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Cloud · head to head

Fastly vs HeyGen

Fastly logo

Fastly

Cloud

High performance edge computing platform

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
HeyGen logo

HeyGen

AI

AI video generation with realistic avatars

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Fastly bandwidth is priced per region, and delivery to India, Africa and South Korea is $0.28 per GB against $0.12 in North America and Europe; HeyGen avatar movements feel unnatural in longer videos and repetitive with limited emotional expression, appearing stiff and robotic after 60 seconds
  • They diverge on capability: Fastly covers Edge Compute, HeyGen covers AI avatars.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fastly and HeyGen actually diverge.

Attributes where Fastly and HeyGen differ
AttributeFastlyHeyGen
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
PlatformsWeb, ApiWeb
CategoryCloudAI
Founded20112020

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Fastly

  • Edge Compute
  • CDN
  • DDoS Protection
  • Real-time Analytics
  • Image Optimization
  • Video Streaming
  • API
  • Instant Purge

Only in HeyGen

  • AI avatars
  • Text-to-video
  • Voice cloning
  • Video translation
  • API access
  • Zapier
  • CRM integrations

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Api support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Fastly

  • Serving static and dynamic content through a global CDNnot HeyGen
  • Running edge logic and caching in front of an origin applicationnot HeyGen

HeyGen

  • ai tools managementnot Fastly
  • Workflow automationnot Fastly
  • Reportingnot Fastly

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Fastly

  • Bandwidth is priced per region, and delivery to India, Africa and South Korea is $0.28 per GB against $0.12 in North America and Europe
  • The same traffic therefore costs more than twice as much depending on where the audience is, which is invisible until the bill arrives
  • The free allowance is 100 GB of bandwidth and 1M requests a month
  • Requests are billed separately from bandwidth, at $0.01 per 10,000 above the first million
  • High volume rates past 50 TB are not published and require contacting sales

HeyGen

  • Avatar movements feel unnatural in longer videos and repetitive with limited emotional expression, appearing stiff and robotic after 60 seconds
  • Cannot reliably choreograph natural interactions like walking through a room, using devices, or drinking from objects
  • Billing gap between marketed unlimited plans and actual credit consumption is highest complaint with lost credits on failed renders
  • Inconsistent lip sync and voice quality with slow processing and occasional moderation blocks without explanation
  • Customer support described as non-existent with no way to complain or reach a human representative

Pricing, plan by plan

Fastly

Free
  • Free TrialFree
    • CDN
    • DDoS protection
    • Real-time analytics
  • Pay-As-You-GoFree
    • Usage-based pricing
    • Advanced features
    • Priority support

HeyGen

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 videos
    • With watermark
  • Creator$29/month
    • Unlimited videos
    • 200 monthly credits
  • Pro$99/month
    • 2,000 credits
    • Advanced features

Which should you pick?

Choose Fastly if

  • You need edge compute.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want cdn.
Fastly review

Choose HeyGen if

  • You need ai avatars.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want text-to-video.
HeyGen review

Questions people ask

Is Fastly or HeyGen better?
Neither clearly leads. Fastly starts at Free and HeyGen at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fastly or HeyGen?
Fastly starts at Free and HeyGen at Free.
Does Fastly or HeyGen run on more platforms?
Fastly runs on Web, Api. HeyGen runs on Web.
Can I use Fastly for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Fastly best used for?
Fastly is most often used for serving static and dynamic content through a global cdn, running edge logic and caching in front of an origin application. Of those, serving static and dynamic content through a global cdn and running edge logic and caching in front of an origin application are not what HeyGen is typically brought in for.
What can Fastly do that HeyGen cannot?
Fastly covers Edge Compute, CDN, DDoS Protection, Real-time Analytics. HeyGen covers AI avatars, Text-to-video, Voice cloning, Video translation. Both handle Web support, Api support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Fastly: Does Fastly charge based on usage or a flat monthly fee?

Fastly operates on a usage-based model with volume discounts. They offer a free tier with 100 GB bandwidth and 1M requests for experimentation, then customers pay per unit consumed with tiered discounts as consumption increases.

Source
HeyGen: What are HeyGen's pricing plans?

HeyGen offers Free ($0, 3 videos/month with watermark), Creator ($29/month, unlimited videos + 200 monthly credits), Pro ($99/month, more credits), Business ($149/month + $20/seat, 4K rendering), and custom Enterprise pricing.

Source
Fastly: What are Fastly's main service packages and their costs?

Fastly offers Network Services Packages ($1,500-$6,000/month baseline), Security Packages (custom pricing), Compute Packages ($500/month entry level), and Observability Packages ($1,500/month entry level). Enterprise solutions include custom quotes for high-volume deployments.

Source
HeyGen: How does HeyGen's credit system work?

HeyGen uses a credit-based system where Avatar IV video costs 20 credits per minute, video translation costs 5-10 credits per minute. Creator includes 200 credits/month, Pro includes 2,000 credits/month, and Business shares 1,000 credits across the workspace.

Source
Fastly: Can I start using Fastly for free?

Yes, Fastly offers a free tier with generous allowances for experimentation including 100 GB bandwidth and 1M requests. You can start building free and only pay when you use additional resources.

Source
HeyGen: What is Digital Twin and how much does it cost?

Digital Twin creates a custom avatar from 2 minutes of recorded footage. Additional avatar slots beyond the default cost $29/month each.

Source
Fastly: Are there surprise overage charges with Fastly?

Fastly advertises predictable pricing with no surprise overages. The pricing structure is designed to be transparent as consumption grows.

Source
HeyGen: How many languages can HeyGen translate videos into?

HeyGen can translate videos into 175+ languages with AI lip sync, making it useful for global content distribution and localization.

Source
HeyGen: What do users say about HeyGen's ratings?

HeyGen has 4.8/5 on G2 across more than 1,000 reviews and 4.7/5 on Capterra across 313 verified reviews as of June 2026, with avatar quality scoring 9.2/10.

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