AI Video Cost Calculator

Use case calculator

Calculate AI explainer video cost

Estimate the AI generation budget for explainer videos, including scene count, retry rate, clip length, and platform comparison.

Estimated monthly cost$96.00$2.40 per usable video on VeoOfficial unit rate ยท Global, subject to API availabilityOfficial pricing
Cheapest estimatePixVerse$24.00 per month with these inputs
Cost per finished minute$18.00Uses final usable seconds, not every generated attempt
Retry exposure640 sec120 total generations for 40 usable videos
Billable workload960 secGemini 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.
Savings vs current cost$0.00Enter a current cost per video to compare monthly savings
PlatformMonthlyPer usable video
PixVerseCheapest$24.00$0.60Pika$26.31$0.66Hailuo$29.76$0.74Haiper$31.68$0.79Hunyuan Video$40.03$1.00Luma AI$46.08$1.15Vidu$48.00$1.20Kling AI$79.98$2.00Wan$82.57$2.06Adobe Firefly$95.90$2.40Sora (API sunset)$96.00$2.40VeoSelected$96.00$2.40Runway$115$2.88Seedance$145$3.63

Use case calculator

Calculate AI explainer video cost

Explainer videos are usually built from multiple scenes, not one continuous generation. Use the calculator to estimate the AI video generation cost for scene drafts, rejected clips, and final usable segments.

Budget signals to model

  • Break the explainer into scenes and treat each scene as a usable video output.
  • Use higher retry counts for scenes with text overlays, product UI, hands, or precise brand details.
  • Budget for final assembly separately if narration, captions, music, or editing will be done outside the AI video tool.

Workflow notes

  • Draft the script and shot list before generating video, otherwise retries become planning waste.
  • Generate low-cost scene tests before producing the whole explainer at premium quality.
  • Use official price links to confirm the platform still supports the quality and duration you need.

Related calculators

Compare platforms for this workload

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.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.Luma AIImage-to-video tests and visually polished short clipsLuma's public pricing page lists plan prices and Ray video credit burn, including Ray3.14 text-to-video or image-to-video at 20 credits/sec for 720p and 80 credits/sec for 1080p, but the public page does not expose a stable USD value per credit. The dollar estimate remains a planning placeholder until logged-in billing is checked.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.

FAQ

AI Explainer Video Cost Calculator FAQ

How should I estimate AI explainer video cost?

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.