Image to video AI review
Every image to video AI review runs into the same problem: the reviewer only has access to two or three models, so the comparison is really a comparison of pricing pages.
This one is different in a narrow but useful way — all of these models run on one account here, so the cost figures below are the real charge for the same job on each, pulled from the live registry rather than from each vendor’s marketing page.
Cost of the same 5-second clip on each model
Every model here accepts an image as the starting point. Sorted cheapest first.
| 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.
What actually separates them
Motion is the first split. Some models animate an image conservatively — a slow push, some parallax — while others commit to real movement. Conservative motion looks safer and fails less often; committed motion looks better when it works and worse when it does not.
Audio is the second. Several models generate sound with the video, which removes a whole editing step. The table marks which ones do.
Subject consistency is the third, and it only matters if you are making more than one clip. Reference-driven models hold a character or product steady across generations; text-only models re-imagine it each time.
Price spans roughly six times between the cheapest and most expensive model for identical input, which is a bigger spread than the quality gap for most everyday use.
The models, and what each is for
Follow any model for its full spec, sample gallery and generator.
| Model | Maker | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Veo 3.1 | Google's highest-quality video model with cinematic output and automatic audio generation. | |
| Kling 3.0 | Kuaishou | Kuaishou's latest video model with fast generation, camera motion control, and start/end frame support. |
| Seedance 2.0 | ByteDance | Frontier video that holds subject and style across the shot using multiple reference images. |
| Hailuo 2.3 | MiniMax | MiniMax's frontier model, known for strong, high-energy movement. |
| Vidu Q3 | Vidu | The video model tuned for anime and stylised animation, not just photoreal footage. |
| LTX-2 | Lightricks | Fast, inexpensive video with native sound, from an open model by Lightricks. |
| Grok Imagine | xAI | xAI's video model: quick, high-quality clips with sound at a very low cost. |
| PixVerse v6 | PixVerse | Fast video generation with sharp movement and effects that respect physics. |
| HappyHorse 1.1 | HappyHorse | Generates video with matched sound and lip movement from text, references, or a source video. |
| Veo 3.1 Lite | The lowest-cost Veo 3.1 tier, audio still included. | |
| Veo 3.1 Fast | The faster, more affordable Veo 3.1 — still with native audio. | |
| Kling 2.6 | Kuaishou | High-quality Kling video with native sound, without the flagship price tag. |
| Wan 3.0 | Alibaba | Text, first-frame and first+last-frame video with native audio, from Alibaba Wanxiang. |
| Seedance 2.0 Fast | ByteDance | ByteDance’s Seedance 2.0 in a faster, lower-cost variant. |
| Hailuo 2.3 Fast | MiniMax | The quicker, cheaper Hailuo — MiniMax's high-dynamic motion at roughly half the price. |
36 models are available on one account — 18 for images and 18 for video.
Questions
- What is the best image to video AI?
- For a hero shot, the frontier models — Veo 3.1 and Seedance 2.0 — lead on fidelity and motion. For volume, the cheap end of the table produces results most viewers cannot tell apart in a feed.
- What is the cheapest image to video AI?
- PixVerse v6 at 35 credits for a 5-second clip, per the table above. Cost scales with duration.
- Can I try image to video AI free?
- New accounts get 25 free credits that never expire. Video clips cost more than that on most models, so the free grant is best spent confirming the workflow rather than producing a finished clip.
- Do I need to sign up?
- Yes, generation requires an account — that is how credits and your history are tracked. Browsing models, specs and sample galleries does not.