HeyGen's API is prepaid and pay-as-you-go, billed per second of output starting at $5 with no subscription. This guide lists what every operation costs.
How much does the HeyGen API cost?
The HeyGen API starts at $5 on a prepaid pay-as-you-go wallet with no subscription, and most operations are billed per second of output. Avatar video ranges from $0.0167/sec (Avatar III Digital Twin) to $0.0667/sec (Avatar V), so a one-minute video costs roughly $1 to $4 depending on engine and avatar type.
Key insights about HeyGen API pricing
- HeyGen offers two plans: Pay-As-You-Go (self-serve, from $5) and Enterprise (custom, contact sales).
- HeyGen bills per second of output duration for most operations.
- HeyGen's cheapest avatar video is $0.0167/sec (Avatar III Digital Twin); premium fidelity is $0.0667/sec.
- An API Key bills HeyGen's prepaid wallet, while OAuth bills your web-plan credits.
- HeyGen text-to-speech is the cheapest operation at $0.000667/sec (~$0.04/min).
How does HeyGen API billing work?
HeyGen API billing is prepaid and metered per second of output. You buy USD balance up front, as little as $5, and each operation draws down that wallet based on how many seconds of video, audio, or session time it produces. There is no monthly fee and no commitment, and you can check your balance any time by visiting the wallet from GET/v3/users/me.
Does HeyGen API Key and OAuth billing come from the same balance?
Authenticating with an API Key (X-Api-Key header) draws from your prepaid HeyGen API wallet. Authenticating with an OAuth bearer token instead charges your HeyGen web plan premium credits. HeyGen recommends the API Key for automation. It also carries higher concurrency limits.
How much does HeyGen charge per avatar video?
HeyGen charges per second of output for avatar video, priced by engine and avatar type, with the same rate for 720p and 1080p. The cheapest is Avatar III Digital Twin at $0.0167/sec, followed by Avatar III Photo Avatar at $0.0433/sec and Avatar IV Photo Avatar at $0.05/sec. The highest-fidelity options, Avatar V, plus Avatar IV Digital Twin and Studio Avatar, all cost $0.0667/sec.
| Avatar |
Avatar type |
Feature |
Pricing |
| Digital Twin |
Avatar V |
Highest fidelity |
$0.0667 / sec |
| Photo Avatar |
Avatar IV |
Default v3 engine |
$0.05 / sec |
| Digital Twin |
Avatar IV |
Default v3 engine |
$0.0667 / sec |
| Studio Avatar |
Avatar IV |
Default v3 engin |
$0.0667 / sec |
| Digital Twin |
Avatar III |
Photo-to-video pipeline |
$0.0167 / sec |
| Photo Avatar |
Avatar III |
Photo-to-video pipeline |
$0.0433 / sec |
How much do HeyGen's Video Agent, Cinematic Avatar, and Realtime cost?
HeyGen's Video Agent (prompt-to-video) costs $0.0333/sec, and Avatar Realtime live-streaming sessions cost $0.05/sec at 720p. Two operations break from per-second pricing: Cinematic Avatar is a flat $7.00/video (4-15 seconds), and AI Clipping is $0.15/clip.
| Operation |
Rate |
Notes |
| Cinematic Avatar |
$7.00/video |
Flat rate, 4-15 sec, not per-second |
| Avatar Realtime |
$0.05/sec |
Live streaming session, 720p only |
| Video Agent (prompt to video) |
$0.0333 / sec |
Agent handles avatar and script |
| AI Clipping |
$0.15/clip |
Per highlight clip produced |
How much do HeyGen HyperFrames cost?
HeyGen HyperFrames are billed per minute, and the rate scales with resolution and frame rate, from $0.10/min at 1080p/30fps up to $0.30/min at 4K/60fps.
| Resolution/FPS |
Rate |
| 1080p/30 fps |
$0.10/min |
| 1080p/60 fps |
$0.20/min |
| 4K/30 fps |
$0.15/min |
| 4K/60 fps |
$0.30/min |
How much do HeyGen video translation, lipsync, and text-to-speech cost?
HeyGen video translation costs $0.0333/sec for Speed mode (audio only or lip sync) and $0.0667/sec for Precision lip sync; Lipsync follows the same Speed/Precision split. HeyGen text-to-speech (Starfish) is the cheapest operation on the platform at $0.000667/sec, about $0.04 per minute. Translation Proofread mode is Enterprise-only.
| Operation |
Rate |
| Video translation, Speed (audio only) |
$0.0333/sec |
| Video translation, Speed (lip sync) |
$0.0333/sec |
| Video translation, Precision (lip sync) |
$0.0667/sec |
| Lipsync, Speed |
$0.0333/sec |
| Lipsync, Precision |
$0.0667/sec |
| Text-to-speech, Starfish |
$0.000667/sec |
How much does it cost to create a HeyGen avatar?
Creating a reusable HeyGen avatar is a one-time $1.00 per call, for both Digital Twin and Photo Avatar creation. This is separate from the per-second cost of generating videos with that avatar afterward.
What does a one-minute HeyGen video actually cost?
A one-minute HeyGen avatar video costs about $1.00 on the cheapest engine (Avatar III Digital Twin), $3.00 on Avatar IV Photo Avatar, and about $4.00 on Avatar V. A 30-second Video Agent clip is about $1.00, and a ten-minute text-to-speech clip is only about $0.40.
| Scenario |
Math |
Cost |
| 60-sec video, Avatar III Digital Twin |
60 × $0.0167 |
~$1.00 |
| 60-sec video, Avatar IV Photo Avatar |
60 × $0.05 |
$3.00 |
| 60-sec video, Avatar V Digital Twin |
60 × $0.0667 |
~$4.00 |
| 30-sec Video Agent clip |
30 × $0.0333 |
~$1.00 |
| 2-min video translated (Precision) |
120 × $0.0667 |
~$8.00 |
| 10-min podcast via TTS Starfish |
600 × $0.000667 |
~$0.40 |
What is the difference between HeyGen Pay-As-You-Go and Enterprise?
HeyGen Pay-As-You-Go is self-serve from $5 with no commitment and includes Video Agent, video generation, text-to-speech, translation, MCP, and Skills. HeyGen Enterprise is custom-priced and adds customised scalability, dedicated developer support, Digital Twin Creation and Proofread APIs, and discounted rates on top of everything in Pay-As-You-Go.
| |
Pay-as-you-go |
Enterprise |
| Price |
Costs $5 to get started |
Custom, contact sales |
| Features |
- Video Agent, Video Generation (Avatar III & IV)
- Text-to-speech and video translation APIs
- Photo avatars and template videos
- Avatar, voice, and template libraries
- MCP Server access and HeyGen Skills
|
- Everything in Pay-As-You-Go
- Customised scalability
- Dedicated developer support
- Digital Twin creation & Proofread APIs
- Discounted rates
|
How do you make your first HeyGen API call?
You make your first HeyGen API call in three steps: generate an API key in Settings → API, POST a prompt to the Video Agent endpoint to get a video_id, then retrieve the finished video. Generation is async and most videos finish in 1-5 minutes.
- Get your API key: Generate one in the HeyGen dashboard under Settings → API. You can't view it again, so save it.
- Create a video from a prompt: POST to the Video Agent endpoint. It returns a video_id.
curl -X POST "https://api.heygen.com/v3/video-agents" \
-H "X-Api-Key: $HEYGEN_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"prompt": "A presenter explaining our launch in 30 seconds"}'
- Get the result: In production, pass a callback_url for a webhook instead of polling.
curl -X GET "https://api.heygen.com/v3/videos/vid_xyz789" \
-H "X-Api-Key: $HEYGEN_API_KEY"
- Check status: Status runs pending to processing to completed or failed. On completion, download from video_url.
Frequently asked questions about HeyGen API pricing
1. What is the minimum amount to start using the HeyGen API?
The minimum is $5. You top up a prepaid API wallet and pay only for what you use, with no monthly commitment.
2. Are HeyGen MCP credits and API wallet balance the same?
No. MCP usage (via OAuth) is deducted from your web plan's premium credits, while Skills and Direct API usage (via API key) is deducted from your separate prepaid API wallet. The two pools are independent.
3. Is the HeyGen API billed per request or per second?
Per second of output duration for most operations. The exceptions are Cinematic Avatar ($7 flat per video), AI Clipping ($0.15 per clip), HyperFrames (per minute), and avatar creation ($1 per call).
4. What are HeyGen's three integration paths?
MCP (connect to AI assistants via OAuth), Skills (extend coding agents like Claude Code and Cursor via API key), and Direct API (full programmatic control via API key).
5. What does HeyGen Enterprise add over Pay-As-You-Go?
Everything in Pay-As-You-Go plus custom scalability, dedicated developer support, Digital Twin Creation and Proofread APIs, and discounted rates.
Who is HeyGen API best for?
HeyGen API is best for teams that want predictable per-second costs and no upfront commitment. T he $5 prepaid wallet makes it low-risk to test, and per-second billing means you pay only for the video you actually generate. High-volume users producing avatar video at scale get the strongest value from Avatar III Digital Twin at $0.0167/sec, while teams needing custom scalability, dedicated support, or Proofread and Digital Twin Creation APIs should move to Enterprise for its discounted rates.
In short: start on Pay-As-You-Go to validate your use case, pick the engine that matches your fidelity needs rather than defaulting to the priciest, and authenticate with an API Key to keep usage on your prepaid wallet with higher concurrency. Rates change, so confirm current pricing before committing to a production budget.
Check out our AI API pricing guide to compare API costs for other leading AI tools.
The pricing and product details above are sourced from HeyGen's official website and API documentation, and were accurate as of publication. Rates are subject to change, Please verify current pricing on HeyGen's website before making a purchase.
by Krithika Sathyamoorthy
