Runway vs Kling vs Pika vs Veo: cost at 30s and 60s
Single attempt first, then the real world: 2 retries (3 attempts) per finished video. Last checked Oct 16, 2026 (Runway re-verified Oct 17, 2026).
| Tool / rate used | 30s · 1 attempt | 60s · 1 attempt | 30s · with 2 retries | 60s · with 2 retries | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runway Gen-4.5 | $6.91 | $13.82 | $20.74* | $41.47* | 12 credits/sec × $0.0192/credit (Standard, $12/mo annual, 625 credits). *Effective cost at the plan credit rate, NOT cash covered by Standard alone: a 30s usable clip with 2 retries needs 1,080 credits, but Standard gives only 625/mo (~1× 30s try). Top-ups are min. 1,000 credits for $10 ($0.01/credit, never expire). Gen-4.5 generates 2–10s at a time, so 30s+ is stitched. |
| Kling AI | Check official pricing | Plans verified (660–26,000 credits/mo; membership credits expire after 1 month), but per-generation credit cost was not verifiable on official public pages Oct 16, 2026. We do not guess it. | |||
| Pika — Wan 3.0, 720p | $1.76 | $3.52 | $5.28 | $10.56 | 33 credits/5s × $0.00889/credit (Starter, $8/mo annual, 900 credits). Note: Starter has NO commercial licence. |
| Pika — Seedance 2.5, 720p | $6.51 | $13.01 | $19.52 | $39.04 | 122 credits/5s on same Starter credit price |
| Veo 3.1 Lite, 720p (API) | $1.50 | $3.00 | $4.50 | $9.00 | $0.05/sec, audio included, pay-as-you-go |
| Veo 3.1 Fast, 720p (API) | $3.00 | $6.00 | $9.00 | $18.00 | $0.10/sec |
| Veo 3.1 Standard, 720p/1080p (API) | $12.00 | $24.00 | $36.00 | $72.00 | $0.40/sec |
How to read this
- Cheapest sticker ≠ cheapest usable. Multiply by your real retry rate.
- Kling is not “free” in this table — its per-clip credit burn must be confirmed in-product; any site giving you an exact Kling dollar cost without that caveat is estimating.
- Commercial rights change the winner: Pika's cheapest tier excludes commercial use, so Creator ($28/mo annual) is the real Pika starting point for client/ monetised work.
- Longer videos are usually stitched from short generations (Veo native clips are 8s) — editing time and failed stitches are real costs too.
Run your own numbers in the calculator. Sources on each tool page.