ClipCost · Last checked Oct 27, 2026 · Prices from verified data
Cheapest AI video generator for YouTube
Ranked by what a usable finished video costs — not the sticker price of one generation. For faceless channels, educational explainers, Shorts and avatar presenters.
Run your own numbers Compare 30s & 60s costs
Quick answer
Cheapest AI video for YouTube on verified rates (re-ranked Oct 27, 2026) is Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite 480p on xAI’s API, with native audio: $0.02 per second — $0.60 per 30-second try, $1.80 per usable 30-second video with 2 retries (1–15s per clip, same price on the Runway API; Grok Imagine cost). Second is Wan 2.6 Flash 720p without audio on Alibaba Cloud’s API: $0.025 per second, $0.75 / $2.25 (image-to-video only; Wan API pricing). Tied fourth at $0.03 per second are Kling 2.6 in Standard mode (no audio, 3 credits/second) Veo 3.1 Lite 720p without audio on Google Cloud’s Vertex AI and, new Oct 26, LTX-2.3 Fast 720p on LTX’s own API with audio included and, new Oct 27, Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite 720p on xAI’s API (audio included): $0.90 / $2.70 (Kling on Standard annual credits; LTX API pricing). Next is Vidu Q3 Turbo at 540p on Vidu’s API ($0.035/sec, audio on by default: $1.05 / $3.15, new Nov 1; Vidu cost), Seedance 2.0 Mini 480p on the BytePlus API ($0.036/sec: $1.08 / $3.24, new Oct 22), LTX-2.3 Pro 720p with audio ($0.04/sec: $1.20 / $3.60), then Kling 2.6 or 2.5 Turbo 720p without audio on Kling’s own API ($0.042/sec: $1.26 / $3.78, new Oct 25; Kling API pricing), then Vidu Q3 Pro or Q4 Preview at 540p ($0.045/sec: $1.35 / $4.05, new Nov 1). Veo 3.1 Lite (720p, audio included), Kling 2.6 Professional without audio, MiniMax H3-Max 480P (API, native audio not stated) and Veo 3.1 Lite 1080p without audio tie at $1.50 / $4.50, then Seedance 2.0 Fast 480p ($1.68 / $5.04), Pika Wan 3.0 720p ($1.76 / $5.28), Kling 3.0 720p without audio ($1.80 / $5.40), Seedance 2.0 480p ($2.10 / $6.30) and MiniMax H3 or H3-Max 768P ($2.40 / $7.20), tied with Grok Imagine 1.5 480p on xAI’s API ($0.08/sec, with audio). Runway is not the cheapest on price: Gen-4 Turbo (or Wan 3.0 at 480p inside Runway) is $2.88 / $8.64 on Standard annual credits and Gen-4.5 is $6.91 / $20.74 — see Runway vs Pika cost per video.
Re-ranked Nov 1, 2026 (9am): Vidu’s own API is now in the ranking — 13 per-second rates verified today on Vidu’s API pricing page ($0.005 per credit) and API reference (151 ranked rates). Vidu Q3 Turbo at 540p is $0.035 per second with audio on by default — $1.05 per 30-second try and $3.15 per usable 30s clip with 2 retries, #8, just ahead of Seedance 2.0 Mini 480p. Q3 Pro and Q4 Preview at 540p are $0.045 ($4.05, tied #16), Q3 Turbo 720p $0.06 ($5.40) and the top tier, Q4 Preview 4K, $0.39 ($35.10). Clips run 1–16s (Q4 Preview 3–16s). Every rate above $2.70 moves down one to thirteen places. 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.
For narrated faceless channels the no-audio rows are usually fine — your voiceover and music go on in the edit. If you need generated sound in the clip itself, Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite on xAI’s API is now the cheapest verified option with native audio ($0.02/sec at 480p, since Oct 27, 2026; $0.03 at 720p, tied with LTX-2.3 Fast 720p on LTX’s own API), ahead of Veo 3.1 Lite ($0.05/sec, tied with Alibaba Cloud’s image-to-video Wan 2.6 Flash with audio); Kling’s cheapest audio setting is $0.09/sec. And the ranking flips again with real-world constraints: Kling’s Standard plan holds only 660 credits a month, Pika’s Free tier has no commercial licence (Starter gained one in Oct 2026), and Veo Lite is API pay-as-you-go (you stitch short clips yourself). The tables below show both the maths and the monthly reality.
Basis for every figure on this page: rates verified Oct 16–22, 2026 (Seedance 2.0 Fast/Mini on BytePlus and Veo 3.1 on Vertex AI Oct 22; Veo 3.1 with and without audio Oct 20 on Vertex AI pricing; MiniMax H3-Max and Wan 3.0 inside Runway Oct 19) (Kling per-second rates from Kling’s official VIDEO 3.0 and 2.6 guides, Oct 17) in ClipCost’s single source file (assets/data.js). “Usable” = 3 attempts total (1 generation + 2 retries), the same convention as our calculator and comparison page. A “Short” is costed as a 30-second finished video; a 15-second Short costs about half, a 60-second Short about double the 30-second row. Longer finished videos are stitched from short generations on most tools. Tools with no verified per-generation rate are not ranked — they are listed as “check official pricing” below.
Re-ranked Oct 27, 2026 (9am): xAI’s own API is now ranked (xAI’s API pricing and video docs, checked Oct 27, 2026). Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite 480p is $0.02/sec with native audio: $0.60 per 30s try, $1.80 per usable 30s video ($18.00 per 10) — the new #1, ahead of Wan 2.6 Flash 720p without audio ($2.25). Lite 720p ($2.70) ties Kling 2.6 Standard mode, Veo 3.1 Lite without audio and LTX-2.3 Fast for third. Clips are 1–15 seconds, so a 30s video is at least two generations. Full breakdown: Grok Imagine cost.
Re-ranked Oct 26, 2026 (3pm): LTX’s own API (Lightricks) is now ranked (LTX’s API pricing page, re-checked Oct 26, 2026). LTX-2.3 Fast 720p is $0.03/sec with audio included: $0.90 per 30s try, $2.70 per usable 30s video ($27.00 per 10) — tied #2 with Kling 2.6 Standard and Veo 3.1 Lite without audio, and the cheapest verified option if you want generated sound in the clip. It renders 16:9 or 9:16 (Shorts) in 6–20s clips. LTX-2.3 Pro 720p is $3.60, LTX-2.5 Fast $8.10. Details: LTX API pricing; LTX vs Wan cost.
Re-ranked Oct 25, 2026 (3pm): Kling’s own developer API is now ranked (Kling’s API video pricing page, checked Oct 25, 2026). Kling 2.6 or 2.5 Turbo at 720p without audio is $0.042/sec: $1.26 per 30s try, $3.78 per usable 30s video ($37.80 per 10) — pay per second with no subscription, about 1.4× the Kling app on Standard annual credits. Kling 3.0 720p on the API is $7.56 without audio and $11.34 with native audio. Details: Kling API pricing.
Re-ranked Oct 24, 2026 — new #1: Alibaba Cloud Model Studio’s direct Wan API is now ranked (Alibaba Cloud Model Studio pricing, last updated Oct 22, 2026, checked Oct 24, 2026). Wan 2.6 Flash 720p without audio is $0.025/sec: $0.75 per 30s try, $2.25 per usable 30s video or Short ($22.50 per 10) — image-to-video only, so you need a start frame, and silent, which suits narrated faceless channels. 1080p without audio is $3.38; with audio, Flash 720p is $4.50 (tied with Veo 3.1 Lite). Kling 2.6 Standard and Veo 3.1 Lite no audio are now #2= at $2.70. Details: Wan API pricing.
Re-ranked Oct 23, 2026 (pm): ByteDance Seedance 2.5 on the BytePlus ModelArk API is now ranked (list prices, no video input, page updated Oct 23, 2026): 480p is #22 at $9.25 per usable 30s video ($92.52 per 10), 720p $20.81 ($208.08 per 10). Up to 30 seconds per generation. Inside Runway it is Pro/Max plans only and costs more ($22.40–$76.16 usable 30s at Pro credits). Details: Seedance 2.5 cost.
Re-ranked Oct 22, 2026: Seedance 2.0 Fast and Mini on the BytePlus API are now ranked (list prices re-verified Oct 22, 2026 on BytePlus ModelArk pricing, no video input, 480p/720p only): Mini $0.18 per 5s at 480p ($0.036/sec) and $0.38 at 720p; Fast $0.28 and $0.60. Mini 480p ranks #3 at $3.24 per usable 30s video or Short ($32.40 per 10), Fast 480p #8 at $5.04. Both are API-only and native audio is not stated, so they suit narrated B-roll. Same day, the Gemini API’s Veo 3.1 preview models reached their Oct 22, 2026 shutdown — Veo 3.1 rows are now Google Cloud Vertex AI (Agent Platform) prices, re-checked unchanged. Every per-second API rate side by side: AI video API pricing per second.
Re-ranked Oct 20, 2026: Veo 3.1 without audio is now ranked. Google Cloud’s Agent Platform (Vertex AI) lists Veo 3.1 without audio from $0.03/sec; the Gemini API lists with-audio prices only and its Veo 3.1 preview models shut down Oct 22, 2026 (same prices on Vertex AI — Veo 3 cost per video). Lite 720p ($0.03/sec) ties Kling 2.6 Standard mode for #1 at $2.70 per usable 30s video or Short; Lite 1080p ($0.05/sec) ties for 3rd at $4.50 (4th since Oct 22). For narrated videos the no-audio rows are usually all you need. Shorts-specific maths: AI video cost for TikTok and Shorts.
Re-ranked Oct 19, 2026: MiniMax H3-Max (verified on MiniMax’s official pricing) joins the ranking — 480P tied for 2nd at $4.50 per usable 30s video or Short (3rd since Oct 20, 4th since Oct 22), 768P ties MiniMax H3 at $7.20. It makes 5–15s per generation and native audio is not stated, so it suits narrated B-roll. Wan 3.0 inside Runway is also ranked now (480p $8.64, 720p $17.28 usable); the same model is $5.28 on Pika — Runway vs Pika cost per video.
Re-ranked Oct 17, 2026: Kling’s official per-second credit rates are now verified, so Kling is in the ranking. New #1 is Kling 2.6 Standard mode at $2.70 per usable 30s video; Kling 3.0 720p without audio was #5 at $5.40 (#10 since the Oct 22 re-rank). On Kling Pro annual credits ($0.0081/credit) every Kling row is about 19% cheaper. See Runway vs Kling cost per video and Kling credits explained.
Ranking: cost per usable video for YouTube
| # | Tool / model (verified basis) | Rate used | 30s · 1 try | 30s usable* / 1 Short | Per 10 usable 30s | 60s usable* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 480p, audio on (xAI API) New Oct 27 | $0.02/sec | $0.60 | $1.80 | $18.00 | $3.60 |
| 2= | Wan 2.6 Flash · 720p, no audio, image-to-video (Alibaba Cloud API) New Oct 24 | $0.025/sec | $0.75 | $2.25 | $22.50 | $4.50 |
| 2= | MiniMax H3-Lite · 480P (API) New Oct 31 | $0.025/sec | $0.75 | $2.25 | $22.50 | $4.50 |
| 2= | Luma Ray3.2 · 540p (Dream Machine) New Nov 2 | 50 cr/5s; $0.0025/cr Plus annual | $0.75 | $2.25 | $22.50 | $4.50 |
| 5= | Kling 2.6 · Standard mode, no audio | 3 cr/sec; $0.0100/cr Standard annual‡ | $0.90 | $2.70 | $27.00 | $5.40 |
| 5= | Veo 3.1 Lite · 720p, no audio (Vertex AI) | $0.03/sec | $0.90 | $2.70 | $27.00 | $5.40 |
| 5= | LTX-2.3 Fast · 720p, audio on (LTX API) New Oct 26 | $0.03/sec | $0.90 | $2.70 | $27.00 | $5.40 |
| 5= | Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 720p, audio on (xAI API) New Oct 27 | $0.03/sec | $0.90 | $2.70 | $27.00 | $5.40 |
| 5= | Luma Ray3.2 · 540p (Luma API) New Nov 2 | $0.03/sec | $0.90 | $2.70 | $27.00 | $5.40 |
| 5= | Seedance 2.0 Mini · 480p (via Luma) New Nov 2 | 12 cr/sec; $0.0025/cr Plus annual | $0.90 | $2.70 | $27.00 | $5.40 |
| 11 | Gemini Omni Flash · 360p (Gemini/Vertex) New Nov 4 9pm | $0.0338/sec | $1.01 | $3.04 | $30.42 | $6.08 |
| 12 | Gemini Omni Flash 1.1 · 360p (via Runway API) New Nov 4 | $0.034/sec | $1.02 | $3.06 | $30.60 | $6.12 |
| 13 | Vidu Q3 Turbo · 540p, audio on (Vidu API) New Nov 1 | $0.035/sec | $1.05 | $3.15 | $31.50 | $6.30 |
| 14 | Seedance 2.0 Mini · 480p (BytePlus API, no video input) New Oct 22 | $0.18/5s ($0.036/sec) | $1.08 | $3.24 | $32.40 | $6.48 |
| 15 | Wan 2.6 Flash · 1080p, no audio, image-to-video (Alibaba Cloud API) New Oct 24 | $0.0375/sec | $1.13 | $3.38 | $33.75 | $6.75 |
| 16= | LTX-2.3 Pro · 720p, audio on (LTX API) New Oct 26 | $0.04/sec | $1.20 | $3.60 | $36.00 | $7.20 |
| 16= | MiniMax H3-Lite · 768P (API) New Oct 31 | $0.04/sec | $1.20 | $3.60 | $36.00 | $7.20 |
| 16= | MiniMax H3-Highspeed · 480P (API) New Oct 31 | $0.04/sec | $1.20 | $3.60 | $36.00 | $7.20 |
| 19= | Kling 2.6 · 720p, no native audio (Kling API) New Oct 25 | $0.042/sec | $1.26 | $3.78 | $37.80 | $7.56 |
| 19= | Kling 2.5 Turbo · 720p, no native audio (Kling API) New Oct 25 | $0.042/sec | $1.26 | $3.78 | $37.80 | $7.56 |
| 21= | Vidu Q3 Pro · 540p, audio on (Vidu API) New Nov 1 | $0.045/sec | $1.35 | $4.05 | $40.50 | $8.10 |
| 21= | Vidu Q4 Preview · 540p, audio on (Vidu API) New Nov 1 | $0.045/sec | $1.35 | $4.05 | $40.50 | $8.10 |
| 21= | MiniMax H3 Max · 480p (via Luma) New Nov 2 | 18 cr/sec; $0.0025/cr Plus annual | $1.35 | $4.05 | $40.50 | $8.10 |
| 24= | Veo 3.1 Lite · 720p (Vertex AI / Agent Platform, audio incl.) | $0.05/sec | $1.50 | $4.50 | $45.00 | $9.00 |
| 24= | Kling 2.6 · Professional, no audio | 5 cr/sec; $0.0100/cr‡ | $1.50 | $4.50 | $45.00 | $9.00 |
| 24= | MiniMax H3-Max · 480P (API) | $0.05/sec | $1.50 | $4.50 | $45.00 | $9.00 |
| 24= | Veo 3.1 Lite · 1080p, no audio (Vertex AI) | $0.05/sec | $1.50 | $4.50 | $45.00 | $9.00 |
| 24= | Wan 3.0 · 480p (Alibaba Cloud API) New Oct 24 | $0.05/sec | $1.50 | $4.50 | $45.00 | $9.00 |
| 24= | Wan 2.6 Flash · 720p, with audio, image-to-video (Alibaba Cloud API) New Oct 24 | $0.05/sec | $1.50 | $4.50 | $45.00 | $9.00 |
| 24= | Luma Ray3.2 · 720p (Dream Machine) New Nov 2 | 100 cr/5s; $0.0025/cr Plus annual | $1.50 | $4.50 | $45.00 | $9.00 |
| 24= | MiniMax H3 Max · 480p (via Runway API) New Nov 4 | $0.05/sec | $1.50 | $4.50 | $45.00 | $9.00 |
| 32 | Seedance 2.0 Fast · 480p (BytePlus API, no video input) New Oct 22 | $0.28/5s ($0.056/sec) | $1.68 | $5.04 | $50.40 | $10.08 |
| 33 | Pika · Wan 3.0 · 720p | 33 cr/5s; $0.00889/cr annual† | $1.76 | $5.28 | $52.80 | $10.56 |
| 34= | Kling 3.0 · 720p, no audio | 6 cr/sec; $0.0100/cr‡ | $1.80 | $5.40 | $54.00 | $10.80 |
| 34= | LTX-2.3 Fast · 1080p, audio on (LTX API) New Oct 26 | $0.06/sec | $1.80 | $5.40 | $54.00 | $10.80 |
| 34= | MiniMax H3-Highspeed · 768P (API) New Oct 31 | $0.06/sec | $1.80 | $5.40 | $54.00 | $10.80 |
| 34= | Vidu Q3 Turbo · 720p, audio on (Vidu API) New Nov 1 | $0.06/sec | $1.80 | $5.40 | $54.00 | $10.80 |
| 34= | Vidu Q3 Pro Fast · 720p, audio on (Vidu API) New Nov 1 | $0.06/sec | $1.80 | $5.40 | $54.00 | $10.80 |
| 34= | Luma Ray3.2 · 720p (Luma API) New Nov 2 | $0.06/sec | $1.80 | $5.40 | $54.00 | $10.80 |
| 34= | Seedance 2.0 · 480p (via Luma) New Nov 2 | 24 cr/sec; $0.0025/cr Plus annual | $1.80 | $5.40 | $54.00 | $10.80 |
| 34= | FLUX 3 Draft · HD, audio on (BFL API / Playground) New Nov 3 | $0.06/sec | $1.80 | $5.40 | $54.00 | $10.80 |
| 42 | Pika · Kling 3.0 · 720p New Nov 1 | 34 cr/5s; $0.00889/cr annual† | $1.81 | $5.44 | $54.40 | $10.88 |
| 43= | Vidu Q3 Turbo · 1080p, audio on (Vidu API) New Nov 1 | $0.065/sec | $1.95 | $5.85 | $58.50 | $11.70 |
| 43= | Seedance 2.0 Mini · 720p (via Luma) New Nov 2 | 26 cr/sec; $0.0025/cr Plus annual | $1.95 | $5.85 | $58.50 | $11.70 |
| 45 | Wan 3.0 Prime (fast) · 480p (Alibaba Cloud API) New Oct 24 | $0.068/sec | $2.04 | $6.12 | $61.20 | $12.24 |
| 46= | Seedance 2.0 · 480p (BytePlus API, no video input) | $0.35/5s ($0.07/sec) | $2.10 | $6.30 | $63.00 | $12.60 |
| 46= | HappyHorse 1.1 · 480p (Alibaba Cloud API) New Oct 24 | $0.07/sec | $2.10 | $6.30 | $63.00 | $12.60 |
| 46= | Kling 2.6 · 1080p, no native audio (Kling API) New Oct 25 | $0.07/sec | $2.10 | $6.30 | $63.00 | $12.60 |
| 46= | Kling 2.5 Turbo · 1080p, no native audio (Kling API) New Oct 25 | $0.07/sec | $2.10 | $6.30 | $63.00 | $12.60 |
| 46= | MiniMax H3 · 768p (via Luma) New Nov 2 | 28 cr/sec; $0.0025/cr Plus annual | $2.10 | $6.30 | $63.00 | $12.60 |
| 46= | MiniMax H3 Max · 768p (via Luma) New Nov 2 | 28 cr/sec; $0.0025/cr Plus annual | $2.10 | $6.30 | $63.00 | $12.60 |
| 52= | Wan 2.6 Flash · 1080p, with audio, image-to-video (Alibaba Cloud API) New Oct 24 | $0.075/sec | $2.25 | $6.75 | $67.50 | $13.50 |
| 52= | Vidu Q3 Pro Fast · 1080p, audio on (Vidu API) New Nov 1 | $0.075/sec | $2.25 | $6.75 | $67.50 | $13.50 |
| 52= | Kling 3.0 / 3.0 Omni · 720p, no audio (via Luma) New Nov 2 | 30 cr/sec; $0.0025/cr Plus annual | $2.25 | $6.75 | $67.50 | $13.50 |
| 55 | Seedance 2.0 Mini · 720p (BytePlus API, no video input) New Oct 22 | $0.38/5s ($0.076/sec) | $2.28 | $6.84 | $68.40 | $13.68 |
| 56= | Kling 3.0 · 1080p, no audio | 8 cr/sec; $0.0100/cr‡ | $2.40 | $7.20 | $72.00 | $14.40 |
| 56= | MiniMax H3 · 768P (API) | $0.08/sec | $2.40 | $7.20 | $72.00 | $14.40 |
| 56= | MiniMax H3-Max · 768P (API) | $0.08/sec | $2.40 | $7.20 | $72.00 | $14.40 |
| 56= | Veo 3.1 Fast · 720p, no audio (Vertex AI) | $0.08/sec | $2.40 | $7.20 | $72.00 | $14.40 |
| 56= | LTX-2.3 Pro · 1080p, audio on (LTX API) New Oct 26 | $0.08/sec | $2.40 | $7.20 | $72.00 | $14.40 |
| 56= | Grok Imagine 1.5 · 480p, audio on (xAI API) New Oct 27 | $0.08/sec | $2.40 | $7.20 | $72.00 | $14.40 |
| 56= | MiniMax H3 Max · 768p (via Runway API) New Nov 4 | $0.08/sec | $2.40 | $7.20 | $72.00 | $14.40 |
| 63= | Kling 3.0 · 720p, no native audio (Kling API) New Oct 25 | $0.084/sec | $2.52 | $7.56 | $75.60 | $15.12 |
| 63= | Kling 3.0 Omni · 720p, no audio, no reference video (Kling API) New Oct 25 | $0.084/sec | $2.52 | $7.56 | $75.60 | $15.12 |
| 65 | Pika · Veo 3.1 Fast · 720p New Nov 1 | 80 cr/8s; $0.00889/cr annual† | $2.67 | $8.00 | $80.00 | $16.00 |
| 66= | Kling 3.0 · 720p, native audio | 9 cr/sec; $0.0100/cr‡ | $2.70 | $8.10 | $81.00 | $16.20 |
| 66= | LTX-2.5 Fast · 720p, audio on (LTX API) New Oct 26 | $0.09/sec | $2.70 | $8.10 | $81.00 | $16.20 |
| 66= | Seedance 2.5 · 480p / Draft (via Luma) New Nov 2 | 36 cr/sec; $0.0025/cr Plus annual | $2.70 | $8.10 | $81.00 | $16.20 |
| 66= | Kling 3.0 Std · no audio (via Runway API) New Nov 4 | $0.09/sec | $2.70 | $8.10 | $81.00 | $16.20 |
| 70 | Vidu Q4 Preview · 720p, audio on (Vidu API) New Nov 1 | $0.095/sec | $2.85 | $8.55 | $85.50 | $17.10 |
| 71= | Runway · Gen-4 Turbo | 5 cr/sec; $0.0192/cr Standard annual | $2.88 | $8.64 | $86.40 | $17.28 |
| 71= | Runway · Wan 3.0 · 480p | 5 cr/sec; $0.0192/cr Standard annual | $2.88 | $8.64 | $86.40 | $17.28 |
| 73= | Veo 3.1 Fast · 720p (API) | $0.10/sec | $3.00 | $9.00 | $90.00 | $18.00 |
| 73= | Kling 2.6 · Professional, native audio | 10 cr/sec; $0.0100/cr‡ | $3.00 | $9.00 | $90.00 | $18.00 |
| 73= | Wan 3.0 · 720p (Alibaba Cloud API) New Oct 24 | $0.10/sec | $3.00 | $9.00 | $90.00 | $18.00 |
| 73= | Wan 2.7 · 720p, with audio (Alibaba Cloud API) New Oct 24 | $0.10/sec | $3.00 | $9.00 | $90.00 | $18.00 |
| 73= | Wan 2.6 · 720p, with audio (Alibaba Cloud API) New Oct 24 | $0.10/sec | $3.00 | $9.00 | $90.00 | $18.00 |
| 73= | Vidu Q3 Pro · 720p, audio on (Vidu API) New Nov 1 | $0.10/sec | $3.00 | $9.00 | $90.00 | $18.00 |
| 73= | Kling 3.0 / 3.0 Omni · 720p, audio (via Luma) New Nov 2 | 40 cr/sec; $0.0025/cr Plus annual | $3.00 | $9.00 | $90.00 | $18.00 |
| 73= | Kling 3.0 / 3.0 Omni · 1080p, no audio (via Luma) New Nov 2 | 40 cr/sec; $0.0025/cr Plus annual | $3.00 | $9.00 | $90.00 | $18.00 |
| 73= | Kling 3.0 Turbo · 720p (via Luma) New Nov 2 | 40 cr/sec; $0.0025/cr Plus annual | $3.00 | $9.00 | $90.00 | $18.00 |
| 73= | MiniMax Hailuo 3 / H3 · 768p (via Runway API) New Nov 4 | $0.10/sec | $3.00 | $9.00 | $90.00 | $18.00 |
| 73= | Gemini Omni Flash · T2V/I2V (via Runway API) New Nov 4 | $0.10/sec | $3.00 | $9.00 | $90.00 | $18.00 |
| 73= | Gemini Omni Flash 1.1 · 720p (via Runway API) New Nov 4 | $0.10/sec | $3.00 | $9.00 | $90.00 | $18.00 |
| 85 | Gemini Omni Flash · 720p (Gemini/Vertex) New Nov 4 9pm | $0.1014/sec | $3.04 | $9.13 | $91.26 | $18.25 |
| 86 | Seedance 2.5 · 480p (BytePlus API, no video input) New Oct 23 | $0.514/5s ($0.103/sec) | $3.08 | $9.25 | $92.52 | $18.50 |
| 87= | Kling 3.0 · 1080p, no native audio (Kling API) New Oct 25 | $0.112/sec | $3.36 | $10.08 | $100.80 | $20.16 |
| 87= | Kling 3.0 Turbo · 720p, native audio (Kling API) New Oct 25 | $0.112/sec | $3.36 | $10.08 | $100.80 | $20.16 |
| 87= | Kling 3.0 Omni · 1080p, no audio, no reference video (Kling API) New Oct 25 | $0.112/sec | $3.36 | $10.08 | $100.80 | $20.16 |
| 87= | Kling 3.0 Omni · 720p, native audio, no reference video (Kling API) New Oct 25 | $0.112/sec | $3.36 | $10.08 | $100.80 | $20.16 |
| 91 | MiniMax H3 · 2K (via Luma) New Nov 2 | 46 cr/sec; $0.0025/cr Plus annual | $3.45 | $10.35 | $103.50 | $20.70 |
| 92= | Kling 3.0 · 1080p, native audio | 12 cr/sec; $0.0100/cr‡ | $3.60 | $10.80 | $108.00 | $21.60 |
| 92= | Seedance 2.0 Fast · 720p (BytePlus API, no video input) New Oct 22 | $0.60/5s ($0.12/sec) | $3.60 | $10.80 | $108.00 | $21.60 |
| 92= | LTX-2.3 Fast · 1440p, audio on (LTX API) New Oct 26 | $0.12/sec | $3.60 | $10.80 | $108.00 | $21.60 |
| 92= | LTX-2.5 Pro · 720p, audio on (LTX API) New Oct 26 | $0.12/sec | $3.60 | $10.80 | $108.00 | $21.60 |
| 92= | Vidu Q3 Pro · 1080p, audio on (Vidu API) New Nov 1 | $0.12/sec | $3.60 | $10.80 | $108.00 | $21.60 |
| 92= | Vidu Q4 Preview · 1080p, audio on (Vidu API) New Nov 1 | $0.12/sec | $3.60 | $10.80 | $108.00 | $21.60 |
| 92= | Kling 3.0 Pro · no audio (via Runway API) New Nov 4 | $0.12/sec | $3.60 | $10.80 | $108.00 | $21.60 |
| 99= | Kling 3.0 / 3.0 Omni · 1080p, audio (via Luma) New Nov 2 | 49 cr/sec; $0.0025/cr Plus annual | $3.68 | $11.03 | $110.25 | $22.05 |
| 99= | Kling 3.0 Turbo · 1080p (via Luma) New Nov 2 | 49 cr/sec; $0.0025/cr Plus annual | $3.68 | $11.03 | $110.25 | $22.05 |
| 101 | Kling 4.0 · 720p promo (via Runway API) New Nov 4 | $0.1256/sec | $3.77 | $11.30 | $113.04 | $22.61 |
| 102 | Kling 3.0 · 720p, native audio (Kling API) New Oct 25 | $0.126/sec | $3.78 | $11.34 | $113.40 | $22.68 |
| 103 | Seedance 2.0 · 720p (via Luma) New Nov 2 | 51 cr/sec; $0.0025/cr Plus annual | $3.83 | $11.48 | $114.75 | $22.95 |
| 104= | LTX-2.5 Fast · 1080p, audio on (LTX API) New Oct 26 | $0.13/sec | $3.90 | $11.70 | $117.00 | $23.40 |
| 104= | Kling 3.0 Std · with audio (via Runway API) New Nov 4 | $0.13/sec | $3.90 | $11.70 | $117.00 | $23.40 |
| 106 | Kling 4.0 / 4.0 Omni · 720p (via Luma) New Nov 2 | 53 cr/sec; $0.0025/cr Plus annual | $3.98 | $11.93 | $119.25 | $23.85 |
| 107= | Wan 3.0 Prime (fast) · 720p (Alibaba Cloud API) New Oct 24 | $0.14/sec | $4.20 | $12.60 | $126.00 | $25.20 |
| 107= | HappyHorse 1.1 · 720p (Alibaba Cloud API) New Oct 24 | $0.14/sec | $4.20 | $12.60 | $126.00 | $25.20 |
| 107= | HappyHorse 1.0 · 720p (Alibaba Cloud API) New Oct 24 | $0.14/sec | $4.20 | $12.60 | $126.00 | $25.20 |
| 107= | Kling 3.0 Turbo · 1080p, native audio (Kling API) New Oct 25 | $0.14/sec | $4.20 | $12.60 | $126.00 | $25.20 |
| 107= | Kling 3.0 Omni · 1080p, native audio, no reference video (Kling API) New Oct 25 | $0.14/sec | $4.20 | $12.60 | $126.00 | $25.20 |
| 107= | Kling 2.6 · 1080p, native audio (Kling API) New Oct 25 | $0.14/sec | $4.20 | $12.60 | $126.00 | $25.20 |
| 107= | Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite · 1080p, audio on (xAI API) New Oct 27 | $0.14/sec | $4.20 | $12.60 | $126.00 | $25.20 |
| 107= | Grok Imagine 1.5 · 720p, audio on (xAI API) New Oct 27 | $0.14/sec | $4.20 | $12.60 | $126.00 | $25.20 |
| 107= | MiniMax H3 Max · 1080p (via Luma) New Nov 2 | 56 cr/sec; $0.0025/cr Plus annual | $4.20 | $12.60 | $126.00 | $25.20 |
| 116= | Wan 2.7 · 1080p, with audio (Alibaba Cloud API) New Oct 24 | $0.15/sec | $4.50 | $13.50 | $135.00 | $27.00 |
| 116= | Wan 2.6 · 1080p, with audio (Alibaba Cloud API) New Oct 24 | $0.15/sec | $4.50 | $13.50 | $135.00 | $27.00 |
| 116= | Flux 3 · HD (via Luma) New Nov 2 | 60 cr/sec; $0.0025/cr Plus annual | $4.50 | $13.50 | $135.00 | $27.00 |
| 116= | FLUX 3 · HD, audio on (BFL API / Playground) New Nov 3 | $0.15/sec | $4.50 | $13.50 | $135.00 | $27.00 |
| 116= | MiniMax Hailuo 3 / H3 · 2K (via Runway API) New Nov 4 | $0.15/sec | $4.50 | $13.50 | $135.00 | $27.00 |
| 116= | Gemini Omni Flash 1.1 · 1080p (via Runway API) New Nov 4 | $0.15/sec | $4.50 | $13.50 | $135.00 | $27.00 |
| 122= | Seedance 2.0 · 720p (API, no video input) | $0.76/5s ($0.152/sec) | $4.56 | $13.68 | $136.80 | $27.36 |
| 122= | Gemini Omni Flash · 1080p (Gemini/Vertex) New Nov 4 9pm | $0.152/sec | $4.56 | $13.68 | $136.80 | $27.36 |
| 124 | LTX-2.3 Pro · 1440p, audio on (LTX API) New Oct 26 | $0.16/sec | $4.80 | $14.40 | $144.00 | $28.80 |
| 125 | Kling 3.0 · 1080p, native audio (Kling API) New Oct 25 | $0.168/sec | $5.04 | $15.12 | $151.20 | $30.24 |
| 126= | LTX-2.5 Pro · 1080p, audio on (LTX API) New Oct 26 | $0.17/sec | $5.10 | $15.30 | $153.00 | $30.60 |
| 126= | Kling 3.0 Pro · with audio (via Runway API) New Nov 4 | $0.17/sec | $5.10 | $15.30 | $153.00 | $30.60 |
| 128 | HappyHorse 1.1 · 1080p (Alibaba Cloud API) New Oct 24 | $0.18/sec | $5.40 | $16.20 | $162.00 | $32.40 |
| 129 | Kling 4.0 · 1080p promo (via Runway API) New Nov 4 | $0.188/sec | $5.64 | $16.92 | $169.20 | $33.84 |
| 130= | LTX-2.5 Fast · 1440p, audio on (LTX API) New Oct 26 | $0.19/sec | $5.70 | $17.10 | $171.00 | $34.20 |
| 130= | Vidu Q4 Preview · 2K, audio on (Vidu API) New Nov 1 | $0.19/sec | $5.70 | $17.10 | $171.00 | $34.20 |
| 132 | Runway · Wan 3.0 · 720p | 10 cr/sec; $0.0192/cr Standard annual | $5.76 | $17.28 | $172.80 | $34.56 |
| 133 | Seedance 2.5 · 720p (via Luma) New Nov 2 | 78 cr/sec; $0.0025/cr Plus annual | $5.85 | $17.55 | $175.50 | $35.10 |
| 134 | Kling 4.0 / 4.0 Omni · 1080p (via Luma) New Nov 2 | 79 cr/sec; $0.0025/cr Plus annual | $5.93 | $17.78 | $177.75 | $35.55 |
| 135= | Veo 3.1 Standard · 720p/1080p, no audio (Vertex AI) | $0.20/sec | $6.00 | $18.00 | $180.00 | $36.00 |
| 135= | Wan 3.0 · 1080p (Alibaba Cloud API) New Oct 24 | $0.20/sec | $6.00 | $18.00 | $180.00 | $36.00 |
| 135= | Luma Ray3.2 · 1080p (Dream Machine) New Nov 2 | 400 cr/5s; $0.0025/cr Plus annual | $6.00 | $18.00 | $180.00 | $36.00 |
| 138 | Pika · Seedance 2.5 · 720p | 122 cr/5s; $0.00889/cr annual† | $6.51 | $19.52 | $195.20 | $39.04 |
| 139 | Runway · Gen-4.5 | 12 cr/sec; $0.0192/cr Standard annual | $6.91 | $20.74 | $207.36 | $41.47 |
| 140 | Seedance 2.5 · 720p (BytePlus API, no video input) New Oct 23 | $1.156/5s ($0.231/sec) | $6.94 | $20.81 | $208.08 | $41.62 |
| 141= | HappyHorse 1.0 · 1080p (Alibaba Cloud API) New Oct 24 | $0.24/sec | $7.20 | $21.60 | $216.00 | $43.20 |
| 141= | LTX-2.3 Fast · 4K, audio on (LTX API) New Oct 26 | $0.24/sec | $7.20 | $21.60 | $216.00 | $43.20 |
| 141= | Luma Ray3.2 · 1080p (Luma API) New Nov 2 | $0.24/sec | $7.20 | $21.60 | $216.00 | $43.20 |
| 141= | FLUX 3 · FHD, audio on (BFL API / Playground) New Nov 3 | $0.24/sec | $7.20 | $21.60 | $216.00 | $43.20 |
| 145= | LTX-2.5 Pro · 1440p, audio on (LTX API) New Oct 26 | $0.25/sec | $7.50 | $22.50 | $225.00 | $45.00 |
| 145= | Grok Imagine 1.5 · 1080p, audio on (xAI API) New Oct 27 | $0.25/sec | $7.50 | $22.50 | $225.00 | $45.00 |
| 147 | Flux 3 · FHD (via Luma) New Nov 2 | 102 cr/sec; $0.0025/cr Plus annual | $7.65 | $22.95 | $229.50 | $45.90 |
| 148= | Wan 3.0 Prime (fast) · 1080p (Alibaba Cloud API) New Oct 24 | $0.28/sec | $8.40 | $25.20 | $252.00 | $50.40 |
| 148= | FLUX 3 · QHD, audio on (BFL API / Playground) New Nov 3 | $0.28/sec | $8.40 | $25.20 | $252.00 | $50.40 |
| 150= | LTX-2.5 Fast · 4K, audio on (LTX API) New Oct 26 | $0.30/sec | $9.00 | $27.00 | $270.00 | $54.00 |
| 150= | Gemini Omni Flash 1.1 · 4K (via Runway API) New Nov 4 | $0.30/sec | $9.00 | $27.00 | $270.00 | $54.00 |
| 152 | Gemini Omni Flash · 4K (Gemini/Vertex) New Nov 4 9pm | $0.3041/sec | $9.12 | $27.37 | $273.69 | $54.74 |
| 153 | Seedance 2.0 · 1080p (via Luma) New Nov 2 | 126 cr/sec; $0.0025/cr Plus annual | $9.45 | $28.35 | $283.50 | $56.70 |
| 154 | LTX-2.3 Pro · 4K, audio on (LTX API) New Oct 26 | $0.32/sec | $9.60 | $28.80 | $288.00 | $57.60 |
| 155 | Veo 3.1 · 720p / 1080p (via Luma) New Nov 2 | 140 cr/sec; $0.0025/cr Plus annual | $10.50 | $31.50 | $315.00 | $63.00 |
| 156 | Kling 3.0 / 3.0 Omni · 4K (via Luma) New Nov 2 | 147 cr/sec; $0.0025/cr Plus annual | $11.03 | $33.08 | $330.75 | $66.15 |
| 157= | LTX-2.5 Pro · 4K, audio on (LTX API) New Oct 26 | $0.39/sec | $11.70 | $35.10 | $351.00 | $70.20 |
| 157= | Vidu Q4 Preview · 4K, audio on (Vidu API) New Nov 1 | $0.39/sec | $11.70 | $35.10 | $351.00 | $70.20 |
| 159 | Veo 3.1 Standard · 720p/1080p (API) | $0.40/sec | $12.00 | $36.00 | $360.00 | $72.00 |
| 160 | FLUX 3 · UHD, audio on (BFL API / Playground) New Nov 3 | $0.41/sec | $12.30 | $36.90 | $369.00 | $73.80 |
| 161 | Kling 3.0 · 4K (via Runway API) New Nov 4 | $0.43/sec | $12.90 | $38.70 | $387.00 | $77.40 |
| 162 | Seedance 2.5 · 1080p (via Luma) New Nov 2 | 191 cr/sec; $0.0025/cr Plus annual | $14.33 | $42.98 | $429.75 | $85.95 |
| 163 | Seedance 2.0 · 4K (via Luma) New Nov 2 | 261 cr/sec; $0.0025/cr Plus annual | $19.58 | $58.73 | $587.25 | $117.45 |
*Usable = 3 attempts (2 retries). †Pika credit value is the same on Starter annual ($8/mo, 900 credits) and Creator annual ($28/mo, 3,150 credits) — $0.00889/credit — and both include a commercial licence (Starter since Oct 2026; see traps). ‡Kling Standard annual ($6.60/mo, billed $79.20/yr, 660 credits); Kling monthly-billing prices were not verified; Kling Pro annual is $0.0081/credit. “No audio” = no native audio track. Runway figures value credits at Standard annual ($12/mo, 625 credits); bigger plans lower the per-credit price. Full working in the calculator.
Read the ranking in two halves. The API rows (Veo, Seedance, MiniMax) have no monthly minimum, but they assume you can work through an API or API-style workflow and edit clips together yourself. The subscription rows (Kling, Pika, Runway) are easier to start in a browser, but their effective cost depends on using your credits before they expire — Kling membership credits last 1 month. Neither half includes your editing time, voiceover, music or stock — this page prices the generated footage only.
Not ranked: estimates and unverified rates
| Tool | Why it is not in the ranking | What we verified instead |
|---|---|---|
| Vidu · Descript (generation) | Per-generation cost not verified (Descript prices in media hours + AI credits, not per generated second). | Both are listed as “check official pricing” in the calculator rather than guessed. |
Kling moved out of this table on Oct 17, 2026, when its per-second credit rates were verified from Kling’s own model guides. Kling still shows the exact credit charge before each generation — confirm it in your account before budgeting a channel.
Monthly reality: how many usable videos does a plan actually cover?
A cheap per-second rate is useless if the plan runs out. Worked examples from verified plan credits:
- Kling: Standard (660 credits/mo) fits 2 usable 30s videos in 2.6 Standard mode (270 credits each), 1 in Kling 3.0 720p without audio (540 credits) and 0 in 3.0 1080p with audio (1,080 credits). Pro (3,000 credits/mo) fits 11, 5 and 2 respectively. Membership credits expire 1 month after distribution.
- Pika Wan 3.0: Starter (900 credits/mo) fits 4 single 30-second tries — just 1 usable 30s video with 2 retries (594 credits); Starter includes a commercial licence since Oct 2026. Creator (3,150 credits) fits 15 tries / 5 usable 30s videos a month. Plan credits refresh monthly and do not carry over.
- Runway Gen-4.5: Standard’s 625 credits cover one 30-second try (360 credits) and zero usable 30s videos with retries (1,080 credits needed). On Gen-4 Turbo the same plan fits 1 usable 30s video (450 credits). See the full Runway cost-per-video breakdown.
- Veo / Seedance / MiniMax APIs: no monthly allotment to waste — you pay per generated second, so 10 usable 30-second videos on Veo Lite cost about $45 in generation fees whenever you make them. The trade-off is workflow, not credits.
- HeyGen (presenter only): Creator’s 600 credits cover 150 minutes of Avatar III Video Look a month (4 credits/min) — or only 12.5 minutes of Avatar V (48 credits/min). Model choice matters more than plan size.
So for a weekly long-form video, the real monthly question is not “what is the monthly price?” but “how many usable finished minutes fit inside it at my retry rate?” Run that count in the calculator before subscribing.
Best cheapest option, by YouTube use case
Long-form faceless / educational YouTube
For scripted, faceless or educational channels — narration over generated B-roll, explainers, science and history videos — you need many short clips stitched into minutes of finished video, plus a voiceover workflow on top. Because the narration is added in the edit, native audio is rarely needed for B-roll, which makes Kling’s no-audio rates the cheapest verified subscription starting point (two pay-per-second APIs are lower: Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite 480p on xAI’s API at $0.02/sec, and Alibaba Cloud’s Wan 2.6 Flash at $0.025/sec if you can work from a start image) ($0.03/sec in 2.6 Standard mode, $0.06/sec in 3.0 at 720p on Standard annual) — just check Kling’s commercial-use terms and plan for 1-month credit expiry. Veo Lite ($0.05/sec) and Pika Wan on Creator ($28/mo annual, commercial licence included) are the other credible starting points; Seedance 2.0 Mini 480p ($0.036/sec), MiniMax H3-Max 480P ($0.05/sec), Seedance 2.0 Fast 480p ($0.056/sec), Seedance 2.0 480p ($0.07/sec) and MiniMax H3 ($0.08/sec) are close behind if you are comfortable with API pricing. Budget with retries: a usable finished minute is roughly $5.40 (Kling 2.6 Standard mode), $9.00 (Veo Lite 720p or MiniMax H3-Max 480P), $10.56 (Pika Wan 720p) or $10.80 (Kling 3.0 720p), before voice and editing.
YouTube Shorts
Shorts reward volume and iteration, so cost per usable Short decides whether daily posting is sustainable. At 30 seconds, the ranking above is the Shorts ranking: $2.70 (Kling 2.6 Standard mode or Veo 3.1 Lite without audio), $3.24 (Seedance 2.0 Mini 480p, BytePlus API), $4.50 (Veo Lite with audio, Kling 2.6 Professional or MiniMax H3-Max 480P), $5.04 (Seedance 2.0 Fast 480p), $5.28 (Pika Wan), $5.40 (Kling 3.0 720p) per usable Short with 2 retries — and Kling 3.0’s 15-second generations mean a 15s Short can be a single generation. Full vertical-clip maths (15s/30s/60s, which models list 9:16, monthly cost at 1 or 3 posts a day): AI video cost for TikTok and Shorts. If you mostly repurpose long videos into Shorts rather than generating new footage, OpusClip prices differently — per source minute processed (Pro: $29/mo monthly or $14.50/mo annual for 300 credits/mo) — which can be cheaper than generating Shorts from scratch when you already have the long video. Disclosure: our OpusClip link is an affiliate link (see footer).
Avatar presenter
If the format is a presenter talking to camera, general video models are the wrong tool. HeyGen Avatar III Video Look is verified at 4 credits/minute — about $0.16 per finished minute on Creator annual credits, $0.48 per usable minute with 2 retries. Avatar IV Video Look (31 credits/min, ~$1.24/min) and Avatar V (48 credits/min, ~$1.92/min) cost far more for higher fidelity. Talking-photo tools such as Hedra Character-3 (API from $0.025/sec at 540p) sit in the same presenter category, not the B-roll ranking. Full per-minute ranking, plan minutes and traps: cheapest AI avatar video generator.
Hidden traps that change the winner
- Commercial rights: Pika Free has no commercial licence; Starter ($8/mo annual) and up include one since October 2026 (re-verified Oct 23, 2026). Always confirm output rights in the tool’s current terms; several pricing pages do not state them (we flag “check official pricing” rather than assume).
- Watermark: free tiers are commonly watermarked or export-limited (for example OpusClip free exports are watermarked; Descript free exports are limited). A watermarked video is not a usable video, whatever the generation cost.
- Credits expire: Runway Standard/Pro credits reset monthly, Kling membership credits expire after 1 month, Pika plan credits refresh monthly and Luma monthly credits do not roll over. Unused credits are a real cost for low-volume channels.
- Retries are billed: every regeneration costs again on per-second and per-credit tools. A channel averaging 3–4 attempts per keeper should multiply single-try prices by that count.
- Generation length: Runway Gen-4.5 makes 2–10s generations and Veo makes 8s native clips — a “60-second video” is stitched, and failed stitches cost time and credits.
- Resolution jumps: Seedance rises from $0.07/sec (480p) to $0.152/sec (720p) and $0.374/sec (1080p); Veo Standard is 8× Veo Lite per second. Price the resolution you will actually publish at.
Cheapest AI video generator for YouTube — FAQ
What is the cheapest AI video generator for YouTube?
On verified rates (re-ranked Oct 27, 2026), Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite at 480p on xAI's API: $0.02 per second with native audio, $0.60 for one 30s attempt and $1.80 per usable 30s video with 2 retries (1 to 15 seconds per clip; same price on the Runway API). Second is Wan 2.6 Flash at 720p without audio on Alibaba Cloud Model Studio's API: $0.025 per second, $0.75 / $2.25 (image-to-video only). MiniMax H3-Lite at 480P on MiniMax's own API ties it at $0.025 per second ($2.25 usable; ranked since Oct 31, 2026). Kling 2.6 in Standard mode (no audio, 3 credits per second on Kling Standard annual credits) , Veo 3.1 Lite 720p without audio on Google Cloud's Vertex AI , LTX-2.3 Fast 720p on LTX's own API and Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite 720p on xAI's API (both with audio included) tie next at $0.90 / $2.70. Then Seedance 2.0 Mini 480p on the BytePlus API ($1.08 / $3.24) and Wan 2.6 Flash 1080p without audio ($1.13 / $3.38), LTX-2.3 Pro 720p ($1.20 / $3.60), then Kling 2.6 or 2.5 Turbo 720p without audio on Kling's own API ($1.26 / $3.78). Veo 3.1 Lite with audio, Wan 2.6 Flash 720p with audio, Wan 3.0 480p (Alibaba Cloud), Kling 2.6 Professional without audio, MiniMax H3-Max 480P (API) and Veo 3.1 Lite 1080p without audio tie at $1.50 / $4.50, then Seedance 2.0 Fast 480p ($1.68 / $5.04), Pika Wan 3.0 720p ($1.76 / $5.28) and Kling 3.0 720p without audio ($1.80 / $5.40).
What is the cheapest AI video generator for YouTube Shorts?
For a 30-second Short the ranking is the same as for 30s video: Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite 480p with audio on xAI's API $1.80 per usable Short, Wan 2.6 Flash 720p without audio on the Alibaba Cloud API $2.25 (image-to-video only), Kling 2.6 Standard mode, Veo 3.1 Lite without audio (Vertex AI), LTX-2.3 Fast 720p with audio (LTX API, 9:16 supported) or Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite 720p with audio (xAI API) $2.70, Seedance 2.0 Mini 480p (BytePlus API) $3.24, LTX-2.3 Pro 720p $3.60, Veo Lite, Kling 2.6 Professional or MiniMax H3-Max 480P $4.50, Seedance 2.0 Fast 480p $5.04, Pika Wan $5.28 and Kling 3.0 720p $5.40 with 2 retries. A 15s Short costs about half ($0.90 at $0.02 per second, $1.13 at $0.025, $1.35 at $0.03). If you are clipping existing long videos instead, OpusClip's per-source-minute pricing may be cheaper.
How much does a 1-minute AI YouTube video cost?
One usable 60-second video with 2 retries: Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite 480p with audio (xAI API) $3.60, Wan 2.6 Flash 720p without audio (Alibaba Cloud API) $4.50, Kling 2.6 Standard mode, Veo 3.1 Lite without audio, LTX-2.3 Fast 720p or Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite 720p with audio $5.40, Seedance 2.0 Mini 480p (BytePlus API) $6.48, Veo Lite or MiniMax H3-Max 480P $9.00, Seedance 2.0 Fast 480p $10.08, Pika Wan $10.56, Kling 3.0 720p without audio $10.80, Seedance 2.0 480p $12.60, MiniMax H3 $14.40, Runway Gen-4 Turbo $17.28 (Standard annual) and Runway Gen-4.5 $41.47. Single attempts are one-third of those figures.
Why is the cheapest plan not always the cheapest for YouTube?
Retries, expiring credits, watermarks and commercial rights. Kling Standard holds only 660 credits a month and they expire after 1 month; Pika Free has no commercial licence (Starter and up do since Oct 2026); Runway Standard cannot fit a usable 30s Gen-4.5 video in its 625 monthly credits; and API sticker prices require API access and stitching.
Is Kling the cheapest AI video generator for YouTube?
Not any more: since Nov 2, 2026 Luma Ray3.2 540p on Luma Plus annual credits is the cheapest subscription rate ($2.25 per usable 30s video, no audio), and since Oct 24, 2026 Kling is not the cheapest overall either: Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite 480p on xAI's API is $1.80 per usable 30s video (with audio, since Oct 27) and Wan 2.6 Flash 720p without audio on the Alibaba Cloud API is $2.25. Tied with Veo 3.1 Lite without audio on Vertex AI, Kling 2.6 Standard mode is $2.70 per usable 30s video and Kling 3.0 720p without audio is $5.40 on Standard annual credits. Those rows have no native audio, which is fine for narrated videos. If you need generated sound in the clip, Grok Imagine 1.5 Lite on xAI's API ($1.80 usable 30s at 480p, audio included), LTX-2.3 Fast on LTX's API ($2.70) and Veo 3.1 Lite ($4.50) are cheaper than any Kling audio setting. Without a subscription, Kling's own API (checked Oct 25, 2026) charges $0.042 per second for Kling 2.6 or 2.5 Turbo at 720p without audio: $3.78 per usable 30s video.
What is cheapest for avatar presenter videos?
HeyGen Avatar III Video Look at 4 credits/minute — about $0.16 per finished minute on Creator annual billing, before retries. It makes a talking presenter only, not cinematic B-roll.
Sources & method
Every rate on this page comes from assets/data.js, verified Oct 16–22, 2026 against official pricing pages and model guides (Kling: VIDEO 3.0 guide and VIDEO 2.6 guide, Oct 17): Veo, Pika, Seedance, MiniMax, Runway, Luma, HeyGen, OpusClip and Kling. Dollar figures are arithmetic from those rates (credits × plan price ÷ plan credits, or $/sec × seconds × attempts) — no new external price was introduced. Prices change fast; confirm in-product before you buy. More answers in the FAQ.