On vendor list prices read on 2 Oct 2026, one second of generated AI video costs between about $0.01 (Midjourney’s 480p image-to-video on a Pro plan) and $0.57 (Seedance 2.5 at 1080p through BytePlus). That is $0.64 to $34 per minute generated. The number you pay is higher, because every clip you discard is generated and billed anyway. No vendor publishes a retake rate, so the calculator below asks for yours and shows the arithmetic: cost = finished seconds / share kept x price per second.
Calculator
The calculator needs JavaScript; the table below shows the same arithmetic at three keep shares.
Every price row, per generated second and per finished minute
| Option | Per generated second | Per finished minute, keep 100% | Keep 50% | Keep 33% | Billing basis, read 2 Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runway Standard, Gen-4.5 (monthly billing) | $0.288 | $17.28 | $34.56 | $51.84 | billed monthly: $15 per month for 625 credits, 12 credits per second. Source |
| Runway Standard, Gen-4.5 (annual billing) | $0.230 | $13.82 | $27.65 | $41.47 | billed annually: $12 per month for 625 credits, 12 credits per second. Source |
| Runway Standard, Seedance 2.0 Fast (monthly billing) | $0.696 | $41.76 | $83.52 | $125.28 | billed monthly: $15 per month for 625 credits, 29 credits per second. Source |
| Runway Standard, Seedance 2.0 Fast (annual billing) | $0.557 | $33.41 | $66.82 | $100.22 | billed annually: $12 per month for 625 credits, 29 credits per second. Source |
| Runway Standard, Seedance 2.0 Pro 1080p (monthly billing) | $0.960 | $57.60 | $115.20 | $172.80 | billed monthly: $15 per month for 625 credits, 40 credits per second. Source |
| Runway Standard, Seedance 2.0 Pro 1080p (annual billing) | $0.768 | $46.08 | $92.16 | $138.24 | billed annually: $12 per month for 625 credits, 40 credits per second. Source |
| Runway Pro, Gen-4.5 (monthly billing) | $0.187 | $11.20 | $22.40 | $33.61 | billed monthly: $35 per month for 2250 credits, 12 credits per second. Source |
| Runway Pro, Gen-4.5 (annual billing) | $0.149 | $8.96 | $17.92 | $26.87 | billed annually: $28 per month for 2250 credits, 12 credits per second. Source |
| Runway Pro, Seedance 2.0 Fast (monthly billing) | $0.451 | $27.07 | $54.13 | $81.20 | billed monthly: $35 per month for 2250 credits, 29 credits per second. Source |
| Runway Pro, Seedance 2.0 Fast (annual billing) | $0.361 | $21.65 | $43.31 | $64.96 | billed annually: $28 per month for 2250 credits, 29 credits per second. Source |
| Runway Pro, Seedance 2.0 Pro 1080p (monthly billing) | $0.622 | $37.33 | $74.66 | $112.00 | billed monthly: $35 per month for 2250 credits, 40 credits per second. Source |
| Runway Pro, Seedance 2.0 Pro 1080p (annual billing) | $0.498 | $29.87 | $59.74 | $89.60 | billed annually: $28 per month for 2250 credits, 40 credits per second. Source |
| Runway Max, Gen-4.5 (monthly billing) | $0.120 | $7.20 | $14.40 | $21.60 | billed monthly: $95 per month for 9500 credits, 12 credits per second. Source |
| Runway Max, Gen-4.5 (annual billing) | $0.096 | $5.76 | $11.52 | $17.28 | billed annually: $76 per month for 9500 credits, 12 credits per second. Source |
| Runway Max, Seedance 2.0 Fast (monthly billing) | $0.290 | $17.40 | $34.80 | $52.20 | billed monthly: $95 per month for 9500 credits, 29 credits per second. Source |
| Runway Max, Seedance 2.0 Fast (annual billing) | $0.232 | $13.92 | $27.84 | $41.76 | billed annually: $76 per month for 9500 credits, 29 credits per second. Source |
| Runway Max, Seedance 2.0 Pro 1080p (monthly billing) | $0.400 | $24.00 | $48.00 | $72.00 | billed monthly: $95 per month for 9500 credits, 40 credits per second. Source |
| Runway Max, Seedance 2.0 Pro 1080p (annual billing) | $0.320 | $19.20 | $38.40 | $57.60 | billed annually: $76 per month for 9500 credits, 40 credits per second. Source |
| Runway API, Gen-4.5 | $0.120 | $7.20 | $14.40 | $21.60 | pay as you go: 12 credits per second at $0.01 a credit. Source |
| Runway API, Gen-4 Turbo | $0.050 | $3.00 | $6.00 | $9.00 | pay as you go: 5 credits per second at $0.01 a credit. Source |
| Runway API, Aleph 2.0 | $0.280 | $16.80 | $33.60 | $50.40 | pay as you go: 28 credits per second at $0.01 a credit. Source |
| Runway API, Veo 3.1 with audio | $0.400 | $24.00 | $48.00 | $72.00 | pay as you go: 40 credits per second at $0.01 a credit. Source |
| Runway API, Veo 3.1 Fast with audio | $0.150 | $9.00 | $18.00 | $27.00 | pay as you go: 15 credits per second at $0.01 a credit. Source |
| Runway API, Seedance 2.0 720p | $0.360 | $21.60 | $43.20 | $64.80 | pay as you go: 36 credits per second at $0.01 a credit. Source |
| Runway API, Seedance 2.0 1080p | $0.400 | $24.00 | $48.00 | $72.00 | pay as you go: 40 credits per second at $0.01 a credit. Source |
| Runway API, Seedance 2.0 Fast | $0.290 | $17.40 | $34.80 | $52.20 | pay as you go: 29 credits per second at $0.01 a credit. Source |
| Runway API, Seedance 2.0 Mini | $0.160 | $9.60 | $19.20 | $28.80 | pay as you go: 16 credits per second at $0.01 a credit. Source |
| Google Veo 3.1 Standard 720p | $0.400 | $24.00 | $48.00 | $72.00 | pay as you go: $0.40 per second, audio included. Source |
| Google Veo 3.1 Standard 1080p | $0.400 | $24.00 | $48.00 | $72.00 | pay as you go: $0.40 per second, audio included. Source |
| Google Veo 3.1 Standard 4K | $0.600 | $36.00 | $72.00 | $108.00 | pay as you go: $0.60 per second, audio included. Source |
| Google Veo 3.1 Fast 720p | $0.100 | $6.00 | $12.00 | $18.00 | pay as you go: $0.10 per second, audio included. Source |
| Google Veo 3.1 Fast 1080p | $0.120 | $7.20 | $14.40 | $21.60 | pay as you go: $0.12 per second, audio included. Source |
| Google Veo 3.1 Fast 4K | $0.300 | $18.00 | $36.00 | $54.00 | pay as you go: $0.30 per second, audio included. Source |
| Google Veo 3.1 Lite 720p | $0.050 | $3.00 | $6.00 | $9.00 | pay as you go: $0.05 per second, audio included. Source |
| Google Veo 3.1 Lite 1080p | $0.080 | $4.80 | $9.60 | $14.40 | pay as you go: $0.08 per second, audio included. Source |
| BytePlus Seedance 2.5 480p | $0.103 | $6.17 | $12.34 | $18.50 | pay as you go: vendor's example price $0.514 for a 5 second clip, divided by 5. Source |
| BytePlus Seedance 2.5 720p | $0.231 | $13.87 | $27.74 | $41.62 | pay as you go: vendor's example price $1.156 for a 5 second clip, divided by 5. Source |
| BytePlus Seedance 2.5 1080p | $0.569 | $34.12 | $68.23 | $102.35 | pay as you go: vendor's example price $2.843 for a 5 second clip, divided by 5. Source |
| BytePlus Seedance 2.0 480p | $0.070 | $4.20 | $8.40 | $12.60 | pay as you go: vendor's example price $0.35 for a 5 second clip, divided by 5. Source |
| BytePlus Seedance 2.0 720p | $0.152 | $9.12 | $18.24 | $27.36 | pay as you go: vendor's example price $0.76 for a 5 second clip, divided by 5. Source |
| BytePlus Seedance 2.0 1080p | $0.374 | $22.44 | $44.88 | $67.32 | pay as you go: vendor's example price $1.87 for a 5 second clip, divided by 5. Source |
| BytePlus Seedance 2.0 4K | $0.778 | $46.68 | $93.36 | $140.04 | pay as you go: vendor's example price $3.89 for a 5 second clip, divided by 5. Source |
| BytePlus Seedance 2.0 Fast 720p | $0.120 | $7.20 | $14.40 | $21.60 | pay as you go: vendor's example price $0.6 for a 5 second clip, divided by 5. Source |
| BytePlus Seedance 2.0 Mini 720p | $0.076 | $4.56 | $9.12 | $13.68 | pay as you go: vendor's example price $0.38 for a 5 second clip, divided by 5. Source |
| BytePlus Seedance 1.5 Pro 720p with audio | $0.052 | $3.12 | $6.24 | $9.36 | pay as you go: vendor's example price $0.26 for a 5 second clip, divided by 5. Source |
| BytePlus Seedance 1.5 Pro 1080p with audio | $0.116 | $6.96 | $13.92 | $20.88 | pay as you go: vendor's example price $0.58 for a 5 second clip, divided by 5. Source |
| Midjourney Basic, SD video (monthly billing) | $0.020 | $1.20 | $2.40 | $3.60 | billed monthly: $10 per month for 200 Fast GPU minutes; a batch of 4 SD clips costs 8 minutes and makes 20 seconds. Source |
| Midjourney Basic, SD video (annual billing) | $0.016 | $0.960 | $1.92 | $2.88 | billed annually: $8 per month for 200 Fast GPU minutes; a batch of 4 SD clips costs 8 minutes and makes 20 seconds. Source |
| Midjourney Standard, SD video (monthly billing) | $0.013 | $0.798 | $1.60 | $2.39 | billed monthly: $30 per month for 900 Fast GPU minutes; a batch of 4 SD clips costs 8 minutes and makes 20 seconds. Source |
| Midjourney Standard, SD video (annual billing) | $0.011 | $0.642 | $1.28 | $1.93 | billed annually: $24 per month for 900 Fast GPU minutes; a batch of 4 SD clips costs 8 minutes and makes 20 seconds. Source |
| Midjourney Pro, SD video (monthly billing) | $0.013 | $0.798 | $1.60 | $2.39 | billed monthly: $60 per month for 1800 Fast GPU minutes; a batch of 4 SD clips costs 8 minutes and makes 20 seconds. Source |
| Midjourney Pro, SD video (annual billing) | $0.011 | $0.642 | $1.28 | $1.93 | billed annually: $48 per month for 1800 Fast GPU minutes; a batch of 4 SD clips costs 8 minutes and makes 20 seconds. Source |
| Midjourney Mega, SD video (monthly billing) | $0.013 | $0.798 | $1.60 | $2.39 | billed monthly: $120 per month for 3600 Fast GPU minutes; a batch of 4 SD clips costs 8 minutes and makes 20 seconds. Source |
| Midjourney Mega, SD video (annual billing) | $0.011 | $0.642 | $1.28 | $1.93 | billed annually: $96 per month for 3600 Fast GPU minutes; a batch of 4 SD clips costs 8 minutes and makes 20 seconds. Source |
What the table shows
Eight-second finished clip, you keep half of what you generate (so 16 seconds are billed per clip). Same arithmetic as the calculator, prices as read on 2 Oct 2026:
| Option | Billing basis | Per generated second | Per finished minute at 100% kept | Per 8 s clip at 50% kept |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midjourney Pro, SD video | $48 a month billed annually, 1,800 Fast minutes | $0.011 | $0.64 | $0.17 |
| Veo 3.1 Lite, 720p | API, per second | $0.05 | $3.00 | $0.80 |
| Seedance 1.5 Pro, 720p with audio | BytePlus API, 5 s example clip $0.26 | $0.052 | $3.12 | $0.83 |
| Runway Max, Gen-4.5 | $76 a month billed annually, 9,500 credits | $0.096 | $5.76 | $1.54 |
| Veo 3.1 Fast, 1080p | API, per second | $0.12 | $7.20 | $1.92 |
| Seedance 2.0, 720p | BytePlus API, 5 s example clip $0.76 | $0.152 | $9.12 | $2.43 |
| Runway Standard, Gen-4.5 | $15 a month billed monthly, 625 credits | $0.288 | $17.28 | $4.61 |
| Seedance 2.0, 720p | Runway API, 36 credits a second at $0.01 | $0.36 | $21.60 | $5.76 |
| Veo 3.1 Standard, 1080p | API, per second | $0.40 | $24.00 | $6.40 |
Three things the rows say that a single list price hides:
- The same model costs different amounts in different shops. Seedance 2.0 at 720p is $0.152 a second on BytePlus’s own API and $0.36 on Runway’s API (36 credits at $0.01). Veo 3.1 with audio is $0.40 a second on both Google’s page and Runway’s API, but Veo 3.1 Fast is $0.10 to $0.12 at Google and $0.15 on Runway. Runway’s subscription credits put Seedance 2.0 Pro 1080p at 40 credits a second, which is $0.32 a second on Max annual and $0.96 on Standard monthly.
- Plan size moves the price more than model choice does. Runway’s Gen-4.5 is 12 credits a second on every plan. That is $0.288 on Standard monthly and $0.096 on Max annual, a threefold gap on one model. The Max figure assumes you spend all 9,500 credits; Runway’s page says up to one month of credits rolls over on Max only.
- Midjourney’s number is not like for like. Its video is image-to-video at 480p by default for five seconds, extendable by four seconds up to 21 seconds, and a prompt makes four clips (8 GPU minutes in SD). The table counts all four as generated. HD costs 26 minutes a batch, which is about 3.25 times as much.
How retakes change the answer
The share you keep is the one input nobody else can supply. The same Runway Max annual price per second gives a different finished cost at each share:
| Share of generated seconds kept | Seconds billed per finished minute | Veo 3.1 Fast 1080p | Runway Max annual, Gen-4.5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100% | 60 | $7.20 | $5.76 |
| 50% | 120 | $14.40 | $11.52 |
| 33% | 180 | $21.60 | $17.28 |
| 20% | 300 | $36.00 | $28.80 |
A cheap model you retake five times per kept clip (20% kept) costs more than a model four times its price that lands on the first try. Compare candidates at your own kept share, not at 100%. Count a clip as discarded when you would not publish it, and count the seconds, not the clips: a clip you trim from 8 seconds to 5 still billed 8.
Choosing the row
- You want a fixed monthly bill and an editor: Runway’s plans, priced above on monthly and annual billing. A plan is only cheap if you spend its credits.
- You pay per second in code: Google’s Veo tiers or BytePlus’s Seedance pay-as-you-go prices. Cost is linear in seconds, with no allowance to waste.
- You are replacing Sora: the Sora alternatives page takes this table and adds the discontinuation record and a decision by job.
- You mostly animate stills: Midjourney’s per-second figure is the lowest here, with the resolution and clip-length limits above.
For quality, a price cannot help: no pricing page measures motion, prompt fidelity or consistency. The video tools roundup and the Runway, Veo and Midjourney reviews cover what each vendor states. Every plan and its check date is in the pricing tracker.
What is not here
- Kling. Its pricing page redirects to the home page and the plan tables load only after sign-in, so no Kling price is quoted. Third-party sites quote figures; none is used.
- Google’s consumer plans (AI Pro and Ultra) and ByteDance’s own consumer apps. Only the API list prices are recorded.
- Discounts. BytePlus lists enterprise-only time-limited discounts on Seedance 2.0 Fast and Mini; the table uses list prices. Sales tax may apply on Runway’s API.
- Audio. Veo prices include audio; Runway’s Veo rate is listed with and without audio (40 and 20 credits a second); Seedance 1.5 Pro is priced with and without audio ($2.4 and $1.2 per million tokens), and the table uses the with-audio rate. Check that you are comparing the same output.
Credit-based plans from Runway, Adobe, HeyGen and others are compared in AI credits explained.
Method
Researched from the vendor pricing and documentation pages listed in the sources, read on 2 Oct 2026, USD list prices. Per-second figures are our division: plan price over credits times credits per second for Runway; the vendor’s own example price for a five-second 16:9 clip over 5 for BytePlus; Midjourney’s plan price over Fast minutes, times 8 minutes, over 20 generated seconds. Prices were re-read for the dataset audit on the same day. The starting values in the calculator are placeholders, not a measured retake rate. Nothing here comes from using these tools.