Free · No sign-up · Rates checked November 15, 2026
AI Video Cost Calculator
$16.00
Per finished second $0.20Per finished minute $12.00
Example rate · 1080p · 8s × 10 clips · 50% discarded · 160 billed seconds
Model Tap several to compare
Resolution Greyed out = no checked rate
Seconds per clip
Clips you need
Actions
Discard rate Share of takes you throw away
With no model picked, the screen uses an example rate of $0.10 per generated second. That rate is an example, not a quote from any provider. Tap a model to load its rate and the date it was checked.
Pick a model, enter clip length, resolution, clip count and how many takes you throw away. You get the total cost, the cost per finished second and the cost per finished minute, with every model compared side by side and the cheapest one marked.
- Counts retries, not just the clips you keep
- Shows the price per finished minute so you can compare models fairly
- Every rate shows its source and the date it was checked
Run the AI video cost calculator
Five settings. Every model with a checked rate priced at once. Use the keypad at the top, then read the comparison below. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.
Set five keys on the keypad and the totals update right away, for every model with a checked rate. Nothing you tap leaves your browser.
- Model: pick one, or tap several to compare them.
- Seconds per clip: the length of each clip you plan to keep.
- Resolution: the setting you will actually export, such as 720p or 1080p.
- Clips you need: how many finished clips the project needs.
- Discard rate: the share of takes you expect to throw away. Use 50% if you are not sure.
Side-by-side cost at your settings
1080p · 8s × 10 clips · 50% discarded · 160 billed seconds
| Model | Rate per second | Total | Per finished minute | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kling 3.0, no native audio Cheapest | $0.112 | $17.92 | $13.44 | Kling API pricing |
| Runway Gen-4.5 | $0.12 | $19.20 | $14.40 | Runway API pricing |
| Wan 3, via Runway API | $0.20 | $32.00 | $24.00 | Runway API pricing |
| Seedance 2.0 | ≈ $0.37 | $59.20 | $44.40 | BytePlus ModelArk pricing |
| Veo 3.1 with audio, via Runway API | $0.40 | $64.00 | $48.00 | Runway API pricing |
- Hailuo (MiniMax-H3): no 1080p tier. MiniMax lists $0.08 per second at 768P and $0.13 at 2K. Tap 720p to include it.
- Luma Ray3.2: priced in credits only, with no USD rate published, so it is left out of totals.
- Pika, Vidu, PixVerse: rates not checked yet, so they are greyed out on the keypad.
- Sora: discontinued, never used in totals.
Seedance is billed in tokens. The rate shown is BytePlus's own per-second example for a 5-second 16:9 clip without video input, so longer clips can differ slightly. Rates marked “via Runway API” are what Runway charges to run that model, not the maker's own price.
Index · Start from your question
Got your number? Here is where to go next
Each line opens a page that answers one question in full. Tap a line to open it.
- 01What does each model cost right now?Rate per model and resolution, with the source and check date for each one.
- 02How is my total worked out?The formula, each provider's billing unit, and how credits turn into dollars.
- 03Sora is gone. What should I use instead?Replacement models, priced by the finished minute so you can compare them fairly.
- 04Why doesn't my bill match the estimate?Short answers on budgets, retries, credits and billing.
- 05Who runs this, and can I trust the rates?What the site is, how it's paid for and how rates are checked.
- 06Spotted a wrong or outdated rate?Send the model, the rate you see and a link to the provider's page.
How the AI video cost calculator works
You pay for every second the model generates, including the takes you throw away. So the calculator multiplies your finished footage by an attempts factor, then by the model's rate for the resolution you picked.
billed seconds = clips × seconds per clip × attempts per keeper
attempts per keeper = 1 ÷ (1 − discard rate)
total cost = billed seconds × rate per second at your resolution
cost per finished minute = total cost ÷ (clips × seconds per clip ÷ 60)Discard rate means the share of generations you don't use. If you keep 1 take out of 2, your discard rate is 50%.
Retries: the cost most estimates leave out
At a 50% discard rate you pay for twice the footage you keep. At 75% you pay for four times as much. The model rate stays the same. Only the number of billed seconds goes up.
Attempts per keeper means how many generations you run, on average, for each clip you actually use. The table uses the same brief as the keypad default: 10 clips of 8 seconds, so 80 finished seconds.
| Discard rate | Attempts per keeper | Billed seconds | Cost at $0.10 / s |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0% | 1× | 80 | $8.00 |
| 20% | 1.25× | 100 | $10.00 |
| 33% | ≈ 1.49× | ≈ 119 | ≈ $11.94 |
| 50% | 2× | 160 | $16.00 |
| 75% | 4× | 320 | $32.00 |
Not sure what to enter? Start at 50%. If you are still testing prompts, try 75%. Once you have a prompt that works, lower it.
Worked example: one brief, five models
Kling 3.0 without native audio is the cheapest checked option for this brief at $17.92. Veo 3.1 with audio via Runway is the most expensive at $64.00. Rates checked November 15, 2026.
The brief: 10 clips × 8 seconds at 1080p, 50% discard rate. That is 80 finished seconds and 160 billed seconds.
- Kling 3.0 · cheapest$17.92$0.112 / s · $13.44 per finished minute
- Runway Gen-4.5$19.20$0.12 / s · $14.40 per finished minute
- Wan 3 via Runway$32.00$0.20 / s · $24.00 per finished minute
- Seedance 2.0$59.20≈ $0.37 / s · $44.40 per finished minute
- Veo 3.1 via Runway$64.00$0.40 / s · $48.00 per finished minute
Same brief, same keeper count, about a 3.6× spread between the cheapest and the most expensive model. Picking the model is the biggest lever you have. Lowering your discard rate is the second.
Model prices by resolution
At 480p Wan 3 via Runway is the cheapest checked rate ($0.05 per second). At 720p it is Hailuo's 768P tier ($0.08). At 1080p it is Kling 3.0 ($0.112). All rates are USD per generated second, checked November 15, 2026.
| Model | 480p | 720p | 1080p | 4K | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seedance 2.0 | $0.07 | $0.15 | $0.37 | $0.78 | BytePlus ModelArk |
| Hailuo (MiniMax-H3) | — | $0.08 (768P) | — | — | MiniMax platform |
| Kling 3.0, no native audio | — | $0.084 | $0.112 | $0.42 | Kling API |
| Runway Gen-4.5 | $0.12 | $0.12 | $0.12 | $0.12 | Runway API |
| Wan 3, via Runway API | $0.05 | $0.10 | $0.20 | — | Runway API |
| Veo 3.1 with audio, via Runway API | $0.40 | $0.40 | $0.40 | $0.40 | Runway API |
- One rate for every resolution: Runway lists Gen-4.5 (12 credits per second at $0.01 per credit) and Veo 3.1 at a single rate, so the same number shows in each column.
- Audio changes the rate: Kling 3.0 with native audio is $0.126 at 720p and $0.168 at 1080p. Veo 3.1 without audio is $0.20.
- Hailuo 2K: $0.13 per second.
For the full breakdown with each provider's billing unit, see AI video generation pricing by model.
Common mistakes when you budget AI video
Most budgets go wrong because they price only the clips you keep. These six slips cause the biggest gaps between the estimate and the bill.
- Pricing only the keepers
You are billed for every take, including the ones you delete. Always set a discard rate, even if it is only 20%.
- Comparing rates at different resolutions
A 720p rate next to a 1080p rate is not a fair comparison. Pick the resolution you will export, then compare every model at that setting.
- Forgetting that audio costs more
Kling 3.0 and Veo 3.1 both charge more with native audio. Check which version you will actually run before you lock the budget.
- Treating credits as dollars
Some tools, like Luma Ray3.2, publish prices in credits only. Without a published USD rate you can't compare them fairly, so the calculator leaves them out of totals.
- Mixing reseller and maker prices
“Via Runway API” is what Runway charges to run that model. The maker's own price can be different. Compare like with like.
- Budgeting for a model that is gone
Sora is discontinued. If an old plan used it, reprice the project with a current model. See the alternatives priced by the finished minute.
Next steps
Go deeper
- PricingEvery rate, model by modelRate per second for each model and resolution, with the source and the date it was checked.
- How it worksThe math behind your totalThe formula, each provider's billing unit and how credits are turned into dollars.
- AlternativesWhat to use instead of SoraReplacement models priced by the finished minute, so the comparison is fair.
- FAQWhy the bill and estimate differShort answers on budgets, retries, credits and billing.
AI video cost calculator FAQ
Is the AI video cost calculator free?
Yes. It is free, with no sign-up, and nothing you enter leaves your browser.
Why is my bill higher than clips × rate?
Because you also pay for the takes you throw away. At a 50% discard rate you are billed for twice your finished footage. Set the discard rate key to match how you work.
What discard rate should I use?
Use 50% if you are not sure. Go higher while you are still testing prompts, and lower once a prompt gives you usable takes.
Which AI video model is cheapest?
It depends on resolution. With rates checked November 15, 2026: Wan 3 via Runway at 480p ($0.05 per second), Hailuo's 768P tier at 720p ($0.08) and Kling 3.0 without audio at 1080p ($0.112).
Why are Luma, Pika, Vidu and PixVerse not in the totals?
Luma Ray3.2 is priced in credits only, with no USD rate published. Rates for Pika, Vidu and PixVerse have not been checked yet, so they stay greyed out until they are.
Is Sora included?
No. Sora is discontinued, so it is never used in totals. The alternatives page prices the replacements.
Found a wrong or outdated rate? Tell us the model, the rate you see and a link to the provider's page.