Understanding credits on self-serve plans
Credits are now the standard way to measure and track usage across all self-serve plans: Freemium, Starter, and Creator. This system makes it easier to see exactly how much of your plan you’ve used, no matter which features you’re working with.
✍️ Each second of a video uses 2 credits. Ex: A one-minute video will consume 120 credits.
How credits work
Credits replace minutes as the unit of usage. Every action that generates a video or other content uses a certain number of credits.
How many credits do I get?
Each plan includes a set number of credits to use every month or year. Usage limits have not changed they have just been converted to credits:
Plan Type | Monthly Balance | Annual Balance |
🆓 Freemium | 360 credits per month | Only available monthly |
🚀 Starter Plan | 1,200 credits per month | 14,500 credits per year |
🎬 Creator Plan | 3,600 credits per month | 44,000 credits per year |
This change helps provide a more consistent and flexible way to manage your usage across all consumption-based features in Synthesia.
Understanding credit consumption for video edits
Each video you create or edit consumes credits based on its total duration. Each second of a video uses 2 credits. Ex: A one-minute video will consume 120 credits.
When you make edits to an existing video, credits are recalculated based on the new video length and generation time. This means that if you generate a video and then choose to revise it, additional credits may be used depending on the updated version.
💡You can view detailed examples of how credit usage changes during editing or revision in the drop downs below.
Script edits
Script edits
Example scenario: 360 credits per month. You've used 320 credits generating a 2 minutes and 40 second video, but then you decide to revise the script.
Type of Revision | Example | Behavior |
Existing words are removed | From: We will talk about avatars To: We will talk | No effect on consumption Total: 320 credits |
New words are added | From: We will talk about avatars To: We will talk about avatars and voices | Count duration of new words. It’s +1 seconds to the script. You have spent 2 additional credits. Total: 322 credits |
Existing words are replaced i.e. removal then addition | From: We will talk about avatars To: We will discuss voices | Count duration of new words. It’s +2 seconds to the script. So you have spent 4 additional credits. Total: 324 credits |
Order of existing words is changed | From: We will talk and avatars will listen To: Avatars will talk and we will listen | No effect on consumption Total: 320 credits |
Addition, removal and replacement of punctuation marks | - | No effect on consumption Total: 320 credits |
Avatar edits
Avatar edits
Example scenario: 360 credits per month. You've used 320 credits generating a 2 minutes and 40 second video, but then you decide to change the Avatar.
Type of Revision | Example | Behavior |
Avatar framing is changed (limited to full body & circle) | From: full body | No effect on consumption |
Avatar is removed | From: full body | No effect on consumption |
Avatar is added | From: voice only | Count duration for which the new avatar is visible |
Avatar is replaced | From: Alex | Count duration for which the new avatar is visible |
Avatar look is changed | From: Alex in casual outlook | No effect on consumption |
Voice edits
Voice edits
Example scenario: 360 credits per month. You've used 320 credits generating a 2 minutes and 40 second video, but then you decide to change the voice.
Type of Revision | Example | Behavior |
Pronunciation is applied / changed | From: Porsche (Porshay) | No effect on consumption |
Voice tone is changed | From: EN-US Easy going | No effect on consumption |
Voice language or accent is changed | From: English US | Count duration of change towards consumption |
What other features consume credits?
Credits are used for:
Each feature consumes a different number of credits:
1 min of AI Dubbing with lip sync = 240 Credits
1 min of AI Dubbing without lip sync = 120 Credits
1 minute of Bulk Personalization = 90 credits
1 minute of API usage = 75 credits
1 Sora 2 video asset = 48 credits
1 Veo 3.1 Fast video asset = 48 credits
1 Veo 3.1 video asset = 96 credits
💬 FAQs:
Why did Synthesia switch from minutes to credits?
Why did Synthesia switch from minutes to credits?
We introduced credits to simplify usage tracking and give you a consistent way to understand consumption across all features—whether you're creating videos, using dubbing, or working with other tools.
What happened to my old minutes?
What happened to my old minutes?
Your remaining minutes were automatically converted into credits. You don’t need to take any action.
How are credits calculated?
How are credits calculated?
Each second of video uses 2 credits. That means one minute of video consumes 120 credits.
Where can I see my credits balance?
Where can I see my credits balance?
You’ll find your credit balance in the same place you previously viewed your minutes—right in your usage dashboard.
What happens when I run out of credits?
What happens when I run out of credits?
If you use all your available credits, you’ll need to upgrade to a higher-tier plan or wait for your credits to renew at the start of your next billing cycle. See How do I upgrade my Synthesia plan? for more help.
Do my Synthesia credits roll over the next billing period?
Do my Synthesia credits roll over the next billing period?
No, credits for usage are reset at the start of the billing period and there is no accumulation of unused credit.
If I duplicate a Synthesia video, does it consumes credits?
If I duplicate a Synthesia video, does it consumes credits?
No, duplicating a video will not use your credits. However, generating the duplicate video will consume credits.