Akool Review 2024: Features, Performance & Alternatives
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7/10 Akool: Text to Video with Human Avatars
Summary: Akool offers AI image processing tools and AI video creation with human-like avatars, but there is a lot of room for improvement. Read on to learn if this can be your next AI video tool. Pricing: From $21/month. Free trial with no credit card. |
Click to listen to the review
In this Akool review, I will delve into every feature of this AI Video Suite. The aim is to provide a comprehensive overview, enabling you to determine if it aligns with your requirements.
Akool is an AI creation platform that has gained popularity for its face-swapping capabilities. While it offers several other compelling features, including AI-generated avatars, video translation, and personalized videos, several areas could be improved.
Founded by Jiajun Lu in 2022, Akool boasts an impressive user base of 2M+ users and 10,000 individual companies, including many renowned Fortune 500 companies.
Akool uses cutting-edge AI models for image and video editing, with eight main features:
- Face swap: For video and photo files. However, the platform's terms regarding the privacy implications of this feature are not readily transparent.
- Talking avatar:
- Realistic avatars: AI-generated avatars are used to create videos from text input.
- Video translation: A powerful tool to reach worldwide audiences.
- Talking photo: A seamless tool to turn pictures into interactive media.
- Image generator: Useful to create AI images from a text prompt.
- Background change: A perfect resource for marketing purposes.
- Personalized video: AI personalized generator for automated video outreach.
- Streaming avatar: Real-time interaction with customizable avatars (currently in beta)
Let's review each one:
Face swap
One of Akool´s best-known features is face swap. They claim the world´s most advanced face swap tool for images and videos.
The resulting output is available in 4K and 8K resolution, ready for commercial usage. As usual with similar tools, this involves privacy concerns and issues that must be addressed.
Once in the face swap screen, I only need to upload the files I need to swap. Let´s try with the included examples.
There is also the option to adjust age and photo enhancement. Click the face swap button, and it took four credits. To check the swapped face video, I go to My Library in the upper right, and here, I can share it with a link or download it. Check the final result.
The exact process is needed to make a video face swap. I upload a video, and the system analyzes it in a few seconds. Then, I must choose the face to swap and click the face swap button.
Compare the original on the left with the final result on the right:
The final video is quite good and works even with multiple faces. For better results, faces must be front-looking and have good quality.
Video translation
This feature is self-explanatory. I must upload the video and set the origin and target languages.
Here, I can add lip-sync and proofread the video script to ensure an accurate translation. This is a valuable feature unique to Akool.
A few important requirements: The video must be under 60 seconds long, and you will get better results without background music or noise.
Talking Photo
Creating a talking photo with Akool is straightforward. You must consider that the system supports three popular image formats: JPG, PNG, or WebP format.
I drop a photo in the input box and then type the text script. There are many voices to choose from.
The final quality is excellent, with good lip-syncing and accurate pronunciation and speech. Anyway, I couldn´t find how to change the language, it seems that only works in English by now.
Check it out
Image generator
The image generator tool allows you to create an AI image based on a text prompt. You can choose from many image scales: 1:1, 4:3, 3:4, 16:9, 3:2, and 2:3.
There are many pre-made images, and If I click on any of these, the prompt text is copied to the text box.
Suppose I need an image for an ad that features " an Advertising image of a young man cycling on a mountain road on a sunny day, perfect light." The process to create an image is simple; I enter the text, choose the output scale, and click generate.
The "Generate premium result" button shows it will cost four credits, but it generates four images, so I can get which I like best.
Check it out:
The final result is good. As you may know it depends on the text prompt, and you only have to experiment a bit until you find the proper prompt.
Background change
Akool also offers a background change tool to craft a perfect image for advertising purposes or any other requirement. It doesn´t remove the background like other tools but works as a basic image editor.
You can upload your own background file, but the system can also generate it using AI. It will cost four credits.
I uploaded a PNG Heinz image. Let´s see how the AI generates the background using a text prompt: "A tomato plant with a green field." The system generates four images.
How to make a video with Akool
First, I signed up for an account. Once I log in, the main dashboard appears.
The media, avatar, audio, element, text, and assets tabs are on the left sidebar.
One of Akool's key advantages is its video editor, which works in a timeline like a traditional video editor. This sets it apart from similar software, giving you more control and flexibility over video creation. While HeyGen is the only competitor with a similar scheme, all the others create the video on a scene-by-scene basis.
The software shows a pre-made video. I can choose avatars, audio, and graphic assets on the left side and add text. I can choose only two formats: portrait and landscape.
Akool has recently added seven pre-made templates that are only available to paid users.
There are 60+ avatars available, some of them with an included background. If I count on outfit variations, then there are 90+ avatars available. However, no avatar characters like doctors, nurses, workers, and other professionals which would be useful to enhance specific user needs.
Avatars can be set on any part of the screen by drag-and-drop, but there is no circle view, a standard feature many competitors offer.
The audio tab has 30+ languages and many male and female voices. You can also upload your custom audio script in MP3 or WAV format, up to 100MB.
The voices sound very good. Since I only know English and Spanish, I could test these languages with impressive results. There is no need to select an input language since the system recognizes it and plays the script with the chosen voice.
The script offers the option to add a 0.5-second pause and change speed for a better-sounding speech, but there is no chance to adjust specific word pronunciation or phonemes.
I can set stickers, emojis, icons, and images in the element tab. There are a few of each item, so you may need to upload your assets.
Adding text to the screen is straightforward. You can do it from the text tab, but you can also select the text on the video screen and change fonts, size, and other features.
I didn´t find a way to change the avatar in the video or delete it within a specific timeframe.
Let´s render the video to see how it goes. I click the generate button, and the platform offers to create the video in 1080p for 50 credits or 4 K for 200 credits. I go for the 1080p option.
My 33-second video is ready after 14 minutes. This score could have been better, and I hope Akool can improve it as soon as possible.
Check it here.
The voice and the avatar speeches are clear, but its movement needs an upgrade.
To my surprise, despite the video appearing in my library, it can´t be edited. This is a major drawback since the idea behind these platforms is the ability to edit it in minutes. It is also not possible to change the file name within the platform.
You will need to download the video to edit it or make a new one from scratch if you want to change the script. This is a waste of time and money.
Furthermore, A screen share feature allows you to share it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Reddit, or through a URL link.
Personalized video
This feature lets you create a marketing campaign using a single video. If you have an email list, you can use this to reach subscribers with a personalized messagge.
You must upload the video, set specific variables like names and other data, add some custom assets, and render it.
This is an excellent resource for marketing purposes and adds a lot of value to this software.
Akool pricing
- Basic Free Plan: 100 credits to test the tool, primary API usage with watermark.
- Pro Plan: $21/month billed annually, with 600 credits and full access. The first three days are free.
- Pro Max Plan: $71/month billed annually, with 2400 credits, ten instant avatars, and up to 10 members.
- Studio Plan: $350/month billed annually with 12000 credits, 4K downloads, and faster processing. The first three days are free.
- Enterprise Plan: This plan is designed for businesses with unique requirements. You can request a customized plan to fit your needs, including features such as priority support, higher credit limits, and more.
Akool operates on a credit-based system, where users purchase credits to use various features of the platform. Each feature or task consumes a specific number of credits, which vary depending on the type of task. Here's a detailed breakdown of how the credit system works:
Free Plan: You start with 100 credits to explore the platform.
Pro Plan: Costs $30/month (or $21/month if billed yearly) and provides 2400 credits.
Pro Max Plan: Costs $119/month (or $83.30/month if billed yearly) and provides 9600 credits.
Studio Plan: Costs $500/month (or $350/month if billed yearly) and provides 80,000 credits.
Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing for organizations with tailored needs.
Credit Consumption by Feature
Face Swap (Image): 4 credits.
Face Swap (Video):10 credits per 10 seconds.
Live Face Swap 10 credits per 30 seconds.
Talking Avatar (1080p Video): 10 credits per 10 seconds.
4K Video: 40 credits per 10 seconds.
Video Translation: 1 credit per 5 seconds.
Image Generator: 8 credits.
Smart Text: 0.1 credits per word.
AI Video Editor (1080p Video): 10 credits per 10 seconds.
4K Video Editor: 40 credits per 10 seconds.
Talking Photo: 10 credits per 10 seconds.
Background Change: 4 credits per image.
Video Campaign: 10 credits per 10 seconds.
Key points about credits
Credit Expiration: Credits do not roll over month-to-month. Unused credits expire at the end of the billing cycle.
Overage Costs: If you exceed your allocated credits, you can purchase additional credits at the same rate as your plan.
No Unlimited Generation: No plan offers unlimited generation. Credits are required for every task.
Akool Pricing: Pros and Cons summary table
Below is a concise summary of the pros and cons of each Akool pricing plan to help you make an informed decision.
PLAN | PROS | CONS |
Basic (Free) | - Free to use- Suitable for casual users or small projects- Includes basic features | - Limited processing capacity- Watermarks on outputs- Limited customization |
Pro | - No watermarks- Higher processing limits (300MB and 15 mins)- Better customization | - Still limited for heavy users or businesses- More expensive than Basic |
Pro Max | - Higher upload limits (500MB and 30 mins)- 4K quality- Faster processing | - Pricier than Pro- May not be justified for casual users |
Studio | - Highest quality outputs (up to 8K)- Largest upload capacity (1GB and 60 mins)- 50 avatars | - Most expensive plan- Likely overkill for individuals or small teams |
Enterprise | - Customized solutions- Enterprise-grade security- Priority support | - Requires direct contact with sales- Likely the most expensive option |
Akool Pricing: Value for the money
Which is the best plan, depending on your needs?
Best for Casual Users: Basic Plan (Free, essential features for personal use)
Best for Freelancers/Small Businesses: Pro Plan (Moderate processing needs, professional outputs)
Best for Creative Professionals/Medium Businesses: Pro Max Plan (High-quality outputs, faster processing)
Best for Large Businesses/Studios: Studio Plan (Highest quality, customization, and capacity)
Best for Enterprises: Enterprise Plan (Customized solutions, enterprise-grade features)
Akool reviews and support
I found a 4.7/5 score from 52 reviews on G2. This number tells us how good it is from the existing customers' perspective.
It is interesting to check users' opinions. G2 is a leading website for software reviews, and I collected data to get a detailed glimpse of the customer experience with Akool.
This is what users are mentioning in February 2025:
Akool Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Ease of use is the main advantage, but slow performance and poor results are also mentioned on the bad side.
Regarding support, Akool currently offers email as the primary way to contact. However, there is no live chat or other immediate assistance options available.
This is a significant downside since email is not the best tool for managing customer support. I hope they add some chat support functionality shortly.
There are also no tutorials, help pages, or knowledge pages. This is another item that needs improvement.
Akool Pros: What I like
- Face swap: This feature works well in images and videos with multiple faces.
- Personalized videos: An excellent tool to increase conversion rates with low costs.
- Talking photos: Akool does a great job with talking photos, with low rendering times and good lip-syncing.
Akool Cons: What needs improvement
- Pricing scheme: The credit system is not fully disclosed on the pricing page. You only know how many credits a task consumes when you log in to the platform.
- Lack of Professional Avatars: Akool offers a variety of avatars for video creation, but it lacks asstes representing specific professions. I consider that healthcare, education, and other industries could benefit from avatars depicting doctors, nurses, teachers, and other professionals. Including such assets would broaden the platform's appeal and functionality for various professional use cases.
- Performance: I encountered occasional glitches while using Akool, which made my experience less than ideal. The platform would sometimes freeze, and I had to reload the page. It's strange that I was kept on a dashboard-like webpage after logging in. This is different from other platforms, and I believe it's an area that needs improvement.
- Video editor: You cannot edit the video after rendering it, so you need to think carefully. An edited video means more work and more credits to spend.
3 best Akool alternatives
If you think Akool can meet your needs, sign up for a free trial account and test how it goes.
Furthermore, if you want a more complete solution featuring human avatars, I am listing my preferred options below.
Vidnoz
Vidnoz is the best Akool alternative and offers a full-featured and more polished product for AI video makers. It focuses on AI video creation with 800+ avatars and many templates. It is also packed with tools like talking photos, custom avatars, text-to-video, AI voice changer, AI script generator, voice cloning, and more.
Vidnoz offers three free minutes per day, but if you pay $19.99/month, you will get 15 video generation minutes, 460+ voices, and more.
Read my Vidnoz review or visit the Vidnoz website.
HeyGen
Heygen is another interesting Akool alternative. It offers personalized videos, custom avatars, collaboration features, a screen recorder, photo avatars, and many other tools that make HeyGen a solid option.
Pricing start at $24/month with unlimited videos per year (Yes, unlimited)
Read my HeyGen review or visit HeyGen website.
Elai
Elai offers unique features such as precise voice control, lottie animations, and interactive videos. It is a robust platform dedicated to AI video creation that delivers excellent performance.
Elai´s pricing starts at $23/month with 15 minutes per month.
Read my Elai.io review or visit Elai.io website.
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Akool Review: My Conclusion
After testing Akool, I was impressed by the quality of the face-swapping feature. It is for sure one of the best available.
Additional features such as image generation, talking photos, background change, and video translation provide great value for the money, not to mention the personalized video—a useful tool for marketing purposes.
The video editor does a regular job with avatars but lacks basic features such as video editing, which puts this tool far behind competitors. However, since Akool updates regularly, I am confident that they will upgrade it in the near future.
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