Each section answers first and explains second. Calculations are traceable examples, not outcome promises.
Define the useful unit first
Before comparing tools, define the publishable result you need: an accepted clip, a scene, a final image, a minute of voice or a music track. Without a useful unit, apparently comparable prices can measure different things.
Resolution, duration, audio, generation mode and billing channel must belong to the same configuration. API pricing and subscription credits should not be mixed without converting them to a common unit.
Include creative rejections
A result can be technically successful and still unusable. Motion artifacts, continuity, distorted text or the wrong tone create retries. The model should include those rejections because they consume time or balance.
Acceptance rate is an editable assumption. Replace it with your own history once you have enough jobs; this often changes cost more than a small provider price difference.
Separate technical and creative failures
A technical failure belongs in cost only when the provider says it is billed. A creative rejection belongs whenever the generation consumed resources. Mixing the two can punish tools that refund failures or hide genuine spend.
Store source status beside every figure: verified, benchmark or pending. Transparent incompleteness is better than false precision.
Carry the cost through to publication
Generation is only one pipeline phase. Add research, scripting, voice, editing, music, thumbnail, distribution and contingency. The final figure should match the monthly planner.
Once units align, tools can be compared by cost, capacity and expected quality without confusing cheap attempts with cheap usable outcomes.
TOOLS MENTIONED
What each tool does and how it is priced
Runway
High-quality AI video generation and editing.
- Verified price
- API: 5–12 credits per second for Gen-4 Turbo and Gen-4.5; 1 credit = US$0.01.
- Strength
- Mature workflow and transparent API unit pricing.
- Weakness
- Discarded generations can consume budget quickly.
Google Veo
Generative video with audio and multiple resolutions through the Gemini API.
- Verified price
- Veo 3.1: US$0.05–US$0.60 per second depending on mode and resolution.
- Strength
- Integrated audio and charging only for successful generations.
- Weakness
- Cost rises sharply at 4K and Standard quality.
Pika
Short clips, transformations and fast social effects.
- Verified price
- Free with 80 credits; paid plans from US$8/month when billed yearly.
- Strength
- Fast learning curve and approachable creative tools.
- Weakness
- Credit use varies widely by resolution, duration and effect.
Prices are subject to change. Last reviewed 24 July 2026. Check tax, region, promotions and your account rate before purchasing.
Cost per publishable piece
(seconds × rate × attempts) + editing + audio- Final clip
- 10 sec
- Example rate
- €0.10/sec
- Average attempts
- 2
- Editing and audio
- €3
Step-by-step method
- 01
Normalize the unit
Convert everything to cost per second or per clip at the same resolution.
- 02
Add creative attempts
Multiply by the average attempts needed to accept an output.
- 03
Add post-production
Include editing, audio, captions, export and review.
FAQ
Questions people actually ask
How much does it cost to make an AI video?
It depends on seconds, resolution, model, attempts and editing. The comparable figure is cost per publishable piece, not the first generation.
Which AI video generator is cheapest?
There is no universal winner. Compare the same duration, resolution, audio, rights and discard rate.
How many attempts should I budget for?
Start with 1.5–2 attempts per accepted output and replace that assumption with your actual average after ten generations.
PART OF
- I do not know where to startThe shortest route from a vague idea to knowing what it costs and which tool you need first.
The planner turns this method into capacity, cost, scenarios and an operating week using your constraints.
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