How Much Does an AI Video Generator Cost Per Month and Per Clip?
As of September 2026, creator plans run about $5–$35 a month and APIs charge $0.04–$0.25 per second at 720p. Sora is gone, and retries set the real cost.
On this page
An AI video generator costs nothing to try, about $5 to $35 a month for a creator plan, and roughly $0.04 to $0.25 per second of 720p video if you pay per use through an API. The easiest free route is Google Vids, where anyone with a Google account can generate 1080p video with Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash on desktop at no cost. Premium models sit above the API range: Veo 3.1 Standard is $0.40 per second, and Seedance 2.5 at 1080p works out to about $0.57. Those are list rates. What you actually spend on a clip you keep is the rate times the clip length times the number of attempts it took, so a shot that needs three tries costs three times the sticker price.
If you're pricing ChatGPT's video generator, there isn't one anymore. OpenAI discontinued the Sora app and web experience on April 26, 2026, and shut down the Sora 2 models and Videos API on September 24, 2026, with "no one-to-one replacement API." No ChatGPT plan currently lists video generation.
All prices below are in US dollars and come from each vendor's own pricing page, as of September 30, 2026 (Google and BytePlus rates as of September 26, 2026). Video pricing changes often, so recheck the vendor page before you commit to a plan.
Monthly plans and what they include
Monthly prices are easy to compare and nearly useless on their own, because each vendor's credits buy a different number of seconds. Start here to see the entry points, then use the per-second tables further down to compare what the money buys.
| Tool | Monthly plans (billed monthly) | Credits per month | Watermark and commercial use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google AI plans (video in Google Flow) | Plus $4.99, Pro $19.99, Ultra $99.99 or $199.99 | 200, 1,000, 10,000 or 25,000 Flow credits, on top of 50 free credits a day | Not stated on the plans page |
| Kling AI | Standard $8.8 ($6.99 first month), Pro $32.56, Premier $80.96, Ultra $159.99 | 660, 3,000, 8,000, 26,000 | Paid plans include watermark removal and commercial use |
| MiniMax Hailuo | Standard $8.40, Pro $30.40, Master $71.20, Max $184.00 (monthly equivalent, billed annually) | 1,000, 4,500, 10,500, 27,000 | Watermark removal appears in the plan comparison |
| Pika | Starter $10, Creator $35, Fancy $95–$880 | 900, 3,150, 8,550 and up | No watermark on any plan; commercial license starts at Creator |
| Runway | Standard $15, Pro $35, Max $95 | 625, 2,250, 9,500 (52 s, 187 s or 791 s of Gen-4.5) | No watermarks from Standard up |
| Luma | Plus $30, Pro $90, Ultra $300 | 10,000, 40,000, 150,000 | Commercial use on all plans |
| Grok (xAI) | SuperGrok $30, SuperGrok Plus $100 | Video included; no published quota | Not stated |
Paying yearly lowers most of these: Runway drops to $12, $28 and $76 a month, Pika to $8 and $28, Luma to $25, $75 and $250, and Kling's Standard plan to $79.2 a year. Hailuo's figures above already assume annual billing; the struck-through list price for its Standard plan is $14.99.
Two plans stand out at the low end. Google AI Plus at $4.99 is the cheapest paid way into a major video model, and Hailuo Standard is the only plan in the table that prints a dollar-per-second rate on the plan card: $0.059 per second for MiniMax H3 at 768P.
Avatar tools are a separate category. HeyGen and similar tools turn a script into a talking presenter rather than generating a scene from a text prompt. HeyGen's Free plan gives 3 videos a month up to 1 minute; Creator is $29 a month ($24 billed annually) with 600 credits, 1080p export and watermark removal; Pro starts at $49 with 4K; Business is $149 plus $20 per seat. HeyGen doesn't publish how many credits a minute of video uses, and its API rates sit behind a sign-in, so it can't go on the per-second scale below.
Per-second API rates at 720p and 1080p
Pay-per-use APIs are the only place where every vendor prices on the same unit. The rates below are for generated output; Google's Veo prices include audio.
| Model (vendor) | 720p | 1080p | Other rates and notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veo 3.1 Lite (Google) | $0.05 | $0.08 | No 4K |
| Pika 2.5 (Pika API) | $0.04 | $0.09 | Plus a $10 monthly membership |
| Ray3.2 (Luma) | $0.06 | $0.24 | Rates for 5 s clips; 10 s clips cost more per second ($0.90 at 720p, $3.60 at 1080p) |
| grok-imagine-video (xAI) | $0.07 | Not offered | $0.05 at 480p |
| MiniMax-H3 (MiniMax) | $0.08 at 768P | $0.13 at 2K | MiniMax-H3-Max $0.05 at 480P |
| Kling 3.0 (Kling AI) | $0.084–$0.126 | $0.112–$0.168 | Higher figure includes native audio; 4K $0.42 |
| Gemini Omni Flash (Google) | About $0.10 | Not listed | Billed as tokens: 5,792 per second of 720p at $17.50 per 1M |
| Veo 3.1 Fast (Google) | $0.10 | $0.12 | 4K $0.30 |
| Gen-4.5 (Runway) | $0.12, one rate | Same | 12 credits per second at $0.01; Gen-4 Turbo $0.05 |
| grok-imagine-video-1.5 (xAI) | $0.14 | $0.25 | $0.08 at 480p |
| Seedance 2.5 (BytePlus) | About $0.23 | About $0.57 | From BytePlus's 5 s examples: $1.156 and $2.843 per clip |
| Veo 3.1 Standard (Google) | $0.40 | $0.40 | 4K $0.60 |
| Sora 2 (OpenAI), discontinued | Was $0.10 | sora-2-pro was $0.70 | Shut down September 24, 2026 |
A few things change the choice more than the headline number:
- The cheapest 1080p seconds come from Veo 3.1 Lite ($0.08), Pika 2.5 ($0.09), Kling 3.0 without audio ($0.112) and Veo 3.1 Fast ($0.12). Premium models such as Veo 3.1 Standard and Seedance 2.5 cost three to seven times as much per second.
- Google has no free tier for any video model on the Gemini API. It charges only when a video is successfully generated.
- Kling sells API units in prepaid packs. One unit lists at $0.14, the trial pack is $9.8 for 100 units, and Kling says these packages don't cover Kling 4.0.
- The same model costs different amounts in different storefronts. Seedance 2.5 at 720p is about $0.23 per second on BytePlus, $0.30 per second through Runway's API (30 credits per second at $0.01), and about $0.27 per second from Pika plan credits. The Seedance 2.5 pricing guide covers its 480p, 720p and 1080p rates in detail, and the Grok video guide covers the Imagine app and API routes.
What a subscription second really costs
A plan's effective rate is its monthly price divided by its credits, multiplied by the credits a second of video uses. You can only work this out where the vendor publishes credits per second or per clip, which rules out Kling's membership plans, SuperGrok and HeyGen.
| Plan (monthly price) | Model and setting | Effective cost per second | Same model on the API |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google AI Pro ($19.99, 1,000 Flow credits) | Gemini Omni Flash 720p, 12 credits per 8 s clip | $0.03 | About $0.10 |
| Google AI Pro | Veo 3.1 Fast, 20 credits per 8 s clip | $0.05 | $0.10 |
| Google AI Pro | Veo 3.1 Quality, 100 credits per 8 s clip | $0.25 | Veo 3.1 Standard $0.40 |
| Hailuo Standard ($8.40, billed annually) | MiniMax H3 768P | $0.059 | $0.08 |
| Luma Plus ($30, 10,000 credits) | Ray3.2 720p, 100 credits per 5 s | $0.06 | $0.06 |
| Luma Plus | Ray3.2 1080p, 400 credits per 5 s | $0.24 | $0.24 |
| Pika Starter ($10, 900 credits) | Seedance 2.5 720p, 122 credits per 5 s | $0.27 | BytePlus about $0.23 |
| Runway Standard ($15, 625 credits) | Gen-4.5, 12 credits per second | $0.29 | $0.12 |
| Runway Max ($95, 9,500 credits) | Gen-4.5 | $0.12 | $0.12 |
The pattern is clear. Google's Flow credits are the cheapest seconds on this list if your volume fits inside the monthly allowance: Omni Flash at 720p costs less than a third of the API rate. Luma's plans price seconds exactly like its API. Runway's Standard plan costs more than twice its own API rate per second of Gen-4.5 and only reaches parity at Max.
These effective rates assume you spend every credit. Unused monthly credits don't roll over on Google's plans, Pika, or Runway Standard and Pro (Runway Max rolls over one month), so a plan you use at half capacity doubles your real per-second cost.
One more Flow detail: Google counts credits per generation, not per request, and says some features "create multiple generations per request," such as a single request that returns two videos. Check the output count in the prompt box settings before you run a batch, since that's also where Google shows the current credit costs.
The cost of one usable clip
List prices assume every generation is a keeper. In practice, a shot often needs a few tries before the motion, framing or lip sync looks right, and you pay for every try. The formula to budget with is:
Cost per usable clip = price per second × clip length in seconds × attempts per keeper
Two billing rules soften this a little. Google bills the Gemini API only for successfully generated videos, and MiniMax doesn't deduct its API video packages for failed generations or clips stopped by a security review. Neither rule refunds a clip that rendered fine but that you didn't use, which is what the attempts figure measures.
Here's an 8-second 720p shot, assuming three attempts per keeper (24 generated seconds). Three is an assumption for illustration: a simple product shot may work on the first try, while dialogue or complex motion can take more.
| Route | Rate | Cost of one usable 8 s clip |
|---|---|---|
| Google AI Pro plan, Gemini Omni Flash in Flow | 36 credits | About $0.72 of the $19.99 plan |
| Veo 3.1 Lite API | $0.05/s | $1.20 |
| grok-imagine-video API | $0.07/s | $1.68 |
| MiniMax-H3 API (768P) | $0.08/s | $1.92 |
| Gemini Omni Flash API | About $0.10/s | About $2.40 |
| Veo 3.1 Fast API | $0.10/s | $2.40 |
| Runway Gen-4.5 API | $0.12/s | $2.88 |
| Kling 3.0 API, with audio | $0.126/s | $3.02 |
| grok-imagine-video-1.5 API | $0.14/s | $3.36 |
| Seedance 2.5 on BytePlus | About $0.231/s | About $5.54 |
| Veo 3.1 Standard API | $0.40/s | $9.60 |
What a 2-minute video costs
Each generation is short (Veo 3.1 clips in Flow run 4 to 8 seconds, and Gemini Omni Flash clips up to 10), so a 2-minute video is a sequence of shots. Say it's 15 shots of 8 seconds at 1080p, still at three attempts each: that's 360 generated seconds for 120 seconds of finished footage. Per finished minute, multiply the per-second rate by 180.
| Model at 1080p | Rate | 2-minute video (360 generated seconds) |
|---|---|---|
| Veo 3.1 Lite | $0.08/s | $28.80 |
| Veo 3.1 Fast | $0.12/s | $43.20 |
| Kling 3.0 with audio | $0.168/s | $60.48 |
| grok-imagine-video-1.5 | $0.25/s | $90.00 |
| Veo 3.1 Standard | $0.40/s | $144.00 |
| Seedance 2.5 | About $0.569/s | About $205 |
The same project on a subscription:
- Google AI Pro ($19.99): 45 Veo 3.1 Fast generations use 900 of the 1,000 monthly Flow credits. Subscribers' 1080p upscaling costs 0 credits.
- Luma: 360 seconds of Ray3.2 at 720p, in 5-second clips, uses 7,200 credits, which fits in Plus ($30). At 1080p it needs 28,800 credits, which means Pro ($90).
- Runway: 360 seconds of Gen-4.5 uses 4,320 credits. That's more than Pro's 2,250, so you'd need Max ($95) or extra credits.
These figures cover generation only. Editing, voiceover, music and your own time come on top.
ChatGPT and Google video prices
ChatGPT and Sora
ChatGPT has no video generator to price. The Sora web and app experiences ended on April 26, 2026, and the Sora 2 API ended on September 24, 2026. Its old rates are history: sora-2 was $0.10 per second at 720p, and sora-2-pro was $0.30 to $0.70 per second depending on resolution. OpenAI says credits bought for ChatGPT or Sora can still be used for Codex. For export deadlines and migration options, see the Sora 2 API shutdown guide.
Google Gemini, Flow and Veo
Google sells video two ways, and they're priced differently.
In the consumer apps, the free route is Google Vids, which generates 1080p Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash clips at no cost; Google doesn't publish a free quota for it. Google Flow runs on credits instead. Everyone with a Google Account gets 50 Flow credits a day, subscription or not. That's enough for four 8-second Gemini Omni Flash clips at 720p, five Veo 3.1 Lite generations or two Veo 3.1 Fast generations. Daily credits don't roll over, and non-subscribers may not be able to generate video during peak hours, roughly 2 PM to 5 PM UTC. Paid plans add monthly credits: Google AI Plus ($4.99) adds 200, Pro ($19.99) adds 1,000, and Ultra adds 10,000 ($99.99) or 25,000 ($199.99). Ultra also halves the credit cost of Veo 3.1 Lite and Fast. In the Gemini app itself, Pro includes a limited trial of Veo 3.1 Lite, and Ultra includes video generation with Veo 3.1.
On the Gemini API, you pay per second with no free tier: about $0.10 for Gemini Omni Flash at 720p, $0.05 to $0.08 for Veo 3.1 Lite, $0.10 to $0.30 for Fast and $0.40 to $0.60 for Standard. For image-to-video steps in each route, see Gemini Omni or Veo 3.1 for turning images into video.
What changed in 2026
If you priced AI video earlier in the year, these are the lines to update:
- Sora is off the list. Any comparison that shows Sora 2 through ChatGPT Plus or the Sora API as an option is out of date.
- Google has low-cost options in the app and on the API. Veo 3.1 Lite costs $0.05 per second on the API, Gemini Omni Flash is generally available on the paid API at about $0.10, and Google AI Plus costs $4.99 a month with 200 Flow credits.
- xAI sells video by the second. Grok Imagine Video 1.5 costs $0.08 to $0.25 per second from 480p to 1080p, and SuperGrok ($30) includes video in the app.
- MiniMax H3 leads Hailuo's lineup. Hailuo 2.3 and 02 are now listed as legacy API models, with Hailuo 2.3 at $0.28 per 6-second 768P video.
- Seedance 2.5 is sold in several places. It's available directly from BytePlus and inside Pika, Runway and Luma credits, at different prices per second.
Which route fits your volume
Pick by how many finished seconds you need each month and whether software or a person does the generating.
- You're testing or making a few clips. Start with Google Vids (vids.new on desktop), which generates 1080p clips with Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash at no cost, with no published quota and an invisible SynthID watermark on every clip. Then use free credits: Google Flow's 50 daily credits, Runway's 125 one-time credits (about 10 seconds of Gen-4.5), Hailuo's one-time trial credits (Hailuo models only) and Kling's monthly free credits for non-subscribers. Check the rights before you publish: Kling's free Basic plan excludes commercial use, and Pika's Free and Starter plans have no commercial license.
- You publish regularly, up to a few minutes of footage a month. A subscription is cheaper per second if you use most of its credits. Google AI Pro at $19.99 gives the lowest effective rates on this list; Hailuo Standard and Luma Plus are the next options if you prefer those models. Choose Runway if you need its editing tools, and budget for Pro or Max rather than Standard.
- You're building an app or your volume swings month to month. Use an API. You pay only for the seconds you generate, there's no monthly allowance to waste, and Google bills only successful generations. Veo 3.1 Lite and Fast, Kling 3.0 and MiniMax-H3 cover most budget-sensitive work at 1080p or 2K for $0.08 to $0.17 per second.
- You need a presenter reading a script. That's an avatar tool such as HeyGen, priced by plan and credits rather than by the second.
FAQ
How much does an AI video generator subscription cost per month?
Entry plans start at $4.99 (Google AI Plus) and most creator plans cost $8 to $35 a month, as of September 30, 2026: Kling Standard $8.8, Pika Starter $10, Runway Standard $15, Luma Plus $30, SuperGrok $30, Pika Creator $35. Top tiers mostly run $95 to $300, and Pika's Fancy slider goes up to $880. Compare plans by effective cost per second, not by the monthly price.
How much does ChatGPT's video generator cost?
Nothing, because it no longer exists. OpenAI discontinued the Sora app on April 26, 2026, and the Sora 2 API on September 24, 2026, and no ChatGPT plan includes video generation. The closest per-second replacements are Google's Veo 3.1 and Gemini Omni Flash, Kling 3.0, Grok Imagine and MiniMax H3.
What is the cheapest AI video generator?
For free use, Google Vids generates 1080p Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash clips at no cost in a desktop browser, and Google Flow's 50 daily credits cover about four short 720p clips a day. For paid use, Google AI Pro's Flow credits work out to about $0.03 per second for Gemini Omni Flash at 720p. On the API, Pika 2.5 ($0.04 per second at 720p, plus a $10 monthly membership) and Veo 3.1 Lite ($0.05) are the lowest rates.
Do AI video generators cost less in India or other countries?
All prices above are the US dollar prices shown on vendor pricing pages, not converted to rupees. Google AI plans are sold in more than 140 countries, and the price and currency you see can differ by country, so open the vendor's page from your own location before you compare. Kling's pricing page may also display differently by region.
