AI video generator - I tested 10 of these so you don't have to

My criteria for evaluating different video generators on the market

Let me start by saying that I went through a lot of scammy websites that offered solutions that looked shady. In the end, I managed to create an extensive list that goes over the best AI video generators.

Each AI video generator (or a slideshow generator) will have the following criteria explained:

• Pros
• Cons
• Use cases
• Pricing 

Before choosing an AI video generator for yourself, my advice would be to think about three main things: 1) who’s going to be using it, 2) for what purposes do you need it, 3) is it a nice-to-have or a must-have in your tech stack.

Furthermore, when choosing any type of software, you should have three buckets for features that will help you pick the right one for yourself:

Two types of ai video generators

During my research, I found that there are basically two types of these video generators. To ensure I’m comparing apples to apples, I’ll split my analysis into two sections.

There are AI video generators that:

1. Allow you to make a talking avatar
2. Take your text input and turn it into a slideshow (animated video)

Depending on your use case, you’ll have to decide what works for you. A talking avatar type of video generator is a tool that allows you to write a script, and get an AI-generated avatar that will read out that script in the same way a human being would do. These tools also allow you to design the scene behind the avatar, so you can create a wide range of “talking head” videos.

Text to slideshow works for more straightforward videos. This type of AI video generator will take the script you input, and divide it into scenes with background images/videos, narration, and captions. The videos you can make are quite simpler, and they might not have the WOW effect like the one above. However,  it’s still impressive that you can make videos just by typing text.

Use cases for AI video generators

To answer the question of what you can use video generators for, I can tell you - almost anything. Video generators create videos, and videos as a format have a wide range of use in marketing, branding, sales, and more.

Here are some examples:

What you see above is frankly just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to possible use cases, but I hope it gives you an idea of what can be done with video generators.

Now, let’s go over the tools.

AI video generators that allow you to create avatars

Synthesia

Although I didn’t want to put Synthesia as number one, simply because EVERY other article did so, they really do deserve the top spot. This AI video generator is the best out of them all. Since it’s the “talking head” type, it allows you to input a script, and you’ll get a pretty realistic-looking avatar reading out your script.

Pros:

• They have a built-in video editor which means you can edit the generated video
• The avatar you create can speak 120 languages and you can even choose a local accent
• You can choose a narration style and pick one of the 55+ templates
• You can change every single detail: from gender and looks to skin tone and attire

Cons:

• Avatars sound or look robotic sometimes, which creates a counter-effect of what you typically want to achieve

Pricing:

• $30/per month. Please check their pricing as there are limitations within the plan (e.g. 10 video credits available per month).

Want to see it in action? Here’s a video I created with Synthesia:

Elai

Elai is a pretty similar video generator to Synthesia. It allows you to input text, and you’ll get an AI-generated avatar that will read it out. It’s practically video editing software on the cloud. However, instead of editing the footage of you, you’re editing footage of an AI-generated avatar.

Pros:

• I like their Web App, it’s pretty intuitive and you’re basically creating scenes, adding avatars to each scene, and adding background elements & captions
• They also have a huge library of languages (65+ available), so you can create videos in a lot of languages
• You can request the creation of a custom avatar if none of the ones from the library match your taste

Cons:

• Sometimes the avatars look a bit uncanny and unrealistic

Pricing:

• Free trial available. Two pricing plans are offered: $29/month and $99/month. They differ mainly in the number of video minutes you have available per month but make sure to check their pricing for yourself.

Here’s a video i generated with Elai:

Movio.la

When I first checked Movio.la, I was impressed by their tagline: Turn text into spokesperson video by typing and clicking.

It really sums up what AI video generators do in such a compelling way. Out of all the video generators that create avatars, I think that Movio.la made the simplest way for users to get started and then hooked on the features.

It happens in three simple steps: 1) you choose an avatar or create your own, 2) type your script, and 3) submit it. Then you grab a cup of coffee and wait until the video is rendered.

Pros:

• Choose over 100+ avatars or create your own
• Pick one of the 40+ languages with diverse accents
• You don’t have to start from scratch: Movio.la has 300+ templates available 
• Great instructions on how to get started

Cons:

• I kinda get a bit of a robotic, Siri kind of vibe from listening to some of the avatars
• Their Pro plan is a bit expensive, but you do get 90 minutes of video per month, so it’s not that bad of a deal

Pricing:

• You can try it out with 1-minute free credit or choose between two plans starting at $30 (Essential) and $250 per month (Pro). Make sure to check out their pricing page because there is a pricing slider depending on how many video minutes you need per month.

Here’s a video i created with this tool:

HourOne

HourOne, similar to Elai and Synthesia is a video generator where you can add AI-generated talking heads, put them in different scenes, and add captions.

Pros:

• Huge selection of avatars
• Pick a language, accent, look, and feel of the avatar
• Upload your own images or use existing templates to get started

Cons:

• UI is a bit overwhelming (I feel like they wanted to come across as a more advanced video generator and that it backfired in terms of user-friendliness)
• Avatars might sound a bit robotic

Pricing:

• In addition to a free trial that gives you 3-minute video credit, there is a Lite plan ($25 per member per month) and a Business plan ($199 per member per month). Check their pricing here.

Neuraloom

Neuraloom has created a marketing narrative around hiring avatars as “digital employees” and I must say I felt a combination of shock and awe. Their unique selling point revolves around replacing humans to do different types of video presentations, thus saving money and resources.

Pros:

• Nice balance between functionality and simplicity
• Great library of AI avatars
• 20 languages available
• Great documentation and step-by-step guides

Cons:

• Avatars look amazingly realistic until you hear them speak (it’s kind of like when you’re watching a dubbed movie and there is a lag effect between the sound and the person opening their mouth) 
• It can get pricey down the road because of their business model

Pricing:

• They have a pay-as-you-go business model and you’re expected to pay $18 per 3-minute rendered video. See their pricing here.

Here’s an example video:

Video generators that allow you to turn text into a slideshow

When I started researching this type of video generator, I noticed that they are 1) all pretty much similar to one another and 2) very good tools. They will all take the script you input, split it into scenes, and create a video with background images, videos, and text.

Let’s go over the tools I tested.

Pictory

So, out of all the tools I tried out, Pictory is my favorite one. I say this because of two main reasons: 1) it chooses the best background images and 2) I feel like it’s the easiest to use.

Pros:

• As you input the script, it will split the script into sentences and it will create a scene for each sentence
• You can merge multiple sentences into one scene in order to create something you like
• You can also add audio tracks and even a voiceover

Cons:

• Unfortunately, they don’t have auto-generated voiceover options, so if you’re looking for that you might be better off with another solution.

Pricing:

• They have a Standard plan ($23 per month per user), and a Premium plan ($47 per month per user). Check their entire pricing page here.

Lumen5

Lumen5 is pretty similar. One upgrade though is that you get to choose a visual template that you’d like your finished video to follow. It also seems like they have a bit more editing capabilities as you can move and scale the generated text pretty easily.

Pros:

• Upload your own media or choose one from millions of licensed images from Unsplash and Shutterstock
• You can turn blogs into videos with ease
• Very easy to use: point and click, drag and drop (even easier than creating a regular presentation)

Cons:

• They also have avatar videos, but I don’t think they are the best solution for this use case

Pricing:

• If you don’t mind Lumen5 watermark, you can use it for free. Other pricing plans go from $29 to $199 per month. See their pricing page here.

InVideo

InVideo also has the option to start from a template (and they have a huge library of them) or you can create your video from scratch. It’s up to you. Similar to the solutions above, you can paste your script and it will automatically generate scenes using the template you choose and the script you pasted.

Pros:

• Easy to use drag-and-drop editor
• 5000+ customizable templates
• Upload your own media or use one of the million premium images available in InVideo
• 70+ languages available

Cons:

• Their automated image selection is a bit off, I really didn’t like the images I got and it doesn’t have to do anything with style or preference (they are simply out of context)
• Choice paralysis: you really have a lot of templates to choose from which may extend the time you had planned for creating a simple video.

Pricing:

• Pricing goes from $30 per month to $60 per month. Free trial is available. You also have a lifetime business deal for $399, but it’s a limited offer. Go to their pricing page for more info.

DesignsAI

Right from the start, I could tell that DesignsAI is amazing.

Although very similar to the solutions above, they have a few features that make them unique. At first, you’d think it’s all the same, you pick a template, paste a script and create a video. But you’d be wrong.

Pros:

• Great video editor: you can add transitions, customize text, add scenes, and more
• You can add automated voiceover
• More than 20+ languages available
• Resize for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok

Cons:

• Their interface could use an update, but I’m really nitpicking here

Pricing:

• Pricing goes from $29 per month to $69 per month, and it includes their entire creative suite (not just the video generator). Check out their pricing here.

SteveAI

SteveAI, like the other video generators, offers the ability to transform the text into video. They have multiple options, and you can choose if you want the AI to generate an animated or a live video. I like this. It gives you flexibility.

Pros:

• An automated voiceover option (they seem a bit better than the DesignsAI ones)
• You can add automated voiceover
• The AI picks the most relevant assets once you insert the text

Cons:

• Fewer templates and less engaging compared to other solutions
• Simpler built-in video editor, but it gets the job done

Pricing:

• They have Basic, Starter, Pro, and Enterprise plan. Prices go from $15/month to $60/month. See their full pricing here.

So, what’s the best AI video generator?

The best in the talking head category is Synthesia, there’s no word about it. Their avatars are almost perfect, their UX is pretty smooth, and they have a wide range of looks, languages, narration styles, and accents.

For text to the slideshow video generator, I’d pick DesignsAI. They have automated voiceover, and their video editor is the most advanced. I feel like they have the most complete tool. It has some flaws, of course, but I feel like they will fix them eventually. Also, their suite of tools is impressive, so you’ll get four tools by paying for one. Pretty good deal.

In my opinion, all of these tools are good enough to be used in your business. It really is a fascinating industry, and I’ll be following it closely and exploring the direction it’s heading into.

Combining AI video generators and Plainly

We built Plainly with the idea to be the leading solution when it comes to advanced video automation workflows. It’s a video automation tool that allows you to combine a video template with a data source and create 1000s of videos automatically. 

Since it’s a video creation API, it’s built to adapt to any workflow and you can combine it with other tools.

AI video generators work like a charm with Plainly. Here’s why.

Although the videos are automatically generated by AI, it personalizes only the “talking head”. In the text to slideshow type of video generator, not even that. This is why a video automation tool like Plainly makes this use case even better.

AI video generator creates avatars and Plainly personalizes the rest of the scene (images, text, audio, video, and more). You could introduce personalization into your marketing mix and increase sales simply by relying on video as the engaging format it truly is.

Want to see Plainly in action? Let me explain it in 15 minutes: book a demo with me today.

FAQ about AI video generators

1. What are AI video generators?

AI video generators are advanced tools that allow users to create videos from scratch by relying on artificial intelligence. 

2. How do video generators work?

Video editing software and artificial intelligence (AI) are frequently combined to create videos that appear convincingly human-produced. 

3. How much do video generators cost?

Video generators can cost anywhere from $19 to $199 per month. The pricing depends on the business model the company that created the video generator uses, the number of users on the account, and the video credits you plan on using on a monthly basis.

4. What are some typical use cases where video generators can come in handy?

Video generators can be used for creating explainer videos, sales videos, content marketing videos, HR onboarding videos, different types of personalized videos, and more.

5. How do I decide which video generator to use?

When deciding which video generator to use, make sure to weigh the pros and cons, analyze the features, pricing, and create a list of must-haves, good-to-haves, and nice-to-haves. Also think about the number of users that will be on the same account as in some cases, this might affect the pricing.