How to Use Elai Like a Pro (2026 Guide)

Quick Start

This guide covers every Elai feature:

• Getting Started — Create account and basic setup
• How to Use Custom Avatar — Create a lifelike AI presenter for your videos
• How to Use Text-to-Video Generation — Turn scripts into professional videos in minutes
• How to Use Voice Cloning — Clone your own voice for authentic narration
• How to Use Avatar Dialogues — Create multi-speaker conversations between avatars
• How to Use Interactivity — Add quizzes and clickable elements to videos
• How to Use Multilingual Videos — Translate your video into 75+ languages instantly
• How to Use Brand Kit — Apply consistent colors, fonts, and logos across all videos

Time needed: 5 minutes per feature

Also in this guide: Pro Tips | Common Mistakes | Troubleshooting | Pricing | Alternatives

Why Trust This Guide

I’ve used Elai for over a year and tested every feature covered here.

This tutorial comes from real hands-on experience — not marketing copy.

Elai is one of the most powerful AI video creation tools available today.

But most users only scratch the surface of what it can do.

This guide shows you how to use every major feature.

Step by step, with screenshots and pro tips.

Elai Tutorial

This complete how to use elai tutorial walks you through every feature step by step, from initial setup to advanced tips that will make you a power user.

Elai

Turn any text into a professional AI video in minutes. Elai gives you 80+ realistic avatars, voice cloning, and 75+ language translations — all without a camera or studio. Start free and create your first video today.

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Getting Started with Elai

Before using any feature, complete this one-time setup.

It takes about 3 minutes.

Watch this quick overview first:

Now let’s walk through each step.

Step 1: Create Your Account

Go to elai.io and click “Get Started for Free.”

Enter your email address and create a password.

You can also sign up using your Google account.

✓ Checkpoint: Check your inbox for a confirmation email from Elai.

Step 2: Access the Dashboard

Elai runs entirely in your browser — no download needed.

Log in at elai.io to reach your video dashboard.

Here’s what the dashboard looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: You should see the main dashboard with a “Create Video” button.

Step 3: Complete Initial Setup

Click “Create Video” to open the video editor for the first time.

Choose a template or start from a blank project.

Browse the avatar library and pick a presenter for your first video.

How to Use Elai Custom Avatar

Custom Avatar lets you create a personalized AI presenter using your own likeness.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Watch Custom Avatar in action:

Now let’s break down each step.

Step 1: Record Your Selfie Avatar

Go to your Elai dashboard and click “Avatars” in the left sidebar.

Select “Create Avatar” and choose the “Selfie Avatar” option.

Record a short video of yourself following the on-screen prompts.

Step 2: Submit and Wait for Processing

Upload your recorded video and click “Submit for Processing.”

Here’s what the avatar creation screen looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Your avatar appears in the “My Avatars” section within a few hours.

Step 3: Use Your Avatar in a Video

Open any video project and click “Change Avatar” in the scene editor.

Select your custom avatar from the “My Avatars” tab.

Add your script text and hit “Generate” to render the scene.

How to Use Elai Text-to-Video Generation

Text-to-Video Generation lets you turn any written script into a fully produced AI video.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Watch Text-to-Video Generation in action:

Now let’s break down each step.

Step 1: Start a New Video Project

From the dashboard, click “Create Video” and select “Text to Video.”

Paste or type your script into the text input area.

Step 2: Choose Your Avatar and Settings

Pick an AI avatar from the library to present your content.

Select a language, voice, and background template for the video.

Here’s what the text-to-video editor looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: The preview panel shows your avatar alongside the script text.

Step 3: Generate and Download Your Video

Click the “Generate” button to start rendering the video.

Once complete, preview the video and click “Download” to save as MP4.

How to Use Elai Voice Cloning

Voice Cloning lets you create an AI replica of your own voice for use across all your videos.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Watch Voice Cloning in action:

Now let’s break down each step.

Step 1: Open Voice Settings

Go to your Elai account settings and click “Voice Cloning.”

Click “Create New Voice Clone” to start the recording process.

Step 2: Record Your Voice Sample

Read the provided sample text aloud into your microphone.

Record for at least 60 seconds for the best clone quality.

Here’s what the voice cloning interface looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: You see a waveform and a “Submit” button after recording.

Step 3: Apply Your Cloned Voice to a Video

In any video project, open the voice selector and choose “My Voices.

Select your cloned voice and click “Apply to All Scenes.”

How to Use Elai Avatar Dialogues

Avatar Dialogues lets you create engaging back-and-forth conversations between two AI avatars.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Watch Avatar Dialogues in action:

Now let’s break down each step.

Step 1: Open the Dialogue Feature

Inside the video editor, click “Add Scene” and choose “Dialogue Scene.”

You’ll see two avatar slots appear on the canvas.

Step 2: Assign Avatars and Lines

Select a different avatar for each speaker slot.

Type each avatar’s dialogue lines in the alternating text fields below.

Here’s what the dialogue editor looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Each avatar is highlighted as their line plays in the preview.

Step 3: Preview and Adjust Timing

Click “Preview” to watch the conversation play back in real time.

Adjust pause lengths between lines using the timing slider.

How to Use Elai Interactivity

Interactivity lets you embed quizzes, clickable buttons, and branching scenarios directly inside your video.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Watch Interactivity in action:

Now let’s break down each step.

Step 1: Open the Interactive Elements Panel

Inside your video project, click the “Interactive” tab in the editor toolbar.

You’ll see options for Quiz, Button, and Branching elements.

Step 2: Add a Quiz or Button to Your Scene

Drag a “Quiz” block onto the canvas at the point in the video where viewers should answer.

Enter the question, answer choices, and the correct answer.

Here’s what the interactivity editor looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: The quiz element appears as an overlay in the video timeline.

Step 3: Set Branching Logic

For branching videos, connect each answer choice to a different scene.

Click “Save” and preview the interactive flow before rendering.

How to Use Elai Multilingual Videos

Multilingual Videos lets you translate and re-voice your video into over 75 languages with one click.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open Translation Settings

Open a completed video project and click “Translate” in the top toolbar.

A language selection panel will open on the right side.

Step 2: Select Target Languages

Choose one or more target languages from the list of 75+ options.

Select a matching AI voice for each language to use in the translated version.

Here’s what the language selection looks like:

Each selected language appears as a new tab in your project panel.

✓ Checkpoint: Each selected language appears as a separate video variant in your project list.

Step 3: Generate and Download Translated Videos

Click “Generate All” to render every language version simultaneously.

Download each version individually or in bulk from your project dashboard.

How to Use Elai Brand Kit

Brand Kit lets you save your brand colors, fonts, and logo so every video looks consistent.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open Brand Kit Settings

Go to your workspace settings and click “Brand Kit” in the left menu.

You’ll see fields for logo, colors, and fonts.

Step 2: Upload Your Brand Assets

Upload your company logo as a PNG or SVG file.

Enter your primary and secondary brand colors using HEX codes.

Here’s what the Brand Kit setup looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Your brand colors and logo appear in the Brand Kit preview panel.

Step 3: Apply Brand Kit to a Video

Open any video project and click “Apply Brand Kit” from the scene settings.

Your brand colors, fonts, and logo are applied across all scenes instantly.

Elai Pro Tips and Shortcuts

After testing Elai for over a year, here are my best tips.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Hidden Features Most People Miss

• AI Storyboard: Paste a long article URL or block of text and Elai auto-creates a multi-scene video structure — find it under “Create Video > From Text/URL.”
• Bulk Scene Editing: Right-click any scene thumbnail and choose “Apply to All Scenes” to push style changes across the entire video at once.
• API Access: Both free trial and paid accounts can generate videos via the Elai API — go to Settings > API Keys to create your first key.

Elai Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake #1: Writing Scripts That Are Too Long per Scene

Mistake #2: Skipping the Full Preview Before Rendering

Mistake #3: Using a Poor-Quality Selfie Avatar Recording

Elai Troubleshooting

Problem: Video render is stuck or taking too long

Cause: Long videos or high server load can slow rendering times.

Fix: Refresh the page and check the “My Videos” section — the render often completes in the background. If still stuck after 30 minutes, contact Elai support.

Problem: Avatar lips are out of sync with the audio

Cause: This sometimes happens with very long sentences or unusual punctuation in the script.

Fix: Break long sentences into shorter ones using periods. Avoid using special characters or excessive commas in your script text.

Problem: Translated video voice sounds robotic

Cause: The default voice selected for the target language may not match the content tone.

Fix: Go to the translation settings and manually switch to a different voice option for that language. Preview each voice before rendering.

📌 Note: If none of these fix your issue, contact Elai support via the chat widget inside your dashboard.

What is Elai?

Elai is an AI video creation platform that turns text into professional videos using realistic AI avatars.

Think of it like having a video production studio inside your browser — no camera, no crew, no recording.

Watch this quick overview:

It includes these key features:

• Custom Avatar: Create a personalized AI presenter using your own likeness with a short video recording.
• Text-to-Video Generation: Paste any script and generate a polished AI video in minutes.
• Voice Cloning: Clone your own voice so your videos sound authentically like you.
• Avatar Dialogues: Create multi-speaker conversations between two AI avatars for dynamic content.
• Interactivity: Embed quizzes, branching paths, and clickable buttons directly inside your video.
• Multilingual Videos: Translate and re-voice your videos into 75+ languages with one click.
• Brand Kit: Save your colors, fonts, and logo to keep every video on-brand automatically.
• Stock Media Library: Access a built-in library of royalty-free images and background music for your videos.

For a full review, see our Elai review.

Elai Pricing

Here’s what Elai costs in 2026:

Free trial: Yes — the Free Trial plan is available with no credit card required.

Money-back guarantee: Contact Elai support for refund eligibility details.

💰 Best Value: Creator plan at $23/user/month — gives you full video generation, voice cloning, and avatar access at an affordable monthly rate.

Elai vs Alternatives

How does Elai compare? Here’s the competitive landscape:

Quick picks:

• Best overall: Synthesia — top-rated platform with the largest enterprise feature set and polished avatars.
• Best budget: D-ID — starts at just $4.7/month for talking photo and avatar videos.
• Best for beginners: Veed — simple interface, generous free tier, and easy onboarding.
• Best for interactive videos: Elai — the only tool with built-in quizzes, branching, and clickable elements.

🎯 Elai Alternatives

Looking for Elai alternatives? Here are the top options:

• 🌟 HeyGen: The most popular AI avatar platform — stunning video quality, easy to use, and great for marketing teams. Starts at $24/month.
• ⭐ Synthesia: Best for enterprise training videos — 230+ avatars, 140+ languages, and trusted by Fortune 500 companies. Starts at $18/month.
• 🏢 Colossyan: Built specifically for L&D teams — includes branching scenarios and SCORM export for LMS platforms. Starts at $19/month.
• 💰 Veed: Best value for simple video editing and AI voiceovers — generous free plan with easy drag-and-drop editor. Starts at $9/month.
• 🚀 Vidnoz: Completely free AI video maker with 800+ templates — perfect for testing AI video without any budget. Free to start.
• 🎨 DeepBrain: Ultra-realistic AI presenters — great for news-style or corporate announcement videos. Starts at $24/month.
• 🧠 Synthesys: Strong for voiceover and dubbing alongside video — good for content creators needing both voice and video AI. Starts at $20/month.
• ⚡ Hour One: Fast video generation with a clean editor — ideal for teams needing quick corporate video output. Starts at $30/month.
• 🔧 D-ID: Best for affordable talking photo and avatar videos — lowest entry price in the category at $4.7/month.
• 🎯 Virbo: Solid AI video tool from Wondershare — good for social media content with desktop and mobile apps. Starts at $19.9/month.
• 📊 Vidyard: Best for sales and marketing video — includes video hosting, analytics, and CRM integrations. Free plan available.
• 🔥 Fliki: Great for turning blog posts into videos automatically — text-to-video with a large stock media library. Starts at $21/month.
• 🎤 Speechify: Primarily a text-to-speech tool with video features — best for audio-first content creators. Starts at $11.58/month.
• 💼 InVideo: Feature-rich AI video editor for social media — large template library and easy to learn. Free plan available.
• 👶 Creatify: Focused on AI ad videos — ideal for e-commerce brands and performance marketers. Free plan available.
• ✂️ Captions AI: Best for short-form social video with AI auto-captions — popular for TikTok and Instagram content. Starts at $9.99/month.

For the full list, see our Elai alternatives guide.

⚔️ Elai Compared

Here’s how Elai stacks up against each competitor:

• Elai vs HeyGen: HeyGen wins on avatar quality and ease of use; Elai wins for interactive video features and built-in quizzes.
• Elai vs Synthesia: Synthesia leads for enterprise training at scale; Elai is more affordable and better for interactive branching content.
• Elai vs Colossyan: Colossyan has stronger SCORM/LMS integration; Elai offers a better free entry point and more avatar variety.
• Elai vs Veed: Veed is better for general video editing; Elai is better when you need a talking AI avatar in your videos.
• Elai vs Vidnoz: Vidnoz is free; Elai offers more professional features, better avatar quality, and real multilingual support.
• Elai vs DeepBrain: DeepBrain has more photorealistic avatars; Elai is stronger for multilingual video and interactive elements.
• Elai vs Synthesys: Synthesys focuses more on voiceover; Elai gives you full avatar-driven video creation with more editing tools.
• Elai vs Hour One: Hour One has a faster editor for corporate videos; Elai has more interactive features and a lower starting price.
• Elai vs D-ID: D-ID is cheaper for simple talking avatars; Elai wins for full video production with scenes, branding, and interactivity.
• Elai vs Virbo: Virbo has good mobile apps; Elai is stronger for web-based professional video production with advanced features.
• Elai vs Vidyard: Vidyard is better for video hosting and sales analytics; Elai is better for creating AI avatar video content from scratch.
• Elai vs Fliki: Fliki excels at blog-to-video conversion; Elai is stronger for custom avatar videos and interactive learning content.
• Elai vs Speechify: Speechify is an audio-first tool; Elai is a better choice when you need a full video with an AI presenter on screen.
• Elai vs InVideo: InVideo has a bigger template library for social media clips; Elai is better for professional AI avatar-driven video content.
• Elai vs Creatify: Creatify is specialized for ad videos; Elai is more versatile for training, marketing, and educational video content.
• Elai vs Captions AI: Captions AI is best for short social clips with auto-captions; Elai is better for long-form professional video production.

Start Using Elai Now

You learned how to use every major Elai feature:

• ✅ Custom Avatar
• ✅ Text-to-Video Generation
• ✅ Voice Cloning
• ✅ Avatar Dialogues
• ✅ Interactivity
• ✅ Multilingual Videos
• ✅ Brand Kit

Next step: Pick one feature and try it now.

Most people start with Text-to-Video Generation.

It takes less than 5 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Elai do?

Elai is an AI video creation platform that transforms written text into professional videos using realistic AI avatars. You type a script, choose an avatar, and Elai generates a finished video complete with lip-synced speech, background, and music. It’s designed for marketers, trainers, and content creators who want professional video output without a camera or studio.

Is Elai free or paid?

Elai offers a free trial plan at $0 with no credit card required — it lets you test the platform and create sample videos. Paid plans start at $23/user/month for the Creator plan, which unlocks full video generation, voice cloning, and unlimited renders. A Team plan is available at $100/month, and Enterprise pricing is custom.

How to use Elai AI?

To use Elai, sign up at elai.io, click “Create Video,” and paste your script into the text editor. Next, select an AI avatar and background, then click “Generate” to produce your video. The whole process takes just a few minutes and requires no technical skills or prior video editing experience.

What is the AI website that converts text to video?

Elai.io is one of the top AI websites for converting text to video — paste your script and it generates a polished avatar-driven video automatically. Other popular options include HeyGen, Synthesia, and Fliki. Elai stands out for its interactive video features and multilingual translation support for over 75 languages.

Does Elai work?

Yes, Elai works well for generating professional AI avatar videos from text. The avatar lip-sync is accurate, the multilingual translations are solid, and the interactive video features work reliably. Like any AI video tool, output quality improves when your scripts are well-written and formatted in short, clear sentences.

How to convert text into video using AI?

To convert text to video using AI, go to Elai.io and click “Create Video > Text to Video.” Paste your script, choose an AI avatar and voice, then click “Generate.” Elai renders a finished video with your chosen presenter speaking the text — you can then download it as an MP4 or share it directly.