.

Best for: turning existing training documents into short explainer videos, cheaply and in volume. See how it works for training teams.

How to choose

• You need a presenter, many languages and enterprise controls: Synthesia, or Colossyan if you also want quizzes inside the video.
• You need characters acting out scenarios: Vyond.
• You need SCORM on a mid-range budget: Colossyan Professional.
• You need to explain processes and concepts from existing documents, and avatars aren't the point: Rekka. Your first video is free, so try it on one SOP before deciding.

Sources, checked November 10, 2026: Synthesia pricing, Synthesia SCORM help article, Synthesia reviews on G2, Colossyan pricing, HeyGen pricing, Vyond pricing, Powtoon pricing, and Rekka's pricing page.