AI Agent Directory — Category
From AI-generated presenter videos to text-to-video production, we compare eight platforms on avatars versus generation, licensing and published pricing.
08 Tools Reviewed
Two jobs live in one category: scripted avatar video for business communication, and generative video for creative and social output. Pricing below is taken from each vendor's own pages, checked 11 October 2026. Basis: vendor documentation, public pricing and announcements. Not a hands-on trial, so no scores are shown.
Best for L&D
Synthesia turns a text script into a presenter video, with SOC 2 Type II and ISO 42001 certification, personal avatars, and 140+ language translation, SAML/SSO and SCORM export on Enterprise.
Best for Sales
HeyGen pairs avatars with video translation into 175+ languages and dialects on paid plans, plus an API, interactive video and LMS integrations for sales, marketing and training video.
Best Cinematic
Runway's Gen-4 and Gen-4.5 models generate video from text or image prompts, metered by credits (625 a month on Standard, about 52 seconds of Gen-4.5).
Discontinued
OpenAI's text-to-video model. OpenAI discontinued the Sora web and app experiences on 26 April 2026 and the Sora API on 24 September 2026.
Fast & Social
Pika offers its own Pika 2.5 model and Pikaframes alongside third-party video, image and audio models on one credit plan. The commercial license starts on the Creator plan.
Best 3D Motion
Luma's plans give access to its Ray3.2 video model and third-party image and video models on one credit pool, with commercial use from the entry Plus plan.
Best Editing
Descript edits video and audio by editing the transcript. It includes the Underlord AI co-editor, Studio Sound and filler-word removal, with dubbing into 30+ languages on Business.
Multi-Model Hub
Krea is an aggregator: one subscription gives access to many generative video models, including Google's Veo 3 and Kling, plus image tools, metered in compute units.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Match a tool to the job — training and L&D, sales outreach, social content, or cinematic production — using our comparison tool and the sibling hubs for creative and image AI.
Head-to-Head
The trade-offs that matter for a buying decision — what each tool is genuinely best at, its published starting price, and the single limitation most likely to affect you. Prices checked 11 October 2026.
| Tool | Type | Best For | Published Starting Price | Key Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synthesia | AI avatar | Training & L&D, internal comms | Free; $29/mo Starter (monthly) | No open-scene generation; minutes capped by plan |
| HeyGen | AI avatar | Sales & marketing personalization, translation | Free; $29/mo Creator | LMS integrations & SAML/SSO gated to $149 Business tier |
| Runway | Generative | Cinematic & VFX production | Free; $15/mo Standard ($12 annual) | Credit-metered; short native clips need extending |
| Sora | Generative | — | Discontinued | App closed 26 April 2026; API closed 24 September 2026 |
| Pika | Generative | Fast social & short-form ideation | Free; $8/mo Starter (annual billing) | No commercial license below the Creator plan; credit-metered |
| Luma AI | Generative | Multi-model generation on one credit pool | $30/mo Plus (commercial use) | No free plan listed; credit-metered |
| Descript | Editing | Podcasts, tutorials, repurposing footage | Free; $16/mo Hobbyist (annual) | Editor first, generator second; media hours capped |
| Krea AI | Aggregator | Comparing multiple generative models | Free; Pro ~$21/mo (annual) | Compute-unit metering; not a single native model |
TL;DR. "AI video" is really two markets. Avatar platforms (Synthesia, HeyGen) turn a script into a talking-presenter video and are built for training, internal comms and personalized outreach. Generative platforms (Runway, Pika, Luma) create motion footage from a prompt and are built for creative, cinematic and social output. Descript sits alongside both as an editor, and Krea is an aggregator that puts several models behind one login. OpenAI's Sora has been discontinued.
This is the first fork in the decision tree. If a person needs to speak to camera — a trainer, a spokesperson, a sales rep — you want an avatar tool (Synthesia, HeyGen). If you need scenes, products, motion graphics or cinematic shots, you want a generative tool (Runway, Pika, Luma).
For avatar tools, judge lip-sync, gestures and voice. For generative tools, judge whether faces, objects and backgrounds stay consistent from frame to frame. Always judge on your own prompts, because showcase clips tell you little about the median result you will ship.
Commercial rights vary by plan. Pika's Starter plan carries no commercial license, which begins on Creator; Luma includes commercial use from its entry Plus plan; Synthesia's free plan watermarks videos. Before you publish anything client-facing, read the current terms of service.
Every tool on this page now meters usage with credits or compute units, and a generation's cost scales with model, resolution and clip length. Runway's 625 Standard credits buy about 52 seconds of Gen-4.5, for example. Budget by your expected monthly output volume, not the headline price.
L&D teams need SCORM export and LMS integration; enterprises need SSO/SAML and SOC 2. On the vendors' own pricing pages, Synthesia puts SAML/SSO and SCORM export on Enterprise, and HeyGen puts SAML/SSO on its $149 Business plan. Confirm the feature is on the plan you can afford.
Best for: training, L&D and internal communications. Published pricing (11 Oct 2026): a free plan (10 minutes of video creation or dubbing, watermarked); Starter at $29/mo billed monthly; Pro, the most popular plan, at $89/mo billed monthly for 6,000 credits; and custom Enterprise with unlimited video minutes, one-click translation into 140+ languages, 240+ stock avatars, SAML/SSO and SCORM export. Synthesia states SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 and 42001 certification. The format produces presenters, not open scenes. Read the full Synthesia review.
Best for: sales, marketing and localization. Published pricing: a free plan (3 videos a month, 30+ languages); Creator at $29/mo (600 credits, 175+ languages and dialects, watermark removal); Pro from $49/mo (1,000 credits, 4K export); Business at $149/mo (1,500 credits, SAML/SSO, LMS integrations, additional seats $20); and Enterprise. Read the full HeyGen review.
Best for: creative production. Runway's Gen-4 and Gen-4.5 models generate video from text or image prompts. Published pricing: a free plan with 125 one-time credits; Standard at $15/mo monthly or $12/mo annually (625 credits/month); Pro at $35/mo ($28 annual, 2,250 credits); Max at $95/mo ($76 annual, 9,500 credits, with one month of credit rollover); and Enterprise. Read the full Runway review.
OpenAI discontinued the Sora web and app experiences on 26 April 2026 and the Sora API on 24 September 2026. It is listed here only so returning readers know it is gone. Read the Sora review.
Best for: short-form social content and rapid ideation. Pika runs its own Pika 2.5 model and Pikaframes alongside third-party video, image and audio models. Published pricing (monthly / annual): a free plan (credit packs only); Starter at $10 / $8 (900 credits, no commercial license); Creator at $35 / $28 (3,150 credits, commercial license); Fancy from $95 / $76 (8,550 credits and up); and Enterprise. Read the full Pika review.
Best for: teams that want Luma's Ray3.2 model and third-party models on one credit pool. Published pricing: Plus at $30/mo ($300 billed yearly, 10,000 credits, commercial use); Pro at $90/mo (40,000 credits); Ultra at $300/mo (150,000 credits); and Team and Enterprise plans with SSO. No free plan is listed. Read the full Luma AI review.
Best for: podcasts, tutorials, and repurposing existing footage. You edit video and audio by editing the transcript, with the Underlord AI co-editor, Studio Sound and filler-word removal. Published pricing (annual / monthly): a free plan (1 hour of media/month); Hobbyist at $16 / $24 (10 media hours, 400 AI credits, 1080p); Creator at $24 / $35 (30 hours, 800 credits, 4K); and Business at $50 / $65 (40 hours, 1,500 credits, dubbing into 30+ languages, custom avatars). Read the full Descript review.
Best for: comparing several generative models under one login, including Google's Veo 3 and Kling. Published pricing (monthly / annual): a free tier; Basic at $9 / $5; Pro at $35 / $21 with all video models; Max at $105 / $63; and Business and Enterprise tiers. All paid plans include a commercial license. Read the full Krea AI review.
Synthesia is the safest default for courseware, with SCORM export and SSO on Enterprise. HeyGen is the alternative when you also need interactive video, with LMS integrations and SSO on its $149 Business tier.
Personalized outreach and localized campaigns favour HeyGen. High-volume social clips suit Pika, provided you buy Creator or above for the commercial license. Use Krea to compare several models before committing budget. For static and hybrid assets, pair this with our image generation AI hub.
Creative work centres on Runway, with Luma as a multi-model alternative. Expect to generate short pieces and finish the edit elsewhere, often in Descript.
AI Agent Square is independent. We run no ads, no affiliate links and no vendor-paid placements. This page rests on vendor documentation and public pricing, checked 11 October 2026; it is not a hands-on trial, so it shows no scores. Confirm the current figure and terms before you buy. See our full methodology.
Questions & Answers
The questions buyers ask us most about choosing and pricing AI video tools in 2026.
There is no single best tool; the category splits into two jobs. For scripted talking-head and training video, look at Synthesia and HeyGen. For generative clips, look at Runway, Pika and Luma. Descript fits editing and repurposing footage, and Krea lets you compare several models in one place.
No. OpenAI discontinued the Sora web and app experiences on 26 April 2026 and the Sora API on 24 September 2026.
Usually on paid plans, but check each plan. Pika's commercial license starts on Creator, not Starter; Luma includes commercial use from its entry Plus plan; Synthesia's free plan watermarks videos. Confirm the current terms of service before publishing.
Synthesia is the most established choice, with SCORM export, SAML/SSO and translation into 140+ languages on Enterprise. HeyGen's $149 Business plan adds LMS integrations and SAML/SSO.
Synthesia, HeyGen, Runway, Pika, Descript and Krea list free plans. Luma lists no free plan. Free plans typically watermark output or cap usage.
No. AI Agent Square runs no ads, affiliate links or vendor-paid placements, and pricing is taken directly from vendor pages on the date shown.
Guides & Research
In-depth resources for evaluating, deploying and budgeting AI video platforms.
An evaluation framework for procurement and L&D teams selecting AI video platforms — covering credits, licensing, security and RFP criteria.
How learning teams evaluate avatar platforms like Synthesia and HeyGen — SCORM export, language coverage, update workflow and security.
How the leading generative models differ on coherence, clip control, licensing and credit cost — and which job each one suits best.
Stay Current
New model releases, pricing changes and licensing updates for AI video platforms — delivered monthly to your inbox.
Complete index