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ANSWER

Veo 3.1 vs Veo 3.1 Fast vs Veo 3.1 Lite: which tier should you use?

Short answer

On Google's Gemini API, Veo 3.1 costs $0.40 per second with audio at 720p and 1080p, Veo 3.1 Fast $0.10 at 720p and Veo 3.1 Lite $0.05 at 720p, and only Lite lacks 4K. Use Lite or Fast for drafts and volume, and the full model for final shots where quality is worth eight times the price.

Google's prices by tier

Per second of video with audio on the Gemini API paid tier: Veo 3.1 $0.40 (720p and 1080p), $0.60 (4K); Veo 3.1 Fast $0.10 (720p), $0.12 (1080p), $0.30 (4K); Veo 3.1 Lite $0.05 (720p), $0.08 (1080p), no 4K. No free tier. Source: Google AI for Developers, Gemini API pricing (ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/pricing), checked 2026-10-18

4K is not available for Veo 3.1 Lite, and video extension is limited to 720p videos. Source: Google AI for Developers, Veo 3.1 documentation (ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/veo), checked 2026-10-18

The same tiers through a model API provider

Atlas Cloud list prices, quoted 2026-10-17 for an 8-second clip
TierResolutionUSD/s with audioAudioOne minute
Veo 3.1720p$0.400Extra ($0.200/s without)$24.00
Veo 3.11080p$0.400Extra ($0.200/s without)$24.00
Veo 3.1 Fast720p$0.096Extra ($0.080/s without)$5.76
Veo 3.1 Fast1080p$0.120Extra ($0.100/s without)$7.20
Veo 3.1 Lite720p$0.050No switch (one price)$3.00
Veo 3.1 Lite1080p$0.080No switch (one price)$4.80

Model prices on this page are Atlas Cloud list prices quoted 2026-10-17 with its free /calculate endpoint, as published in our AI video price index. Source: Atlas Cloud model catalog and /calculate list prices (atlascloud.ai/models), checked 2026-10-17

What to pick when

  • Lite for storyboards in motion, drafts and high-volume social clips: at $0.050/s it is the cheapest 720p quote in our index.
  • Fast for most production work that needs Veo's look: about a quarter of the full model's price at 720p, and it offers 4K.
  • Veo 3.1 for final hero shots and ads where each frame carries the brand, and for 1080p, where the full model costs the same as at 720p.
  • Draft on a cheaper tier and re-render only the approved shots on the full model; keep prompts and references identical so the re-render matches the draft.

What we can and cannot tell you

We have not produced a film on any Veo tier; every film we have released was rendered on Seedance 2.0 models. The prices and limits above are Google's and Atlas Cloud's own. Quality differences between the tiers are best judged on your own shots: render the same three shots on each tier and compare motion, faces and sound.

Where Katechon Arc fits

If you are choosing a budget tier for a whole series, compare Veo 3.1 Lite and Fast with Arc's Seedance 2.0 Mini and Fast estimates on the same shot list; Mini is 76 credits for an 8-second 720p clip in Arc.

Arc does not render with Veo. Use the Gemini API or a provider that hosts Veo 3.1 if you choose any of these tiers.

People also ask

What is Veo 3.1 Lite?

The cheapest Veo 3.1 tier: $0.05 per second at 720p and $0.08 at 1080p with audio on the Gemini API, without 4K output.

Is Veo 3.1 Fast worse than Veo 3.1?

Google positions Fast as the faster, cheaper tier at a quarter of the full model's 720p price. How much quality you give up depends on the shot; test the shots that matter to you on both.

Related answers

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