# AI Video Generation Pricing by Model (2026) > How AI video models bill: per second, per clip or credits. Convert credits to price per second, see what drives cost, and price retries free. Canonical: https://aivideocostcalc.com/pricing/ Free · No sign-up · Checked November 2026 # AI Video Generation Pricing by Model (2026) AI video models charge in one of three ways: per generated second, per clip, or in credits from a plan. To compare them, turn each one into a price per generated second, then add your retries. This calculator does that for you, and it is free with no sign-up. [Open the calculator](/#calc)[See the method](/how-it-works/) A**Per second** You pay a rate for each second the model generates. Easiest to compare. B**Per clip** One price per generation. Divide by clip length to get a per-second rate. C**Credits** A plan buys credits and each clip burns some. Two conversions before you can compare. [Billing units](#units)[Credits to dollars](#credits)[Price drivers](#drivers)[Checklist](#checklist)[Is it free?](#free)[Next questions](#next)[FAQ](#faq) 01 ## How each AI video model bills you **Every model family uses its own billing unit, so list prices can't be compared until you put them all into one unit.**The calculator uses dollars per generated second, because that unit works for any clip length. **Billing unit**means the thing a provider actually charges for: a second of output, one clip, or a credit. AI video pricing models and what to check on each provider's pricing page| Model family | Maker | Status | What to check before you trust a rate | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Seedance | ByteDance | Active | Fast vs. standard tier, price by resolution | | Hailuo | MiniMax | Active | Fast vs. Pro tier, clip length limits | | Veo | Google | 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 | Kept for reference, not used in totals | Rates change often. If the provider's own pricing page says something different, the provider is right. Every rate in the calculator shows the date we last checked it. 02 ## How to convert credits to a price per second **Divide the plan price by its credits to get the price of one credit. Multiply by the credits one clip uses, then divide by the clip's length.**Do this once per plan and you can compare it to any per-second rate. ``` price per credit = plan price ÷ credits in plan price per clip = credits per clip × price per credit price per second = price per clip ÷ seconds per clip ``` ### Worked example with made-up numbers 1. **Plan:**$10 buys 1,000 credits, so one credit costs $0.01. 2. **Clip:**a 5-second clip uses 50 credits, so it costs $0.50. 3. **Per second:**$0.50 ÷ 5 s = $0.10 per generated second. $0.01per credit $0.50per clip $0.10per second These figures are round numbers for the example and don't come from any provider. Use the calculator for real rates. ### Credits you don't use still count If a monthly plan's credits expire and you only use half of them, each credit you did use really cost twice as much. Divide the plan price by the credits you actually expect to use, not the number on the label. 03 ## What changes the price of an AI video **Four settings move the bill most: resolution, quality tier, clip length and retries.**List prices usually show only the cheapest mix of these. Settings that raise or lower AI video cost| Setting | Effect on cost | How the calculator handles it | | --- | --- | --- | | Resolution | Higher resolution often costs more per second | Loads the rate for the resolution you pick | | Quality tier | Fast tiers are usually cheaper than Pro or full quality | Each tier is listed as its own model | | Clip length | Per-clip pricing gets cheaper per second on longer clips, up to the length limit | Converts per-clip prices using your clip length | | Audio | Some models charge extra for generated sound | Shown in the rate notes where the provider lists it | | Discard rate | A 50% discard rate doubles the cost of every finished second | Multiplies billed seconds by 1 ÷ (1 − discard rate) | **Cost per finished minute**means what one minute of footage you actually keep costs once retries are counted. It is the number to compare, because a cheap model that needs four tries can cost more than a pricier one that works first time. 04 ## Checklist before you trust a price **Before you budget a project, check five things on the provider's pricing page.**Most surprises come from skipping one of these. - **Billing unit:**is the rate per second, per clip, or in credits? - **Resolution:**is the headline price for 720p while you need 1080p? - **Tier:**is it the fast tier while you plan to use Pro? - **Extras:**do audio, upscaling or longer clips cost extra? - **Plan terms:**do credits expire, and is there a minimum spend? According to OpenAI's help center, the Sora app and website shut down on April 26, 2026, and the API on September 24, 2026. Sora stays in the table as a reference only. For replacements and what they cost, see [Alternatives](/alternatives/). 05 ## Is the AI video cost calculator free? **Yes. The calculator is free, needs no account, and has no paid tier.**The site is paid for by ads. Ads never change which models are listed, their rates, or which one is marked cheapest. We don't sell video generation. When you're ready to generate, you pay the provider directly at their price. Questions or a rate that looks wrong? Use the [contact page](/contact/) and we'll fix it. [Price my project](/#calc) 06 ## Where to go next, by the question you have Pick a line to open it. **Each question below has its own page, so pick the one you have.**Most people come here asking which model is cheapest. After that they usually want the method, a Sora replacement, or proof that a rate is current. 1. [01Which model is cheapest for my project?Calculator→](/#calc) 2. [02How is the total worked out, retries included?Method→](/how-it-works/) 3. [03Sora is gone. What replaces it, and at what cost?Alternatives→](/alternatives/) 4. [04Quick answers on free use, rates and limitsFAQ→](/faq/) 5. [05Who runs this site and how are rates chosen?About→](/about/) 6. [06A rate looks wrong or a model is missingContact→](/contact/) 7. [07What happens to the numbers I type in?Privacy→](/privacy/) ### Pricing log These are the dated changes that affect the numbers on this page, newest first. - Nov 2026Rates in the calculator checked. Each rate shows its own check date. - Sep 24, 2026Sora API shut down, according to OpenAI's help center. Sora was taken out of totals. - Apr 26, 2026Sora app and website shut down, according to OpenAI's help center. 07 ## Frequently asked questions ** ### Which AI video model is cheapest? ** It depends on your resolution, tier and discard rate, so there is no single answer. Enter your project in the calculator and it marks the cheapest model for those settings. ** ### How do I compare a credit plan with a per-second price? ** Convert the plan to dollars per generated second: plan price ÷ credits, times credits per clip, divided by clip length. Then compare that number to the per-second rate. ** ### Why is my real cost higher than the list price? ** Usually because of retries. You pay for every take, including the ones you throw away. At a 50% discard rate, each finished second costs twice the list price. ** ### How current are the rates? ** Each rate shows the date we checked it. Providers change prices without notice, so the provider's own pricing page is always right if the two differ. ** ### Can I still budget for Sora? ** No. According to OpenAI's help center, the Sora API shut down on September 24, 2026, so the calculator leaves it out of totals. See [Alternatives](/alternatives/) for replacements. ** ### Does this site charge for anything? ** No. The calculator and all pages are free. The site runs on ads, and ads don't affect rankings or rates. More on how we work is on the [About page](/about/) and in the [FAQ](/faq/).