# What is the cheapest AI video generator?

**Short answer:** By list price per second, the cheapest model we track is Veo 3.1 Lite at $0.050 per second at 720p (2026-10-17), followed by PixVerse V6 and MiniMax H3. Cheapest per second is not cheapest per usable second: the models that hold a face across shots save more in retakes than they cost.

URL: https://arc.katechon.technology/answers/what-is-the-cheapest-ai-video-generator
Updated: 2026-10-18

## The ten lowest list prices at 720p

Lowest per-second list prices, quoted 2026-10-17:

| Model | USD per second | USD per minute | 10 minutes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Veo 3.1 Lite 720p | $0.050 | $3.00 | $30.00 |
| PixVerse V6 720p | $0.060 | $3.60 | $36.00 |
| Veo 3.1 Fast 720p | $0.096 | $5.76 | $57.60 |
| Luma Ray 3.2 720p | $0.099 | $5.94 | $59.40 |
| Wan 3.0 720p | $0.100 | $6.00 | $60.00 |
| Kling 3.0 Turbo 720p | $0.112 | $6.72 | $67.20 |
| Seedance 2.0 Mini 720p | $0.121 | $7.29 | $72.88 |
| Vidu Q3 Pro 720p | $0.125 | $7.50 | $75.00 |
| Gemini Omni Flash 720p | $0.125 | $7.50 | $75.00 |
| Kling 3.0 Standard | $0.126 | $7.56 | $75.60 |

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](https://arc.katechon.technology/ai-video-price-index). PixVerse V6 is cheaper still with audio off ($0.045/s). (Source: Atlas Cloud model catalog and /calculate list prices, https://www.atlascloud.ai/models, checked 2026-10-17)

## Cheapest for what?

- **One-off clips:** a budget model such as Veo 3.1 Lite ($0.050/s) or PixVerse V6 ($0.060/s).
- **A series with recurring characters:** what matters is how many shots you keep. We rendered most of our series on Seedance 2.0 Mini ($0.121/s list), which kept faces stable enough that 85% of spend reached the final cut.
- **1080p:** Veo 3.1 Lite at $0.080/s was the lowest 1080p quote.

## Hidden costs that change the ranking

- Audio: some models charge extra for it, some include it.
- Clip length limits: a model capped at 8 seconds needs more clips per scene.
- Retakes: drift, blocked generations and failed jobs all cost generated seconds.
- Subscriptions with credits can be cheaper or dearer than list price depending on how much of the allowance you use.

## Where Katechon Arc fits

Arc's cheapest option is Seedance 2.0 Mini at 4.4 credits per second at 480p and 9.4 at 720p, which is $0.035–$0.070 per second at 720p depending on how you buy credits.

Arc has no free plan and offers only Seedance models; if the absolute lowest per-second price is the only goal, a budget model through an API is cheaper.

## People also ask

### What is the cheapest text-to-video API?

Of the models in our index, Veo 3.1 Lite had the lowest 720p list price on 2026-10-17 at $0.050 per second.

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## Sources

- Atlas Cloud model catalog and /calculate list prices: [www.atlascloud.ai/models](https://www.atlascloud.ai/models), checked 2026-10-17