AI Video Published 2026-11-03

Synthesia in ChatGPT (2026): What the New Plugin Costs, Syren vs Studio Credits, and Which Plan You Need

How we checked: every number below comes from Synthesia's pricing page, its November 3, 2026 launch post, its Help Center articles on Syren credits and the Synthesia MCP, and OpenAI's Help Center pages on ChatGPT plugins, all read on November 3, 2026. Prices are in US dollars before tax. Sources are listed at the end. We have no affiliate relationship with Synthesia. Synthesia calls both Syren and its MCP integration beta features whose credit amounts "may change," so treat the per-video figures as a snapshot.

The short answer

  • The plugin itself is free to add, and it works on every Synthesia plan, including free Basic. What you pay for is the Synthesia credits each video uses, the same as inside Synthesia.
  • ChatGPT makes Syren videos by default, and Syren is the expensive mode. Synthesia puts a one-minute Syren video at about 1,000 to 2,000 credits. A Studio video (an avatar reading your script) costs about 100 credits per finished minute.
  • Say "make it in Studio" if cost matters. Creating a Studio draft from ChatGPT is free; you only spend credits when you generate the final video.
  • Every chat edit to a Syren video costs credits, not just the first render, and on self-serve plans Syren can take your balance below zero.
  • Each user gets free Syren launch credits that expire on November 9, 2026. Synthesia says they cover "about one video of one minute with a few rounds of edits."
  • Free Basic videos carry a Synthesia watermark and are shared by link. Downloads and watermark removal start on Starter ($19 a month, or $14 a month billed yearly).

What the plugin does

Synthesia's plugin (built on its Synthesia MCP server, which is in public beta) lets you ask ChatGPT for a video, or hand it a doc, deck or spreadsheet, and get the video back in the chat. It can make two kinds of video:

Syren video Studio video
What it is Synthesia's AI video agent builds a finished video with motion graphics, avatars, voiceover, music and b-roll A classic Synthesia video: an avatar delivers your script word for word
How you get it Default in ChatGPT; include "use Syren" in your prompt to be sure Say "make it in Studio"
Editing Describe changes in the chat; each change is saved as a new version Can't be edited from the chat; finish it in the Synthesia editor
Credits Used while Syren builds the video and on every round of edits Draft is free; generating the video uses credits based on its length
Good for (per Synthesia) Explainers, how-tos, launch and marketing videos Training, onboarding, compliance, anything needing exact wording or a template

You can also search your Synthesia video library from ChatGPT. Synthesia's launch post pitches recurring workflows too, such as a launch video whenever a post lands in a Slack channel, using the other plugins you've connected to ChatGPT.

What each kind of video costs in credits

Synthesia now uses one shared credit pool for video, dubbing, surveys and Syren. Its published rates:

What you make Credits
Studio video About 100 per finished minute, more if the avatar is on screen the whole time
Syren video About 1,000 to 2,000 for a one-minute video (pricing page)
Dubbing 40 per minute, or 80 with lip-sync
Survey response 350 each, after the 3 free ones each month
Customizable-avatar b-roll with action 230 per asset

Two details change the math:

  • Studio only charges for new footage. If you edit three seconds of an existing video and regenerate, Synthesia says you're charged for three seconds. Editing and previewing are free.
  • Syren's cost depends on how much back-and-forth you do. Synthesia's own pages word it differently: the pricing page says a one-minute Syren video "typically uses 1,000–2,000 credits," while its ChatGPT video generator page says a two-minute Syren video with up to two rounds of edits "typically uses 1,000 to 2,000 credits." By the first figure that's ten to twenty times the Studio rate per minute; by the second, five to ten times. Syren shows your spending only as one "Syren usage" total, with no breakdown.

So the practical rule is simple: if you already know what the video should say, ask for a Studio video and the same credits go several times further. Use Syren when you want it to design the whole video for you.

Plans and how far the credits go

From synthesia.io/pricing, November 3, 2026.

Plan Monthly billing Yearly billing Credits Synthesia's estimate
Basic $0 $0 500/mo, plus 10 min of Studio video or dubbing and 3 survey responses 1 Syren video (launch promo)
Starter $19/mo $14/mo ($168/yr) 1,250/mo (15,000/yr on yearly) Up to ~12 min of video, or ~2 Syren videos, a month
Pro $89/mo $59/mo ($708/yr) 6,000/mo (72,000/yr on yearly) Up to ~60 min of video, or ~7 Syren videos, a month
Enterprise Custom Custom Custom volumes Unlimited video minutes

Paid plans add their credits on top of the free allowance. A few more details from the pricing page:

  • First-month discounts are showing on monthly billing: $9 for the first month of Starter and $49 for the first month of Pro, then the regular price.
  • Pro comes in bigger credit levels. On monthly billing: 12,000 credits for $176, 24,000 for $347, 36,000 for $514 and 48,000 for $676 a month. On yearly billing, the same levels work out to $117, $230, $341 and $448 a month.
  • Unused credits don't roll over. Monthly credits reset each billing period; on yearly plans the whole year's credits are available upfront. Credits you buy separately last 12 months.
  • When you run out, video creation pauses until your plan renews, unless you buy more credits or move up a plan.
  • Synthesia doesn't sell single videos. Its FAQ says plans are subscriptions only.

The free Syren launch credits

Every user on every plan gets Syren launch credits. The pricing page lists 1,000 on Basic, 1,500 on Starter and Pro, and 2,000 per Enterprise user. Per Synthesia's Help Center:

  • They work in Syren only, belong to one user, and can't be shared or transferred.
  • They expire on November 9, 2026 (Synthesia gives the time as 23:59 BST).
  • When they run out or expire, Syren switches to your normal plan credits without a notification.

If you want to test Syren through ChatGPT for free, this week is the time. After that, a single Syren video can use most or all of a Starter month.

Watch out for going below zero

On Basic, Starter and Pro, Syren finishes the step it's working on even if that step costs more credits than you have left. Your balance can go negative, and Synthesia shows the difference as "arrears." It isn't billed separately; it's deducted from your next top-up. Synthesia's own example: a plan with 500 credits that has used 1,800 shows 1,300 credits in arrears. After that, Syren asks you to upgrade before it will take another message.

On Enterprise, admins can set a monthly credit limit per user, which stops that user from generating anywhere in Synthesia until the limit resets.

Which ChatGPT plan do you need?

Synthesia says the plugin is live on every Synthesia plan, but it doesn't state a ChatGPT plan requirement, so we can't confirm whether ChatGPT's free plan can use it. What OpenAI's Help Center says:

  • The plugin directory is available on every ChatGPT plan, but "some plugins require a paid plan," and availability also depends on region, workspace and device.
  • On Free and Go accounts, you can browse plugins, but plugin "extensions" aren't available.
  • On Business, plugins are on by default. On Enterprise and Edu, an admin has to enable them first. If Synthesia shows "Disabled by admin," ask your workspace admin.

To connect, open Plugins in the ChatGPT sidebar (on some accounts it's under Settings, then Apps), search for Synthesia, connect, and sign in to your Synthesia account. If you don't have one, you can create a free account during sign-in. Then tag Synthesia in a message and ask for a video. Our ChatGPT vs Claude vs Perplexity comparison covers what ChatGPT's own plans cost.

The same Synthesia MCP also works in Claude as a custom connector. Synthesia says it isn't listed in Claude's connector directory, and it doesn't support Microsoft Copilot.

Limits worth knowing

  • Video length: Synthesia's pages disagree. The pricing page lists Syren videos as "up to 3 minutes" on every plan, while its ChatGPT video generator page says up to 60 minutes on paid plans and three minutes on the free plan. If you need long Syren videos, check before you pay.
  • Brand kits from chat are Enterprise-only. On other plans you pick one of Synthesia's curated Styles or a template.
  • The plugin only works in the Synthesia workspace you signed in to, and search only shows videos you can already access.
  • Syren videos can't be opened in the Synthesia editor. If you'll want scene-by-scene control later, start with Studio.

Is it worth it?

If you already pay for Synthesia, the plugin is a free convenience: write the script in ChatGPT, then say "make it in Studio" and generate it there. The credit cost is the same as doing it in Synthesia.

If you're new to Synthesia, the free Basic plan plus the launch credits is enough to see whether Syren's videos are good enough for you, but watermarked and share-link only. For regular use, Starter's 1,250 credits go a long way with Studio (about 12 minutes a month) and not far with Syren (about two videos). If you'll lean on Syren, Synthesia's own estimates point to Pro or a higher Pro credit level.

If what you really need is editing your own recordings rather than generating avatar videos, a transcript-based editor like Descript fits better; see our Descript directory entry. For AI-generated footage rather than avatars, our Google Flow review and Midjourney vs Runway comparison cover the main options.

FAQ

Is the Synthesia ChatGPT plugin free? Adding it is free, and it works on Synthesia's free Basic plan. Videos still use Synthesia credits. Free Basic videos carry a watermark.

How many credits does a Synthesia video made in ChatGPT use? The same as in Synthesia. A Studio video is about 100 credits per finished minute. A one-minute Syren video is typically 1,000 to 2,000 credits, and every chat edit adds more.

Why did ChatGPT make a Syren video when I wanted a normal one? Videos made from ChatGPT default to Syren. Say "make it in Studio" to get a Studio draft, which is free to create and charged only when you generate it.

When do Synthesia's free Syren credits expire? On November 9, 2026, at 23:59 BST, according to Synthesia's Help Center. After that, Syren uses your regular credits, with no notification.

Can I download videos on the free plan? Synthesia's pricing page lists downloads and logo removal as Starter features; on Basic you share videos by link.

Do unused Synthesia credits roll over? No. Plan credits reset each billing period. Credits you buy separately are valid for 12 months.

Sources

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