Sometimes you need a short explainer or demo, but you don't want to be on camera, set up a mic, or spend an afternoon editing. HeyGen lets you type a script and have an AI avatar present it. The free plan is enough to learn the whole workflow, as long as you know its limits before you start.
Try HeyGen (affiliate link): heygen.com
Disclosure: this is an affiliate link. If you sign up through it, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Everything below comes from a fresh free account we tested on October 25, 2026.
Here's the full video walkthrough:
Below is the written version.
The free plan limits
We checked these on HeyGen's pricing page and in the app on October 25, 2026:
| What | Free plan (as of Oct 2026) |
|---|---|
| Videos | Up to 3 a month, watermarked |
| Length | Up to 1 minute per video |
| Download resolution | 720p |
| Watermark | HeyGen logo, bottom-right corner |
| Processing | Standard speed. Our test video (about 12 seconds) took about 1 minute |
| Previews | Did not count toward the 3 videos in our test |
| Credit card | Not required at signup |
You also get hundreds of stock avatars, many languages, the AI Studio editor, templates, and limited trial access to Avatar IV and Video Agent. Gestures ("Add Motion") are capped at 3 uses a month.
So the free plan is for learning and testing: three short, watermarked videos a month. Let's make them count.
Step 1: Sign up
Go to HeyGen and click Get started free. You can sign up with Google or with email. HeyGen asks a few onboarding questions; they only personalize suggestions, so pick whatever is closest. If you see an upgrade or trial screen, skip it. We're staying on Free.
Step 2: Find your way around the dashboard
The left menu holds the main areas: creating a video, avatars, templates, and your projects. Find where your usage is shown (Usage & History). That's how you track how many free videos you have left this month.
To start a project, click Create video, then choose Scene by scene → Start in landscape for YouTube. Use portrait for Shorts and Reels.
Step 3: Pick an avatar
Open the avatar panel and browse the stock presenters. Hover to preview, and use the filters to find a style that fits. For a first video, a stock avatar is the easiest choice because there's nothing to upload.
HeyGen also offers photo avatars, where you upload an image and it gets animated. Only use photos you own or have permission to use, and never someone else's face without their consent.
Step 4: Write a short script
Type what the avatar should say into the script box. Remember the 1-minute cap: at a normal pace that's roughly 150 words, so aim for 100–120 words to leave room.
Example script:
Hi, I'm an AI presenter, and this whole video was made on HeyGen's free plan.
No camera, no microphone. Just a script, an avatar, and a few clicks.
Stick around and I'll show you how.
Write the way people talk, in short sentences. If a word gets mispronounced, spell it the way it sounds, or add a comma where you want a pause.
Step 5: Choose a voice and language
Each avatar has a default voice, but you can change it. Open the voice menu, filter by language and accent, and play a few samples. The free plan covers many languages.
Then use the play button next to the script to hear the whole line. In our test, previews did not appear in Usage & History; only the generated video did. So preview as often as you need.
Step 6: Design the scene in AI Studio
This is where it starts to look like a real video:
- Background: it's under Avatar → Avatar Background. Pick a color, an image, or a video.
- Text: add a title from the Elements panel, then set the size, font, and position.
- Layout: drag the avatar to resize it or move it to the side to make room for text.
- Scenes: add more scenes for multi-part videos. Each scene has its own script and layout, but all scenes together still need to fit in one minute.
Want a head start? Pick a template and swap in your own script.
Keep in mind that the watermark sits in the bottom-right corner, so don't put important text there.
Step 7 (optional): Avatar IV and motion
Avatar IV is HeyGen's more expressive avatar model. Free accounts get limited trial access, and Avatar IV videos are also capped at 1 minute. To add gestures, use Add Motion from the settings icon next to Motion Engine. You get 3 uses a month on Free, so save them for a video you plan to keep.
Step 8: Generate and download
Play the preview one last time, because every generation uses one of your 3 free videos. Then click Generate and name the video. 1080p is locked on Free; downloads are 720p.
Our test video, about 12 seconds long, took about a minute to process. When it's done, open the project's "..." menu → Download to save the 720p MP4.
Bonus: Video Agent
Video Agent turns a one-line prompt into a draft video. It writes the script, picks visuals, and assembles everything. Free accounts get limited trial access. Always read the script before you generate, because AI drafts can be generic or simply wrong.
Tips to save your 3 free videos
- Preview, don't generate. Test voices and timing with the preview button. It didn't count against the quota in our test.
- Keep scripts around 100 words so you stay under the 1-minute cap.
- Start from a template so you're not designing from scratch.
- Keep the bottom-right corner clear, since the watermark goes there.
- Save gestures and Avatar IV for the video you actually want to keep.
- Plan your month: for example, one test, one final, and one spare for fixes.
When is Free enough?
If you're learning, testing ideas, or making an internal demo where a watermark and 720p don't matter, Free is fine. If you need no branding, 1080p, or videos longer than a minute, those features are on HeyGen's paid plans. Plans change often, so check the pricing page before you decide.
Try HeyGen's free plan (affiliate link): heygen.com
Disclosure: the HeyGen link above is an affiliate link. If you sign up through it, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Free-plan details were checked on October 25, 2026 and may change.
If you make a video with this, tell me in the comments what you used the avatar for. More AI tool walkthroughs are on the Flow & Funnel YouTube channel.
Top comments (0)