AI Video Models: Complete Comparison

Why Model Choice Matters

There are 24 video models on the platform, and the spread between them is enormous — the cheapest is 5 credits per second and the most expensive is 85. That is a 17x difference in cost for the same nominal task, which means picking the wrong model does not just waste credits, it changes whether a project is affordable at all. Fauxto Labs does not train its own models; we aggregate them from ByteDance, Kuaishou, Google DeepMind, OpenAI, MiniMax, Alibaba and Lightricks, so the practical skill is knowing which provider’s engine suits which job.

This guide covers every model on the video generator across the dimensions that actually matter: credit cost per second, maximum duration, resolution, whether it generates audio, and the kind of work it is genuinely good at. There is a full table near the end, but the per-family sections are where the useful judgement lives.

How Video Pricing Works

Read this before anything else, because it is the single most common source of budgeting mistakes. Almost every video model on the platform is priced per second of output. A 10-second clip costs roughly double a 5-second clip, and higher resolutions cost more per second on the models that offer a choice. The arithmetic is deliberately simple: Kling O3 Pro is 18 credits per second, so a 5-second clip is 90 credits and a 15-second clip is 270.

VEO 3.1 and VEO 3.1 Fast are the two exceptions, and they bill per clip. VEO 3.1 is 225 credits without audio or 338 with, and VEO 3.1 Fast is 120 or 190 — a flat charge for a 5 to 8-second generation, so a 5-second clip and an 8-second clip cost exactly the same. This is worth internalising, because it inverts the usual advice: on every other model you shorten the clip to save credits, but on VEO you should always ask for the full 8 seconds since you are paying for them either way. Note that VEO 3.1 Lite is not an exception — it is 10 credits per second, about 80 for an 8-second clip.

Whichever model you choose, the exact total is shown on the generation page before you commit, so the figure you see is the figure you pay.

Sora 2 and Sora 2 Pro — OpenAI

Sora 2 costs 12 credits per second, which makes a 4-second clip 48 credits, an 8-second clip 96, and the maximum 12-second clip 144. It generates from text or from an image, produces audio, and typically returns in 2 to 4 minutes. Its strength is physical realism — objects behave as though they have weight — which is why it remains a good model for exploring an idea before committing to something pricier.

Sora 2 Pro is the production tier and its pricing is resolution-dependent: 35 credits per second at standard resolution, 60 at 1024p and 85 at 1080p. An 8-second 1080p generation is therefore 680 credits, which puts it among the most expensive options on the platform, but it is one of the three models we would trust for cinematic realism where the footage will be scrutinised. Both Sora models cover 4 to 12 seconds, and Pro adds 3 to 5 minutes of wait.

When to reach for it

Use Sora 2 when the physics matter and the clip is short — anything involving impacts, liquids, or objects interacting. Step up to Sora 2 Pro only for final renders, and stay at standard resolution unless the delivery format genuinely needs 1080p, because the jump from 35 to 85 credits per second is the steepest resolution premium on the platform.

The VEO 3.1 Family — Google DeepMind

VEO 3.1 is the premium naturalistic option: 720p or 1080p, 5 to 8 seconds, text-to-video or image-to-video, with optional audio generation. It is priced per clip at 225 credits without audio and 338 with, and it is the slowest model on the platform at 6 to 8 minutes. What you get for that is the most documentary-feeling fidelity available — complex multi-subject scenes that hold together, and lighting that reads as photographed rather than rendered.

VEO 3.1 Fast is the same 5 to 8 seconds at 720p or 1080p for 120 credits without audio or 190 with, returning in 4 to 6 minutes. At roughly half the cost it is the sensible default for most VEO work; reserve the full model for shots that will be seen full-screen.

VEO 3.1 Lite is the interesting one, and the only member of the family priced per second: 10 credits per second at 1080p with audio, up to 8 seconds. A full 8-second clip lands at about 80 credits — under a third of what VEO 3.1 Fast charges for the same length, and by far the cheapest way to get VEO output at all. If you have been avoiding VEO on price, start here.

The Seedance Family — ByteDance

Seedance is the widest family on the platform, spanning 5 credits per second at the bottom to 60 at the top, and the six versions are genuinely different products rather than quality tiers of one model.

Seedance 2.5 is the newest and owns one axis outright: duration. It produces up to 30 seconds in a single generation, the longest clip available anywhere on the platform, in text-to-video, image-to-video or reference-to-video mode with native audio. It costs 60 credits per second at 720p and 30 at 480p, so a 30-second 720p take is 1,800 credits while the same length at 480p is 900. That 480p rate makes it the best drafting model in the family and the 720p rate makes it something you use deliberately.

Seedance 2.0 is 35 credits per second — a 5-second clip is 175, a 15-second clip is 525 — at 720p with native audio, first-last-frame, reference-to-video and 21:9 ultrawide. Seedance 2.0 Fast is the same feature set at 30 credits per second with quicker processing, so it is the one to reach for when you are iterating rather than finishing. Seedance 2.0 mini is the value pick at 15 credits per second with the same modes at 480p or 720p — roughly half the cost of 2.0 for the same capability set, which is a remarkable trade if you can live with the quality step.

The 1.5 generation is where the bargains are. Seedance 1.5 Pro is 7 credits per second at 720p with native audio — a 10-second clip with sound for 70 credits is the cheapest way to get audio on this platform. Seedance 1.5 Lite is 5 credits per second, the cheapest solid option available, and it reaches up to 1080p. Audio is not part of its feature set, but for drafts, social content and high-volume work nothing else comes close: a 12-second 1080p clip is 60 credits.

The Kling Family — Kuaishou

Kling is where we would send most people first, because Kling O3 Pro is the best overall value on the platform: 18 credits per second at 1080p with native audio, reference-to-video and first-last-frame, across 3 to 15 seconds. A 5-second clip is 90 credits and a 10-second clip is 180. Nothing else combines that resolution, that feature set and that price.

Kling O3 drops to 14 credits per second with the same modes, which makes it a great default for animating stills — 5 seconds for 70 credits. Kling O3 4K goes the other way at 50 credits per second for genuine 4K, so a 5-second hero shot is 250 credits. That is expensive per second but cheap compared with any other route to 4K delivery at that quality.

The V3 line is priced by whether you want sound. Kling 3 Pro is 25 credits per second without audio and 40 with, and adds multi-shot generation. Kling 3 is 20 without audio and 30 with. Both cover 3 to 15 seconds. Turning audio off is a real saving here — a 10-second Kling 3 clip is 200 credits silent against 300 with sound, so if you intend to score the clip yourself, do not pay for a soundtrack you will discard.

Kling 2.6 is still worth knowing about for one specific reason: at 10 credits per second for first-last-frame without audio, it is the cheapest way to animate between two images on the platform. Two 5-second interpolations cost 50 credits each. With audio it is 15 credits per second, and durations are fixed at 5 or 10 seconds.

Gemini Omni Flash — Google

Gemini Omni Flash is a featured model and one of the two best value picks on the platform. At 15 credits per second it produces 3 to 10-second clips in 16:9 or 9:16, from text, from an image, or from references — a 10-second clip is 150 credits. What sets it apart is that audio is controlled through the prompt: ask for specific sound effects or dialogue in the same sentence where you describe the shot, and the model generates them alongside the picture.

That combination — Google-quality output, native audio, reference support and a mid-range per-second rate — makes it the model to try when you want sound without the VEO price tag.

The Hailuo Family — MiniMax

Hailuo 03 is the newest MiniMax model and another featured pick: 35 credits per second at up to 2K, 5 to 15 seconds, with native audio, reference-to-video and first-last-frame. A 5-second 2K clip is 175 credits. It is one of only three models that reach beyond 1080p, and it handles characters and motion particularly well.

Below it, Hailuo Pro is 12 credits per second at 1080p with prompt optimisation, fixed at 6 or 10 seconds — so 72 credits or 120 credits respectively. Hailuo Lite is 8 credits per second at 768p on the same fixed durations, meaning 48 or 80 credits, and it turns around in 1 to 2 minutes. Lite is the one to use when you want to see whether an image animates convincingly at all before spending real credits on it.

WAN 2.6, Happy Horse and LTX 2

WAN 2.6 from Alibaba Cloud is 12 credits per second at 720p or 18 at 1080p, with fixed durations of 5, 10 or 15 seconds and 480p through 1080p output. It generates audio and supports multi-shot sequences, and it is one of the strongest models for smooth motion. A 15-second 720p clip is 180 credits, which is remarkable value for that length.

Happy Horse, also from Alibaba, is the character specialist: 32 credits per second at 1080p across 3 to 15 seconds, with reference-to-video and native audio. A 5-second clip is 160 credits. Reach for it when the shot lives or dies on a performance — expression, gesture, the way a body carries weight.

LTX 2 from Lightricks is the quiet overachiever. It is 6 credits per second at 1080p, 10 at 1440p and 18 at 4K, across 6 to 20 seconds with audio. That means a 20-second 1080p clip costs 120 credits, and a 6-second 4K clip costs 108 — the cheapest route to 4K on the platform by a wide margin, and the cheapest way to get long footage of any kind.

Smart Spending

Draft Cheap, Finish Expensive

A 5-second Seedance 1.5 Lite draft costs 25 credits. The same 5 seconds on Sora 2 Pro at 1080p costs 425. Prompt structure, pacing and composition all read perfectly well on the cheap model, so there is rarely a reason to iterate on the expensive one.

Lock the prompt on a 5–8 credit model, then regenerate the keeper on whichever premium model suits the shot.

Full Comparison Table

All 24 models side by side. Credit figures are per second of output unless the row says per clip, and where a model offers several resolutions the rate for each is listed. Use it as a quick reference when deciding which model to select for your next project.

Quick Recommendations

If you are short on time, here is the cheat sheet. Best overall value: Kling O3 Pro at 18 credits per second for 1080p with audio, or Gemini Omni Flash at 15 with prompt-controlled audio. Cheapest: Seedance 1.5 Lite at 5, LTX 2 at 6, Seedance 1.5 Pro at 7 (with audio), Hailuo Lite at 8. Cinematic realism: Sora 2 Pro, VEO 3.1, Kling O3 Pro. Longest clips: Seedance 2.5 at 30 seconds, LTX 2 at 20, then Kling O3, Kling 3, Seedance 2.0 and WAN 2.6 at 15. Highest resolution: Kling O3 4K and LTX 2 for 4K, Hailuo 03 for 2K.

By task: for reference-driven work where subjects and style must match across clips, use the Seedance 2.x models, Hailuo 03, the Kling O3 family, Gemini Omni Flash or Happy Horse. For first-last-frame interpolation, Kling 2.6 is cheapest at 10 credits per second, with the Kling O3 family, Seedance 2.x and Hailuo 03 also supporting it. For motion-heavy scenes, WAN 2.6, Kling O3 Pro and Hailuo 03.

The workflow that follows from all of this is a two-pass one. Draft on something in the 5 to 8 credit range until the prompt is right, then regenerate the keeper on the model that suits the shot. Once you have your clips, assemble them in the Video Editor, which is free to use, or push a longer sequence through Storyboard or Scene Builder if you want the structure handled for you.

Frequently Asked Questions