ClipCost · Pricing comparison · Cheapest AI video generator · Grok Imagine cost · Last checked Oct 27, 2026 · Prices from verified data
AI video for TikTok and Shorts: what a vertical clip really costs
The cheapest AI video generator for TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, ranked by what a usable 15, 30 or 60-second vertical clip costs — retries included — plus which models actually output 9:16 and what posting once or three times a day costs per month. Every rate from an official page, checked Oct 16–22, 2026.
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Quick answer
New cheapest rate (Oct 27, 2026): Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite 480p on xAI’s API, $0.02 per second with native audio and 9:16 listed — $0.30 per 15-second try and $0.90 per usable 15-second vertical clip ($0.60 / $1.80 for 30 seconds). It makes 1–15 seconds per generation, so a 15s Short is one clip, and costs the same on the Runway API — see Grok Imagine cost. Its 720p is $0.03/sec ($1.35 usable 15s). Second is Wan 2.6 Flash 720p without audio on Alibaba Cloud Model Studio’s API, $0.025 per second — $0.38 per 15-second try and $1.13 per usable 15-second clip ($0.75 / $2.25 for 30 seconds). It is image-to-video only, 9:16 output is not verified on Alibaba’s pricing page and it makes up to 15 seconds per generation — see Wan API pricing. Next with 9:16 confirmed on the official page is $0.03 per second — Kling 2.6 in Standard mode (no audio) or Veo 3.1 Lite 720p without audio on Google Cloud’s Vertex AI: $0.45 per 15-second try and $1.35 per usable 15-second vertical clip with 2 retries ($0.90 / $2.70 for 30 seconds, $1.80 / $5.40 for 60). Both list 9:16 on their official pages (Kling 2.6 for text-to-video). With native audio, Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite is cheapest ($0.02/sec at 480p); at $0.03/sec its 720p ties LTX-2.3 Fast 720p on LTX’s own API (audio on by default, 9:16 720×1280 listed): $1.35 per usable 15s clip (LTX new Oct 26; LTX API pricing). Veo 3.1 Lite 720p is $0.05/sec: $2.25 per usable 15s clip, the same as MiniMax H3-Max 480P. Between the two sits Seedance 2.0 Mini 480p on the BytePlus API (new Oct 22, $0.036/sec): $0.54 per 15s try, $1.62 usable (9:16 not verified, audio not stated). Then Seedance 2.0 Fast 480p ($2.52), Pika Wan 3.0 ($2.64) and Kling 3.0 720p without audio ($2.70, and it makes a whole 15s clip in one generation). In Runway, Gen-4 Turbo is $4.32 and Gen-4.5 $10.37 per usable 15s clip on Standard annual credits. Posting one 15-second clip a day costs about $27.00 a month on Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite 480p, $40.50 at $0.03/sec, $67.50 with Veo Lite audio and $311.04 on Runway Gen-4.5 — and three a day triples it.
Re-ranked Nov 1, 2026 (9am): Vidu’s own API is now ranked (13 rates verified today). Vidu Q3 Turbo 540p is $0.035 per second with audio on by default: $0.53 per 15-second try and $1.58 per usable 15-second clip with 2 retries ($3.15 for 30 seconds); 9:16 is a listed aspect ratio in Vidu’s text-to-video API reference and one generation covers up to 16 seconds, so a 15s Short is one clip. Q3 Turbo 720p is $0.06/sec ($2.70 usable 15s). Full breakdown: Vidu cost.
Re-ranked Oct 31, 2026 (9pm): MiniMax’s H3-Lite and H3-Highspeed are now in the ranking (re-verified today on MiniMax’s video pricing page and API reference; 138 ranked rates). H3-Lite at 480P is $0.025 per second on MiniMax’s own API — $0.75 per 30-second try and $2.25 per usable 30s clip with 2 retries — tied #2 with Wan 2.6 Flash 720p without audio. H3-Lite 768P and H3-Highspeed 480P are $0.04 ($3.60, tied with LTX-2.3 Pro 720p) and H3-Highspeed 768P $0.06 ($5.40). They make 4–15s clips at 480P or 768P (no 2K); native audio is not stated. Every rate above $2.25 moves down one to four places. Full breakdown: MiniMax Hailuo cost.
Basis: rates from assets/data.js, verified on official pricing pages Oct 16–22, 2026 (Seedance 2.0 Fast/Mini on the BytePlus API and Veo 3.1 on Vertex AI re-verified Oct 22; Veo and Runway re-verified Oct 20, incl. the new Seedance 2.0 Mini inside Runway at 16 credits/sec on the Runway Academy credits page and Runway API pricing; Pika, MiniMax Oct 19; Kling Oct 17 from its official VIDEO 3.0 and 2.6 guides). “Usable” = 3 attempts (1 + 2 retries), the same convention as our calculator. Credit tools are valued at the entry paid plan’s annual price per credit (Kling Standard $0.0100, Pika $0.00889, Runway Standard $0.0192), as on the pricing comparison; the real monthly bill on a subscription is worked out separately below. Aspect-ratio and clip-length facts come from the official model pages linked in each row, checked Oct 20, 2026. Cost only — no quality ranking; platform rules for TikTok, Reels and Shorts are not covered here.
Why retries hurt most on Shorts: a vertical clip lives or dies on its first second, so you regenerate until the hook lands — and every attempt is billed in full. A 15-second Gen-4.5 clip is $3.46 per try but $10.37 at 3 attempts and $17.28 at 5. Multiply by a daily posting cadence and the retry rate, not the sticker price, decides your monthly bill.
Cost per vertical clip: 15s, 30s and 60s, with retries
Every verified text/image-to-video rate up to $9.00 per usable 30s clip, cheapest first, plus Veo 3.1 Standard, Runway Gen-4.5 and the new Seedance 2.0 Mini inside Runway. “9:16” shows what the official model page says (details in the next table).
| # | Tool · model | 9:16 on official page | Native audio | Rate | 15s try | 15s usable | 30s try | 30s usable | 60s try | 60s usable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 480p, audio on (xAI API) New Oct 27 | Yes | Yes (default) | $0.02/sec | $0.30 | $0.90 | $0.60 | $1.80 | $1.20 | $3.60 |
| 2= | Alibaba Cloud · Wan 2.6 Flash · 720p, no audio, image-to-video New Oct 24 | Not verified | No (audio=false) | $0.025/sec | $0.38 | $1.13 | $0.75 | $2.25 | $1.50 | $4.50 |
| 2= | MiniMax H3-Lite API · 480P New Oct 31 | Ratio setting; 9:16 not named | No / not stated | $0.025/sec | $0.38 | $1.13 | $0.75 | $2.25 | $1.50 | $4.50 |
| 2= | Luma Ray3.2 · 540p (Dream Machine) New Nov 2 | Yes (9:16 among 6 ratios on the API page) | No (Ray3.2 is silent) | 10 cr/sec × $0.0025 | $0.38 | $1.13 | $0.75 | $2.25 | $1.50 | $4.50 |
| 5= | Kling 2.6 · Standard mode, no audio | Yes (text-to-video) | No / not stated | 3 cr/sec × $0.0100 | $0.45 | $1.35 | $0.90 | $2.70 | $1.80 | $5.40 |
| 5= | Veo 3.1 Lite · 720p, no audio (Vertex AI) | Yes | No / not stated | $0.03/sec | $0.45 | $1.35 | $0.90 | $2.70 | $1.80 | $5.40 |
| 5= | LTX-2.3 Fast · 720p, audio on (LTX API) New Oct 26 | Yes | Yes (default) | $0.03/sec | $0.45 | $1.35 | $0.90 | $2.70 | $1.80 | $5.40 |
| 5= | Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 720p, audio on (xAI API) New Oct 27 | Yes | Yes (default) | $0.03/sec | $0.45 | $1.35 | $0.90 | $2.70 | $1.80 | $5.40 |
| 5= | Luma Ray3.2 API · 540p New Nov 2 | Yes (9:16 among 6 ratios on the API page) | No (Ray3.2 is silent) | $0.03/sec | $0.45 | $1.35 | $0.90 | $2.70 | $1.80 | $5.40 |
| 5= | Seedance 2.0 Mini · 480p (via Luma) New Nov 2 | Check in-app | Yes | 12 cr/sec × $0.0025 | $0.45 | $1.35 | $0.90 | $2.70 | $1.80 | $5.40 |
| 11 | Gemini Omni Flash · 360p (Gemini/Vertex) New Nov 4 9pm | Check | Yes (default) | $0.0338/sec | $0.51 | $1.52 | $1.01 | $3.04 | $2.03 | $6.08 |
| 12 | Gemini Omni Flash 1.1 · 360p (via Runway API) New Nov 4 | Check | Not stated | $0.034/sec | $0.51 | $1.53 | $1.02 | $3.06 | $2.04 | $6.12 |
| 13 | Vidu Q3 Turbo API · 540p, audio on New Nov 1 | Yes (text-to-video API lists 9:16) | Yes (default) | $0.035/sec | $0.53 | $1.58 | $1.05 | $3.15 | $2.10 | $6.30 |
| 14 | Seedance 2.0 Mini API · 480p (no video input) New Oct 22 | Not verified | No / not stated | $0.036/sec | $0.54 | $1.62 | $1.08 | $3.24 | $2.16 | $6.48 |
| 15 | Alibaba Cloud · Wan 2.6 Flash · 1080p, no audio, image-to-video New Oct 24 | Not verified | No (audio=false) | $0.0375/sec | $0.56 | $1.69 | $1.13 | $3.38 | $2.25 | $6.75 |
| 16= | LTX-2.3 Pro · 720p, audio on (LTX API) New Oct 26 | Yes | Yes (default) | $0.04/sec | $0.60 | $1.80 | $1.20 | $3.60 | $2.40 | $7.20 |
| 16= | MiniMax H3-Lite API · 768P New Oct 31 | Ratio setting; 9:16 not named | No / not stated | $0.04/sec | $0.60 | $1.80 | $1.20 | $3.60 | $2.40 | $7.20 |
| 16= | MiniMax H3-Highspeed API · 480P New Oct 31 | Ratio setting; 9:16 not named | No / not stated | $0.04/sec | $0.60 | $1.80 | $1.20 | $3.60 | $2.40 | $7.20 |
| 21= | Vidu Q3 Pro API · 540p, audio on New Nov 1 | Yes (text-to-video API lists 9:16) | Yes (default) | $0.045/sec | $0.68 | $2.03 | $1.35 | $4.05 | $2.70 | $8.10 |
| 21= | Vidu Q4 Preview API · 540p, audio on New Nov 1 | Not verified (image-to-video) | Yes (default) | $0.045/sec | $0.68 | $2.03 | $1.35 | $4.05 | $2.70 | $8.10 |
| 21= | MiniMax H3 Max · 480p (via Luma) New Nov 2 | Check in-app | Yes | 18 cr/sec × $0.0025 | $0.68 | $2.03 | $1.35 | $4.05 | $2.70 | $8.10 |
| 24= | Kling 2.6 · Professional, no audio | Yes (text-to-video) | No / not stated | 5 cr/sec × $0.0100 | $0.75 | $2.25 | $1.50 | $4.50 | $3.00 | $9.00 |
| 24= | Veo 3.1 Lite · 720p with audio (Vertex AI) | Yes | Yes | $0.05/sec | $0.75 | $2.25 | $1.50 | $4.50 | $3.00 | $9.00 |
| 24= | Veo 3.1 Lite · 1080p, no audio (Vertex AI) | Yes | No / not stated | $0.05/sec | $0.75 | $2.25 | $1.50 | $4.50 | $3.00 | $9.00 |
| 24= | MiniMax H3-Max API · 480P | Ratio setting; 9:16 not named | No / not stated | $0.05/sec | $0.75 | $2.25 | $1.50 | $4.50 | $3.00 | $9.00 |
| 24= | Alibaba Cloud · Wan 2.6 Flash · 720p, with audio, image-to-video New Oct 24 | Not verified | Yes | $0.05/sec | $0.75 | $2.25 | $1.50 | $4.50 | $3.00 | $9.00 |
| 24= | Alibaba Cloud · Wan 3.0 · 480p New Oct 24 | Not verified | Not stated | $0.05/sec | $0.75 | $2.25 | $1.50 | $4.50 | $3.00 | $9.00 |
| 24= | Luma Ray3.2 · 720p (Dream Machine) New Nov 2 | Yes (9:16 among 6 ratios on the API page) | No (Ray3.2 is silent) | 20 cr/sec × $0.0025 | $0.75 | $2.25 | $1.50 | $4.50 | $3.00 | $9.00 |
| 24= | MiniMax H3 Max · 480p (via Runway API) New Nov 4 | Check | Not stated | $0.05/sec | $0.75 | $2.25 | $1.50 | $4.50 | $3.00 | $9.00 |
| 32 | Seedance 2.0 Fast API · 480p (no video input) New Oct 22 | Not verified | No / not stated | $0.056/sec | $0.84 | $2.52 | $1.68 | $5.04 | $3.36 | $10.08 |
| 33 | Pika · Wan 3.0 · 720p | Not verified | No / not stated | 6.6 cr/sec × $0.00889 | $0.88 | $2.64 | $1.76 | $5.28 | $3.52 | $10.56 |
| 34= | Kling 3.0 · 720p, no native audio | Not verified | No / not stated | 6 cr/sec × $0.0100 | $0.90 | $2.70 | $1.80 | $5.40 | $3.60 | $10.80 |
| 34= | MiniMax H3-Highspeed API · 768P New Oct 31 | Ratio setting; 9:16 not named | No / not stated | $0.06/sec | $0.90 | $2.70 | $1.80 | $5.40 | $3.60 | $10.80 |
| 34= | Vidu Q3 Turbo API · 720p, audio on New Nov 1 | Yes (text-to-video API lists 9:16) | Yes (default) | $0.06/sec | $0.90 | $2.70 | $1.80 | $5.40 | $3.60 | $10.80 |
| 34= | Vidu Q3 Pro Fast API · 720p, audio on New Nov 1 | Not verified (image-to-video) | Yes (default) | $0.06/sec | $0.90 | $2.70 | $1.80 | $5.40 | $3.60 | $10.80 |
| 34= | Luma Ray3.2 API · 720p New Nov 2 | Yes (9:16 among 6 ratios on the API page) | No (Ray3.2 is silent) | $0.06/sec | $0.90 | $2.70 | $1.80 | $5.40 | $3.60 | $10.80 |
| 34= | Seedance 2.0 · 480p (via Luma) New Nov 2 | Check in-app | Yes | 24 cr/sec × $0.0025 | $0.90 | $2.70 | $1.80 | $5.40 | $3.60 | $10.80 |
| 34= | FLUX 3 Draft · HD, audio on (BFL) New Nov 3 | Check (HD~16:9) | Yes (included) | $0.06/sec | $0.90 | $2.70 | $1.80 | $5.40 | $3.60 | $10.80 |
| 42 | Pika · Kling 3.0 · 720p New Nov 1 | Not verified | Not stated (optional audio switch) | 6.8 cr/sec × $0.00889 | $0.91 | $2.72 | $1.81 | $5.44 | $3.63 | $10.88 |
| 43= | Vidu Q3 Turbo API · 1080p, audio on New Nov 1 | Yes (text-to-video API lists 9:16) | Yes (default) | $0.065/sec | $0.98 | $2.93 | $1.95 | $5.85 | $3.90 | $11.70 |
| 43= | Seedance 2.0 Mini · 720p (via Luma) New Nov 2 | Check in-app | Yes | 26 cr/sec × $0.0025 | $0.98 | $2.93 | $1.95 | $5.85 | $3.90 | $11.70 |
| 46= | Seedance 2.0 API · 480p (no video input) | Not verified | No / not stated | $0.07/sec | $1.05 | $3.15 | $2.10 | $6.30 | $4.20 | $12.60 |
| 46= | MiniMax H3 · 768p (via Luma) New Nov 2 | Check in-app | Yes | 28 cr/sec × $0.0025 | $1.05 | $3.15 | $2.10 | $6.30 | $4.20 | $12.60 |
| 46= | MiniMax H3 Max · 768p (via Luma) New Nov 2 | Check in-app | Yes | 28 cr/sec × $0.0025 | $1.05 | $3.15 | $2.10 | $6.30 | $4.20 | $12.60 |
| 52= | Vidu Q3 Pro Fast API · 1080p, audio on New Nov 1 | Not verified (image-to-video) | Yes (default) | $0.075/sec | $1.13 | $3.38 | $2.25 | $6.75 | $4.50 | $13.50 |
| 52= | Kling 3.0 / 3.0 Omni · 720p, no audio (via Luma) New Nov 2 | Check in-app | No | 30 cr/sec × $0.0025 | $1.13 | $3.38 | $2.25 | $6.75 | $4.50 | $13.50 |
| 55 | Seedance 2.0 Mini API · 720p (no video input) New Oct 22 | Not verified | No / not stated | $0.076/sec | $1.14 | $3.42 | $2.28 | $6.84 | $4.56 | $13.68 |
| 56= | Kling 3.0 · 1080p, no native audio | Not verified | No / not stated | 8 cr/sec × $0.0100 | $1.20 | $3.60 | $2.40 | $7.20 | $4.80 | $14.40 |
| 56= | Veo 3.1 Lite · 1080p with audio (Vertex AI) | Yes | Yes | $0.08/sec | $1.20 | $3.60 | $2.40 | $7.20 | $4.80 | $14.40 |
| 56= | Veo 3.1 Fast · 720p, no audio (Vertex AI) | Yes | No / not stated | $0.08/sec | $1.20 | $3.60 | $2.40 | $7.20 | $4.80 | $14.40 |
| 56= | MiniMax H3 API · 768P | Ratio setting; 9:16 not named | No / not stated | $0.08/sec | $1.20 | $3.60 | $2.40 | $7.20 | $4.80 | $14.40 |
| 56= | MiniMax H3-Max API · 768P | Ratio setting; 9:16 not named | No / not stated | $0.08/sec | $1.20 | $3.60 | $2.40 | $7.20 | $4.80 | $14.40 |
| 56= | Grok Imagine 1.5 · 480p, audio on (xAI API) New Oct 27 | Yes | Yes (default) | $0.08/sec | $1.20 | $3.60 | $2.40 | $7.20 | $4.80 | $14.40 |
| 56= | MiniMax H3 Max · 768p (via Runway API) New Nov 4 | Check | Not stated | $0.08/sec | $1.20 | $3.60 | $2.40 | $7.20 | $4.80 | $14.40 |
| 66 | Pika · Veo 3.1 Fast · 720p New Nov 1 | Yes (Pika Veo 3.1 page: 16:9 or 9:16) | On by default (quote doesn’t state) | 10 cr/sec × $0.00889 | $1.33 | $4.00 | $2.67 | $8.00 | $5.33 | $16.00 |
| 67= | Kling 3.0 · 720p, native audio | Not verified | Yes | 9 cr/sec × $0.0100 | $1.35 | $4.05 | $2.70 | $8.10 | $5.40 | $16.20 |
| 67= | Seedance 2.5 · 480p / Draft (via Luma) New Nov 2 | Check in-app | Yes | 36 cr/sec × $0.0025 | $1.35 | $4.05 | $2.70 | $8.10 | $5.40 | $16.20 |
| 67= | Kling 3.0 Std · no audio (via Runway API) New Nov 4 | Check | No | $0.09/sec | $1.35 | $4.05 | $2.70 | $8.10 | $5.40 | $16.20 |
| 71 | Vidu Q4 Preview API · 720p, audio on New Nov 1 | Not verified (image-to-video) | Yes (default) | $0.095/sec | $1.43 | $4.28 | $2.85 | $8.55 | $5.70 | $17.10 |
| 72= | Runway · Gen-4 Turbo | Yes (image input) | No / not stated | 5 cr/sec × $0.0192 | $1.44 | $4.32 | $2.88 | $8.64 | $5.76 | $17.28 |
| 72= | Runway · Wan 3.0 · 480p (in Runway) | Not verified | Yes | 5 cr/sec × $0.0192 | $1.44 | $4.32 | $2.88 | $8.64 | $5.76 | $17.28 |
| 75= | Kling 2.6 · Professional, native audio | Yes (text-to-video) | Yes | 10 cr/sec × $0.0100 | $1.50 | $4.50 | $3.00 | $9.00 | $6.00 | $18.00 |
| 75= | Veo 3.1 Fast · 720p with audio (Vertex AI) | Yes | Yes | $0.10/sec | $1.50 | $4.50 | $3.00 | $9.00 | $6.00 | $18.00 |
| 75= | Veo 3.1 Fast · 1080p, no audio (Vertex AI) | Yes | No / not stated | $0.10/sec | $1.50 | $4.50 | $3.00 | $9.00 | $6.00 | $18.00 |
| 75= | Alibaba Cloud · Wan 3.0 · 720p New Oct 24 | Not verified | Not stated | $0.10/sec | $1.50 | $4.50 | $3.00 | $9.00 | $6.00 | $18.00 |
| 75= | Alibaba Cloud · Wan 2.6 · 720p, with audio New Oct 24 | Not verified | Yes | $0.10/sec | $1.50 | $4.50 | $3.00 | $9.00 | $6.00 | $18.00 |
| 75= | Vidu Q3 Pro API · 720p, audio on New Nov 1 | Yes (text-to-video API lists 9:16) | Yes (default) | $0.10/sec | $1.50 | $4.50 | $3.00 | $9.00 | $6.00 | $18.00 |
| 75= | Kling 3.0 / 3.0 Omni · 720p, audio (via Luma) New Nov 2 | Check in-app | Yes | 40 cr/sec × $0.0025 | $1.50 | $4.50 | $3.00 | $9.00 | $6.00 | $18.00 |
| 75= | Kling 3.0 / 3.0 Omni · 1080p, no audio (via Luma) New Nov 2 | Check in-app | No | 40 cr/sec × $0.0025 | $1.50 | $4.50 | $3.00 | $9.00 | $6.00 | $18.00 |
| 75= | Kling 3.0 Turbo · 720p (via Luma) New Nov 2 | Check in-app | Yes | 40 cr/sec × $0.0025 | $1.50 | $4.50 | $3.00 | $9.00 | $6.00 | $18.00 |
| 75= | MiniMax Hailuo 3 / H3 · 768p (via Runway API) New Nov 4 | Check | Not stated | $0.10/sec | $1.50 | $4.50 | $3.00 | $9.00 | $6.00 | $18.00 |
| 75= | Gemini Omni Flash · T2V/I2V (via Runway API) New Nov 4 | Check | Not stated | $0.10/sec | $1.50 | $4.50 | $3.00 | $9.00 | $6.00 | $18.00 |
| 75= | Gemini Omni Flash 1.1 · 720p (via Runway API) New Nov 4 | Check | Not stated | $0.10/sec | $1.50 | $4.50 | $3.00 | $9.00 | $6.00 | $18.00 |
| 145= | Veo 3.1 Standard · 720p/1080p, no audio (Vertex AI) | Yes | No / not stated | $0.20/sec | $3.00 | $9.00 | $6.00 | $18.00 | $12.00 | $36.00 |
| 149= | Runway · Gen-4.5 | Image-to-video only | No / not stated | 12 cr/sec × $0.0192 | $3.46 | $10.37 | $6.91 | $20.74 | $13.82 | $41.47 |
| 177= | Runway · Seedance 2.0 Mini · 480p/720p (in Runway) New Oct 20 | Not verified | No / not stated | 16 cr/sec × $0.0192 | $4.61 | $13.82 | $9.22 | $27.65 | $18.43 | $55.30 |
| 193= | Veo 3.1 Standard · 720p/1080p with audio (Vertex AI) | Yes | Yes | $0.40/sec | $6.00 | $18.00 | $12.00 | $36.00 | $24.00 | $72.00 |
Ranked by usable cost; ties share a rank (ranks are within the 210 verified scene rates we track (xAI’s Grok Imagine 1.5 / 1.5 Lite API added Oct 27, 2026 9am, from $1.80 with audio — the new #1 — Grok Imagine cost; LTX’s own API added Oct 26, 2026 3pm, 16 rates from $2.70 with audio — LTX API pricing; Kling’s own API added Oct 25, 2026 3pm, 17 rates from $3.78 — Kling API pricing; Kling 2.5 Turbo and Turbo Pro inside Runway added Oct 25, 2026 9am, $17.28–$25.92 — Kling 2.5 Turbo cost; Kling O3 and Kling 2.6 Pro inside Runway added Oct 24, 2026 9pm, $22.46–$74.30 — Kling O3 cost; HappyHorse 1.0 inside Runway added Oct 24, 2026 3pm, $25.92–$51.84 — HappyHorse cost; Alibaba Cloud Model Studio (direct Wan / HappyHorse API) added Oct 24, 2026 9am, from $2.25 — #1 until Oct 27 — Wan API pricing; Wan 2.6 and Wan 2.6 Flash inside Runway added Oct 24, 2026, from $8.64 — Wan 2.6 cost; Kling 3.0 Turbo inside Runway added Oct 23, 2026 9pm, from $24.19 — Runway models ranked by cost; Kling 3.0 inside Runway added Oct 22, 2026 pm, from $15.55; LTX 2.5 inside Runway added Oct 23, 2026, also from $15.55; Seedance 2.5 added Oct 23, 2026 pm, from $9.25 on the BytePlus API — Seedance 2.5 cost), the same set as the pricing comparison, so gaps are rows above $9.00 not shown here). Maths: $/sec × seconds, or credits/sec × seconds × the plan’s $ per credit; usable = × 3. Native audio “No / not stated” means the verified rate is for video without audio or audio is not stated — fine if you add a voiceover, trending sound or music in the edit. Veo’s no-audio rates are listed on Google Cloud Agent Platform (Vertex AI) pricing only; the Gemini API pricing page no longer lists Veo (checked Oct 28, 2026) and its Veo 3.1 preview models shut down Oct 22, 2026, so Veo prices are verified from Vertex AI pricing — details in Veo 3 cost per video. Veo makes 4, 6 or 8s clips, so a 15s Veo clip really bills 16s (8 + 8): $0.48 per try and $1.44 usable on Lite without audio, $0.80 / $2.40 with audio. Pika prices Wan 3.0 per 5s generation (33 credits), so 15s is three generations.
Which models make 9:16 vertical video, and in how many generations
Price is useless if the model can’t output vertical video, or turns a 15-second Short into three stitched pieces. What the official pages say (checked Oct 20, 2026):
| Model | 9:16 vertical | Length per generation | Generations for a 15s Short | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grok Imagine 1.5 and 1.5 Lite (xAI API) | Yes — 9:16 among 9 ratios; image-to-video matches your image | 1–15s | 1 | xAI video overview |
| Vidu Q3 and Q4 Preview (Vidu API) | Yes for Q3 text-to-video (16:9, 9:16, 3:4, 4:3, 1:1); image-to-video starts from your image | 1–16s (Q4 Preview 3–16s) | 1 | Vidu text-to-video API reference (checked Nov 1, 2026) |
| Veo 3.1 Lite, Fast, Standard (Google API) | Yes — 9:16 and 16:9 | 4, 6 or 8s | 2 (8 + 8 = 16s billed, or 8 + 6 = 14s) | Veo 3.1 model page |
| Kling 2.6 (Standard and Professional modes) | Yes for text-to-video (16:9, 1:1, 9:16); image-to-video follows your image | 5s or 10s | 2 (10 + 5) | Kling VIDEO 2.6 guide |
| Kling 3.0 | Not stated in the official guide — check in-app | 3–15s, flexible | 1 | Kling VIDEO 3.0 guide |
| Runway Gen-4 and Gen-4 Turbo | Yes — 9:16 at 720×1280 (input image required) | 5s or 10s | 2 (10 + 5) | Creating with Gen-4 Video |
| Runway Gen-4.5 | Image-to-video only (720×1280); text-to-video is 16:9 only | 2–10s | 2 (e.g. 10 + 5) | Creating with Gen-4.5 |
| MiniMax H3 and H3-Max (API) | “Common ratios supported, or adaptive”; text-to-video needs a ratio, image-to-video follows the image — 9:16 not named on the guide | H3 4–15s, H3-Max 5–15s | 1 | MiniMax video-generation guide |
| Pika (Wan 3.0, Seedance 2.5, Kling 3.0, Veo 3.1 Fast) | Not verified — check in-app | Only 5s / 720p prices listed | 3 (5 + 5 + 5) | pika.art/pricing |
| Seedance 2.0 (BytePlus API) | Not verified — check API docs | Priced per 5s | — | BytePlus ModelArk pricing |
| Third-party models inside Runway (Veo, Seedance 2.0 / Mini, Wan 3.0) | Not verified on the Runway pages we checked | Runway API Seedance 2.0 Mini: 28-credit minimum (4s at 480p, re-checked Oct 27, 2026; Runway API pricing) | — | Runway API pricing |
| Luma Ray3.2 (Dream Machine and Luma API) | Yes — 9:16 among 6 aspect ratios (API page FAQ) | 5s or 10s | 3 × 5s (a 10s clip costs 3× the 5s price, so 5s pieces are cheaper) | Luma API · Luma pricing (Nov 2, 2026) |
Anything not stated on an official page is marked “not verified” rather than assumed — most tools show the aspect-ratio menu before you generate, so check there. Runway Gen-4 and Turbo need an input image (crop it to 9:16 or let the tool crop). Runway’s Gen-4.5 text-to-video is 16:9 only, so a vertical Gen-4.5 Short starts from a vertical image. Fewer generations per Short means fewer joins to fix: Kling 3.0 and MiniMax H3 / H3-Max can make a 15s clip in one go.
The retry maths: one 15-second Short at 1, 2, 3 and 5 attempts
| Tool · model | 1 attempt | 2 attempts | 3 attempts (our “usable”) | 5 attempts | 10 usable Shorts (3 attempts each) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 480p, audio on (xAI API) New Oct 27 | $0.30 | $0.60 | $0.90 | $1.50 | $9.00 |
| Alibaba Cloud · Wan 2.6 Flash · 720p, no audio (image-to-video) New Oct 24 | $0.38 | $0.75 | $1.13 | $1.88 | $11.25 |
| Kling 2.6 · Standard mode, no audio | $0.45 | $0.90 | $1.35 | $2.25 | $13.50 |
| Veo 3.1 Lite · 720p, no audio (Vertex AI) | $0.45 | $0.90 | $1.35 | $2.25 | $13.50 |
| Seedance 2.0 Mini API · 480p (no video input) New Oct 22 | $0.54 | $1.08 | $1.62 | $2.70 | $16.20 |
| Veo 3.1 Lite · 720p with audio (Vertex AI) | $0.75 | $1.50 | $2.25 | $3.75 | $22.50 |
| MiniMax H3-Max API · 480P | $0.75 | $1.50 | $2.25 | $3.75 | $22.50 |
| Pika · Wan 3.0 · 720p | $0.88 | $1.76 | $2.64 | $4.40 | $26.40 |
| Kling 3.0 · 720p, no native audio | $0.90 | $1.80 | $2.70 | $4.50 | $27.00 |
| Runway · Gen-4 Turbo | $1.44 | $2.88 | $4.32 | $7.20 | $43.20 |
| Runway · Gen-4.5 | $3.46 | $6.91 | $10.37 | $17.28 | $103.68 |
Retry counts are your own — track them for a week and plug the average into the calculator. Going from 3 to 5 attempts adds two-thirds to the bill on every model, but it adds $6.91 per Short on Gen-4.5 against $0.90 at $0.03/sec. The cheapest way to cut retries is to prototype on a cheap model or at 480p–720p and only re-render the winner at a premium setting.
What posting 1 or 3 times a day costs per month
Effective generation cost for 30 days, usable clips (3 attempts each), at entry-plan credit prices or API rates:
| Tool · model | 15s · 1/day (30) | 15s · 3/day (90) | 30s · 1/day (30) | 30s · 3/day (90) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 480p, audio on (xAI API) New Oct 27 | $27.00 | $81.00 | $54.00 | $162.00 |
| Alibaba Cloud · Wan 2.6 Flash · 720p, no audio (image-to-video) New Oct 24 | $33.75 | $101.25 | $67.50 | $202.50 |
| Kling 2.6 · Standard mode, no audio | $40.50 | $121.50 | $81.00 | $243.00 |
| Veo 3.1 Lite · 720p, no audio (Vertex AI) | $40.50 | $121.50 | $81.00 | $243.00 |
| Seedance 2.0 Mini API · 480p (no video input) New Oct 22 | $48.60 | $145.80 | $97.20 | $291.60 |
| Veo 3.1 Lite · 720p with audio (Vertex AI) | $67.50 | $202.50 | $135.00 | $405.00 |
| MiniMax H3-Max API · 480P | $67.50 | $202.50 | $135.00 | $405.00 |
| Pika · Wan 3.0 · 720p | $79.20 | $237.60 | $158.40 | $475.20 |
| Kling 3.0 · 720p, no native audio | $81.00 | $243.00 | $162.00 | $486.00 |
| Seedance 2.0 API · 480p (no video input) | $94.50 | $283.50 | $189.00 | $567.00 |
| Runway · Gen-4 Turbo | $129.60 | $388.80 | $259.20 | $777.60 |
| Veo 3.1 Fast · 720p with audio (Vertex AI) | $135.00 | $405.00 | $270.00 | $810.00 |
| Runway · Gen-4.5 | $311.04 | $933.12 | $622.08 | $1,866.24 |
These are effective costs (credits valued at the entry plan’s price). API rows are what you actually pay. Subscription rows assume you can buy exactly the credits you use — you can’t, so the next table prices the real plan you would need. Voice, music, captions and editing are not included.
The real monthly bill on a subscription
Plan credits run out fast at Shorts volume. Kling Standard’s 660 monthly credits cover about 4 usable 15s Kling 2.6 Standard-mode clips; Runway Standard’s 625 cover 2 usable 15s Gen-4 Turbo clips; Pika Creator’s 3,150 cover 10 usable 15s Wan 3.0 clips. Here is the cheapest plan-plus-top-up mix for a daily cadence of usable 15-second clips on each subscription’s cheapest 15s option, at annual-billing prices:
| Tool · model | Rate | 1/day: credits needed | 1/day: cheapest mix | 1/day: cash per month | 1/day: effective | 3/day: credits needed | 3/day: cheapest mix | 3/day: cash per month | 3/day: effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kling 2.6 Standard mode (no audio) | 3 cr/sec · 135 cr per usable 15s | 4,050 | Pro ($24.42/mo, 3,000 cr) + 1,056 top-up credits ($16.00) | $40.42 | $40.50 | 12,150 | Premier ($60.72/mo, 8,000 cr) + 4,158 top-up credits ($63.00) | $123.72 | $121.50 |
| Runway Gen-4 Turbo | 5 cr/sec · 225 cr per usable 15s | 6,750 | Max ($76.00/mo, 9,500 cr) | $76.00 | $129.60 | 20,250 | Max ($76.00/mo, 9,500 cr) + 11,000 top-up credits ($110.00) | $186.00 | $388.80 |
| Pika Wan 3.0 720p | 6.6 cr/sec · 297 cr per usable 15s | 8,910 | Fancy ($76.00/mo, 8,550 cr) + 1,500 top-up credits ($25.00) | $101.00 | $79.20 | 26,730 | Fancy ($76.00/mo, 8,550 cr) + 19,500 top-up credits ($325.00) | $401.00 | $237.60 |
| Veo 3.1 Lite 720p, no audio (Vertex AI) | $0.03/sec · $1.35 per usable 15s | — | Pay per second, no plan | $40.50 | $40.50 | — | Pay per second, no plan | $121.50 | $121.50 |
| Veo 3.1 Lite 720p with audio | $0.05/sec · $2.25 per usable 15s | — | Pay per second, no plan | $67.50 | $67.50 | — | Pay per second, no plan | $202.50 | $202.50 |
| MiniMax H3-Max 480P | $0.05/sec · $2.25 per usable 15s | — | Pay per second, no plan | $67.50 | $67.50 | — | Pay per second, no plan | $202.50 | $202.50 |
Plan prices are monthly equivalents on annual billing: Kling Standard $6.60 (660 credits), Pro $24.42 (3,000), Premier $60.72 (8,000) — Ultra’s 26,000 credits are listed without a price we could verify; Runway Standard $12 (625), Pro $28 (2,250), Max $76 (9,500); Pika Creator $28 (3,150) and Fancy from $76 (8,550+). Pika Free is left out because it has no commercial licence; Pika Starter ($8/mo annual) gained a commercial licence in October 2026 (pika.art/pricing, re-verified Oct 23) but its 900 credits cover only 3 usable 15s Wan 3.0 clips (297 credits each), far short of a daily cadence; Fancy’s higher tiers (up to $704/mo annual) add more credits — check official pricing. Top-ups: Kling purchased credits at $1 = 66 credits, valid 2 years (Kling membership plans; rounded up to whole dollars); Runway $10 per 1,000 credits, minimum 1,000, never expire, paid plans only (Runway credits help; rounded up to 1,000s); Pika packs at 60 credits per $1 in 1,500-credit steps from $25, expiring 365 days after purchase (pika.art/pricing). Kling membership credits expire 1 month after distribution and Runway Standard/Pro credits reset monthly, so unused plan credits are lost. Runway’s purchased credits ($0.01) are cheaper than its Standard and Pro plan credits ($0.0192 / $0.0124) but dearer than Max’s ($0.0080), which is why Max wins at Shorts volume and the effective column overstates Runway’s cash cost. Gen-4 Turbo needs an input image; Runway lists 9:16 for it.
Which to pick for TikTok and Shorts
- Narrated or music-led faceless Shorts: you add sound in the edit, so no-audio rates are fine. Kling 2.6 Standard mode (browser, 9:16 listed for text-to-video) or Veo 3.1 Lite without audio (Vertex AI, 9:16 listed) at $0.03/sec — $1.35 per usable 15s clip. API users: Seedance 2.0 Mini 480p on BytePlus is next at $1.62 (confirm 9:16 in the API docs) — see AI video API pricing per second.
- Clips that need generated sound or speech: LTX-2.3 Fast 720p on LTX’s API at $0.03/sec with audio ($1.35 per usable 15s clip, 9:16 listed; LTX API pricing), then Veo 3.1 Lite with audio at $0.05/sec ($2.25, 9:16 listed). Kling’s cheapest audio setting, Kling 3.0 720p, is $4.05.
- One generation per Short: Kling 3.0 (3–15s) or MiniMax H3-Max (5–15s, $2.25 usable at 480P) — confirm the 9:16 option in-app, as their pages don’t name it.
- Already paying for Runway: Gen-4 Turbo ($4.32 usable 15s on Standard annual, 9:16 listed) for volume; save Gen-4.5 ($10.37) for hero clips, and start vertical Gen-4.5 from a 9:16 image. Seedance 2.0 Mini (new, 16 credits/sec) is $13.82 per usable 15s on Standard annual credits — budget-friendly by Runway’s Seedance standards, not by the market’s. More in Runway credits explained and Runway vs Pika cost.
- Cheapest commercial-licensed browser subscription: Pika Starter ($8/mo annual, commercial licence since Oct 2026) with Wan 3.0 at $2.64 per usable 15s clip — 900 credits = 3 usable 15s clips a month; Creator ($28, 3,150 credits) = 10.
- Cutting Shorts from long videos you already have: that is repurposing, not generation — OpusClip prices per source minute processed (Pro: $29/mo monthly or $14.50/mo annual, 300 credits/mo). Disclosure: our OpusClip link is an affiliate link (see footer).
More context: the calculator (set 15s or 30s and your own retries), Runway vs Kling vs Pika vs Veo, the cheapest AI video generator ranking, the cheapest AI video generator for YouTube (long-form plus Shorts), how much 1 minute of AI video costs, Veo 3 cost per video, Kling credits explained, the cheapest AI avatar video generator for talking-head Shorts, every tool in the AI video generator pricing comparison, and the FAQ. Tool pages: Kling, Veo, MiniMax, Pika, Runway, Seedance.
Sources
Rates: assets/data.js (verified Oct 16–20, 2026) — Kling: Kling VIDEO 2.6 guide (2.6: 3 / 5 / 10 credits/sec) and Kling VIDEO 3.0 guide (3.0: 6–12 credits/sec), Kling membership plans; Google: Google Cloud Agent Platform (Vertex AI) pricing and Gemini API pricing; MiniMax: MiniMax pricing; Pika: pika.art/pricing; Seedance: BytePlus ModelArk pricing; Runway: runway.com/pricing, Runway Academy credits page and Runway API pricing (Gen-4 Turbo 5, Gen-4.5 12, Seedance 2.0 Mini 16 credits/sec in the app, re-checked Oct 20, 2026; the API now bills Seedance 2.0 Mini at 7 / 15 credits/sec at 480p / 720p, re-checked Oct 27, 2026), Runway credits help (top-ups). Vertical and clip-length facts, all checked Oct 20, 2026: Veo 3.1 model page (Veo 3.1: 9:16 and 16:9; 4, 6 or 8s), Creating with Gen-4.5 (9:16 for image-to-video, text-to-video 16:9; 2–10s), Creating with Gen-4 Video (Gen-4 / Turbo: 9:16 720×1280; 5s or 10s), Kling VIDEO 2.6 guide (text-to-video 16:9 / 1:1 / 9:16; 5s or 10s), Kling VIDEO 3.0 guide (3–15s; aspect ratios not stated), MiniMax video-generation guide (H3 4–15s, H3-Max 5–15s; common ratios or adaptive). Dollar figures are arithmetic from those rates. Prices change fast — every tool shows the cost before you generate, so confirm in-product before you buy.
FAQ
What is the cheapest AI video generator for TikTok and Shorts?
On verified rates (re-ranked Oct 27, 2026) the lowest is Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite at 480p on xAI's API: $0.02 per second with native audio and 9:16 listed, $0.30 per 15-second try and $0.90 usable with 2 retries (one 1-15 second generation covers a 15s Short; the same price on the Runway API). Then Wan 2.6 Flash at 720p without audio on Alibaba Cloud Model Studio's API: $0.025 per second, $0.38 per 15-second try and $1.13 usable; it is image-to-video only and 9:16 is not verified on its pricing page. Next, options tie at $0.03 per second and both list 9:16 vertical output on their official pages: Kling 2.6 in Standard mode (no audio, 3 credits per second on Kling Standard annual credits; 9:16 for text-to-video) and Veo 3.1 Lite 720p without audio on Google Cloud's Vertex AI. A 15-second vertical clip is $0.45 per try and $1.35 usable; a 30-second clip is $0.90 / $2.70. With native audio, Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite is cheapest; at 720p it ties LTX-2.3 Fast 720p on LTX's own API at $0.03 per second with audio included and 9:16 (720x1280) listed: $1.35 per usable 15-second clip (checked Oct 26, 2026). Veo 3.1 Lite 720p and Wan 2.6 Flash 720p with audio follow at $0.05 per second: $2.25.
How much does an AI-generated TikTok or Short cost?
Per usable clip with 2 retries, at verified rates: 15 seconds costs $0.90 on the cheapest rate (Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite 480p with audio, xAI API), $1.13 on Wan 2.6 Flash 720p without audio (Alibaba Cloud API), $1.35 on Kling 2.6 Standard mode, Veo 3.1 Lite without audio, LTX-2.3 Fast 720p or Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite 720p, $1.62 on Seedance 2.0 Mini 480p (BytePlus API), $2.25 on Veo 3.1 Lite with audio or MiniMax H3-Max 480P, $2.64 on Pika Wan 3.0, $4.32 on Runway Gen-4 Turbo and $10.37 on Runway Gen-4.5. A 30-second clip doubles those and a 60-second clip quadruples them. Single tries are one third.
How much does posting one AI video a day cost per month?
For thirty 15-second clips a month with 2 retries each: about $27.00 on Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite 480p (xAI API, $0.02 per second), $40.50 at $0.03 per second (Kling 2.6 Standard mode or Veo 3.1 Lite without audio), $48.60 on Seedance 2.0 Mini 480p (BytePlus API), $67.50 on Veo 3.1 Lite with audio, $129.60 on Runway Gen-4 Turbo and $311.04 on Runway Gen-4.5 at entry annual credit prices. Three a day is three times that. On subscriptions the real bill depends on plan size: Kling Pro plus about $16.00 of purchased credits ($40.42 a month) covers one 15-second Kling 2.6 clip a day.
Which AI video generators make 9:16 vertical video?
Verified on official pages on Oct 20, 2026: Veo 3.1 (Lite, Fast and Standard) supports 9:16 and 16:9; Kling 2.6 offers 9:16 for text-to-video; Runway Gen-4 and Gen-4 Turbo output 9:16 at 720x1280; Runway Gen-4.5 offers 9:16 for image-to-video only, with text-to-video in 16:9. MiniMax H3 and H3-Max say common ratios are supported. Checked Oct 27, 2026: Grok Imagine 1.5 and 1.5 Lite on xAI's API list 9:16 among nine aspect ratios (image-to-video follows the input image). Kling 3.0, Pika and Seedance did not state aspect ratios on the pages we checked, so confirm in the app before you buy.
Why do retries hurt more on short vertical clips?
Because every attempt is billed in full and Shorts are posted often. A 15-second clip that takes 3 attempts costs 3 times the sticker price, and a hard first-second hook can take 5. On Runway Gen-4.5 that is $3.46 per try but $17.28 at 5 attempts; at one clip a day, 2 extra retries add about $207.36 a month. On a $0.03-per-second model the same 5 attempts cost $2.25.
Can I make a 15-second Short in one generation?
Yes on Kling 3.0 (3 to 15 seconds per generation), Grok Imagine 1.5 and 1.5 Lite (1 to 15 seconds) and MiniMax H3 or H3-Max (up to 15 seconds). Veo 3.1 makes 4, 6 or 8 seconds, so 15 seconds is two clips (8 + 8 = 16 seconds billed, or 8 + 6 = 14); Kling 2.6 and Runway Gen-4 make 5 or 10 seconds, so 15 seconds is 10 + 5. Fewer joins means fewer failed stitches to redo.