What an AI video really costs

—

to actually finish this video

Your video

Start from a common job optional

How long is the finished video? seconds of final footage

What kind of video?

Does it need sound? native audio typically adds 30–50%

Five things people forget to budget for

Tries before a clip is usable almost nobody keeps the first one

How long is each clip? longer clips cost more than two short ones

Output resolution

How often does a clip fail or get rejected? you're usually charged anyway

Count my time waiting + editing

How this is calculated

A planning model, not a quote — but far closer to reality than multiplying a per-second rate by your video length.

No tool generates a long video. Your finished length is split into clips, capped by each tool's own maximum clip length, and every clip is generated separately.
Tries per usable clip multiply the whole thing. Story content with a recurring character needs more, because characters drift between generations.
Failed or rejected generations are added on top — most platforms still bill them.
Generated audio is charged at a premium; resolution multiplies cost roughly with pixel count.
Subscription tools pick the cheapest plan that covers your project, including overage.
Time, if enabled, counts generation waiting plus editing and stitching — the part no pricing page mentions.
Prices are approximate and this category reprices constantly. Verify on each tool's own page before committing budget.