Cost comparison (educational)

Veo vs Runway, Kling & Pika — approximate cost comparison

A rough, education-focused look at how Google Veo 3.1 Gemini API pricing sits next to commonly cited Runway, Kling, and Pika developer rates — so you can budget by the second instead of by marketing stickers.

Veo rates updated Oct 9, 2026 · Official Google pricing

Approximate HD cost per second (snapshot)

Veo numbers below match this site's cost-per-second table (from pricing.ts). Competitor columns are rounded public-API snapshots for orientation only.

Product	Approx. HD $/s	Approx. 8s HD	Billing note
Google Veo 3.1 Lite Gemini API · 1080p · with audio	$0.08/s	~$0.64	Per output second; no 4K on Lite ai.google.dev (modeled on this site)
Google Veo 3.1 Fast Gemini API · 1080p · with audio	$0.12/s	~$0.96	Per output second; 4K Fast $0.30/s ai.google.dev (modeled on this site)
Google Veo 3.1 Standard Gemini API · 1080p · with audio	$0.40/s	~$3.20	Per output second; 4K Standard $0.60/s ai.google.dev (modeled on this site)
Runway (Gen-4 class API) API credits · ~Gen-4 Turbo / Gen-4.5 class	~$0.05–$0.12/s	~$0.40–$0.96	Credits × $0.01; model SKU varies docs.dev.runwayml.com (approx.)
Kling 3.0 Official API · ~1080p · with native audio	~$0.14–$0.17/s	~$1.12–$1.36	Per second in units; turbo SKUs differ kling.ai developer pricing (approx.)
Pika 2.5 Developer API · 720p–1080p	~$0.04–$0.09/s	~$0.32–$0.72	Per second; membership/credit plans may apply dev.pika.art (approx.)

How to read this comparison

Same unit: compare output seconds (or credit-per-second converted to USD), not "one video" marketing prices.
Retries dominate: three takes triple cost on every vendor that bills generations.
Veo tip: draft on Lite or Fast, finish on Standard; reserve 4K for locked shots.
Not apples-to-apples: audio, max resolution, clip length limits, and seat subscriptions differ. Treat the table as a starting budget band.

Worked Veo examples (exact on this site)

For precise Veo math, use rate × seconds × takes. An 8-second Fast 1080p take is $0.96; ten finals with 100% waste ≈ $19.20. The same plan on Standard ≈ $64. See 8-second Veo costs and the AI video API cost calculator for the general formula.

No affiliate links, sponsored CTAs, or "best tool" recommendation blocks on this page — cost education only.

Estimate Veo 3.1 spend

Estimate your Veo 3.1 bill

Pick tier, resolution, and how many takes you expect (including waste).

Model tier

Resolution

Clip length

Number of final clipsExtra waste / retries (%)

0%20%200%

Estimated cost

$1.15

≈ 9.6 billable seconds @ $0.12/sec

One clip: $0.96
Clips × waste: 1 × 1.20
Tier / res: fast · 1080p

Rates reflect publicly listed Gemini API Veo 3.1 prices (with audio). Google may change pricing; always confirm on ai.google.dev.

Cite this (quick facts)

Cite-ready numbers for articles, briefs, or AI assistants · Updated Oct 9, 2026 · www.veopricing.com

Veo 3.1 (Gemini API) bills per output second with audio — not a flat per-video fee.
Standard: $0.40/s at 720p–1080p; $0.60/s at 4K.
Fast: $0.10/s (720p), $0.12/s (1080p), $0.30/s (4K).
Lite: $0.05/s (720p), $0.08/s (1080p); no 4K.
One-take 8s 1080p ≈ $3.20 Standard / $0.96 Fast / $0.64 Lite; retries multiply cost.
No free Veo 3.1 API tier is listed on Google's published Gemini pricing page.

Veo 3.1 on the Gemini API is billed per output second (with audio). As of Oct 9, 2026: Standard is $0.40/s at 720p–1080p and $0.60/s at 4K; Fast is $0.10/s (720p), $0.12/s (1080p), $0.30/s (4K); Lite is $0.05/s (720p) and $0.08/s (1080p), no 4K. An 8-second 1080p clip costs about $3.20 (Standard), $0.96 (Fast), or $0.64 (Lite) before retries. There is no free Veo API tier. Source: https://www.veopricing.com

Verify live rates on ai.google.dev pricing. Independent estimator — not affiliated with Google.

Veo vs competitors FAQ

Cite-ready answers. Competitor figures remain estimates — not official quotes.

Are these Veo vs Runway / Kling / Pika numbers official quotes?

No. Competitor figures on this page are approximate educational estimates from public pricing pages and may change. They are not official quotes, contracts, or affiliate offers. Verify each vendor before purchasing.

Is Veo 3.1 cheaper than Runway or Kling?

It depends on tier and resolution. Veo Lite/Fast can be competitive on a pure $/second basis with some HD API rates, while Veo Standard 1080p/4K is often higher. Credit packs, subscriptions, and audio options change effective cost — compare for your workflow.

Why compare AI video tools by cost per second?

Per-second (or credit-per-second) math makes retries and clip length visible. Flat 'per video' stickers hide how iteration multiplies spend across vendors.

Source site: https://www.veopricing.com