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.

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.

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.

PlatformVideos per monthSeconds per videoRetries per usable video

Estimated monthly cost$115$2.88 per usable video on RunwayOfficial unit rate · Global APIOfficial pricing

Cheapest estimatePixVerse$24.00 per month with these inputs

Cost per finished minute$21.60Uses final usable seconds, not every generated attempt

Retry exposure640 sec120 total generations for 40 usable videos

Billable workload960 secRunway API credits cost $0.01 each; Gen-4.5 is 12 credits/sec and Veo 3.1 audio is 40 credits/sec.

PlatformMonthlyPer usable video

PixVerseCheapest$24.00$0.60 Pika$26.31$0.66 Hailuo$29.76$0.74 Haiper$31.68$0.79 Hunyuan Video$40.03$1.00 Luma AI$46.08$1.15 Vidu$48.00$1.20 Kling AI$79.98$2.00 Wan$82.57$2.06 Adobe Firefly$95.90$2.40 Sora (API sunset)$96.00$2.40 Veo$96.00$2.40 RunwaySelected$115$2.88 Seedance$145$3.63

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.

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 and Veo 3.1 audio is 40 credits/sec.VeoHigh-end video experiments and Google ecosystem workflowsGemini API lists Veo 3.1 Fast video with audio at $0.10/sec for 720p, $0.12/sec for 1080p, and $0.30/sec for 4K. Veo 3.1 Standard is $0.40/sec for 720p or 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.