TL;DR: Synthesia is an excellent AI video platform for training, corporate communications, and general marketing—supporting 140+ languages with realistic AI avatars. But for advertising specifically, Benly offers what Synthesia lacks: a 50M+ ad database for competitive intelligence, AI creative generation optimized for ad performance, and cross-platform analytics. Choose Synthesia for internal video. Choose Benly for advertising workflows.
Why Teams Look for Synthesia Alternatives
Synthesia revolutionized video production. Before AI avatars, creating professional presenter videos required studios, actors, and extensive post-production. Synthesia democratized video creation: type a script, select an avatar, and get a polished video in minutes. For training videos, internal communications, and product demos, it's genuinely transformative.
But advertising teams using Synthesia encounter specific friction points:
- No competitive intelligence: Synthesia creates videos but provides no insight into what competitors are running or what's working in your market.
- General-purpose, not ad-optimized: Synthesia's AI is trained for corporate video, not advertising. The output feels professional but not performance-optimized.
- No performance connection: Videos export as files with no connection to ad platforms. You can't see which creative variations drive results.
- Avatar format limitations: Presenter-style videos work for some ads but not for UGC, product demos, or dynamic creative that dominates paid social.
- Enterprise pricing for full features: Advanced features require enterprise plans that can exceed $1,000/month for advertising use cases.
These aren't flaws—they reflect Synthesia's design as a general video platform. But advertising teams often need more: competitive research, ad-specific generation, and performance analytics.
Benly as a Synthesia Alternative for Advertising
Benly takes a fundamentally different approach: purpose-built for advertising workflows. Instead of general video creation, Benly connects competitive intelligence, ad creative generation, and performance analytics in one platform designed specifically for paid media teams.
The practical difference: start with the 50M+ ad database to understand what's working in your market, generate on-brand ad creative variations informed by competitive patterns, then track how your ads perform compared to benchmarks—all in one workflow.
At-a-glance comparison
| Capability | Synthesia | Benly |
|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | AI avatar video for any purpose | Ad creative intelligence and generation |
| Ad spy database | Not available | 50M+ ads across Meta, TikTok, Google, YouTube |
| AI avatars | 140+ avatars, 140+ languages | Not avatar-focused (ad creative types) |
| Ad performance analytics | Not available | Cross-platform connected analytics |
| Creative generation | Script-to-video with avatars | 100+ ad variations per brief |
| Starting price | $30/month (personal) | $99/month (all features) |
Feature Comparison
Competitive intelligence
Synthesia is a creation tool with no competitive research capabilities. You bring your own scripts and ideas—Synthesia doesn't help you understand what competitors are running or what creative patterns drive results in your market.
Benly maintains a 50M+ ad database updated daily across major platforms. Search using natural language: "SaaS demo ads targeting enterprise buyers" or "D2C skincare UGC testimonials." See what competitors run, how long ads stay active, and which patterns appear in top performers.
Bottom line: Synthesia assumes you know what to create. Benly helps you discover what works before you create.
Creative generation approach
Synthesia excels at avatar-based video. Write a script, select a presenter avatar, customize the background, and generate a professional video. The output is polished, professional, and consistent—ideal for training, product tours, and corporate communications.
Benly generates ad creative optimized for performance. Rather than avatar presenters, Benly produces the creative formats that dominate paid social: static ads, carousel variations, video concepts, and UGC-style content. Generate 100+ on-brand variations from a single brief, directly informed by competitive intelligence.
Bottom line: Choose Synthesia for presenter-style video content. Choose Benly for high-volume ad creative production.
Language and localization
Synthesia supports 140+ languages with natural-sounding AI voices. This makes it excellent for global training and communications—the same video can be localized without re-recording. It's a genuine competitive advantage for international organizations.
Benly supports major advertising markets but prioritizes ad platform integration over language breadth. For advertising, the platform coverage (Meta, TikTok, Google, YouTube) typically matters more than 140+ language support.
Bottom line: For global corporate communications, Synthesia's language support is unmatched. For advertising, Benly's platform integration is more relevant.
Analytics and performance
Synthesia provides video analytics (views, completion rates) for videos hosted on their platform. But there's no connection to ad platforms—you export videos and upload to Meta, TikTok, or YouTube separately. Performance tracking requires other tools.
Benly connects directly to ad accounts. See which generated creatives drive results, compare performance across campaigns, and get AI-powered insights on optimization. Natural language queries like "which ad concepts have the best ROAS this month?" return instant analysis.
Bottom line: Synthesia ends at video creation. Benly connects creation to performance measurement.
Enterprise features
Synthesia offers enterprise-grade features: custom avatars, API access, SSO, and dedicated support. For large organizations standardizing on AI video, the enterprise tier provides necessary governance and scalability.
Benly provides team collaboration, white-label options, and dedicated customer success at Scale tier. For agencies managing multiple clients, the multi-account structure and client-facing features address common needs.
Bottom line: Both offer enterprise capabilities. Synthesia focuses on video governance; Benly focuses on advertising workflow management.
Pricing Comparison
Synthesia pricing
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $30/month | 10 video credits/month, 1 seat, basic features |
| Creator | $89/month | 30 video credits/month, 1 seat, advanced editing |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing | Custom avatars, API, SSO, dedicated support |
Benly pricing
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $99/month | Full platform: 50M+ ads, AI generation, analytics |
| Growth | $249/month | Additional ad accounts, team features, priority support |
| Scale | $499/month | Unlimited accounts, white-label, dedicated CSM |
Total cost for advertising teams
Synthesia at $89/month appears cheaper than Benly at $99/month. But advertising teams using Synthesia typically also need:
| Tool | With Synthesia | With Benly |
|---|---|---|
| AI video/creative generation | $89/month (Synthesia) | Included |
| Ad spy/competitive intelligence | $49-149/month (Minea, AdSpy) | Included |
| Ad analytics dashboard | $72-199/month (Supermetrics, Triple Whale) | Included |
| Static/carousel ad tool | $29-99/month (Canva Pro, AdCreative.ai) | Included |
| Total | $239-536/month | $99/month |
For teams focused on advertising, Benly typically consolidates tools and reduces total spend. For teams needing general AI video plus advertising tools, using both may make sense.
Who Should Stay with Synthesia
Synthesia remains the right choice for specific use cases:
- Training and L&D teams creating employee onboarding, compliance training, and educational content
- Corporate communications producing internal announcements, leadership messages, and company updates
- Global organizations needing content in 140+ languages with consistent quality
- Product teams creating demos, tutorials, and customer education videos
- Sales enablement producing personalized outreach videos and proposal presentations
Ideal Synthesia customer: An L&D manager creating multilingual training videos, or a product marketer producing consistent product demos without video production resources.
Who Should Switch to Benly
Benly makes more sense when advertising is the primary use case:
- Performance marketing teams who need competitive intelligence alongside creative production
- Agencies managing ad campaigns who need to produce high volumes with performance tracking
- DTC brands running paid social who want creative decisions informed by what's working in their market
- Growth teams who need to iterate quickly on ad creative with data-driven insights
- Teams consolidating ad tech stacks who want one platform for spy, creative, and analytics
Ideal Benly customer: A paid media team producing 100+ ad variations monthly who wants to understand competitive patterns, generate on-brand creative quickly, and track what actually drives results.
Use Case Breakdown
When Synthesia wins
- Employee training: Synthesia's avatar consistency and multi-language support make it ideal for global training programs.
- CEO communications: Create consistent executive messaging without scheduling studio time.
- Product tutorials: Professional presenter-style walkthroughs that scale across markets.
- Sales outreach: Personalized video messages that feel human without recording each one.
When Benly wins
- Paid social campaigns: Ad-specific creative formats with competitive intelligence and performance tracking.
- Competitor research: Understand what's working in your market before creating.
- High-volume ad production: Generate 100+ variations with brand consistency.
- Performance optimization: Connect creative to results with cross-platform analytics.
When to use both
Some organizations benefit from both platforms:
- Use Synthesia for internal communications, training, and product education
- Use Benly for paid advertising, competitive intelligence, and ad performance tracking
This approach leverages each platform's strengths while avoiding forcing either into use cases they weren't designed for.
Switching from Synthesia for Ad Creation
What transfers
- Brand assets: Logos, colors, fonts import into Benly's brand guidelines
- Video exports: Existing Synthesia videos can be uploaded to Benly for reference
- Scripts and copy: Messaging frameworks adapt to Benly's brief system
What changes
- Creation approach: Shift from avatar-based video to ad-optimized creative formats
- Workflow: Start with competitive research, not just a blank script
- Output types: Statics, carousels, and video concepts rather than presenter videos
Migration support
Benly offers onboarding support for teams transitioning from video-first tools:
- Dedicated onboarding call to set up brand guidelines and ad account connections
- Competitive landscape analysis for your market
- Best practices for ad-specific creative generation
- Typically complete in 2-3 hours
What Customers Say About Switching
Switched from Synthesia for advertising
"We loved Synthesia for product demos but it wasn't built for ads. Switching to Benly for our paid campaigns gave us the competitive research and performance tracking we needed. We still use Synthesia for internal training."— Growth Lead, B2B SaaS Company
"The ad database alone changed how we approach creative. Instead of guessing, we start with what's working in our market. Synthesia was great for general video, but Benly is built for advertising."— Paid Media Manager, DTC Brand
Results after switching
- DTC fashion brand reduced creative production time by 70% while increasing ad output 3x
- SaaS company improved ad performance by 40% using competitive intelligence for creative direction
- Agency consolidated 4 tools into Benly, saving $300/month per client
Getting Started
Ready to explore Benly as a Synthesia alternative for advertising? Start with a 7-day free trial:
- Full access to 50M+ ad database for competitive research
- AI creative generation included
- Connect your ad accounts for analytics
- Onboarding support to get value quickly
- No credit card required
The best way to evaluate: run your actual advertising workflow through Benly. Research competitors, generate ad creative, connect your analytics. For advertising specifically, the difference from general video tools becomes immediately apparent.
