Captions AI vs HeyGen

Can a stock AI actor read your testimonial?

Mirage bars claims that are not your own experience; HeyGen bars passing output off as human-made.

Mirage’s Acceptable Use Policy bars input that “contains or depicts any statements, remarks, or claims that do not reflect your honest views and experiences”. The views and experiences are yours, the user’s; the policy does not say whether an actor reading a script of your own experience counts.

On a policy breach, Mirage “may, without notice, terminate your license in and to your Output” (Captions Terms 1.4, effective 4 September 2025).

Captions’ AI actors article (17 August 2026) calls the actors “completely virtual and free from licensing restrictions”. The app’s terms make them Mirage content, and 3.1(xiv) bars “any commercial use” of it “without our prior written consent”, “except as authorized hereunder”.

Clause 1.4 lets you use downloaded Output and 2.2 gives you ownership. The terms do not say whether 3.1(xiv) overrides them for an app-made ad.

The Captions on Web Terms (29 September 2025) cover avatar output “for advertising or other purposes” (1.1) and make you warrant AI and advertising disclosure “as and when appropriate” (1.2).

HeyGen’s terms (last updated 23 July 2026) bar “representing that the User Output is entirely human generated” and ask for AI disclosure “to the extent required by applicable law” (s.2). Creator, Pro and Business output is open to “commercial purposes” (s.3), and the stock avatars page answers “Yes, on eligible paid plans” for ads.

The FTC’s 16 CFR 465.2(a) makes it a violation to create a testimonial that “materially misrepresents, expressly or by implication” that its giver used the product. How that rule reads on AI actors: AI UGC legal guide. Labels by platform: AI ad disclosure rules.

What does a 30-second actor ad cost?

On Captions Max, 30 seconds of Prompt to Video costs $4.00; on HeyGen Creator, $0.10 to $1.16 pro rata, if every credit is used.

Captions’ AI usage article (modified 21 September 2026) charges Prompt to Video “16 credits every 6 seconds” and gives no rounding rule for a part block. HeyGen’s credits article bills by the minute and avatar model, also with no rounding rule.

Captions’ pricing page shows iOS plan prices only and no web prices. Max and Frontier both price a credit at about 5 US cents, so the bigger plan buys volume at the same rate per ad.

More: Captions pricing, HeyGen pricing and the cost per AI ad calculator.

Which categories each one bans in ads

Mirage and HeyGen both ban alcohol, gambling and weapons ads. Mirage adds tobacco, vaping, contraceptives and dating; HeyGen adds political content.

Mirage’s Acceptable Use Policy bans ads for alcohol, tobacco, vaping, gambling, firearms and lethal weapons, sex toys, escort services, adult entertainment, contraceptives, dating and other regulated goods.

HeyGen’s moderation policy (3.1, effective 25 July 2024) bans promoting commercial sex, weapons, alcohol and online gambling, and bans political content. Per plan and use: Captions and HeyGen in the AI commercial use matrix.

Do unused credits carry over, and what happens when you cancel?

Captions and HeyGen both roll credits over and both drop them on cancelling; Captions also spends credits on projects you never export.

Captions’ AI usage article says “Credits are used toward AI usage for each plan regardless of if the projected [sic] is exported or saved”. Rollover is capped at three times the monthly allowance, and all credits go on cancelling.

Single credits cannot be bought outside Teams, Business and Frontier 4x (same article). Users report credits spent on failed runs and ignored instructions (8 of 36 sources: Trustpilot, Trustpilot).

I Tried Captions AI… Then Canceled My Subscription 💀BrenJos

HeyGen’s plans article rolls monthly-plan credits over for one month. A cancelled account “moves to the Free plan” and “Unused credits do not carry over” (pricing FAQ); avatars, videos and projects stay accessible.

What 75 public reviews report

Credits charged for failed or repeated work come up in both samples, counted within each tool’s own sources.

On Captions, 36 public sources from October 2025 to September 2026:

• Support answers within minutes and refunds subscription mistakes quickly (9 of 36 sources: Trustpilot, Trustpilot)
• AI edits and avatars distort people or ignore the prompt, and voices can sound robotic (6 of 36 sources: Trustpilot, Trustpilot)
• Phone-shot talking videos and simple ads look finished with little editing (5 of 36 sources: Trustpilot, Trustpilot)

On HeyGen, 39 public sources from October 2025 to September 2026:

• Every fix or regeneration costs credits, retakes of the tool’s own errors included (8 of 39 sources: App Store, Trustpilot)
• Translation and dubbing localise one video into many languages (6 of 39 sources: YouTube, G2)
• Viewers spot the avatar, and ad click-through fades (3 of 39 sources: Reddit, Reddit)

More on each: the Captions profile and the HeyGen profile.

If neither fits

For 1,000+ stock actors billed at 800 credits an actor minute, Arcads publishes its credit rules and no price. For a talking clip from one still image or character, Hedra bills video by generated length.

Every replacement by job: HeyGen alternatives, Captions alternatives and Arcads alternatives. Head to head: Hedra vs HeyGen and Arcads vs HeyGen.