Introduction
Tutorial videos have become one of the most effective content formats in education, marketing, and internal training. They are widely used for software tutorials, online courses, employee onboarding, and product demonstrations. Regardless of the use case, effective tutorial videos must be clear, easy to understand, and efficient to produce.
However, traditional video production often requires significant effort, including script preparation, filming, voice recording, editing, and post-production. As a result, AI-powered video creation tools have rapidly evolved in recent years and have seen strong adoption during 2024–2025.
With the support of AI, creators can now:
- Generate videos directly from text
- Produce videos without appearing on camera
- Significantly reduce production time
- Lower overall content creation costs
For Ourdemy, tutorial videos play a key role in:
- Helping learners understand course content more effectively
- Improving engagement and course completion rates
- Enabling instructors to create content more efficiently
This article provides a comparison of five leading AI tools in 2025 for creating tutorial videos, with a focus on tools that are particularly suitable for instructors, content creators, and online courses on the Ourdemy platform.
Evaluation Criteria for AI Tutorial Video Tools
To ensure a clear and objective comparison, the tools below are evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Text-to-Video Capability The ability to convert scripts or lesson notes into complete videos, including visuals, transitions, and explanatory elements.
- Support for Voice, Subtitles, Avatars, and Visual Elements The extent to which the tool supports voice-over, subtitles, AI avatars, and visual aids to improve clarity and comprehension.
- Ease of Use for Non-Technical Users Whether the interface is intuitive and suitable for users without professional video editing experience.
- Suitability for Both Short and Long Videos The ability to produce videos ranging from short explanations to full-length lessons while maintaining quality and structure.
- Flexibility in Visual Style Options for customizing animation, color schemes, backgrounds, and overall presentation style.
- Cost and Long-Term Scalability Pricing structure, usage limits, trial availability, and scalability for ongoing course production.
- Compatibility with Online Learning Platforms such as Ourdemy Export formats, subtitle support, and lesson segmentation that align with Ourdemy’s lesson structure and Page Builder.
These criteria help instructors and creators select the most appropriate AI tools while balancing efficiency and instructional quality.
1. HeyGen
Overview
HeyGen is an AI-powered platform that enables users to create videos from text using AI avatars, automated subtitles, and voice-over. It is known for its user-friendly interface and modern visual style, making it suitable for individual instructors, creators, and small teams.
Advantages
- Natural-looking avatars with a less corporate appearance
- Ability to create a custom AI avatar based on a real person
- Simple text-to-video workflow suitable for beginners
- Multilingual support
- Efficient for producing tutorial videos at scale
Limitations
- Limited animation and advanced visual illustration features
- Videos typically follow a “presenter with slides” format
- Free plan has strict limitations (up to 3 videos per month, each up to 3 minutes, with watermark)
Best for
- Explanatory tutorial videos
- Personal online courses on Ourdemy
- Product walkthroughs and SaaS tutorials
- Creators who prefer not to appear on camera
2. Synthesia
Overview
Synthesia is widely regarded as a reliable solution for corporate training and large-scale e-learning. Users can create videos by entering a script and selecting an AI avatar, voice, and background.
It is commonly used for employee training, onboarding, compliance education, and product tutorials.
Advantages
- No filming or voice recording required
- AI avatars with stable lip-sync quality
- Multilingual support
- Simple production workflow
- Consistent visual style across multiple lessons and courses
Limitations
- Rigid presentation format (avatar with slides)
- Limited visual effects and animations
- Higher cost compared to other tools
- Not suitable for detailed screen-based software demonstrations
Best for
- Lecture-style online courses
- Corporate onboarding and internal training
- Conceptual or process-based explanations
Not suitable when
- Detailed, hands-on software demonstrations are required
- A highly personalized teaching style is important
3. Runway
Overview
Runway is an advanced AI video platform that supports video generation from text, images, and existing video footage, along with AI-assisted post-production tools.
Rather than focusing on presenters, Runway excels at visual storytelling, animation, and conceptual illustration, making it suitable for more visually complex tutorial content.
Advantages
- High-quality text-to-video and image-to-video generation
- Strong support for animation, B-roll, and visual explanations
- Consistent visual style across scenes
- Suitable for advanced tutorials on Ourdemy
Limitations
- Requires time to learn prompting and workflows
- Not fully automated
- Visual output may prioritize aesthetics over instructional clarity
- Free plan is limited
Best for
- Advanced tutorials requiring visual explanation
- Technical or product-focused training
- Creators aiming for modern, high-quality visuals
4. InVideo
Overview
InVideo is an AI-assisted video creation tool that converts scripts, blog posts, or text content into videos using stock footage, animated text, and voice-over.
It is best suited for short tutorial videos, explainer content, and marketing materials.
Advantages
- Beginner-friendly interface
- Large library of templates and stock assets
- Fast video creation process
- Affordable pricing
- Suitable for course previews, module introductions, and short tips on Ourdemy
Limitations
- Visual style can feel repetitive
- Not suitable for long or in-depth tutorials
- Limited customization and no instructor avatars
Best for
- Short tutorial videos (1–3 minutes)
- Basic concept explanations
- Converting blog content into video
- Social media content
5. Wondershare Filmora
Overview
Filmora is a video editing software that includes AI-powered features. While it does not generate videos directly from text, it is particularly effective for editing screen-recorded tutorial videos.
Advantages
- Intuitive interface and low learning curve
- AI-assisted subtitles, noise reduction, and scene detection
- Well suited for software and practical tutorials on Ourdemy
- Cost-effective for long-term use
Limitations
- Requires pre-recorded footage
- Not a fully automated text-to-video solution
- Manual editing is still necessary
Best for
- Software tutorials and screen recordings
- Practical, hands-on lessons
- Educators and course creators focusing on real demonstrations
Comparison Table of AI Tutorial Video Tools
| Tool | Ease of Use | Long Videos | AI Avatar | Visuals / Animation | Primary Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HeyGen | High | Medium | Yes | Limited | Individual creators |
| Synthesia | High | Medium | Yes | Limited | Corporate training |
| Runway | Medium | High | No | Advanced | Complex tutorials |
| InVideo | High | Low | No | Basic | Short-form content |
| Filmora | Medium | High | No | Practical | Screen-based tutorials |
Conclusion
Each of the five AI tools discussed above offers distinct strengths, and no single tool is suitable for all use cases. The most appropriate choice depends on the learning objectives, content format, and production requirements.
- HeyGen is suitable for individual instructors and personal courses
- Synthesia is well suited for corporate and structured e-learning
- Runway excels in visually rich and advanced tutorial content
- InVideo is effective for short, high-volume video creation
- Filmora is ideal for editing practical, screen-based tutorials
👉 Final tip: Don’t rely on just one tool. Combining multiple AI tools — for example, HeyGen or Synthesia for lectures, Runway or InVideo for visual explanations, and Filmora for post-production — can help you create high-quality Ourdemy courses with minimal resources.