AI video generator pricing in 2026 ranges from under $3 to $24 per minute of generated video at list rates. Budget models like older Hailuo models, Veo 3.1 Lite, and Grok Imagine cost about $3 a minute or less through their APIs. Mid-range tools like Kling, Runway Gen-4 Turbo, and Veo 3.1 Fast land between about $4.50 and $7.50 a minute, while Google's top Veo 3.1 model costs $24 a minute. Subscriptions start at $7.99 to $30 a month.
The cheapest AI video generators in 2026 cost about $3 or less per generated minute (older Hailuo models, Veo 3.1 Lite, and Grok Imagine 1.0 via API). For a subscription, Hailuo Standard ($7.99/mo) and Kling Standard ($10/mo) have the lowest entry prices. Expect your real cost per finished minute to be two to three times higher once you count retries.
Why AI Video Pricing Is So Confusing
Most AI video tools don't sell minutes. They sell credits, and each model burns credits at a different rate per second. A plan that looks cheap can produce only a minute or two of video, while a pricier plan may cost less per second. Resolution, audio, and model version all change the rate.
That's why this guide converts each tool's pricing into a single number: cost per minute of generated video.
In this guide, you'll learn:
- What Kling, Runway, Veo, Grok, Hailuo, and CapCut cost per minute in 2026
- What happened to Sora's pricing
- Which AI video generator is cheapest, and what free plans really include
- How much it costs to hire an AI video creator versus doing it yourself
- How to calculate your own real cost per finished minute
AI Video Generator Price Comparison: Cost per Minute (2026)
The table below converts each tool's list price into the cost of one minute of generated video, assuming every clip is usable on the first try. Prices are in US dollars, sorted from cheapest to most expensive.
Model and access | List rate | Cost per generated minute |
|---|---|---|
Hailuo (MiniMax API, 6-second 768p clip) | $0.28 per clip | About $2.80 |
Veo 3.1 Lite (Gemini API, 720p) | $0.05 per second | $3.00 |
Grok Imagine 1.0 (xAI API) | $0.05 per second | $3.00 |
Runway Gen-4 Turbo (Pro plan, monthly) | 5 credits per second | About $4.67 |
Grok Imagine 1.5 (xAI API) | $0.08 per second | $4.80 |
Kling VIDEO 3.0 1080p, no audio (Premier plan) | 8 credits per second | About $5.52 |
Kling 3.0 Turbo (Kling API, 720p) | About $0.11 per second | About $6.60 |
Veo 3.1 Fast (Gemini API, 1080p) | $0.12 per second | $7.20 |
Kling VIDEO 3.0 1080p, no audio (Standard plan) | 8 credits per second | About $7.27 |
Hailuo H3 (MiniMax API, 2K) | $0.13 per second | $7.80 |
Runway Gen-4.5 (Pro plan, monthly) | 12 credits per second | About $11.20 |
Veo 3.1 (Gemini API, 720p to 1080p, with audio) | $0.40 per second | $24.00 |
These are list rates for one take. Real projects usually need several generations per usable clip, so plan for two to three times these numbers.
How We Calculated These Numbers
- API prices: per-second rate multiplied by 60.
- Subscription prices: plan price divided by monthly credits gives the cost per credit. That cost is multiplied by the credits a model uses per minute. For example, Kling Standard costs $10 for 660 credits (about $0.0152 per credit), and VIDEO 3.0 at 1080p uses 480 credits per minute, so one minute costs about $7.27.
- Hailuo (older model): a $0.28 six-second clip, multiplied by 10 clips per minute.
AI Video Generator Pricing by Tool
Kling AI Video Generator Pricing
Kling sells monthly credit plans. Standard costs $10 a month for 660 credits, Pro costs $37 for 3,000 credits, Premier costs $92 for 8,000 credits, and Ultra costs $180 for 26,000 credits. Kling VIDEO 3.0 uses 6 credits per second at 720p and 8 at 1080p, rising to 9 and 12 with native audio. That means the Standard plan covers only about 82 seconds of 1080p video a month. The free plan gives 66 credits a day, with watermarks and no commercial use.
Runway AI Video Generator Pricing
Runway Standard costs about $15 a month ($12 billed yearly) for 625 credits. Pro costs about $35 ($28 yearly) for 2,250 credits, and Max costs about $95 ($76 yearly) for 9,500 credits. Gen-4 Turbo uses 5 credits per second, while Gen-4.5 uses 12. On Standard, that's about 2 minutes of Gen-4 Turbo or under 1 minute of Gen-4.5. See our full Runway pricing breakdown.
Veo 3 AI Video Generator Cost
Google's Veo models are priced per second. On Google Cloud's Vertex AI pricing page, Veo 3 costs $0.40 per second with audio and $0.20 without, while Veo 3 Fast costs $0.15 with audio and $0.10 without. Through the Gemini API, Veo 3.1 is listed at $0.40 per second, Veo 3.1 Fast at $0.10 to $0.12 at 720p to 1080p, and Veo 3.1 Lite at $0.05 to $0.08. Consumers can also use Veo through Google AI plans. Read more in our Veo 3.1 pricing guide.
Sora AI Video Generator Cost: Discontinued
Sora is no longer available to buy. According to OpenAI's deprecations page, the sora-2 and sora-2-pro models were removed from the API on September 24, 2026, with no recommended replacement. Reports indicate the consumer Sora app closed earlier, in April 2026. For reference, the last API prices were $0.10 per second for Sora 2 at 720p and up to $0.70 per second for Sora 2 Pro at 1080p.
Grok AI Video Generator Pricing
xAI's Grok Imagine is included in the SuperGrok plan at $30 a month, and SuperGrok Plus at $100 a month adds 1080p video and higher limits. xAI doesn't publish a fixed number of videos per plan. Through the API, Grok Imagine Video 1.0 costs $0.05 per second and 1.5 costs $0.08 per second. Learn more on our Grok Imagine profile.
Hailuo AI Video Generator Pricing
Hailuo's consumer plans start at $7.99 a month (Standard, 1,000 credits), with Pro at $24.99 and Master at $63.99. Through the MiniMax API, older Hailuo models cost about $0.28 for a 6-second 768p clip, and the newer H3 model costs $0.13 per second at 2K. See our Hailuo AI pricing guide.
CapCut AI Video Generator Pricing
CapCut bundles AI video features into its editing plans. CapCut Pro costs $19.99 a month ($179.99 a year) and includes 1,200 AI credits a month. CapCut doesn't publish a per-second video rate, so it's best viewed as an editor with AI extras rather than a pure generator.
What Is the Cheapest AI Video Generator?
The cheapest AI video generator depends on how you buy it:
- Cheapest per minute (API): Older Hailuo models (about $2.80 per minute), Veo 3.1 Lite and Grok Imagine 1.0 ($3.00 per minute)
- Cheapest subscription: Hailuo Standard at $7.99 a month, then Kling Standard at $10 a month
- Best value at higher volume: Kling Premier and Runway Pro, which cost less per second than their entry plans
API pricing suits developers and teams with technical help. For most creators, a subscription is simpler, even if it costs more per second. Our list of the cheapest AI video generators compares more budget options.
Free vs Paid AI Video Generators
Free plans are good for testing, not for client or business work. Common catches include:
- Watermarks on every export (Kling Free, Hailuo Free)
- Low resolution, such as 360p to 720p
- No commercial rights on many free plans, including Kling Free
- Credits that expire daily, like Kling's 66 free credits that reset every 24 hours
- Short clips only, such as Hailuo's 6-second free clips
AI Video Generator Hidden Costs
- Failed generations: You pay for every generation, including clips you throw away.
- Credits that don't roll over: Kling subscription credits expire at the end of each period.
- Audio and resolution upgrades: Native audio raises Kling's rate by 50%, and Veo 3 with audio costs twice as much as without.
- Intro discounts: First-month deals often revert to full price at renewal.
- Editing and voice tools: Generators make clips, but you may still pay for an editor, music, or voiceovers.
Why Are AI-Generated Videos So Expensive?
Video generation uses a lot of computing power for every second of output. Higher resolution, native audio, and newer models all need more processing, which is why the same 10-second clip can cost several times more on a premium model than on a budget one.
AI Video Tools vs Hiring an AI Video Creator
Doing it yourself costs less in cash but more in time. Hiring an AI video creator costs more, but you pay for skills like prompting, editing, and storytelling, plus the tool costs and retries they absorb.
Factor | DIY with AI tools | Hiring an AI video creator |
|---|---|---|
Cash cost | Subscription or API usage | Project fee or retainer |
Time cost | Your hours for prompting, retries, and editing | Mostly review and feedback |
Quality control | Depends on your skills | Depends on the creator's portfolio |
Best for | Simple social clips, testing ideas | Ads, brand videos, client work |
How Freelancers Price AI Video Work
AI video creators usually price their work in one of three ways:
- Per project: A fixed fee for a defined video, such as one 30-second ad with two revisions.
- By video length: A rate that rises with the finished runtime, since longer videos need more generations and editing.
- Retainer: A monthly fee for a set number of videos, which suits businesses that post every week.
What's a Fair Price for a 30-Second AI Video?
There's no single market rate, so build the price from its parts:
- Generation cost: 30 seconds at the tool's rate, multiplied by retries. For example, Kling Standard at about $7.27 per minute is about $3.64 for 30 seconds; with three tries per usable clip, that's about $11.
- Extras: Voiceover, music licensing, and editing software.
- Labor: Hours spent on scripting, prompting, editing, and revisions, multiplied by the creator's hourly rate.
- Value: An ad that runs in paid campaigns is worth more than a one-off social post.
In most projects, labor is the biggest part of the price, not the AI tool. That's why two creators using the same tool can quote very different prices.
How to Get AI Videos Made Without Breaking the Budget
- Write a clear brief with the length, platform, style, and examples you like.
- Ask for a fixed price with a set number of revisions.
- Bundle several videos into one project or retainer for a better rate.
- Supply your own script, logo, and brand assets to cut the creator's time.
- Review the creator's portfolio for the exact style you need.
How to Calculate Your Real Cost per Finished Minute
List prices assume every clip works the first time. Your real cost depends on how many generations it takes to get usable footage. Here's how to work it out.
- Find the cost per credit. Divide the plan price by its monthly credits. Example: Runway Pro at $35 for 2,250 credits is about $0.0156 per credit.
- Find credits per minute. Multiply the model's credits per second by 60. Example: Gen-4 Turbo at 5 credits per second uses 300 credits per minute.
- Get the list cost per minute. Multiply the two numbers. Example: 300 × $0.0156 is about $4.67 per minute.
- Track your keep rate. Count how many clips you generate for each one you use. If you keep one in three, your keep rate is 33%.
- Divide by your keep rate. $4.67 ÷ 0.33 is about $14 per finished minute.
Example: One 60-Second Social Ad
Step | Runway Gen-4 Turbo (Pro) | Kling VIDEO 3.0 1080p (Standard) | Veo 3.1 (API) |
|---|---|---|---|
List cost per minute | About $4.67 | About $7.27 | $24.00 |
Keep rate | 1 in 3 | 1 in 3 | 1 in 3 |
Real cost per finished minute | About $14 | About $22 | About $72 |
The keep rate here is an example. Simple scenes may work on the first try, while complex shots with people or text can take many more attempts.
How Long Does It Take to Create an AI Video?
Generating a single clip usually takes minutes. A finished 30 to 60 second video often takes a few hours once you add scripting, retries, editing, and voiceover. Time is the hidden cost that matters most when you compare DIY with hiring.
FAQs
How much does an AI video generator cost?
AI video generator subscriptions start at about $8 to $30 a month. Measured per minute of generated video, list prices range from under $3 to $24, depending on the model, resolution, and audio.
What is the cheapest AI video generator?
By API, older Hailuo models, Veo 3.1 Lite, and Grok Imagine 1.0 cost about $3 per minute or less. By subscription, Hailuo Standard at $7.99 a month and Kling Standard at $10 a month have the lowest entry prices.
How much does Sora cost now?
Sora is no longer available. OpenAI removed the Sora 2 models from its API on September 24, 2026, and named no replacement.
How much does Veo 3 cost?
On Google Cloud Vertex AI, Veo 3 costs $0.40 per second with audio ($24 per minute) and $0.20 per second without audio ($12 per minute). Veo 3 Fast costs $0.10 to $0.15 per second.
What is included in an AI video generator subscription?
Most subscriptions include a monthly credit allowance, watermark-free exports, higher resolution, commercial use rights, and faster processing. Credits usually don't roll over.
Can you use free AI tools to start a video business?
You can test ideas with free plans, but most add watermarks, limit resolution, or block commercial use. Budget for at least one paid plan before taking client work.
Can you really make money creating AI videos?
Yes, if you sell skills, not just tool access. Businesses pay for scripting, consistent style, editing, and reliable delivery. The AI tool cost is usually a small part of the final price.
Is it worth investing in an AI video tool subscription?
It's worth it if you make videos every week and the monthly credits cover your output. Track your keep rate for a month to see your true cost per finished minute before upgrading.
Key Takeaways
- Price range: Under $3 to $24 per generated minute at list rates in 2026
- Cheapest per minute: Older Hailuo models, Veo 3.1 Lite, and Grok Imagine 1.0 via API
- Cheapest subscriptions: Hailuo Standard ($7.99/mo) and Kling Standard ($10/mo)
- Premium end: Veo 3.1 with audio at $24 per minute
- Sora: Discontinued; the API shut down on September 24, 2026
- Real cost: Divide list cost by your keep rate; expect two to three times the list price
- Hiring: Labor, not the AI tool, is usually the largest part of a creator's quote
Final Verdict: Compare Cost per Minute, Not Plan Price
AI video generator pricing only makes sense once you convert credits into cost per minute and factor in retries. A $10 plan that covers 82 seconds of video isn't cheaper than a $35 plan that covers several minutes. Start by testing two tools with the same prompts, track how many clips you keep, and pick the one with the lowest cost per finished minute for your style of video.
At CompareBestAI, we compare AI video tools side by side on pricing, features, and real use cases, so you can spend with confidence. Ready to compare? Use the CompareBestAI comparison tool to put Kling, Runway, Veo, and other AI video generators head to head, or browse our AI video generation category.
