Creating videos used to mean lights, camera, and lots of action (and money!). But thanks to AI, you can now generate videos just by typing – no film crew or acting classes required. In this post, we’ll explore the best AI video editors that turn text prompts into videos, perfect for entrepreneurs, small businesses, and content creators. We’ll highlight what each tool does, key features, pricing. And don’t worry, we’ll keep it friendly with a dash of humor along the way. 😉
First, here’s a quick comparison of the top tools:
Tool Name | Prompt-to-Video Support | Pricing (Starts at) |
Pictory | Yes (script/blog to video) | $19/mo (Starter) |
InVideo | Yes (AI script to video) | $30/mo (Business) |
Lumen5 | Yes (text to video) | $29/mo (Starter) |
Fliki | Yes (text-to-video & TTS) | $21/mo (Standard, annual) |
Steve AI | Yes (script to animation) | $15/mo (Basic) |
Zebracat | Yes (prompt/script to video) | $25/mo (“Cat Mode”) |
Synthesia | Yes (text to avatar video) | $29/mo (Starter) |
HeyGen | Yes (text to avatar video) | $29/mo (Creator) |
D-ID | Yes (text to talking head) | ~$6/mo (Lite) |
Runway Gen-2 | Yes (AI-generated video) | $12/mo (Standard) |
Prompt-to-Video Support indicates the tool can generate video content from a text prompt, script, or similar input. Now, let’s dive into each tool and see what makes them stand out!
1. Pictory – Your Blog-to-Video Powerhouse 📰🎥
Overview: Pictory is an AI video generator that transforms scripts or blog posts into short videos within minutes. It’s like having an over-caffeinated video editor who never sleeps – feed it text, and it spits out a polished video with scenes, stock footage, and even voiceovers. Marketers love Pictory for repurposing content (think turning a long blog into a catchy promo video). It’s been around since 2020, rapidly evolving its feature. The name might sound like “Pikachu,” but no, Pictory won’t electrify anyone – it’ll just boost your content game. ⚡
Key Features:
- Script to Video & Article to Video: Paste your script or URL, and Pictory automatically creates a video, slicing the text into scenes and pairing with relevant visuals. It’s surprisingly accurate at picking context-appropriate footage (as long as your prompt isn’t too out there).
- AI Voiceovers: Choose from a variety of human-like AI voices to narrate your video, or upload your own voice. No more begging coworkers to record voiceovers!
- Auto-captioning & Video Summarization: Pictory can transcribe videos and help turn long videos (like webinars or podcasts) into short clips. It’s like a content ninja, slicing and dicing footage via text commands.
- Ease of Use: The interface is newbie-friendly – essentially, you edit the video by editing text (delete a sentence = that part of the video goes poof). If you can edit a Word doc, you can use Pictory.
Pricing: Pictory offers a free trial (no credit card required) that lets you create up to 3 video projects (up to 10 minutes each) to test the waters. Paid plans are quite affordable: the Starter plan is $19/month and lets you create 30 videos per month, and the Professional plan is $39/month for more volume and length. There’s also a Teams plan at $99/month with collaboration features. (Prices drop ~20% if paid annually, so plan accordingly if you’re in it for the long haul.
Why Choose Pictory? If you have a blog or a pile of text content and zero time to create videos from scratch, Pictory is a lifesaver. It’s super fast and requires minimal intervention – great for pumping out social media clips or turning a newsletter into a video. Plus, it’s easy enough that anyone on your team can use it (your intern, your grandma, you name it). Just watch out – you might get addicted to how easy it is. 😉
2. InVideo – The All-in-One Video Creator with a Prompt Twist 🧰🎞️
Overview: InVideo has long been known as an online video editor with tons of templates, but now it’s leveled up with InVideo AI, a text-to-video generator. Think of InVideo as a versatile video toolkit: you can manually edit videos or simply type what you want and let the AI build it. It’s used for everything from marketing videos to YouTube intros. With the new AI features, you can literally “tell” InVideo to create a video (e.g. “make a 30-second Facebook ad for a coffee shop”) and it will generate a script, scenes, and voiceover. It’s like having a creative agency on standby – one that doesn’t send you invoices. 💸
Key Features:
- Template-Based Editor: InVideo’s classic editor offers 5000+ templates for ads, social videos, promos, etc. You can customize text, colors, and swap footage easily. It’s drag-and-drop simple.
- AI Video Generator: The new InVideo AI module lets you type an idea and get a fully generated video. For example, type “Travel agency promo, 15 seconds, upbeat music” and the AI will create a draft video for you – complete with scenes and a voiceover. (It’s basically your personal scriptwriter and editor in one.)
- AI Script Assistant & Voiceovers: InVideo can also generate scripts if you only have a concept. Plus, it offers a text-to-speech tool with various voices. So if you hate writing or recording, InVideo’s AI has you covered.
- Stock Library & Editing Tools: You get access to a huge media library (images, videos, music). The AI will pick relevant visuals for your script, but you can swap anything. Traditional editing features (trim, crop, transitions, animations) are built-in for fine-tuning. In short, you can go full-AI or hands-on hybrid as needed.
Pricing: InVideo has a Free plan (yes, free!) which allows exporting up to 60 videos per month but with a watermark and 720p resolution. For serious use, the Business plan is $30/month (or ~$15/month billed annually) – it gives 1080p exports, no watermark, 10 GB storage, and a generous stock library usage. The Unlimited plan is $60/month (or ~$30/month annual) which adds 100 GB storage and unlimited premium stock usage. The AI features come under a newer plan; the InVideo AI “Plus” plan is around $25/month for 50 minutes of AI video generation and even supports voice cloning. (InVideo gives you a smorgasbord of options – you choose what fits, like ordering à la carte.)
Why Choose InVideo? If you want the best of both worlds – a robust editor and cutting-edge AI – InVideo is a top choice. It’s perfect for small business owners who sometimes want quick AI-generated videos, and other times need to fine-tune branding in a manual editor. The learning curve is low, thanks to templates and a friendly UI. And with the generous free plan, you can test drive extensively.
With InVideo’s AI, you might start feeling like a creative director – just don’t let it go to your head and demand a trailer on set! 😜
3. Lumen5 – The OG Social Video Maker, Now Smarter 🤓🎬
Overview: Lumen5 is an AI-powered video creator tailored for turning text content (like blog articles or news) into slick videos. It’s been a favorite among content marketers and educators for years. Imagine copying a chunk of your blog post, hitting a button, and getting a video out – that’s Lumen5’s claim to fame. It uses AI to automatically layout scenes with text and find relevant stock images or clips. If you have lots of written content and need to produce video consistently, Lumen5 feels like magic. Think of it as an AI video intern that loves doing your boring work (and never asks for coffee breaks). ☕✨
Key Features:
- Blog to Video in Minutes: You can input a URL or text, and Lumen5’s AI will summarize the content into a storyboard. It highlights key sentences to turn into video captions and matches them with media. For example, feed it a blog about “5 Tips for Remote Work” and it’ll generate a 5-scene video, each tip on a slide with appropriate visuals (maybe a person on a laptop in pajamas for remote work – Lumen5 knows the drill).
- Huge Media Library: Lumen5 integrates millions of royalty-free images, video clips, and audio tracks. The AI suggests media, but you can search and swap any asset easily. No more hunting on stock websites – it’s all in-app.
- Customizable Styles: You can apply your branding – set your brand colors, font, and watermark. Templates and themes let you choose a style (corporate, bold, cinematic, etc.) and the AI adapts the video’s look accordingly.
- Ease of Use: Lumen5 is designed for non-video people. The editor works by scenes; you can adjust text positioning and timing on a simple timeline. There’s no complex multi-track editing – it’s more like making a PowerPoint that animates itself. This simplicity is great for quickly churning out content. (As Lumen5 says, it enables anyone to create engaging videos “in minutes”
Pricing: Lumen5 offers a Free plan (unlimited videos, but 720p resolution and Lumen5 watermark). Paid plans remove the watermark and boost quality: Starter at $29/month (1080p videos, 50 videos/mo, some stock limitations, Premium at $79/month, and Business at $199/month for bigger teams and full stock access. If billed annually, these drop to ~$19, $49, $149 per month respectively. The majority of solo creators find Starter or Premium sufficient. (And yes, there’s an Enterprise plan for large organizations, presumably if you’re cranking out videos like a news factory.)
Why Choose Lumen5? If you’re a content marketer or small business with a blog, Lumen5 is a no-brainer to create video teasers for your posts. It shines in simplicity – minimal editing required – and you still get decent-looking results. Lumen5 has been refining this process for a long time, so while it’s not flashy with talking avatars or deepfake magic, it reliably delivers share-worthy videos. It’s especially useful for making explainer videos, listicles, or social media news bites. And hey, it’s one of the few tools that proudly call themselves an “AI video maker” before it was cool – the hipster of AI video, if you will. 😎
4. Fliki – From Text to Video (and Voice) in a Flash ⚡📢
Overview: Fliki is an AI content creation tool that turns text into both voice and video. It started as a text-to-speech generator and expanded into text-to-video by adding a library of images, video clips, and subtitles. In essence, Fliki can take a script (even a whole blog post) and generate a video with animated text overlay, stock visuals, and an AI voiceover narrating the content. It’s like a one-stop-shop for making faceless videos (think YouTube info videos, quote videos, listicles) quickly. If you’re camera-shy or just need a quick video without fuss, Fliki’s got your back. And it speaks in many accents and languages, so it’s popular for global content creators.
Key Features:
- AI Voiceovers in 75+ languages: Fliki’s pride is its huge selection of AI voices – male, female, different ages and accents. The voices are remarkably natural (some even have that newscaster enthusiasm). You type or paste text, choose a voice (“British Emma” or “US Narrator Mike” etc.), and Fliki will create an audio narration. Perfect if you don’t want to use your own voice.
- Auto Video Creation: For the video part, Fliki splits your text into small segments and adds relevant images or short video clips for each segment. It can highlight the spoken words as subtitles (karaoke style). Everything syncs automatically – the text, the visuals, the voice. You can tweak visuals or text timing if needed, but Fliki aims to do it all automatically.
- Rich Stock Library & Gifs: Fliki integrates with services like Pixabay, Pexels, and even has GIF support. Want a funny cat GIF when your script says “work smart, not hard”? – Fliki might just slot that in. It’s great for making meme-like video content or engaging slideshows.
- Easy Editing: You work on Fliki in a simple script editor. Each line of your script can have an image/video assigned. The interface feels like editing a blog post, with an extra panel suggesting media. Even someone with zero video editing know-how can get results. (It’s almost foolproof – at worst, you’ll need to hit “regenerate” if an image suggestion is off-base.)
Pricing: Fliki offers a Free plan that lets you create up to 5 minutes of audio/video per month – enough to play around. For serious use, the Standard plan is $28/mo ($21/mo if annual) and gives you 120 minutes of content per month
Why Choose Fliki? Fliki is ideal if your goal is to create content quickly for platforms like YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram Reels without ever showing your face or using your voice. Many users make “did you know?” fact videos, motivational quote reels, or simple tutorials with Fliki. It’s also great for turning blog articles into audio-visual YouTube videos to reach a wider audience. The quality of the AI voices is a standout – some viewers won’t realize it’s AI. In a humorous sense, Fliki is like that friend who talks a lot and now also learned video editing – they’ll do all the talking for you, in any language, and make it look cool too. 😅
5. Steve AI – Cartoon Videos from a Simple Script 🤖🎨
Overview: Steve AI is an AI video maker that can create animated videos and cartoons from text prompts. Yes, you read that right – not all AI videos have to be real people or stock footage. Steve specializes in turning your script into either a live-video style (using stock videos) or an animated cartoon style with characters, props, and backgrounds. It’s like hiring a whole animation studio by just inviting Steve to the party (whoever Steve is, he’s pretty talented!). For entrepreneurs making explainer videos, educators making e-learning content, or marketers who want a fun touch, Steve AI is a game-changer. It’s even patented technology, so they’re doing something quite unique.
Key Features:
- Animation Mode: Provide a script and Steve AI will generate a cartoon video. It identifies the characters in your script (say, a teacher, a student, a cat – yes even cats) and uses pre-made animated characters to act it out. It chooses relevant actions and lip-syncs the AI voice to the characters. This is fantastic for explainer videos or storytelling. For example, a line “John (the marketer) is overwhelmed by data” might literally show an animated character at a desk buried in papers – automatically.
- Live Video Mode: If cartoons aren’t your thing, Steve can also do the stock footage style (similar to Pictory/Lumen5). It will create scenes with real videos or images to match the script narrative. Good for more serious or corporate videos.
- Multiple Styles & Assets: Within animation, you can choose styles (2D cartoon, whiteboard sketch, etc.). Steve AI comes with a library of 100+ animated characters and thousands of props to visualize different scenarios. In live mode, it has millions of stock assets. It also has a selection of AI voices for narration. Basically, it packs a mini-Hollywood of resources ready to deploy at your command.
- Ease of Use: Steve AI provides an interface to assign “who” is speaking each line (so the correct character lip-syncs) and simple editing timeline to adjust scene duration. But most heavy lifting – scene creation, character actions, syncing – is done by the AI. You don’t need animation skills at all. In a few clicks, your script is a cartoon short.
Pricing: Steve AI has a free trial (with watermark) for you to test. Paid plans are tiered by video resolution and usage. The Basic plan is $20/month (or $15/mo annual) which allows 720p videos, 5 downloads a month – good for occasional use. The Starter plan is $60/month ($45/mo annual) for 1080p videos and 15 downloads/ month. The Pro plan is $100+/month (listed as $60 in Capterra for perhaps one user, likely higher for more users) with more downloads and priority support. Essentially, if you need just a few videos here and there, Basic/Starter will do. For heavy content creators, Pro unlocks more. Steve AI’s pricing is a tad higher than some others, but remember it offers animation, which is a premium feature elsewhere.
Why Choose Steve AI? Use Steve AI if you want to create engaging animated explainer videos without hiring animators. Startups often spend thousands on explainer animations – Steve can cut that down to basically your monthly subscription fee. It’s also perfect for social media content that stands out (cartoons catch eyes!) or internal training videos presented in a fun way. Educators can create video lessons with characters to keep students interested. The quirky factor is high – in a good way. One user joked that Steve AI is like “Pixar-in-a-box.” While it’s not quite Toy Story level, it’s impressive for a quick AI tool. And hey, using a tool named Steve means you can finally say “I’ve got Steve making videos for me” and sound like you have a personal editor assistant. 😄👍
6. Zebracat – The Newcomer that Does It All (Rawr!) 🐾🎥
Overview: Zebracat is one of the newest players in AI video creation, and it’s making stripes (pun intended) by combining multiple features under one roof. It quickly turns a prompt, script, or blog post into a marketing video, much like others, but it also emphasizes AI-driven editing and scene generation to speed up the process even further. Zebracat’s aim is to produce high-impact videos fast, especially for social media. Think of it as an AI video assembly line: you provide the content, and Zebracat’s AI will not only generate the video but also optimize cuts, timing, and even voiceovers automatically. It’s quite ambitious, and early reviews are positive. Plus, with a name like Zebracat, it’s hard not to be curious! 🐱🏍
Key Features:
- Text/Blog to Video: Like others, you feed Zebracat a piece of text (or a URL to your blog) and it converts it into a video with scenes. It picks out the key points from a blog and creates a storyboard so your long article becomes a concise video summary. Great for repurposing content for TikTok, Instagram Reels, etc.
- AI Scene Generator: One of Zebracat’s standout features – it can create AI-generated scenes/images based on your text. This is akin to having a mini text-to-image engine inside. If stock footage doesn’t capture something niche in your prompt, Zebracat can synthesize visuals. This means more original-looking content and less reliance on generic stock videos.
- AI Voiceovers (TTS): Zebracat supports text-to-speech with professional-grade AI voices. Your video can have a narrator without you recording a thing. The voices are designed to sound human and engaging (so your marketing video doesn’t sound like a robot reading).
- Automated Editing & Speed: Zebracat boasts that it reduces editing time from hours to seconds by letting AI handle cuts and transitions
. It analyzes the script to decide when to switch scenes, when to insert an effect or text overlay, etc., to keep viewers engaged. Basically, it tries to mimic what a skilled video editor would do – but automatically. The goal is to maximize viewer retention and conversion. - Use Cases & Templates: It’s geared for marketing content – video ads, social media posts, explainer videos. The interface guides you through selecting what type of video you want (e.g., a TikTok ad vs. a YouTube video) and optimizes for that format. It even has faceless video templates for those trendy listicle or quote videos.
Pricing: Zebracat has a Free plan ($0) which is great to start with (no credit card required, so you can test it out). The paid plans as of early 2025 are: Cat Mode at $25/month and Super Cat at $85/month
Why Choose Zebracat? If you’re an early adopter who likes having the latest tech, Zebracat will excite you. It essentially combines the functions of several tools – content repurposing, text-to-video, AI voice, and even generative visuals – in one platform. For a small business, this means fewer subscriptions and a more streamlined workflow. You can brainstorm an idea in the morning and have a punchy marketing video ready by lunch. Zebracat is also very social-media focused (its homepage touts “Create Viral Videos in Seconds”), so it’s ideal for creators who need lots of quick, catchy clips. Since it’s newer, expect frequent updates and improvements. And let’s be honest, telling your team “our new video was made by Zebracat” just sounds fun. It’s the cool cat on the block that might just help your content go viral. 😺🎉
7. Synthesia – AI Avatars that Speak Your Script 👩🎤🤖
Overview: Synthesia is a world-leading AI video generator famous for its realistic AI avatars. Instead of stock footage or cartoons, Synthesia creates videos with virtual presenters – photorealistic human avatars that lip-sync your script in dozens of languages. Imagine having a professional spokesperson deliver your message without hiring actors or using a camera – that’s Synthesia. It’s widely used by companies for training videos, product demos, and personalized messages. Essentially, Synthesia gives you a virtual TV studio with actors on demand. And don’t worry, the avatars won’t throw diva tantrums – they’ll say exactly what you type, exactly how you want! 😁
Key Features:
- 120+ AI Avatars: Synthesia offers a large selection of avatars of various ages, and styles
. From a friendly young marketer to a formal news anchor, you pick a persona that fits your video. They even have avatars that can wear your brand’s uniform or colors for a custom touch. (And if you want exclusivity, Synthesia can create a custom avatar of you or your team member – at extra cost – so “virtual you” can present on your behalf.) - 60+ Languages & Accents: The avatars can speak in many languages with proper lip-sync and native-like accents. Need a greeting in Spanish, a tutorial in Japanese, or a global English version? Just change the text and voice selection. This makes localization a breeze.
- Templates & Scenes: While avatars are the star, Synthesia also provides templates for layouts – like split-screen with your slides, text beside the avatar, news-style frames, etc. You can combine an avatar with background images, on-screen text, and other design elements. It’s a bit like PowerPoint meets AI newscaster.
- Ease of Use: Using Synthesia is straightforward. You choose an avatar, type (or paste) your script, choose a voice/style, and hit generate. In a few minutes, your video is ready with the avatar speaking your words. You can adjust pronunciation for names or acronyms (there’s a phonetic tweaking tool). There’s no technical video editing needed; most of the work is in crafting a good script. It’s truly plug-and-play video creation – the avatar does the talking, literally.
Pricing: Synthesia’s pricing is targeted at professional use. The Personal (Starter) plan is $29/month which includes 10 video credits (roughly 10 minutes of video). The Creator plan is $89/month with 30 minutes and more advanced features (like custom backgrounds, more avatars) . There’s also an Enterprise plan with unlimited minutes and collaboration features for big teams. All plans allow unlimited video creation up to your minute quota, and you can purchase extra minutes if needed. They also introduced a free demo mode that lets you try a short video to see the quality. Considering you’d pay real actors and videographers much more for equivalent output, Synthesia’s pricing is seen as great value by businesses.
Why Choose Synthesia? If your goal is to create polished videos with a human touch without actually filming humans, Synthesia is unmatched. It’s perfect for tutorials, onboarding videos, personalized sales videos, or even marketing content where having a face builds connection. For example, instead of a plain text FAQ, you could have a friendly avatar answer common questions in a video. It scales your video production – today a video in English, tomorrow the same video in 10 languages, all with the same avatar for consistency. No studio, no camera – just your keyboard. The quality of avatars is such that some viewers might not realize it’s AI at first glance. (Pro tip: maybe don’t use Synthesia to create a clone of yourself to tell your boss you’re “sick” – the tech is good, but not for alibis!) 😜 In summary, Synthesia feels like sci-fi made real: you type text, and a lifelike person talks to you from your screen. That wow factor alone can captivate your audience.
8. HeyGen – Dynamic AI Videos with Talking Avatars 🌟🎙️
Overview: HeyGen (formerly known as Movio) is another top-tier AI video platform with talking avatars. In fact, it’s been rated the #1 AI video generator of 2025 on G2 – users love it for its quality and versatility. Like Synthesia, HeyGen allows you to create videos by simply entering text that an AI avatar will speak. But HeyGen doesn’t stop at just static talking heads; it offers cool features like video translation (dubbing an existing video into other languages with the same speaker’s face) and interactive avatars. It’s as if HeyGen said, “Let’s take the idea of AI presenters and crank it to 11.” The platform is friendly to marketers, sales teams, and educators alike, and its rapid growth suggests it’s doing something right (85,000+ businesses use it).
Key Features:
- Large Avatar Library & Custom Avatars: HeyGen provides 500+ stock avatar models to choose from, covering ethnicities and styles. You can also create custom avatars – either by uploading a photo (for a one-time “photo avatar”) or getting a professionally made avatar that looks and moves like a specific person (great for branding). Essentially, you can have a virtual version of yourself or a spokesperson present on camera 24/7.
- Multi-language & Voice Options: HeyGen supports 40+ languages and a myriad of voice styles. The lip-sync tech is impressive; type in Italian, Chinese, or Hindi, and the avatar will speak it naturally. This is awesome for global businesses – make one video and get versions for different regions with a few clicks.
- Video Translation & Subtitles: One standout is the video translation feature – you upload a video of a person talking, and HeyGen can translate and dub the speech into another language using the same person’s face and voice style. It’s like sci-fi dubbing: your English video can speak flawless Spanish, with lips adjusted to match! Also, automatic caption generation is available, handy for accessibility and social media.
- Interactive & Personalized Video: For marketing, HeyGen has options to create videos that feel personalized (e.g., say the viewer’s name, which can be integrated via data) and even interactive video where viewers can click choices. This goes beyond plain prompt-to-video; it’s leveraging AI to boost engagement significantly.
- Ease and Speed: The interface is slick – type or paste your script, select an avatar and voice, and generate. There are templates for layouts (e.g., avatar with text beside them, or full-body avatars on virtual stages). Processing is fairly quick thanks to HeyGen’s advanced engines. Plus, their support community is strong (they have webinars and a community forum to share tips).
Pricing: HeyGen offers a Free plan (3 video credits per month, up to 1 minuteeach, so you can try it out). For more usage, the Creator plan is $29/month (5-minute max per video, unlimited videos, HD quality). The Team plan is $39/seat/month (requires at least 2 seats, so $78/mo minimum) and allows longer videos up to 30 minutes plus collaboration features
Why Choose HeyGen? HeyGen is a powerhouse for AI-generated presenters and more. Choose it if you want top-quality avatars and the ability to do advanced tricks like video translation or interactivity. It’s especially useful for corporate communications, trainings, and personalized marketing. For example, a real estate agent could send personalized video messages to leads (“Hi [Name], thanks for touring 123 Maple St…”) without recording themselves a hundred times – HeyGen can dynamically insert the name via AI. Or a teacher could create an interactive lesson where the avatar responds to student choices. The possibilities are endless. And from a pure prompt-to-video perspective, it’s among the best – no robotic monotone or uncanny visuals; it feels professional. The company’s rapid feature rollout also means you’ll keep getting new toys to play with. In short, HeyGen is like the Swiss Army knife of AI video creators: whether you need a simple talking head or a multilingual interactive experience, it can do it, and do it well. ✨
The first time you make your avatar speak, it’s equal parts amazing and slightly eerie – “Did I just clone myself?!” – but once you get past the sci-fi moment, it’s addictively empowering.
9. D-ID – Give Life to Stills with AI Faces 🎭🎥
Overview: D-ID is the platform behind those viral “talking photo” videos – you provide a photo of a person (it could be anyone, an ancestor, a portrait, or a cartoon) and a text/voice, and D-ID animates the face to speak the words. Their Creative Reality Studio focuses on turning images into videos using AI. While D-ID can be used similarly to Synthesia/HeyGen with their preset presenters, its unique strength is the ability to use any face – a personal photo or an avatar you design – and make it talk. This is a bit different from the others on our list, but absolutely worth including for content creators. D-ID’s tech was famously used in the “Deep Nostalgia” tool that animated old family photos, and now it’s in your hands to create marketing videos, e-learning, or just some fun jaw-dropping content. Ever wanted the Mona Lisa to sing Happy Birthday to your friend? D-ID can do that (seriously). 😅
Key Features:
- Speaking Portraits: Upload a photo or choose from D-ID’s library of starter avatars. Then either type text or upload an audio file. D-ID will generate a video of that exact face saying the script. The lip-sync and facial expressions are quite realistic – it’s like the person in the image recorded a video. This is great for when you want a specific look (e.g., a certain model or character) or to animate a person who isn’t available for filming.
- Multiple Languages & Voices: D-ID supports text-to-speech in a variety of languages (similar range to others). It also has an option to use your own voice recording – you speak or upload audio, and it will sync the photo’s lips to your voice. So you can still be the voice of your content without being on camera. Neat!
- Customization: You can tweak the animation style: more emotional, or calmer, etc. For developers, D-ID offers an API which some use to integrate this talking photo capability into their apps (so it’s quite technically robust under the hood).
- Video Uploader (Animate Video): Recently D-ID added the ability to enhance existing videos – e.g., replace the face of a person in a video with an AI face (with consent and ethical use, of course). This veers into deepfake territory but has useful applications like creating a consistent avatar across all your content.
- Ease of Use: The interface is straightforward. It’s a bit more utilitarian but basically, you select an image, type text, pick a voice, and generate. A preview on the right shows the result after a short processing time. There aren’t complex timelines or scene cuts to worry about, since it usually produces a single continuous talking clip.
Pricing: D-ID has a Lite plan around $6/month (billed annually) which gives a limited number of video credits and is mostly for light use/testing. The Pro plan is about $16/month (with higher limits and no watermark). Then there’s an Advanced plan at ~$108/month for heavy usage and premium features. There’s also a free trial mode (14-day trial mentioned). The pricing model is credit-based: each credit = 1 minute of generated video. For example, Pro might include ~10 credits/month. If you need more, you’d get Advanced or buy add-ons. The good news is if your videos are short (like 30 seconds greetings or 1-minute explainers), a little goes a long way. It’s one of the most budget-friendly ways to get an AI avatar video, especially if you already have a specific photo/persona in mind to animate.
Why Choose D-ID? D-ID is a must-choose if you want the freedom to create a talking video from any image. It opens up creative possibilities: historical figures delivering a quote, fictional characters addressing your audience, or using a picture of yourself when you were camera-ready (instead of how you look today in pajamas, haha). From a business standpoint, it’s handy to generate avatar-led videos without pre-selecting from stock avatars – you can have an AI “twin” present for you. Also, D-ID is lightweight; you don’t have to construct a whole scene or timeline. Just one click and your message comes alive on a face. It’s particularly popular for quick promotional messages, e-learning (teachers can create a virtual instructor from a single photo), and greeting content (custom birthday/holiday wishes). If other tools are an entire production studio, D-ID is like a photo booth that magically produces videos. Simple, clever, and often jaw-dropping for those who see it the first time. Just remember to use it responsibly – making your boss’s photo deliver your resignation speech might be hilarious, but probably not wise! 😜
10. Runway Gen-2 – AI-Generated Videos from Pure Imagination 🎨🎥
Overview: Rounding out our list is a tool on the cutting-edge of AI: Runway ML’s Gen-2. Unlike all the others which rely on stitching together existing media or avatars, Runway’s Gen-2 model can create completely new videos from scratch using AI (think along the lines of DALL-E or Midjourney, but for video). You type a text prompt – e.g., “a golden retriever surfing on a wave, cinematic slow motion” – and Gen-2 will attempt to generate that video clip. It’s like dream visualizations: no camera has ever recorded it, but AI imagines it for you. Additionally, Runway Gen-2 can take an input image or video and transform it (image-to-video, style transfer, etc.). This tool is more for experimental, artistic, or visually rich content rather than straightforward business talking-head videos. But entrepreneurs and creators are already leveraging it for unique ads, music videos, and background footage. It’s the least “traditional” video editor here, yet one of the most fascinating.
Key Features:
- Text-to-Video Generation: Simply describe a scene and Gen-2 will generate a few seconds of video. For example, prompt “sunset over a futuristic city with flying cars” could yield a brief panoramic animation of a sci-fi cityscape. The results vary in quality – sometimes amazingly spot-on, other times abstract or glitchy – but improving rapidly. It’s like having an “imagination engine.”
- Image-to-Video & Video-to-Video: You can give Runway an input (like a static image or a rough video) and a prompt, and it will generate a new video that follows that input’s composition. For instance, provide a sketch or storyboard frames, and Runway can “fill in” detail to animate it. Or take a normal video and prompt “make it look like Pixar animation” and it will transform the style. This is huge for creators who want to apply visual effects or completely change the scene without manual editing
- Advanced Editing Tools: Apart from Gen-2, Runway’s platform includes other AI tools: motion tracking, background removal, in-painting (removing objects from video magically), and more. It’s an all-in-one creative suite for video post-production with AI boosts. You can do things like extend a video’s length, upscale resolution, or alter camera angles with a few settings. Essentially, Runway is built for those pushing creative boundaries.
- User Interface: It’s a web-based editor, with a timeline and layers (more complex than others like Pictory, because Runway is giving you more control). However, many tasks are automated: want to remove the background of a clip? Click the tool and it’s done – previously a painstaking task done by VFX artists. Runway makes advanced effects accessible. It’s not as one-click as some on this list – it invites you to experiment and refine – but that’s the point: it’s for creativity.
Pricing: Runway Gen-2 has a Free tier that lets you generate a limited number of short, low-res test videos (around 125 credits which equates to ~25 seconds of video). The Standard plan is $12/month which gives more credits (e.g., 625 credits, or ~125 seconds of Gen-2 video). There are higher plans (Pro, etc.) for more heavy use going up to $28, $100, etc., with increasing credit and features like team collaboration
Why Choose Runway Gen-2? Choose Runway when you want to create something truly unique that didn’t exist before – be it surreal visuals for an ad, concept footage for a pitch, or eye-catching social content that makes people go “how on Earth did you make that?!”. It’s like having a mini movie studio’s special effects department at your fingertips. For an entrepreneur, this could mean generating bespoke B-roll for a product video (no more settling for generic stock), or making an animated logo reveal with just imagination, not expensive software. Music artists have used Gen-2 for music videos, game designers for concept art animations, and marketers for trendsetting TikToks. The technology is evolving, so consider it a bit experimental – results can be unpredictable. But that’s part of the fun. If you’re willing to tinker and you have a creative spark, Runway will light your fire. And frankly, even just playing with it can inspire new content ideas. It’s like the wild west of AI video – unbridled, exciting, and pioneering. Giddy up! 🤠
Final Thoughts 🏁
AI video generators have truly lowered the barrier to video content creation. Whether you need polished business presentations with virtual spokespeople (hello Synthesia and HeyGen), quick marketing vids from your blog posts (Pictory, Lumen5, Zebracat), or a fun animated explainer (Steve AI), there’s a tool ready to save you time and money. Plus, many of these platforms offer affiliate programs, meaning as you master and recommend them, you can create an extra income stream promoting tools you genuinely use and love.
For entrepreneurs and content creators, the strategy here is twofold: use these AI video editors to amplify your brand or message, and consider promoting them as an affiliate to monetize your content about them. It fits naturally – for instance, write a tutorial or do a YouTube review of how you made a video with Fliki or InVideo, and include your referral link. Given the demand for video and the “wow” factor of these AI tools, audiences are keen to try them out (and most have free trials, making your job easier).
In a friendly piece of advice: experiment with a couple of these tools to find the ones that match your style and needs. Maybe you’ll use multiple – one for talking avatar videos, another for abstract creative clips. The good news is they’re all relatively affordable and user-friendly, so the investment is low-risk. And don’t be afraid to inject your personality into the videos you create – AI gives you the heavy lifting, but your creativity is the secret sauce that will make the content truly yours.
Finally, keep an eye on this space. It’s 2025, and if we’ve come this far (did we mention the part where you can literally have a photo speak 20 languages or generate a video of a cat surfing?), imagine what’s next. By staying up-to-date and embracing these tools early, you’re giving yourself a competitive edge – both in content creation and in affiliate marketing. As they say, innovate or evaporate! But in our case, let’s innovate and generate… awesome videos, that is.
Happy video creating (and promoting), and may your engagement rates be high and your editing time be low! 🎉🎥
2 Comments