Runway
Gen-4.5 at 12 credits/sec, Aleph 2.0 at 28; plans from $12/mo annual.
Prices verified Oct 16, 2026 · OpusClip link is an affiliate link (see disclosure below)
What an AI video actually costs per usable clip.
Sticker prices lie. Credits, retries, watermarks and expiring balances decide what you really pay. Pick a tool, tell us how many times you usually regenerate, and get the honest number.
AI video cost calculator
Transparent maths, shown step-by-step under your result. Rates come from assets/data.js, verified on official pricing pages (last checked Oct 16, 2026). “Estimate” means the rate was derived from an official plan/bucket example, not a published per-second tariff. The result shows single-try cost first, then the effective cost per usable video with your retries — and warns when the selected plan’s monthly credits don’t actually cover the scenario.
Why “per usable clip” changes everything
A $0.76 generation is not a $0.76 video. If one in three generations is usable, your real cost is about 3× the sticker. ClipCost multiplies every rate by 1 + your retries, uses the real price-per-credit of the plan you pick, and flags the traps — expiring credits, no commercial licence on cheap tiers, watermarked exports — before you pay.
12 tools, priced honestly
Kling AI
Kling 3.0 at 6–12 credits/sec; plans from 660 credits/mo.
Pika
Wan 3.0 33 credits/5s; commercial license only from Creator.
Veo 3.1 (Gemini API)
$0.05–$0.60/sec pay-as-you-go, audio included.
Luma (Ray)
10,000+ credits/mo; Ray3.2 from 50 credits/5s at 540p.
HeyGen
Avatar video from 4 credits/min (Avatar III Video Look).
Hedra
Character-3 API from 2.5¢/sec; talking photos.
Descript
Media hours + AI credits; editor, not pure generator.
OpusClip
Pay per source minute processed, not per clip second.
Seedance
API: $0.76 per 5s at 720p (no video input).
MiniMax / Hailuo
H3 API $0.08/sec at 768P.
Vidu
Reference-to-video; per-gen cost: check official pricing.
Quick answers
How much does 1 minute of AI video cost? From about $1.80 on Kling 2.6 Standard mode (no audio, 1 attempt) or $3.00 on Veo 3.1 Lite with audio, to $24+ on Veo Standard — before retries. See how much 1 minute of AI video costs and the FAQ.
Cheapest way to start? On verified rates, Kling (2.6 Standard mode $2.70, 3.0 720p $5.40 per usable 30s clip, no audio), Veo 3.1 Lite if you need native audio ($4.50), or Pika Wan — depending on audio, plan size and commercial rights. Compare at 30s and 60s.
Making videos for YouTube? See the cheapest AI video generator for YouTube ranking — cost per usable 30s/60s video and Short, with plan limits and commercial traps.
Cheapest overall? Kling 2.6 Standard mode is the new #1 on verified rates ($0.90 per 30s try, $2.70 usable). See the cheapest AI video generator ranking per usable clip, and how much 1 minute of AI video costs (single-try vs usable).
Confused by Kling credits? See Kling credits explained — plan credits, 1-month vs 2-year expiry, and how to estimate without a guessed per-video price.
Runway vs Kling — which is cheaper? Kling, on official rates: a 30s try is $3.60 on Kling 3.0 1080p with audio vs $6.91 on Runway Gen-4.5 (same 12 credits/sec, cheaper credits). See Runway vs Kling cost per video.
How do Runway credits work? Per second, per attempt: Gen-4.5 is 12 credits/sec, so Standard’s 625 credits ≈ 52 seconds and a 30s video needs 360 credits (1,080 with 2 retries). See Runway credits explained.
For agents / API
Pricing data in machine-readable JSON: pricing.json — all 12 tools with plans, verified model rates, cost examples, traps and official source links. Free to read, attribution appreciated. Agent guide: llms.txt. Prices change — check the official source before buying.
Paid API access may come if there is demand — it is not available today. To register interest, join The Weekly Credit Check.