Community ratings, features, pricing and free plans: the complete head-to-head between HeyGen and SmartShort to find the right tool for your needs.
VerifiedHeyGen lets you produce professional videos with talking avatars, no camera or studio required. Pick a virtual presenter or create your own digital twin, type in your script, and the platform generates a strikingly realistic video. Its latest models, Avatar IV and then Avatar V, can animate a single photo with remarkably lifelike expressions. Its video translation feature even lip-syncs content in over 170 languages.
VerifiedSmartShort is an AI-powered platform designed to streamline the creation of short-form videos for platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. It enables users to generate professional-quality videos quickly by transforming scripts or prompts into engaging content, complete with visuals, transitions, and voiceovers.
| Criterion | HeyGen | SmartShort |
|---|---|---|
| Average rating | 4.4 | 4.6 |
| Number of reviews | 218 | 126 |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Plans | Free, Creator, Business | Basic Plan, Expert Plan, Pro Plan |
| Categories | Text to Video, Avatar Generator | Text to Video, Short Clips Generator, Video Editor, Text-to-Speech |
| Last updated | July 8, 2026 | April 18, 2025 |
See all tools in these categories: Text to Video
HeyGen or SmartShort?
HeyGen (4.4/5) and SmartShort (4.6/5) earn very similar ratings from our community: the choice mostly comes down to your use case.
Budget-wise, HeyGen offers a free plan to get started, while SmartShort does not appear to offer one.
Positioning-wise, HeyGen stands out in Avatar Generator, while SmartShort focuses on Short Clips Generator, Video Editor and Text-to-Speech.
Free
Creator
Business
Basic Plan
Expert Plan
Pro Plan
Prices are indicative and may change — check the official sites for up-to-date pricing.
Both tools share the Text to Video space, but HeyGen also covers Avatar Generator, while SmartShort adds Short Clips Generator, Video Editor and Text-to-Speech.
The two tools are neck and neck: HeyGen shows 4.4/5 (218 reviews) and SmartShort 4.6/5 (126 reviews).
HeyGen offers a free plan, and SmartShort does not offer a free plan as far as we know.