How to Create a Custom Heygen AI Avatar & Alternative App

What is Heygen AI avatar

The Heygen AI avatar is a mobile app that enables users to create lifelike speaking avatars for videos without being on camera. By uploading a photo or short video, or choosing from its built-in avatar library, you can design a realistic character that mirrors facial expressions, gestures, and speech. Heygen supports AI voice cloning in over 70 languages and 175 dialects, making it ideal for reaching global audiences. It also lets you create up to 100 unique "Looks" per avatar and add real-time AI captions in various styles. With its intuitive interface, Heygen makes professional video creation fast, accessible, and highly customizable.

Key features of Heygen AI avatars

1. Rapid custom avatar creation

The Heygen mobile app allows you to create a personalized, realistic AI avatar of yourself in just 30 seconds. By recording a short video, the app's AI technology captures your likeness and voice to generate a digital twin. This feature makes it incredibly fast and simple to get started with creating personalized video content.

2. Multilingual video translation

With built-in language translation, Heygen enables your avatar videos to reach a truly global audience. You can instantly convert your scripts or recorded speech into over 70 languages and 175 dialects without re-recording. The translation maintains lip-sync accuracy, so the delivery feels natural and seamless. This feature is especially valuable for international marketing, education, and customer support.

3. Dynamic avatar customization

For every avatar you create, the app provides the flexibility to generate up to 100 unique "looks." These looks include various outfits, backgrounds, and camera angles, enabling you to produce a diverse range of dynamic content from a single avatar. This allows for a great deal of creative freedom without having to create a new avatar each time.

4. Real-time AI captions in diverse styles

The app can automatically generate captions in real time, matching your chosen language and visual style. You can select from different fonts, colors, and layouts to complement your video's branding. This not only improves accessibility for viewers with hearing impairments but also increases engagement on platforms where users watch without sound. Captions are customizable to fit both casual and professional content.

5. Extensive avatar library

Beyond creating your own digital double, the Heygen app provides a vast and diverse library of pre-made AI avatars to choose from. This extensive collection offers a wide range of characters with different ethnicities, styles, and professions. This variety ensures that you can easily find the perfect character to fit the tone and purpose of any video project you are working on.

How to create your own custom AI avatar using Heygen

Building your own Heygen AI avatar is a straightforward process that puts you in control of your digital persona. Here's a quick, step-by-step guide to get you started on creating your custom avatar.

STEP 1
1. Sign up or login

To get started with Heygen, first download the app from your device's App store. Once the app is installed, open it and either sign up for a new account using your email or a social media login, or log in with your existing credentials. This initial step grants you access to the platform and allows you to begin the avatar creation process.

STEP 2
1. Navigate to Photo avatar and choose method

After logging in, tap on the "Photo Avatar" tab at the top of the screen to access the photo-based avatar creation tools. From there, select the large "+ New Photo Avatar" button.

You will then be presented with three options for creating your photo avatar. You can either select "AI Generate Avatar" to create a unique avatar based on inputs, "Upload Photo" to choose an existing photo from your device's gallery, or "Take Photo" to use your camera and capture a new picture instantly. Choose the method that best suits your needs to continue.

STEP 3
1. Create avatar, add script and customize voice

Once you have selected a photo from your gallery, the AI will begin to analyze the image. It meticulously processes facial features, expressions, and other details to create a lifelike and accurate digital representation.

Once your photo has been processed and turned into an AI avatar, it's time to give it something to say. You will be prompted to enter your script. Simply type or paste the text that you want your avatar to speak. The app will then allow you to choose from a variety of voices and languages to match the tone of your content.

STEP 4
1. Generate and export video

Once you have added your script and selected your voice, tap the "Create Video" button. The app will process your request, combining your avatar, script, and voice into a finished video. After the video is finalized, you will be given the option to export it directly to your device's gallery or share it to your desired social media platforms.

Limitations of HeyGen AI avatar maker

• Limited customization after creation: While Heygen allows you to tweak your avatar during creation, making significant changes later can be restrictive. In many cases, you may need to start from scratch if you want to alter core features like facial structure or clothing style.
• Basic animation features: Although Heygen avatars have realistic lip-sync and can perform gestures, the level of control over specific, nuanced movements can be basic. More intricate or custom animation for hands and body might be difficult to achieve.
• Dependency on clear input: The quality of the final avatar is highly dependent on the quality of your initial input. To get the best results, you need a clear, well-lit photo with good sound quality, and the avatar will reflect any limitations in the original material, such as a lack of facial expressions.
• Cost and credit system: Heygen's free version is very limited, and its advanced features operate on a credit system. Even on paid plans, creating certain types of videos or using specific premium features like Avatar IV can quickly consume your monthly credit allowance, often requiring additional purchases to continue creating content.

While the Heygen mobile app excels at quick and easy avatar creation, its focus on simplicity and its limitations in advanced editing and scene control might lead some users to seek a more comprehensive solution. For those who want an alternative that provides a full suite of video editing tools alongside its AI avatar capabilities, the CapCut App is an excellent choice.

CapCut App: An alternative to Heygen for AI avatar creation

The CapCut App provides a robust and accessible alternative for creating custom AI avatar videos, especially for users who prioritize mobile-friendly editing and creative flexibility. Unlike some platforms with restrictive credit systems, CapCut App integrates its AI avatar generator directly into its powerful, all-in-one video editor. This means you can not only create a talking avatar with a custom script but also seamlessly edit it with a vast library of effects, transitions, and audio tools. With a wide selection of free avatar templates and a user-friendly interface, CapCut App makes it easy for anyone, regardless of their editing experience, to produce professional-quality videos with AI avatars without being limited by cost or complex workflows.

How to create an AI avatar with CapCut App

Ready to create your own AI avatar video? Here's a quick guide to using the CapCut App. To start, simply click one of the buttons below to download the app for free.

STEP 1
1. Access AI avatar creation

Open the CapCut App on your device and navigate to the home screen. From there, locate and select the "All tools" option to access a full suite of features. Within this menu, find and tap on "AI tools," then choose "AI avatars."

After clicking on "AI avatars," your device's photo library will open. Browse through your gallery and select the media you want to use for your avatar video. Once you've chosen your photo or video, tap the "Add" button at the bottom right of the screen. Then the media will be added to the timeline.

STEP 2
1. Choose an avatar template

Once in the AI avatars section, browse through the various avatar categories, such as Trending, Marketing, or Stylized. Select a template that aligns with the tone and purpose of your video, whether it's for a professional presentation or a casual social media post. Alternatively, you can choose to create a custom avatar by tapping the "Create" button, which will then present you with three methods: "Create with video," "Create with photo," or "Create with AI image." This allows you to start building your own unique digital persona from scratch. After you have chosen your preferred avatar's appearance, tap "Next" to continue.

STEP 3
1. Add your custom script

You will now be prompted to input the dialogue for your avatar. Type or paste the text you want your avatar to speak. Beneath the text box, you'll find AI-powered writing tools, including "AI writer" to generate script, "Improve" to refine wording, "Expand" to add more detail, and Shorten to make the script concise. You can also tap "Split to captions" to automatically break the script into readable on-screen segments. Next, tap "Select voice" to open the voice options panel, choose the Text to speech tab, and browse categories like Trending, NEW, TikTok, English, or Female. Each voice has a preview option, so you can select the perfect match. Once satisfied, tap "Apply" in the top-right corner to confirm.

STEP 4
1. Export avatar video

After the video is generated with your talking avatar, you will be taken to CapCut App's main editing screen where you can add music, effects, and adjust the background as needed. When you are satisfied with all your final changes, simply tap the "Export" button, located in the top-right corner. You can then save your finished video directly to your device or share it to your preferred social media platforms.

Creative use cases for AI avatars

AI avatars are revolutionizing content creation across many industries. Here are a few creative ways users are applying this technology:

• Marketing: AI avatars can act as brand ambassadors, delivering scripted product introductions, promotional campaigns, and explainer videos without the need for on-camera talent. This approach ensures consistent branding, saves production costs, and allows for quick updates when product details change.
• Education: Educators and trainers use AI avatars to create engaging, easily understandable instructional content. Avatars can present lessons, demonstrate procedures, or break down complex topics, making learning more interactive and accessible across multiple languages.
• Social media: Content creators leverage AI avatars to produce eye-catching posts, virtual host segments, and update videos. These avatars can help maintain a consistent posting schedule without filming in person, making it easier to keep audiences engaged.
• Customer support: Businesses use AI avatars to handle common customer queries through personalized video messages. This human-like interaction enhances customer experience, adds a professional touch, and can be scaled to handle large volumes of requests efficiently.

Conclusion

The Heygen platform offers an impressive way to create realistic, multilingual avatars for various purposes, from marketing and education to customer engagement. However, its limitations in customization, animation range, and background control can restrict creative flexibility. For those seeking a mobile-friendly, fast, and versatile solution, the CapCut App stands out as a powerful alternative. With its diverse avatar templates, customizable scripts, and in-app editing tools, you can create polished AI avatar videos anytime, anywhere. CapCut App empowers users to create professional-looking videos without the constraints of a complex credit system.

FAQs

1
1. Can I create multilingual avatar videos using HeyGen AI avatar creator?

Yes, Heygen supports over 70 languages and 175 dialects, making it suitable for international video production. The CapCut App also offers a robust text-to-speech feature that supports numerous languages and accents, allowing you to create multilingual avatar videos for a global audience with similar ease.

2
1. Can I create an avatar without uploading a photo?

Yes, you can provide a detailed written description, and Heygen AI Avatar will generate an avatar based on those specifications. Similarly, the CapCut App lets you choose from a wide range of avatar templates and customize them with your own script, style, and background for immediate video creation.

3
1. How long does it take to create a custom AI avatar with Heygen?

The process typically takes only a few minutes to generate an avatar once you've uploaded a photo or entered a description. With the CapCut App, you can also generate avatars in minutes and instantly use them in fully edited videos — perfect for creators who value speed and flexibility.