Is HeyGen Free? What You Actually Get on the Free Plan (Tested in 2026)

What the pricing page lists

When we opened the plan picker in the app, the Free column read: 3 videos a month, watermarked, videos up to 1 minute each, access to Avatar IV and Video Agent, one Custom Video Avatar plus 500+ ready made presenters, and 30+ languages. The same list appears on HeyGen's pricing page. Free also allows up to 3 Photo Avatars.

What the usage screen shows

The Usage and History screen of our free account showed three counters: Custom Video Avatars 0 of 1, Generate Looks 0 of 40, and Add Motion 0 of 3. That is a useful way to read the plan. You can build one avatar of yourself and try a few looks, but you cannot run a channel on it.

Resolution: 720p on Free

HeyGen's own pages disagree here. The general FAQ still mentions 1080p, but the help center says free videos export at 720p, and that is what we got. Our download dialog offered 720p, with 1080p and 4K marked as upgrades. Plan for 720p.

The test

We typed a two sentence script into the editor and chose a stock presenter from the avatar picker. The video showed up in Projects with a progress indicator and finished in roughly two minutes. The downloaded file was a 6.64 second MP4 at 1280 by 720, with the HeyGen watermark in the corner.

The friction

The first time we opened AI Studio, a four step tutorial overlay covered the editor. Typing in the script box lagged, and a survey popup appeared during the session. None of this blocked the test, but it made a short job feel longer than it should.

What the output looked like

A six second clip is enough to judge whether a stock presenter's lip sync and voice suit you, and little else. Longer term users fill in the rest: the reviewer at getaicraftly, after eight months on HeyGen, gave realism 5 out of 5 but noticed repetitive gestures in videos longer than three to four minutes. A two sentence test cannot show that, so treat the free plan as a lip sync check, not a full quality review.

When we clicked Generate, HeyGen showed an upgrade list next to the Submit button. It is the clearest summary of what Free leaves out:

• Remove the HeyGen watermark
• Voice cloning
• Fast processing
• Longer videos, up to 30 minutes
• WebM export with a transparent background
• 1080p export
• Unlimited Photo Avatars

The Plan and Billing page in settings repeats the pitch: upgrade for more video generations, 1080p exports and longer videos. Add the 1 minute cap and the 3 video limit and the picture is clear. The watermark alone rules out client work and ads.

The honest counterpoint

Not everyone finds the paid side simpler. Google's AI Overview for HeyGen reviews notes that users "frequently flag frustrations with its credit consumption and pricing," and a thread in r/AI_UGC_Marketing complains that failed renders still use credits. The getaicraftly reviewer scored pricing transparency 2 out of 5. Test on Free first, and read the credit rules before you pay.

Current prices

According to HeyGen's pricing page (vendor data, checked November 2026):

• Creator: $29 a month, or $24 a month billed yearly, with 600 credits a month, 1080p, no HeyGen branding, 175+ languages and videos up to 30 minutes.
• Pro: $49 a month with 1,000 credits and 4K export. The credit dropdown goes much higher, up to 100,000 credits for $4,300 a month.
• Business: $149 a month plus $20 per extra seat, with 1,500 credits.

Unlimited plans are gone

Older reviews talk about unlimited avatar videos. HeyGen's help center says those plans are no longer offered past May 15, 2026. Existing subscribers can keep them while their plan stays active, but new users buy credits.

What the credits buy

HeyGen's credit guide lists the rates per minute: 31 credits for Avatar IV with a video avatar, 48 for Avatar V and 80 for Video Agent. By that math, Creator's 600 credits cover about 19 minutes of Avatar IV video or about 12 minutes of Avatar V. Pro's 1,000 credits cover about 32 minutes or 20 minutes. Monthly credits last up to 60 days, and HeyGen's FAQ says credits do not carry over after you cancel. Only Business can buy extra credit packs.

A different kind of free

HeyGen Free lets you sample avatar video. BIGVU's free plan is built around recording yourself. It is $0 with no credit card and includes the AI script writer, teleprompter recording up to 9 minutes per video, scheduling to your social channels and a social media audit.

BIGVU Free has limits too. Exports are 720p with a watermark, and the 500 AI credits a month cover about a 10 second talking photo video. Captions, the video editor and HD or 4K export without a watermark start on AI Pro at $19 a month billed yearly, which includes 3,000 credits.

Which free plan fits you

If you want to know whether a synthetic presenter suits your content, HeyGen Free answers that in one afternoon. If you want to publish videos of yourself every week, BIGVU's script and teleprompter workflow is the better free starting point, because it does not cap you at three one minute clips. You can also use both: HeyGen for an avatar explainer, BIGVU for the videos where they are on camera.