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1. Product Holding: The Feature That Changes Everything
Here's the thing nobody talks about: HeyGen avatars can't hold your product. They can talk about it. They can gesture vaguely. But they can't naturally grip your skincare bottle, wear your sunglasses, or sip from your branded tumbler.
Speel is the only platform where AI avatars physically interact with products, and for e-commerce ads, this isn't a nice-to-have. It's the difference between a generic talking-head video and authentic UGC that actually converts. Users consistently report that Speel's product-holding videos are often indistinguishable from real creator content.
2. Built for Ads, Not Corporate Presentations
HeyGen was designed for training videos, explainers, and enterprise content. It shows. The avatars have that polished, corporate feel that works great for onboarding new employees but falls flat when you need thumb-stopping TikTok content.
Every feature in Speel exists for one purpose: creating UGC-style ads that perform. The built-in script generator is trained on viral ad hooks. The avatars are designed with natural expressions that feel authentic, not rehearsed. The result? Users report an average 3.6x ROAS on Speel-generated content.
3. AI Skin Enhancement That Kills the "AI Look"
You know that slightly plastic, too-smooth quality that screams "this is AI-generated"? Speel's proprietary skin enhancement technology specifically addresses this, adding natural texture and micro-details that make videos look genuinely human.
HeyGen's avatars are technically impressive, but multiple reviews note they can feel "robotic" for UGC-style content. When your ad needs to blend into someone's organic feed, that subtle uncanny valley is a conversion killer.
4. Pricing You Can Actually Predict
HeyGen's pricing page looks simple until you dig in. Their "unlimited" video creation uses older Avatar 3 technology, if you want their best quality avatars (Avatar IV), you're capped at 10 minutes per month even on paid plans. Custom avatars? Add $29/month per slot. Video translation API? Only available on the $330/month Scale plan. Generative credits? Another $15/month add-on.
Speel keeps it simple: $49, $79, or $119 per month. You get 35, 75, or 125 videos respectively. All videos use premium quality. No add-ons, no surprise charges, no calculator required. At the Pro level, you're paying under $1 per video - compared to $150–$300 for traditional UGC creators.
5. Speed That Enables Real A/B Testing
Creating an ad-ready video in Speel takes about 2.5 minutes. Not 2.5 hours. Minutes.
This isn't just about convenience—it fundamentally changes how you can approach creative testing. When each variation takes minutes instead of weeks, you can test 10 hooks instead of 2. You can iterate based on real performance data instead of gut instinct. You can respond to trends while they're still trending.
Traditional UGC production takes 2+ weeks from brief to final delivery. HeyGen's more complex workflow and feature set adds friction that slows down the ad creation process. Speel gets you from product URL to finished ad faster than you can schedule a creator call.
We'll be straight with you, HeyGen is the better choice if:
But if you're trying to scale high-performing ad creative for e-commerce, DTC, or social media marketing? Speel’s the best choice.
Here's what Speel users consistently say: "Nothing comes close right now. Total cheat code for ads."
Traditional UGC costs $150–$300 per video and takes weeks to produce. HeyGen will give you polished corporate content. Speel gives you authentic, product-holding UGC ads in minutes for under $5 each.
Try Speel free and see your product in AI hands. No credit card required for image generation, start testing today and see why e-commerce brands are making the switch.
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No. HeyGen avatars cannot naturally hold, wear, or physically interact with products. This is Speel's core differentiator and for product-focused ads, it's essential. Speel is currently the only platform offering realistic product-holding AI avatars.
Speel is purpose-built for social media ads with UGC-style content optimized for TikTok, Reels, and Meta placements. HeyGen's more polished, corporate aesthetic is better suited for YouTube explainers and LinkedIn content. If scroll-stopping authenticity matters, Speel wins.
Partially. HeyGen's unlimited creation uses their older Avatar 3 technology. Their premium Avatar IV quality is limited to 10 minutes per month even on paid plans. All of Speel's included videos use premium quality, no tiered avatar restrictions.
Speel's Pro plan ($119/month for 125 videos) works out to under $1 per video. HeyGen's costs are harder to calculate due to the credit system and add-ons, but generally come out higher for comparable quality especially when you factor in Avatar IV limitations and custom avatar fees.
For most UGC ad campaigns, Speel's multilingual voiceovers and subtitles are sufficient. HeyGen's advanced translation (with full lip-sync dubbing) is overkill for short-form ads and only available on their $330/month API plan anyway. It's designed for localizing 10-minute training videos, not 30-second TikToks.