What HeyGen users say about credits
- "Re rendering after a small script edit costs you the same as a fresh video." (G2)
- "I need to regenerate the video and use additional credits." (G2)
- "Yesterday I had 900 credits, and they have all disappeared." "When I contacted support, I was simply told to top up my credits." (Trustpilot)
- "The credit system is confusing AF", and the newest avatar model will "burn through your monthly credit allocation FAST". (blogrecode comparison)
From the pricing page, read October 28, 2026: Free is watermarked with 3 videos a month; Creator $29 ($24 yearly) for 600 credits; Pro from $49 for 1,000; Business $149 plus $20 a seat. Credit cost per video "varies by model and duration". (heygen.com/pricing)
Why a typo costs a whole video
An avatar video is generated, not edited. There is no timeline underneath it holding the parts; the script goes in and a rendered file comes out. Change one word and the only way to get a new file is to generate the whole thing again, which spends the same credits as the first time. That is not a bug in HeyGen's billing. It is what generation is.
How RealTake charges instead
RealTake edits footage, so the parts exist. The whole edit sits on one screen, the Studio, with lanes for captions, titles, graphics, b-roll, video and sound. Fix a caption, trim a line, swap a clip, move anything: changes before render cost nothing. You see the exact cost of the video before it is made. A failed render is never charged. If you change a video after it has rendered, re-rendering costs a fraction of the original, never the full price.
Every feature is on every plan: b-roll, AI hooks, 200+ motion graphics, posting and scheduling to LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. Plans: Starter $0 for 5 watermarked videos a month, Presence $49 ($29 billed yearly) for around 16 to 32 finished videos, Authority $99 ($59) for around 38 to 76, Empire $249 ($149) for around 107 to 213.
Record one video of yourself and see it finished.
Free plan: 5 watermarked videos a month. No credit card.
HeyGen vs RealTake on credits
| RealTake | HeyGen | |
|---|---|---|
| What a credit buys | Part of a finished, edited video; cost shown before render | Part of a generated video; varies by model and length |
| Changing one line | Free before render; a fraction after | Generate again at full cost, per its users |
| Failed output | Never charged | Users report vanished credits and "top up" replies |
| Unused credits | Plan renews with a reminder email first; cancel any time | Roll one month; none survive cancellation |
HeyGen facts from heygen.com, its help pages and public reviews, read October 28, 2026.