Descript vs. HeyGen

Descript is more than just a talking head

To make good use of an avatar, you need more than just the basic templates you get with HeyGen. You need intros, B-roll, screen recordings, sound effects, and transitions—for starters. You need Descript.

Quick text-based editing

We’re the ones who invented text-based editing, which makes editing video as easy as typing. Whether it’s an avatar video or it has real humans in it, if you know how the backspace key works, or how to copy-paste, you know how to make it in Descript.

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Instant editing with AI

Descript’s got Underlord, a built-in AI editing assistant; HeyGen doesn’t. Clean up your look, fix your audio, and let Underlord make all the tedious, annoying edits in just a few clicks.

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Make every kind of video

With Descript, you’re not limited to avatars. Record yourself, your screen, or virtual guests, then create marketing videos, product demos, video podcasts, or anything else. Why go all-in on avatar video with HeyGen when you can go all-in on video with Descript?

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Don’t just take our word for it

With a 4.6-out-of-5-star rating and a bunch of distinctions on G2, Descript’s users have declared it an industry standard in the video and podcasting world.

2025

Best Software

Video Editing

Text to Speech

Screen and Video Capture

“With Descript I'll be able to at least double my content output since editing is taking one-quarter the time it used to.”

Donna B. |

“With Descript we can create videos for our YouTube channel and our LinkedIn page much faster and with high quality.”

Balázs N.

“Descript has made cleaning up and creating my educational videos into professional presentations [possible] without needing extensive technical computer skills.”

Barbara C.

“Descript makes recording and editing audio and video a breeze. It's advanced features have streamlined my workflows, saving me a lot of time usually spent editing.”

Roderick F.

“The collaborative tools streamline teamwork, allowing my team and me to work efficiently together on projects. Overall, Descript enhances productivity and simplifies the editing process.”

Aldrich M.

“Transcription-based editing makes the process much faster…All in all, a must have editor for most audiences, especially in SaaS marketing.”

Nidhin M.

Frequently asked questions

Is Descript free?
Descript has a free tier that lets you start your journey with fast text-based video editing. From there, we have several pricing tiers with additional features to match your needs. Unlock more usage and premium AI powered features by upgrading to a paid plan.
What does Descript do?
Descript can do a lot. Stuff like record and edit right on the platform or import your own recording, collaborate with your team, create beautiful layouts and branded templates, translate your video into different languages, use text to speech, and share directly from Descript.
Is Descript worth it?
Descript is totally worth it. At every pricing tier, you get an end-to-end video editor that lets you write, record, edit, collaborate, and export incredibly good-looking video, all with a text-based editor that makes creating video as easy as typing.
Is Descript better than HeyGen?
Descript is better than HeyGen, hands down. Descript’s text-based editor allows you to edit your video just like you would a doc. It also comes with an AI assistant who can filter out filler words, change eye contact in a video, or spiff up your audio with Studio sound. HeyGen would never.
Does Descript have avatars?
Descript has avatars! Choose an avatar from our gallery or a custom one you upload, then match it with one of our AI voices to create a video from text. You don’t have to get in front of the camera or even brush your hair.

Descript vs. HeyGen

Descript is more than just a talking head

Quick comparison guide

More video, more engagement—faster growth

Frequently asked questions