Video Generator AI: What One Second Costs, and What Moves It
The unit is a second, not a video
Every other step of making a video is priced by something small: a read by the thousand characters, a setup image by the picture, a storyboard by the hundred characters. Video is the only step priced by duration, because the model works on every frame of every second. Video is also where nearly everything goes: in a typical episode the video lines are more than nine-tenths of the bill. Why video costs more than everything else.
Two numbers frame a purchase. The shortest segment is 4 seconds, so the smallest video you can pay for is four times the per-second price of your tier. The longest is set by the tier: 15 seconds on some, 30 on others. A segment longer than its tier's cap is refused when you press generate, before anything is charged. The price is shown on the segment's button before you press it, and the credits are held then, charged when the clip is delivered and returned if it fails.
The price list: every tier, one second at a time
These are the figures the site charges, read live from its price list. Money is shown at the lowest credit price (the largest packs or an annual plan); small packs and monthly plans run a little higher.
| Tier | Credits a second | About, per second | Longest segment (s) | Resolution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wan 3.0 · 480P | 10 | $0.06 | 30 | 480P |
| Wan 3.0 · 720P | 19 | $0.12 | 30 | 720P |
| Wan 3.0 · 1080P | 38 | $0.24 | 30 | 1080P |
| Seedance 2.5 · 480P | 19 | $0.12 | 30 | 480P |
| Seedance 2.5 Lite | 38 | $0.24 | 30 | 720P |
| Seedance 2.5 Pro | 75 | $0.47 | 30 | 1080P |
| Seedance 2.0 · 480P | 13 | $0.08 | 15 | 480P |
| Seedance 2.0 Fast | 25 | $0.16 | 15 | 720P |
| MiniMax H3 Fast | 16 | $0.10 | 15 | 768P |
| MiniMax H3 | 25 | $0.16 | 15 | 2K |
Read the table as three rules. The same family climbs with resolution: within one model family each resolution step up costs roughly double. The longest segment is a property of the model, not a price line. And the default is deliberately the cheapest tier, so the first thing you find out is whether a shot reads. The full list sits on the pricing page, and which model to pick by purpose says what each family is good for.
What does not change the price of a second
People often expect a surcharge somewhere that is not there. Each of these is a choice you can make freely, and none changes what a second costs.
| Setting | Changes the price? | What it does change |
|---|---|---|
| Frame: 9:16 or 16:9 | No | How shots are framed; video is priced by the second, not by the shape of the frame |
| Voices, dialogue and sound | No | They come with the seconds on every tier used here |
| Dialogue language | No | Who speaks what; a segment costs the same in any language |
| Type: Short Drama, TV Series, Film | No | Where episodes break, and the cap on episode length |
| Segment length: 15 or 30 seconds | Not per second | The size of each retake: a long take costs twice a standard segment to redo |
| Your plan | No | How many generations run at once and how many credits arrive each month; a generation costs the same credits for everyone |
| Music | No | It is mixed in at no extra charge |
Two of these are worth a second look. Segment length leaves the per-second price alone but changes how much one mistake costs. And a plan buys parallelism and a monthly allowance, not a lower rate and not a faster clip. What a paid plan changes.
What does make a bill grow: seconds you generate and do not keep
The seconds in your finished episode are a small part of the seconds you pay for. A segment regenerated three times is three segments, and each delivered take is charged, however good or bad it is. A failed take is not: tasks that fail before reaching the model are refunded automatically, and ambiguous failures are held for review rather than silently charged. Refunds: what comes back automatically.
Fixing a clip you already have is priced differently from making a new take, and is worth comparing before you press:
| Fix | Price | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Trim | 5 credits each, whatever the length | The clip is right apart from a bad start or end |
| Lip sync (Redub) | 1 credit a second | Only the mouth is wrong |
| AI visuals | 2 the tier's per-second price, per second of clip | One thing in the picture is wrong and you like the rest |
| A new take | The tier's per-second price, per second | Framing, positions or action are wrong |
Joining the finished segments into one episode adds 1 credit a second of the finished length. A trimmed segment costs less to join. What each clip fix costs.
One episode as a bill
Put the pieces together for a 60-second episode on the default tier: 10 credits a second for 60 seconds, plus 1 credit a second for 60 seconds of joining. That is 660 credits, about $4.11 at the lowest credit price, before any retake. Reading the script, the first episode's storyboard and the first 15 setup images are small or free beside it. The way to spend less is not a cheaper button but fewer regenerated seconds: fix the text and the sheets first, draft on the cheapest tier, and finish once. Draft low, finish high and the cost breakdown with a worked series go further.
FAQ
How much does AI video cost per second?
On the default tier it is 10 credits a second, about $0.06 at the lowest credit price. The top tier costs several times that. Every tier's price is in the table above and on the segment's button before you generate.
What is the shortest video I can generate?
A segment can be as short as 4 seconds, so the smallest video is four times the per-second price of the tier you choose.
Is there a flat price per video?
No. Video is priced per second, so a longer or retaken episode costs more. The price on each card adds up in front of you.
Does vertical video cost more than landscape?
No. The frame does not change the per-second price.
Is dialogue or music an extra?
No. Voices and sound come with the seconds on every tier used here, and the score is mixed in at no charge.
Does a membership make each second cheaper?
No. A generation costs the same credits on every plan. A plan adds monthly credits and lets more of your jobs run at once.
Do I pay for a failed generation?
Not when it fails before reaching the model: those are refunded automatically. If a result cannot be confirmed either way, the credits are held for review instead of charged.
Why does a retake cost the same as the first take?
Because it is another generation of the same seconds on the same tier. That is why fixing the text or the sheet first is cheaper than trying again.
See the price before you press the button
Read a short script and look at the per-second price on the segment's button. Nothing is charged until you press it.
Updated November 2, 2026