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Most buyers should pick HeyGen.
Choose HeyGen for the lower-cost entry point: it has a free plan, and Creator is $24/month billed annually ($29 monthly), with 175+ languages and dialects. Choose Arcads if your priority is ad-specific creation: it lists 1,000+ AI actors, custom actors, editing tools, and an ad workflow canvas. Arcads' reported Starter price is $110/month or $88/month annually, but those prices are not published on its website. Integrations are not listed on the vendor's site.
01Side by side
| Arcads | HeyGen | |
|---|---|---|
| Paid starting price | Reported $110/month; $88/month annually | $24/month annually; $29 monthly |
| Free plan | No free plan | Free plan: 3 videos/month, watermarked |
| Best for | AI-generated video ads and ad workflows | Avatar-led video creation and translation |
| Core strength | 1,000+ AI actors and ad editing | 175+ languages and dialects |
| Learning curve | Not published | Not published |
| Integrations/data | Integrations not listed | Integrations not listed |
| Team/seat costs | Team pricing not published | Business members: $20/seat/month |
| Support | Review score: 4 | Review score: 5 |
Arcads Choose Arcads if
- Choose Arcads if you need ad-specific creation workflows.
- Choose Arcads if its AI actor library fits your ads.
- Choose Arcads if you want editing tools in one ad workflow.
HeyGen Choose HeyGen if
- Choose HeyGen if you want a free plan to start.
- Choose HeyGen if you need video translation across 175+ languages.
- Choose HeyGen if you want published Creator pricing.
02Pricing compared
HeyGen is the clearer, lower-cost entry point. Its Free plan includes 3 videos per month, videos up to 1 minute, watermarked exports, one custom video avatar, and 30+ languages. Creator costs $29 per month, or $24 per month billed annually, and includes 600 credits and 1080p exports. The pricing details list Pro at $49 per month and Business at $149 per month; annual prices for those plans are not published.
Arcads has no free plan listed. Its reported Starter price is $110 per month, or $88 per month with annual billing, but those prices are not published on the Arcads website. Treat that figure as less certain than HeyGen’s published pricing. If price is the deciding factor, HeyGen is the safer first step; check how its credits fit your production volume before committing.
03Features and depth
Arcads is more explicitly built around making ads. Its product details list more than 1,000 AI actors, custom actors that can hold a product or wear clothes, emotion control, and one-click editing for B-roll, music, captions, and transitions. Its Create Workflow canvas is described as a place for teams to create, test, and scale ad workflows. Video localization covers more than 30 languages.
HeyGen covers a wider set of video inputs and translation needs. It can make videos from scripts, prompts, images, audio, presentations, and PDFs, and its editor lets users adjust script, tone, delivery, gestures, and emotion. The product details list translation with voice cloning and lip-sync across 175+ languages and dialects. HeyGen also lists comments, tagging, and multi-user editing. Its features are broader than ad creation, while Arcads’ listed tools are more focused on ad production. Integrations are not listed for Arcads in the published product details.
04Ease of use and learning curve
The product descriptions point to different starting points, but neither gives enough information to judge onboarding time or how easy the tools feel in practice. Arcads centers its workflow on selecting actors, shaping ad performances, editing clips, and using an ad-focused canvas. That may suit teams with a defined ad-production process, though the available details do not establish how quickly new users can learn it.
HeyGen accepts more kinds of published material, from scripts to presentations, and offers text-based editing. Its Free plan gives users a way to try video creation before paying, with limits on monthly videos, length, and watermarks. We’d compare both against your actual workflow rather than assume either has the gentler learning curve.
Questions people ask
Which is better for making video ads, Arcads or HeyGen?
Arcads is the more ad-focused option on paper: its listed features include 1,000+ AI actors, custom actors, ad editing tools, and a workflow canvas for teams. HeyGen also creates avatar videos, but its product details cover broader video creation and translation use cases.
Is Arcads cheaper than HeyGen?
Not at the listed entry prices. HeyGen has a Free plan and Creator costs $24 per month billed annually or $29 monthly. Arcads’ reported Starter price is $88 per month billed annually or $110 monthly, but Arcads does not publish those prices on its website.
Does HeyGen have a free plan?
Yes. HeyGen’s Free plan includes 3 videos per month, videos up to 1 minute, watermarked exports, one custom video avatar, and 30+ languages. The published pricing details do not list a free trial for its paid plans.
Which platform supports more video languages?
HeyGen lists translation across 175+ languages and dialects, including voice cloning and lip-sync. Arcads lists video localization in more than 30 languages. If language coverage is central to your workflow, HeyGen has the larger stated range.