One minute of AI-generated video can cost a few dollars or considerably more, depending on the model, resolution and number of attempts. At published credit rates, 60 seconds of Runway Gen-4.5 uses 720 credits, while Kling Video 3.0 needs 360 credits at 720p without audio. Those credits have different monetary values, so comparing the numbers alone is misleading.
The bigger expense is footage you never use. A 60-second finished video made from twelve five-second clips might require 24 or 36 generations to get the movement, characters and timing right.
This guide compares Runway, Kling AI, Pika, PixVerse and Hailuo using documented pricing, calculates the cost of a minute of generated footage, and shows how retries change the budget for YouTube videos, product ads and social content.
Quick Verdict: How Much Does One Minute of AI Video Cost?
For a consistent starting point, the comparison below models 60 seconds of generated footage, without separately generated audio, using a specified model on each platform.
| Tool and model | Selected video setting | Credits for 60 seconds | Illustrative credit value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runway Gen-4.5 | Standard generation, no audio | 720 | $11.20 on Pro |
| Kling Video 3.0 | 720p, no native audio | 360 | $4.80 on Standard |
| Pika, Wan 3.0 | 720p, five-second clips | 396 | $4.40 on Creator |
| PixVerse V6 | 720p, no audio | 540 | $4.50, conditional estimate |
| Hailuo 2.3 | 768p, six-second clips | 250 | $3.75, older published-rate reference |
These are calculated values of consumed credits, not standalone prices for buying exactly one minute. They assume full use of the stated subscription allowance and exclude retries, editing, taxes and unused credits.
For PixVerse, the estimate combines its published V6 platform credit rate with its consumer subscription credit allowance. The two billing environments are not guaranteed to have identical deductions. Hailuo’s dollar estimate uses its published Standard-plan terms, while newer promotional prices differ. Verify both in the creation interface before relying on the estimates.
The models are also not identical in quality, generation features or supported duration. Pika’s example uses the Wan 3.0 model available through Pika, not Pika’s own 2.5 model.
A cheaper minute is therefore not automatically a better-quality minute.
How We Calculate AI Video Cost per Minute
Most AI video generators produce short clips instead of a continuous 60-second video. For example, 60 seconds of footage could consist of twelve five-second clips or ten six-second clips. The total cost depends on the credits charged for each generation.
Cost of generated footage = Credits consumed × Effective cost per credit
The effective cost per credit can be estimated by dividing the subscription cost by the included monthly credits. However, this only gives a useful comparison when those credits are actually consumed. If a subscription expires with unused credits, the effective cost of the footage produced increases.
Generated footage vs finished footage
| Scenario | Footage generated | Footage retained | Usage multiplier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Every attempt is usable | 60 seconds | 60 seconds | 1× |
| Half the attempts are usable | 120 seconds | 60 seconds | 2× |
| One-third of attempts are usable | 180 seconds | 60 seconds | 3× |
The retry scenarios are illustrative assumptions, not independently measured success rates for the five models.
They also assume every accepted clip is used in full. Trimming a ten-second output to four useful seconds can increase the effective cost further.
Runway AI Video Cost per Minute
Runway’s Gen-4.5 model charges 12 credits per second. A five-second clip costs 60 credits, while a ten-second clip costs 120 credits.
| Plan | Monthly price | Included credits | Theoretical Gen-4.5 footage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $15 | 625 | 52 seconds |
| Pro | $35 | 2,250 | 187 seconds |
| Max | $95 | 9,500 | 791 seconds |
These are regular monthly-billing prices. Annual billing offers lower monthly-equivalent rates.
The important limitation is that Standard’s 625 included credits are insufficient for a full 60 seconds of Gen-4.5 footage. A creator using only that model would need additional credits or a higher plan.
On Pro, 720 credits represent $11.20 of the plan’s included allowance. If the creator requires three attempts for each usable clip, 180 seconds of generation consumes 2,160 credits, equivalent to $33.60 at that plan’s calculated credit rate.
That almost exhausts Pro’s monthly allowance on one finished minute.
Runway also offers a lower-cost Gen-4 Turbo model at five credits per second. It can reduce experimentation costs, although the output model and capabilities are different.
Kling AI Video Cost per Minute
Kling Video 3.0 prices generation by the second, with different rates for resolution and native audio.
| Kling Video 3.0 setting | Credits per second | Credits for 60 seconds |
|---|---|---|
| 720p, no native audio | 6 | 360 |
| 1080p, no native audio | 8 | 480 |
| 720p, native audio | 9 | 540 |
| 1080p, native audio | 12 | 720 |
For a five-second 720p clip without native audio, Kling charges 30 credits. Twelve such clips consume 360 credits.
Kling’s published Standard membership includes 660 monthly credits. Its July 2026 pricing guide advertised $6.99 for an introductory month and a subsequent monthly renewal of $8.80.
At the $8.80 renewal reference, consuming 360 of 660 credits represents approximately $4.80 in allocated subscription value.
That looks economical for a first-pass minute. However, three attempts per usable clip would require 1,080 credits, exceeding Standard’s monthly allocation.
Kling Pro offers a larger credit allowance, making it more suitable for frequent revisions or projects requiring native audio.
Pika AI Video Cost per Minute
Pika’s current platform combines its own video models with third-party models. Credit consumption differs substantially between them.
Its published Creator plan costs $35 per month and includes 3,150 credits. Unlike the cheaper Starter tier, Creator includes a commercial licence.
For a reproducible example, Pika’s pricing page lists Wan 3.0 at 720p for 33 credits per five-second generation.
| Calculation | Result |
|---|---|
| Credits per five-second clip | 33 |
| Clips for 60 seconds | 12 |
| Total credits | 396 |
| Creator plan | $35 / 3,150 credits |
| Allocated credit value | $4.40 |
This calculation applies to generating Wan 3.0 through Pika. It should not be presented as Pika 2.5’s price.
Pika’s own 2.5 model supports text-to-video, image-to-video and keyframe-based generation, but uses its own settings and applicable credit charges.
Another commercial consideration is the subscription tier. Pika’s current Starter plan does not include commercial licensing, despite offering paid monthly credits and watermark-free output. Creator is the relevant starting tier for commercial use under the published plan comparison.
PixVerse AI Video Cost per Minute
PixVerse V6 uses a per-second credit structure in its platform documentation.
| V6 setting | Credits per second | Credits for 60 seconds |
|---|---|---|
| 720p, no audio | 9 | 540 |
| 720p, with audio | 12 | 720 |
| 1080p, no audio | 18 | 1,080 |
| 1080p, with audio | 23 | 1,380 |
PixVerse’s consumer Standard subscription is listed at $10 monthly, with 1,200 membership credits per 30-day cycle and additional daily credits.
Dividing $10 by 1,200 credits and applying that rate to the 540-credit V6 example gives an illustrative value of $4.50.
However, PixVerse’s published V6 credit chart belongs to its developer platform, while the $10 subscription is a consumer-app plan. The estimate is conditional on the same credit deduction applying to that workflow in the consumer app. It is not a verified checkout price.
At the documented V6 rate, producing 180 seconds rather than 60 seconds would consume 1,620 credits. That exceeds the Standard plan’s 1,200 membership credits before considering available daily credits or purchased extras.
The developer API also publishes a separate usage-based dollar rate. Those API charges should not be mixed with the consumer subscription as if both were one billing system.
Hailuo AI Video Cost per Minute
Hailuo AI uses credit-based generation, with prices varying by model, output duration and resolution.
Its published Hailuo 2.3 reference rates include:
| Hailuo 2.3 setting | Credits per clip | Credits for approximately 60 seconds |
|---|---|---|
| 768p, six seconds | 25 | 250 |
| 768p, ten seconds | 50 | 300 |
| 1080p, six seconds | 50 | 500 |
For 768p six-second clips, ten generations produce 60 seconds at a cost of 250 credits.
Hailuo’s published subscription terms list Standard at $14.99 with 1,000 credits, which would value those 250 credits at $3.75 if the full plan allowance were consumed. However, newer Hailuo promotional pages show different subscription prices, and its checkout details are not fully available in public page text.
For that reason, $3.75 is a historical published-rate reference, not a confirmed current purchase price. Creators should verify the plan and credit rate inside Hailuo before purchasing.
Higher resolutions and newer models, including MiniMax H3, may use different pricing. The Hailuo 2.3 calculation should not be extended automatically to those models.
How Much Does a Finished Minute Cost With Retries?
Now consider a project where only one out of every three generated clips is suitable for the final edit.
That means producing three minutes of raw footage to retain one finished minute.
| Tool and selected model | Credits for 60 raw seconds | Credits at 3× generation | Fits the comparison plan’s included monthly credits? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runway Gen-4.5 | 720 | 2,160 | Yes, Pro |
| Kling Video 3.0 | 360 | 1,080 | No, Standard |
| Pika Wan 3.0 | 396 | 1,188 | Yes, Creator |
| PixVerse V6 | 540 | 1,620 | Not from Standard’s membership credits alone |
| Hailuo 2.3 | 250 | 750 | Yes, using the 1,000-credit Standard reference |
This is the most important budgeting difference.
A subscription may appear to cover a minute easily, but the same plan may not support the amount of experimentation needed to produce that minute.
The effective cost also rises when clips are shortened in editing, a sequence must be regenerated for consistency, or additional audio and upscaling features are purchased.
What Increases AI Video Generation Costs?
1. Resolution
1080p generally consumes more credits than 720p or 768p. For example, PixVerse V6 doubles its published no-audio per-second rate between 720p and 1080p.
2. Native audio and dialogue
Models supporting audio generation can charge more when it is enabled. Kling Video 3.0’s 720p rate rises from six to nine credits per second when native audio is selected.
3. Failed or rejected generations
A technically completed generation can still contain unsuitable motion, inconsistent characters, distorted products or unusable text. These creative failures should not be confused with technical failures that may qualify for credit refunds.
4. Editing and post-production
Music, voiceovers, video editing, captions, upscaling and colour correction can introduce separate costs. AI generation creates footage, not necessarily a complete publishable video.
For low-budget projects, our guide to making AI videos for free explains how to assemble generated clips using a separate editing workflow.
5. Unused subscription credits
Theoretical per-credit calculations assume the included allowance is used. Paying $35 for a monthly subscription but using only a small portion of its credits raises the effective cost per video.
Check credit expiration, rollover, refund and top-up rules before choosing an annual or monthly plan.
Which AI Video Generator Should You Choose?
| Your requirement | What to evaluate first |
|---|---|
| Frequent short social clips | Kling and PixVerse credit economics |
| Creative control and advanced workflows | Runway Gen-4.5 |
| Multiple models in one interface | Pika’s Creator offering |
| Lower-credit six-second experiments | Hailuo 2.3 |
| Videos requiring native audio | Kling and PixVerse audio-enabled modes |
| Commercial client work | Licensing, watermark rules and usable footage cost |
A platform’s lowest generation cost is not necessarily its best purchase value. Before subscribing, test whether its output matches the actual work you produce: product demonstrations, talking characters, abstract animation, realistic B-roll or social-media effects.
If you haven’t selected a generator yet, Ours AI text-to-video generator comparison covers differences in features, free access and limitations.
How We Calculated AI Video Costs
We used published vendor pricing, model credit schedules and subscription documentation. Each estimate identifies its model, clip duration, resolution and audio setting. Subscription-based dollar examples divide the plan price by included credits and multiply by the credits consumed. They are allocation estimates, not bills for buying individual minutes. PixVerse’s app and API pricing are separate, while Hailuo’s current public subscription prices are inconsistent across its documentation, so those estimates are explicitly qualified.
We did not independently generate test videos across all five tools. Retry scenarios are illustrative and do not represent measured success rates or image-quality rankings.
Final Verdict
The useful measure is not just cost per generated minute, but cost per minute of footage you actually keep.
Kling, PixVerse and certain lower-credit models available through Pika or Hailuo can offer economical raw footage under the scenarios examined. Runway Gen-4.5 uses more of the subscription budget, particularly when multiple generations are needed.
For a realistic purchase decision, calculate the number of clips you expect to keep, allow for two or three attempts when appropriate, and check whether the resulting credit requirement fits the subscription.
A model that produces more usable footage with fewer retries may ultimately cost less than one with a lower advertised rate.
