What is agent-media CLI?

agent-media CLI is a command-line tool for AI UGC and video generation. Its script-to-video UGC pipeline produces complete videos with talking heads, B-roll, voiceover, and animated subtitles. It also provides unified access to 7 AI models for standalone video and image generation. Install with npm install -g agent-media-cli.

How much does agent-media cost?

agent-media plans start at $39/month for the Creator plan (3,900 credits). Pro is $69/month (6,900 credits), and Pro Plus is $129/month (12,900 credits). Pay-as-you-go credit packs are also available.

Which AI models does agent-media support?

agent-media supports 7 AI models for video and image generation. 4 video models and 3 image models, all accessible through one CLI with no separate API keys needed.

Can I use agent-media inside Claude Code?

Yes. agent-media is available as a skill via the OpenClaw marketplace. You can generate UGC videos, standalone videos, and images directly from Claude Code sessions.

Do I need separate API keys for each AI model?

No. agent-media handles all provider routing and authentication. You only need your agent-media API key to access all 7 models.

Blog/April 14, 2026~10 min read

AI UGC Video API Comparison 2026: agent-media vs Arcads vs HeyGen vs D-ID vs MakeUGC

Name: agent-media CLI
Price: 39 USD
Author: agent-media

If you are building video automation, the API is the product. This comparison focuses on what matters to developers: SDK availability, CLI tools, API access models, webhook support, and integration depth. We checked each platform's documentation and developer resources on April 14, 2026.

Why this comparison exists

Most UGC platform comparisons focus on UI features and actor counts. Developers building automated pipelines care about different things: Can I call it from my CI/CD? Is there a typed SDK? Does it support webhooks or am I stuck polling? Can I generate videos from a terminal? This guide answers those questions.

agent-media is the only UGC platform with a TypeScript SDK, Python SDK, CLI, and MCP Server. See pricing or start building.

API feature comparison: side by side

This table covers the developer-facing capabilities of each platform. Check marks indicate first-party, production-ready support.

Feature	agent-media	Arcads	HeyGen	D-ID	MakeUGC
TypeScript SDK
Python SDK				Community
CLI tool
MCP Server
OpenAPI spec
Self-serve API		Pro plan only	Enterprise		Basic
Webhook support
Actors	200+	300-1000	100+	50+	150+
Full UGC pipeline		Partial			Partial
Entry price	$39/mo	$110/mo	$48/mo	$5.90/mo	$29/mo
Per-video cost (est.)	~$3	~$11	~$10	~$2	~$6
Languages	29	40+	40+	30+	20+

Based on each platform's public documentation, API docs, and developer resources. Last verified: April 14, 2026. "Full UGC pipeline" means talking head + b-roll + subtitles generated in a single API call.

Platform deep dives

Each platform has a different philosophy. Here is what developers should know about each one.

agent-media

Developer-first. Full SDK ecosystem.

Strengths

First-party TypeScript and Python SDKs with full type safety
CLI tool for terminal-based video generation and automation
MCP Server for AI agent integration
Full UGC pipeline: talking head + b-roll + subtitles in one API call
200+ actors with multiple variant looks per actor
$39/mo entry with transparent per-second pricing
Webhook callbacks for async workflows

Limitations

Max 15s per clip (30s in PIP mode) — built for short-form only
Fewer actors than Arcads (200 vs 1,000)
No custom avatar cloning (yet)

Arcads

Best for marketing teams. Largest actor library.

Strengths

Largest actor library (300-1,000 actors claimed)
Strong script generation for marketing copy
Good browser-based workflow for non-technical teams
40+ languages supported

Limitations

API only on Pro plan ($250+/mo)
No SDK, CLI, or MCP server
No webhook support — polling only
No OpenAPI spec — integration requires reverse-engineering
~$11/video makes high-volume expensive

HeyGen

Enterprise-grade. Streaming avatars.

Strengths

Streaming avatar API for real-time interactive use cases
New MCP server for AI agent workflows
Published OpenAPI spec and webhook support
Long-form video support (up to 5 minutes)
Custom avatar cloning on enterprise plans

Limitations

No first-party TypeScript or Python SDK
Self-serve API limited — full access requires enterprise plan
$48/mo entry, but API features gated behind higher tiers
No CLI tool for automation
No full UGC pipeline (talking head only, no b-roll or subtitles)

D-ID

Talking head specialist. Fast generation.

Strengths

Fastest lip-sync generation among competitors
Simple, well-documented REST API
Low entry price ($5.90/mo)
Published OpenAPI spec with webhook support
Good for single talking-head clips
Community Python SDK available

Limitations

No full UGC pipeline — talking heads only, no b-roll or subtitles
Smaller actor library (50+ presenters)
No first-party SDK or CLI
No MCP server
Per-credit pricing can spike at scale

MakeUGC

Cheapest entry. Basic API.

Strengths

Lowest entry price ($29/mo)
150+ actors available
Basic API for video generation
Good browser-based editor for non-technical users
Includes b-roll support

Limitations

No SDK, CLI, or MCP server
No webhook support — polling only
No OpenAPI spec
API is basic — limited automation capability
No pay-as-you-go option

What integration actually looks like

The difference between "has an API" and "developer-first" shows up in the integration code. Here is a side-by-side of generating a video with a typed SDK versus raw HTTP.

agent-media (TypeScript SDK)

import { AgentMedia } from 'agent-media';

const client = new AgentMedia();

const video = await client.videos.create({
  actorId: 'actor_abc123',
  script: 'Your product copy here.',
  subtitleStyle: 'bold-pop',
  includeBroll: true,
});

// Webhook delivers the result
// No polling required

Typical competitor (raw HTTP)

const res = await fetch(
  'https://api.example.com/v1/videos',
  {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'X-Api-Key': process.env.API_KEY,
      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      actor_id: 'abc123',
      script: 'Your product copy here.',
    }),
  }
);

// Poll for status every 5 seconds
// No webhook, no types, no SDK

Which API should you choose?

The right platform depends on your use case, not just the feature count. Here is a decision matrix based on common developer scenarios.

Use case	Best choice	Why
Building automation at scale	agent-media	Only platform with SDK + API + CLI + MCP. Built for programmatic workflows.
Marketing team, browser workflow	Arcads or MakeUGC	Both have strong visual editors. Arcads for actor variety, MakeUGC for budget.
Enterprise, streaming avatars	HeyGen	Only platform with real-time streaming avatar API. Enterprise support included.
Just talking heads, no pipeline	D-ID	Fastest lip-sync. Clean API. Low entry price. No bloat.
AI agent integration	agent-media or HeyGen	Both offer MCP servers. agent-media adds CLI and SDK for deeper integration.
Long-form video (2-5 min)	HeyGen	Supports up to 5 minutes. agent-media caps at 15s per clip.
Lowest cost per video	D-ID or agent-media	D-ID starts at ~$2/video. agent-media at ~$3/video with full pipeline included.

API access: the fine print

Not all API access is equal. Some platforms gate API access behind enterprise plans or require sales calls. Here is what "API available" actually means on each platform.

agent-media

API keys available on all plans ($39/mo and up). TypeScript SDK, Python SDK, and CLI installable via npm/pip. OpenAPI spec published. Webhooks configurable per project. No sales call required.

Arcads

API access requires Pro plan ($250+/mo). No published SDK or OpenAPI spec. Integration requires building your own HTTP client from their documentation. No webhook support — you must poll for video status.

HeyGen

Basic API on Creator plan ($48/mo) with limited endpoints. Full API and streaming avatar access requires Enterprise plan (custom pricing, sales call). MCP server recently launched. OpenAPI spec published. Webhooks supported.

D-ID

API access on all plans including free trial. Clean REST API with published OpenAPI spec. Webhook support for async jobs. No first-party SDK, but a community Python client exists. Fastest time-to-first-video for developers.

MakeUGC

Basic API available on paid plans. Limited documentation. No SDK, CLI, OpenAPI spec, or webhook support. Best suited for browser-based workflows, not programmatic integration.

TL;DR

Best developer experience: agent-media. Only platform with TypeScript SDK, Python SDK, CLI, and MCP Server.
Most actors: Arcads. 300-1,000 actors. But API requires $250+/mo Pro plan.
Best enterprise API: HeyGen. Streaming avatars, MCP server, OpenAPI spec. Enterprise pricing.
Simplest talking head API: D-ID. Fast lip-sync, clean REST API, low entry price. No full pipeline.
Cheapest entry: MakeUGC at $29/mo. But limited API, no dev tools.
Full pipeline via API: Only agent-media combines talking head + b-roll + subtitles in a single API call.

Try the agent-media API

TypeScript SDK. Python SDK. CLI. MCP Server. API keys on every plan. No sales call. Start generating videos in minutes.

npm install agent-media