Cheapest AI video generator
If you want the cheapest AI video generator, the honest answer is that it depends on which model you run — not which website you sign up to. The same clip can cost four times more on one model than another, and most tools only give you one model, so you pay whatever that one charges.
SoonMaker puts every model on one account, so the cheapest option is always available to you. The table below is generated from our live model registry, so the numbers are what you would actually be charged.
Every video model, cheapest first
Cost of a 5-second clip on each model. Longer clips scale from this figure.
| Model | Credits / 5s | ≈ USD (Pro) | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veo 3.1 Lite | 70 | $0.18 | Yes |
| Grok Imagine | 100 | $0.25 | Yes |
| PixVerse v6 | 120 | $0.30 | Yes |
| Hailuo 2.3 Fast | 125 | $0.31 | — |
| Veo 3.1 Fast | 140 | $0.35 | Yes |
| Kling 2.6 | 185 | $0.46 | Yes |
| Seedance 2.0 Mini | 200 | $0.50 | Yes |
| Hailuo 2.3 | 245 | $0.61 | — |
| MiniMax H3 | 290 | $0.72 | — |
| LTX-2 | 300 | $0.75 | Yes |
| Wan 3.0 | 330 | $0.83 | Yes |
| Kling 3.0 | 340 | $0.85 | Yes |
| Seedance 2.0 Fast | 430 | $1.07 | Yes |
| HappyHorse | 650 | $1.63 | Yes |
| Seedance 2.0 | 710 | $1.78 | Yes |
| Vidu Q3 | 770 | $1.93 | Yes |
| Veo 3.1 | 1000 | $2.50 | Yes |
| Seedance 2.5 | 1080 | $2.70 | Yes |
Credits are the cost of a 5-second clip and scale with duration. USD is calculated at the Pro plan rate ($0.0025 per credit) — Ultra is cheaper per credit, Starter is dearer. Figures are read from the live model registry, not typed by hand.
Why the cheapest model is usually enough
The gap between the cheapest and the most expensive model is not a gap in whether the video works — it is a gap in fidelity, motion quality and audio. For a social clip, a product loop or a background plate, the cheap end of the table is normally indistinguishable to a viewer scrolling past.
Where the expensive models earn their price is a hero shot: a piece of footage that will be watched deliberately, at full size, possibly on a big screen. That is a small share of what most people generate.
The practical pattern is to draft on a cheap model until the shot is right, then re-run the final version on an expensive one. That only works if both are on the same account, which is the actual argument for a multi-model tool over a single-model one.
What credits cost
Credits are the unit. You can buy them once or subscribe.
| One-time pack | Credits | Per credit | ≈ 5s videos on PixVerse v6 |
|---|---|---|---|
| $12 | 4,800 | $0.0025 | 68 |
| $35 | 14,000 | $0.0025 | 200 |
| $79 | 31,600 | $0.0025 | 451 |
Credit packs are a single payment — no subscription required to buy one, and the credits do not expire. Subscriptions work out cheaper per credit if you generate every month (Pro is $0.0025 per credit, Ultra $0.0025).
Questions
- What is the cheapest way to generate an AI video?
- Pick the cheapest model in the table above and keep the clip short — cost scales with duration, so a 5-second clip costs half of a 10-second one on the same model.
- Is there a free AI video generator?
- New accounts get 25 free credits that never expire. That is enough to try image generation; video models cost more per clip, so the free grant will not cover a full video on most models.
- Does cheaper mean worse?
- It means lower fidelity and, on some models, no audio. For social content the difference is often invisible; for a hero shot it is not. The table shows which models include audio.
- Can I use the cheapest model for YouTube?
- Yes. Nothing restricts a model by platform. Paid plans include a commercial licence, which is what matters for monetised channels.