AI Video Cost Calculator

Use case calculator

Plan an AI video API budget

Estimate monthly AI video API spend for products, automations, and internal tools that generate clips at scale.

Current estimate$300 / month$1.20 per usable video on Runway
Estimated monthly cost$300$1.20 per usable video on RunwayOfficial unit rate ยท Global APIOfficial pricing
Cheapest active estimatePixVerse$62.50 per month with these inputsOfficial pricing
Cost per finished minute$14.40Uses final usable seconds, not every generated attempt
Retry exposure1,250 sec500 total generations for 250 usable videos
Billable workload2,500 secRunway API credits cost $0.01 each; Gen-4.5 is 12 credits/sec, Gen-4 Aleph is 15 credits/sec, Veo 3.1 Fast is 10 credits/sec without audio and 15 credits/sec with audio, and Veo 3.1 is 20 credits/sec without audio or 40 credits/sec with audio.
Savings vs current cost$0.00Enter a current cost per video to compare monthly savings
Active platformMonthlyPer usable video
PixVerseCheapest active$62.50$0.25Hailuo$77.50$0.31Haiper$82.50$0.33Hunyuan Video$104$0.42Luma AI$120$0.48Veo$125$0.50Vidu$125$0.50Kling AI$208$0.83Wan$215$0.86Pika$240$0.96Adobe Firefly$250$1.00RunwaySelected$300$1.20Seedance$378$1.51

Historical or sunset references

Sora (API sunset)$250$1.00
Last updatedJune 2, 2026
Source policyOfficial-source pricing
Ranking policyNo paid ranking changes
Review trailPricing updates

This workflow estimate uses the same cost model as the main calculator, with official pricing links and source-confidence labels shown on the page.

Quick answer

How much does this AI video scenario cost?

For 250 usable videos per month, 5-second clips, 1 retries, and Standard quality, the lowest active estimate is Veo at $125 per month.

Monthly estimate$125
Per usable video$0.50
Finished minute$6.00
Official pricingOpen Veo calculator

Use case calculator

Plan an AI video API budget

API video costs become risky when product usage grows faster than pricing assumptions. Use this calculator to model seconds generated, failed attempts, and quality choices before connecting an API to user-facing workflows.

Default scenario250 usable videos per month
Clip length and retries5s clips with 1 retries each
Quality modeStandard output estimate

Budget signals to model

  • Separate user-visible successful clips from backend attempts, moderation rejects, and regeneration flows.
  • Add retry buffers before launch so a usage spike does not immediately break the monthly budget.
  • Prefer providers with clear per-second or per-credit rules when the feature will be exposed to customers.

Workflow notes

  • Start with dry-run limits and alerts before enabling open-ended generation.
  • Cache successful generations when prompts and source assets are reusable.
  • Keep provider fallback logic simple until real usage proves the need for multiple APIs.

Related calculators

Compare platforms for this workload

RunwayTeams comparing Runway API models and web subscription valueRunway API credits cost $0.01 each; Gen-4.5 is 12 credits/sec, Gen-4 Aleph is 15 credits/sec, Veo 3.1 Fast is 10 credits/sec without audio and 15 credits/sec with audio, and Veo 3.1 is 20 credits/sec without audio or 40 credits/sec with audio.VeoHigh-end video experiments and Google ecosystem workflowsGemini API lists Veo 3.1 Lite video with audio at $0.05/sec for 720p and $0.08/sec for 1080p; Fast at $0.10/sec for 720p, $0.12/sec for 1080p, and $0.30/sec for 4K; Standard at $0.40/sec for 720p/1080p and $0.60/sec for 4K.SeedanceHigh-quality short video generation with strong motion and Asia-market availabilityBytePlus ModelArk prices video by output tokens; 720p at 24fps is about $0.151/sec at $7 per 1M tokens.ViduDevelopers who want transparent Q3 per-second API pricingVidu API credits cost $0.005 each; Q3 540p is $0.05/sec, 720p is $0.125/sec, and 1080p is $0.15/sec.

Default scenario cost snapshot

Veo is the lowest active estimate for this setup

This static snapshot uses the page's default workload so searchers can compare monthly cost, cost per usable video, and finished-minute cost before adjusting the interactive calculator.

PlatformMonthly costPer usable videoFinished minutePricing source
VeoOfficial unit rate$125$0.50$6.00Official pricing
ViduOfficial unit rate$125$0.50$6.00Official pricing
RunwayOfficial unit rate$300$1.20$14.40Official pricing
SeedanceOfficial unit rate$378$1.51$18.14Official pricing

Default scenario: 250 usable videos/month, 5s each, 1 retries, Standard quality.

Pricing sources

Official pricing sources used for this estimate

These source links show where the calculator assumptions for this workload come from. Platforms marked as needing a logged-in check are useful for planning, but should be verified inside the provider account before a paid workflow is scaled.

PlatformSource qualityReviewedPricing basis
RunwayOfficial unit rate2026-05-27Runway API credits cost $0.01 each; Gen-4.5 is 12 credits/sec, Gen-4 Aleph is 15 credits/sec, Veo 3.1 Fast is 10 credits/sec without audio and 15 credits/sec with audio, and Veo 3.1 is 20 credits/sec without audio or 40 credits/sec with audio.VeoOfficial unit rate2026-05-26Gemini API lists Veo 3.1 Lite video with audio at $0.05/sec for 720p and $0.08/sec for 1080p; Fast at $0.10/sec for 720p, $0.12/sec for 1080p, and $0.30/sec for 4K; Standard at $0.40/sec for 720p/1080p and $0.60/sec for 4K.SeedanceOfficial unit rate2026-05-17BytePlus ModelArk prices video by output tokens; 720p at 24fps is about $0.151/sec at $7 per 1M tokens.ViduOfficial unit rate2026-05-17Vidu API credits cost $0.005 each; Q3 540p is $0.05/sec, 720p is $0.125/sec, and 1080p is $0.15/sec.

Calculator rankings are based on active availability and cost model assumptions, not paid placement.

FAQ

AI Video API Budget Calculator FAQ

How should I estimate an AI video API budget?

Start with the number of usable videos you need each month, multiply by clip length, and add retries for failed or rejected generations. Then compare platforms by quality level and pricing model.

What default scenario does this ai video api budget calculator use?

This page starts with 250 usable videos per month, 5-second clips, 1 retries per usable video, and Standard quality. You can change those inputs in the calculator.

Which platform is cheapest for this an AI video API budget scenario?

Veo is the lowest active estimate for the default scenario on this page at $125 per month, or $0.50 per usable video. Recheck the official pricing source before buying because AI video prices and credit rules can change.

Why do retries matter for AI video cost?

Retries matter because most teams pay for generated attempts, not only final clips. Cost per usable video is usually higher than the provider's raw per-second or credit price.