Arcads vs HeyGen
An independent comparison of two tools we do not make.
Pick HeyGen if the video is a presenter explaining something: 700+ avatars, a studio editor with scenes, and a published $29 a month Creator tier. Pick Arcads if the deliverable is ad creative and custom avatars are part of it, and accept that Arcads publishes no pricing, so you have to request a quote first.
These two land on the same shortlist even though they were built for different rooms. HeyGen grew up around corporate video: training, internal comms, presentations. Arcads is aimed at agencies producing ad creative. The avatar counts, the editor, and the pricing transparency all follow from that split.
Arcads vs HeyGen at a glance
| Arcads | HeyGen | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Agencies wanting premium polish and custom avatars | Corporate training, internal comms, presentations |
| Starting price | Not published publicly | $29/mo (Creator) |
| Pricing model | Credits | Credits |
| Avatar library | 300+ | 700+ |
| Workflow | Multi-step with credit calculation | Studio-style editor |
| Cost at higher volume (about 30 videos a month) | Not published publicly | $180-$270 (limited UGC focus) |
Pricing: a published tier versus a quote
HeyGen publishes a Creator tier at $29 a month with very limited credits, and a workload of roughly 30 videos a month lands somewhere in the $180 to $270 range, with enterprise tiers above that.
Arcads does not publish pricing anywhere on its site, so the only way to get a figure is to request a quote. If a budget has to be approved before you can buy, that difference is not cosmetic.
Avatar libraries and avatar style
HeyGen lists 700+ avatars, styled as polished corporate presenters. Arcads lists 300+ and positions custom avatar production as the reason to pay more.
A bigger library is not automatically better for ads. A presenter who reads as a spokesperson reads that way in a feed too, which is why the larger count does not settle this comparison on its own.
Workflow
HeyGen is a studio-style editor built around scenes, which is an advantage when a video has several segments and a script that changes. Arcads runs a multi-step flow with credit calculation: script, then scene, then a checkout before the render.
Both are builders rather than one-shot generators, so budget a few minutes per video in either tool.
Which should you pick?
Choose Arcads if
The output is paid ad creative, custom avatars are part of what you are selling, and a quote-only price is something you can absorb into a retainer.
Choose HeyGen if
The video explains something to staff or customers, you want the largest avatar library of the two, and a published $29 entry tier makes it easy to start.
Arcads vs HeyGen FAQ
Is HeyGen cheaper than Arcads?
HeyGen publishes a $29 a month Creator tier with very limited credits, and roughly $180 to $270 at around 30 videos a month. Arcads publishes no pricing at all, so any like-for-like comparison starts with requesting a quote from Arcads.
Which has more avatars, Arcads or HeyGen?
HeyGen lists 700+ avatars. Arcads lists 300+.
Can HeyGen make UGC-style ads?
It can render a presenter reading your script, but HeyGen's library and defaults are built around corporate presenters, training and internal comms. Arcads is aimed at ad creative, which is why the two rarely stay on the same shortlist for long.
Where UGC Vids AI fits, and where it does not
This page is published by UGC Vids AI, so read the rest of it with that in mind. We are not on the comparison above because we are not the answer to every version of this question. We build one narrow thing: 9:16 UGC-style video ads for ecommerce brands and agencies.
Two differences are worth knowing about if you are shopping this category. First, one credit pool covers every model, so you pick the model per ad rather than per plan: Veo 3.1, Kling 3.0, Seedance 2.0, OmniHuman 1.5, Grok, and Happy Horse 1.1. Second, the plans are credit-metered with no video-count cap: Starter $49 a month for 5,000 credits, Growth $99 for 12,000, Agency $199 for 25,000, 30% off annual, and credits never expire. Top-ups run $10 to $140 when a month runs hot.
Where the tools above are the better call:
- Arcads is the better fit for agencies wanting premium polish and custom avatars.
- HeyGen is the better fit for corporate training, internal comms, presentations.
If ad creative for paid social is the job, you can try ours for $1 for 3 days.
Try UGC Vids AI for $1 for 3 days