Alternatives · Sora replacements · Free options · Updated November 2026
AI Video Generator Alternatives, Priced by the Finished Minute
The best alternative is the model with the lowest cost per finished minute at your own discard rate. The lowest list price doesn't decide it. Sora is gone, most free plans are trials, and open models swap provider fees for your own GPU time. This page shows how to compare them. Then you can run your numbers in the calculator.
- Compares models on cost per finished minute, not per generated second
- Covers Sora replacements, hosted tools and open-weight models
- Explains what “free” costs you in credits, limits or hardware
Start from your situation
Pick the line that sounds like you and it takes you to the answer. Each line opens the section of this page, or the page on this site, that answers that question.
- 01I used Sora and need a replacementSora alternatives
- 02I want something free, or close to freeFree options
- 03I don't know what to compare models onHow to choose
- 04A cheaper model doesn't look cheaper on my billWorked example
- 05I have a project and need a total costCalculator
- 06I just need one model's current ratePricing
- 07I want to check the math myselfHow it works
- 08I'm about to move my whole budgetChecklist
- 09I have a quick questionFAQ
- 10Who runs this, and how rates get updatedAbout
How to choose an AI video generator alternative
Pick the alternative that gives you usable clips for the least money per finished minute, at the resolution and length you need. A low per-second rate only helps if the model gets your shot right in a few tries.
An alternative here means any model or tool that can make the same clip for your project: the same length, resolution and look. If it can't hit your resolution or clip length, it isn't an alternative, however cheap it is.
| Factor | Why it matters | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Rate at your resolution | Many providers charge more for higher resolutions | The provider's pricing page |
| Billing unit | Per second, per clip and credits can't be compared until you convert them | Our pricing page lists each unit |
| Discard rate | At 50% discard, every finished second costs twice the list price | Your own test batch |
| Max clip length | Short limits mean more clips and more stitching | The model's docs |
| Extras | Audio, upscaling or faster modes can add to the price | The provider's pricing page |
The full formula is on How It Works.
Sora alternatives and what each one charges for
Sora no longer works, so a Sora budget has to move to another model family. Each one bills in a different way. According to OpenAI's help center (checked November 2026), the Sora app and website shut down on April 26, 2026 and the API on September 24, 2026. The calculator keeps Sora only as a reference and leaves it out of totals.
| Model family | Maker | Status | Check before you switch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seedance | ByteDance | Active | Fast vs. standard tier, price by resolution |
| Hailuo | MiniMax | Active | Fast and Pro tiers, clip length limits |
| Veo | Active | Whether audio costs extra, fast vs. full quality | |
| Kling | Kuaishou | Active | Credits per clip by mode and length |
| Runway | Runway | Active | Credits per second by model |
| Luma | Luma AI | Active | Price by resolution and length |
| Pika | Pika Labs | Active | Credits per clip by feature |
| Sora | OpenAI | Discontinued | Not used in totals |
Rates change often. The provider's own pricing page is always the one to trust. Every rate in the calculator shows the date we last checked it.
Free AI video generator alternatives: what free really costs
Free usually means trial credits, a plan with limits, or an open model you run on your own hardware. None of them is free at scale. Know which kind you're looking at before you plan a project around it.
An open-weight model is a model whose files you can download and run yourself. Open-weight video families include Wan, HunyuanVideo and LTX-Video. Read each license before you use one commercially.
| Kind | What you pay | The catch | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trial credits on a hosted tool | Nothing until the credits run out | Credits rarely cover a full project | Testing prompts and discard rate |
| Free plan with limits | Nothing, within the limits | Limits on resolution, length, queue or watermark, depending on the provider | Drafts and storyboards |
| Open-weight model on your GPU | No per-second fee; electricity and your time | Needs a strong GPU and setup, and runs slower than hosted tools | High volume when you already own hardware |
| Open-weight model on rented GPU | GPU hours | You pay for idle and failed runs too | Batches you can queue up |
Free tiers and trial amounts change without notice. Check the provider's page on the day you plan.
Worked example: the cheaper rate that costs more
At 75% discard, a model that charges $0.05 per second costs $12.00 per finished minute. A $0.10 model at 25% discard costs $8.00. Both get the same job: 10 clips of 8 seconds, so 80 finished seconds.
- Model A attempts per keeper: 1 ÷ (1 − 0.25) = 1.33.
- Model A billed seconds: 80 × 1.33 = 106.7, so total = 106.7 × $0.10 = $10.67.
- Model B attempts per keeper: 1 ÷ (1 − 0.75) = 4.
- Model B billed seconds: 80 × 4 = 320, so total = 320 × $0.05 = $16.00.
- Per finished minute: divide by 80 ÷ 60 = 1.33 minutes, which gives $8.00 for A and $12.00 for B.
These are example rates for the math, not quotes. To compare real models, run the calculator.
Other ways to estimate AI video cost, compared
A provider's pricing page tells you its list price. A cost calculator tells you what a finished project costs and which model is cheapest for it. Use both: one for the rate, the other for the decision.
| Method | Counts retries | Compares models | Shows rate dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider pricing page | No | No, one provider only | It is the source |
| Your own spreadsheet | Only if you add it | Only the ones you enter | Only if you track them |
| Other online calculators | Varies, so check the inputs | Varies | Varies |
| This calculator | Yes, through discard rate | Yes, side by side, cheapest marked | Yes, next to each rate |
What this calculator does: it converts per-second, per-clip and credit pricing into one price per generated second. Then it applies your discard rate and shows total cost, cost per finished second and cost per finished minute. What it doesn't do: it doesn't judge video quality, sell credits, or know about private deals and bulk discounts.
Checklist before you switch AI video models
Test with a small batch first, measure your real discard rate, and only then move the full budget.
- Confirm the new model supports your resolution, aspect ratio and clip length.
- Write down its billing unit: per second, per clip or credits.
- Run 5 to 10 test generations with your real prompts.
- Count how many you would keep. That gives you your discard rate.
- Enter the rate and discard rate in the calculator and compare cost per finished minute.
- Check for extras such as audio, upscaling and fast modes.
- Check commercial-use terms, especially on free plans and open-weight licenses.
Frequently asked questions about AI video alternatives
What is the best alternative to Sora?
That depends on your clips. The best one is the active model with the lowest cost per finished minute at your resolution and discard rate. Seedance, Hailuo, Veo, Kling, Runway, Luma and Pika are all active. Test a few, then compare them in the calculator.
Is there a free AI video generator alternative?
Yes, but with limits. Hosted tools may give trial credits or a limited free plan. Open-weight models such as Wan, HunyuanVideo and LTX-Video have no per-second fee, but you pay for the GPU and your time.
Why does a cheaper model sometimes cost more?
Because you pay for every take, including the ones you throw away. At 75% discard you pay 4 times the list price per finished second. At 25% discard you pay 1.33 times.
Does the calculator include Sora prices?
No. Sora is listed as discontinued and kept for reference only. Its rates are not used in totals or comparisons.
How current are the rates?
Each rate shows the date it was checked. Providers change prices often, so if their page differs from ours, their page is correct. See Pricing for every rate and its check date.
Compare alternatives on your own numbers, not on list prices.