Lumen5 vs Pictory
Two blog-to-video tools for marketers, priced very differently
Short answer: Pick Lumen5 if you want a free plan, unlimited videos and strong brand templates for company content. Pick Pictory if you want 1080p and a big stock library on the entry plan, longer videos and AI avatars for less money.
Pick Lumen5 if you want a free plan, not just a trial.
Pick Pictory if you want 1080p and a large stock library without paying $79 a month.
Pick TallyReel if you run social channels and want videos scheduled to up to 15 networks.
Lumen5 and Pictory are the two names marketers usually compare when they want to turn blog posts and scripts into video without an editor. Both read your text, split it into scenes, match stock footage, add an AI voice and captions, and let you adjust the result. Both are built for business content rather than entertainment channels.
They price very differently. Lumen5 sells unlimited videos with tiers that unlock resolution, stock and branding. Pictory sells video minutes, and puts 1080p, stock and avatars in its entry plan. We read both pricing pages on October 18, 2026.
Updated 18 October 2026 · by Danish, who makes TallyReel · prices checked on Lumen5's pricing page (18 October 2026) and Pictory's pricing page (18 October 2026)
Lumen5 vs Pictory, side by side
| Feature | Lumen5 | Pictory | TallyReel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Basic $29 a month, or $19 a month billed yearly | Starter $29 a month, or $25 a month billed yearly | Free plan; Starter $19 a month; Studio from 9 November, $49 once until 30 November, then $149 |
| Higher plans | Starter $79 ($59 yearly), Pro $199 ($149 yearly), Team custom | Professional $59 ($35 yearly), Team $199 ($119 yearly) | Plus $39 (10,000 credits), Pro $79 (22,000 credits) |
| Free option | Free plan: 5 videos a month, up to 2 minutes, 720p, Lumen5 branded outro | 14-day trial with 15 video minutes | Free plan: 300 free credits once, about 3 videos up to 30 seconds, small TallyReel mark |
| Video allowance | Unlimited videos on paid plans | 200, 600 or 1,800 video minutes a month | About 100 credits per minute: 4,000, 10,000 or 22,000 a month |
| Resolution and length | 720p on Free and Basic, 1080p from Starter; up to 10 minutes | 1080p; up to 30 minutes on paid plans | Up to 1, 3, 5 or 15 minutes, by cloud plan |
| Stock and AI visuals | Licensed stock on all plans; 50M+ and Shutterstock from Starter; premium AI images on paid plans | 5 million stock videos on Starter, 18 million above; AI images and a small AI video allowance | Real stock footage plus AI-generated pictures |
| Voices | 1,000+ AI voices on paid plans; 240 AI voice minutes a year on Basic | ElevenLabs voices in 29 languages (60 minutes a month on Starter); standard voices in 7 languages | 44 languages with native Hindi and Urdu voices |
| Voice cloning | 1 clone on Basic and Starter, 3 on Pro | Not listed for Starter | Your own voice only, on Plus, Pro and Studio |
| Avatars | Talking head overlays; no AI avatars listed | Stock avatars from Starter; custom avatars on Professional | AI host videos with 1 or 2 lip-synced hosts |
| Auto-posting | Not listed | Not listed | Schedules to 15 networks on every plan |
| Best for | Brand teams making lots of short company videos | Marketers who want 1080p, avatars and longer videos for less | Faceless social channels posted on a schedule |
Prices from each tool's pricing page on the dates above, monthly billing unless the row says otherwise. Prices change, so check before you buy.
Pick Lumen5 if
- You want a free plan, not just a trial.
- You make many short videos and want unlimited videos rather than minutes.
- You need brand templates, custom watermarks or several workspaces.
Pick Pictory if
- You want 1080p and a large stock library without paying $79 a month.
- You make videos longer than 10 minutes, or edit long recordings.
- You want AI avatars included.
Pick TallyReel if
- You run social channels and want videos scheduled to up to 15 networks.
- You start from an idea, not a blog post, and want the script written for you.
- You want Hindi or Urdu videos, or a one-time Studio payment.
The real price for 1080p
Both entry plans are $29 a month on monthly billing, but they don't buy the same thing. Lumen5 Basic ($29, or $19 billed yearly) gives unlimited videos without Lumen5 branding, but exports at 720p, caps videos at 10 minutes and includes 240 AI voice minutes a year. To get 1080p and the 50M+ stock library you need Lumen5 Starter at $79 a month, or $59 billed yearly ($708 a year).
Pictory Starter ($29, or $25 billed yearly, $300 a year) exports 1080p, includes 5 million stock videos from Getty Images and Storyblocks, ElevenLabs voices in 29 languages and a few minutes of avatar video each month, but caps you at 200 video minutes a month. Professional ($59, or $35 billed yearly) raises that to 600 minutes and adds custom avatars.
If you need full HD, Pictory is the cheaper route by a wide margin. If 720p is fine and you make many short videos, Lumen5 Basic yearly at $19 a month is hard to beat.
Workflow and output
Lumen5 is designed for brand consistency. You start from a link, script or document, and it builds a first cut with your colors, fonts and templates. Higher plans add custom watermarks, uploaded fonts, Shutterstock editorial media, translations and multiple workspaces, and Team adds approval workflows and single sign-on. It suits a marketing team that publishes a lot of on-brand company content.
Pictory is designed for repurposing. Script-to-video and URL-to-video work much like Lumen5's, but Pictory also edits recorded videos by their transcript, cuts highlights out of webinars and podcasts, and handles videos up to 30 minutes. Avatars add a presenter without filming.
Neither lists posting to social networks on its pricing page, so both pair with a separate scheduler.
Who each one suits
- Content marketer turning every blog post into a short video: Lumen5 Basic.
- Brand team that needs locked templates and approvals: Lumen5 Pro or Team.
- Marketer who needs 1080p on a small budget: Pictory Starter.
- Webinar or podcast team cutting recordings into clips: Pictory.
- Anyone who wants to test for free with no deadline: Lumen5's free plan.
Where TallyReel fits, and where it doesn't
TallyReel is built for a different buyer: someone running faceless social channels rather than a company blog. You type one idea, it writes a script with a hook and planned shots, and after you approve, it builds the video from stock footage or AI pictures with voiceover, captions and music. Every plan schedules to 15 networks, it can plan a series of up to 30 videos, and Plus and Pro run one series on autopilot.
It has no blog-URL import, no brand template system or approval workflow, and no transcript editing of recordings. For on-brand company video, Lumen5 or Pictory are the better tools. TallyReel fits when the goal is regular posting on TikTok, Reels and Shorts, in English, Hindi or Urdu.
Each one against TallyReel
Questions
Is Pictory better than Lumen5?
For 1080p, avatars and longer videos at a lower price, Pictory is ahead. For a free plan, unlimited videos and brand control for teams, Lumen5 is ahead.
Which is cheaper, Lumen5 or Pictory?
On October 18, 2026, both entry plans were $29 a month on monthly billing. On yearly billing Lumen5 Basic is $19 a month and Pictory Starter is $25. But Lumen5 Basic exports 720p; its 1080p plan is $79 a month.
Does Lumen5 have a free plan?
Yes: 5 videos a month, up to 2 minutes each, at 720p, with a Lumen5 branded outro.
Can Lumen5 or Pictory post to social media?
Neither lists social posting on its pricing page. TallyReel schedules to 15 networks on every plan.
Pick one. Make it tonight.
Type the idea into TallyReel, read the script, and it makes the video for you: in the browser, on your phone, or in Studio on your own computer. Start on the free plan.