AI video creation is gaining momentum, with tools like Heygen emerging as popular choices. But does Heygen really live up to the hype? 

In this review, we dive into what Heygen offers, how it compares to its competitors, and whether it's the right tool for you.

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What is Heygen?

Heygen is an AI-powered platform designed to help users create video content quickly and easily using avatars, voice cloning, and text-to-speech features. 

Its goal is to simplify the video creation process, particularly for businesses and content creators.

Key Features of Heygen:

• Avatar-based video creation: Users can choose from various avatars to narrate videos.
• Voice cloning: Integrates with ElevenLabs to clone voices for personalized content.
• Text-to-video: Simply input text and create high-quality videos with avatars in minutes.
• Customization: Users can select different backgrounds, gestures, and video styles.

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How Does Heygen Work?

Heygen allows users to generate videos using AI avatars that sync with pre-recorded or AI-generated voices. Simply input a script or upload a video, select an avatar, and Heygen will transform the content into a video ready to share. 

It integrates with ElevenLabs for voice cloning, giving users the option to generate more personalized content.

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What Can You Create with Heygen?

• Marketing videos
• Educational content
• Product demos
• Corporate presentations
• Social media content

Heygen’s flexibility allows users to tailor videos to their brand’s style. While the platform is more geared towards professional, educational, or corporate videos, many users also see potential in marketing applications.

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What Redditors Think About Heygen

Reddit offers a raw, unfiltered view of how people truly feel about Heygen. The general consensus is mixed—while some users find the tool incredibly useful, especially for simplifying the video creation process, others are frustrated by unexpected fees, poor customer service, and performance issues.

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Positive Heygen Reviews on Reddit

Many users appreciate Heygen's ability to streamline video creation with AI avatars and voice cloning. u/DrGore2000 shared their positive experience, saying: "I used Heygen for a 12-minute podcast video, and the quality surprised me. 

Combining Heygen for the avatar and ElevenLabs for voice cloning made the process easy. I’ll keep using it because it simplifies my workflow."

Another user, u/Trayzard, highlighted an important update to Heygen's service: "Luckily, they don’t use credits anymore. It’s now unlimited. 

For the $30 subscription, you get priority on the first 30 videos." This change in the pricing structure has made Heygen more appealing to regular users who previously found the credit system restrictive.

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Negatives Heygen Reviews on Reddit

However, not all feedback is glowing. A recurring issue raised by Redditors involves the additional costs for features they thought were included. u/MajorService3411 called it out as "a scam," explaining that after paying for unlimited video creation, users still need to pay for faster downloads: 

"They hold your videos in pending status until you upgrade and pay more. It’s an endless cycle of payments."

The frustration doesn’t end there. u/boulalta1094 echoed similar sentiments about customer support: "I’ve reached out 10 times for a refund and got no response. 

Now I’m having to involve an attorney." This experience highlights a common complaint about Heygen’s poor customer service, which leaves users feeling trapped when issues arise.

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Common Complaints:

• Unexpected fees: Multiple users complained about the “unlimited” plan still having extra charges for faster processing or priority features.
• Slow support: Some reported waiting hours or days for responses, often without solutions.

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The Bottom Line

On Reddit, users either love or loathe Heygen. For those who prioritize ease of use and the ability to quickly generate content with AI avatars, the tool delivers.

 But the hidden costs and sluggish customer service continue to be dealbreakers for many. If you’re considering Heygen, make sure to read the fine print and know what you’re getting into!

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HeyGen Pricing Plans – Updated for 2024

HeyGen offers three main pricing tiers: Free, Creator, and Business. Each tier caters to different needs, from basic users to businesses requiring more advanced features. Here's a breakdown of the pricing structure:

• Credits: 1 credit equals 1 minute of video. The number of credits in each plan can vary, offering flexibility depending on your needs.
• Seats: A seat refers to one user or team member who can access the platform.
• Enterprise Plan: For larger organizations, HeyGen also offers an Enterprise plan with all features unlocked, including 24/7 on-call support. You’ll need to contact HeyGen directly for pricing details.

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NOTE: Credits expire at the end of each cycle. If you do not us ecredits, they disappear. This has been a very common complaint amongst many customers.

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Trustpilot Reviews: The General Consensus

Trustpilot paints a similarly divided picture of HeyGen, with users either highly satisfied or deeply disappointed.

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Positive TrustPilot Reviews

Many users find HeyGen to be a great tool for creating professional-grade videos, praising its integration with ElevenLabs for voice cloning and AI avatars. 

Nick Baskett rated the platform 3 out of 5 stars, highlighting how the tool does “some things really well,” like voice integrations and video quality, even though it comes with bugs and “lukewarm support.”

Negative TrustPillot Reviews

However, customer service is often a sore spot. A user commented: "I paid for 4K videos as advertised, only to find out they raised the price to $10,000 after I signed up. The support team never responded to my requests for refunds.” Another reviewer said, "I can't log in, can't cancel, and they went ahead and billed me." 

This highlights consistent issues with their support responsiveness and unclear communication about pricing changes.

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Common Themes:

• Strong Video Quality: Users like the professional results, especially when combined with other AI tools.
• Poor Customer Support: Many find the response times slow, with some complaints about unresponsive teams.
• Pricing Complaints: Several users express frustration with the sudden shift in pricing for features like 4K video and unclear details about what’s included in each tier.

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Why Arcads is the Best for Marketers

Heygen has it’s benefits, such as corporate demos or explainer videos. However these videos are not captivating. To create videos that sell - Hyegen falls short.

This is why Arcads, an AI Video Creation tool that focuses solely on creating high converting AI UGC videos, is a MUCH better alternative for marketers.

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Creating high-performing videos that marketers actually need. Unlike HeyGen, which leans towards corporate education videos that often feel flat and unengaging, Arcads is built for speed and impact.

Designed by performance marketers, it offers over 300 avatars in real-world settings, from walking and talking on the phone to working on a laptop, making your content feel much more dynamic and relatable.

The quality of Arcads avatars stands out, with higher engagement and realism than you’ll find elsewhere. Plus, the speech-to-speech feature adds a layer of authenticity to your videos, creating lifelike voiceovers that draw viewers in. 

Arcads is proven to deliver results, helping marketers scale campaigns with high-converting video ads. It’s fast, sleek, and entirely built to meet the demands of today’s marketing world.

See Aracds in action👇

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Conclusion

HeyGen may serve the corporate world well with its focus on educational videos, but it lacks the energy and engagement needed for high-performance marketing. 

Its slower pace and underwhelming features make it less suited for marketers looking to create fast, dynamic, and effective content. For those seeking to elevate their video marketing, HeyGen falls short.

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