Comparison guide
Video generation tools compared: entry prices and how credits work
Nine AI video-generation tools side by side: what the entry plan costs, what its credits or minutes actually make, and which free tiers are real. Every figure was read from official vendor pages on 2026-10-27, with the exact source linked per tool.
- Tools compared9
- Lowest checked entryKrea, US$9 per month
- Free tier or free credits8 of 9
- Pricing checked2026-10-27
How we compare: the ten checks
Every figure in this guide comes from the vendor's own pages, read against the same ten checks. The matrix below fills each check from those pages; where a page does not state something, the cell says so rather than guessing.
- Entry priceThe lowest paid tier, monthly-billed as the vendor displays it.
- Allowance unitCredits, units or minutes. The unit differs per vendor and changes what the price buys.
- What a credit buysThe per-generation cost by model, duration and resolution.
- Free tier termsStanding free allowance, one-time credits or a trial. A trial ends; a free tier does not.
- WatermarksWhether free or entry output carries the vendor's mark.
- RolloverWhether unused credits survive into the next cycle.
- Commercial useWhether the tier allows publishing or client work.
- Model accessOne vendor model, or a platform hosting several third-party models.
- Plan gatesModels or features locked to higher tiers.
- Checked dateEvery figure carries the day it was read from the source.
The matrix: nine tools, the same checks
| Tool | Entry price (monthly-billed) | What the entry plan buys | Free tier | Pricing checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colossyan | US$59 shown as annual-billed price | Minutes by model (NEO and NEO2 allowances differ) | 20 minutes/month on the NEO model | 2026-10-27 |
| Elai.io | US$29 | 15 minutes/month | 1 minute | 2026-10-27 |
| HeyGen | US$29 | 600 credits/month | 3 videos/month, watermarked, up to 1 minute each, no card | 2026-10-27 |
| Krea | US$9 | 5,000 units/month (about 15 Seedance 2.0 Fast videos) | 100 units/day | 2026-10-27 |
| Luma | US$30 | 10,000 credits, commercial use | No free plan; trial credits | 2026-10-27 |
| Pika | US$10 | 900 credits/month | Credit packs only; no commercial use | 2026-10-27 |
| Runway | US$15 | 625 credits/month (about 52 seconds at Gen-4.5) | 125 one-time credits, no expiry | 2026-10-27 |
| Steve AI | US$29 | Not stated | Not listed on the pages checked | 2026-10-27 |
| Synthesia | US$19 | 1,250 credits/month (about 12.5 minutes, derived) | US$0 Basic: 500 credits/month with watermark | 2026-10-27 |
Alphabetical, not a ranking. Monthly-billed figures as displayed on 2026-10-27; Colossyan's page showed only the annual-billed view. Credits, units and minutes are different units per vendor and are not interchangeable. Derived figures are worked out from vendor-stated rates and say so.
Credits, units and minutes are not interchangeable
- Every vendor meters generation differently, so the entry price alone does not say how much video you get.
- Elai.io deducts minutes on every render, including re-renders, and deleted projects are not refunded. Top-ups cost US$2 per minute on paid plans.
- HeyGen does not state credits per video minute on the pricing page. Rollover per the vendor's FAQ: monthly plans one cycle, annual plans accumulate until renewal.
- Krea's 5,000 units cover about 15 Seedance 2.0 Fast videos. Video models are gated by plan: Seedance models need a paid plan, Seedance 2.5 needs Pro or above.
- Luma charges 100 credits per 5 seconds of Ray3.2 text-to-video at 720p and 400 at 1080p. API usage is billed separately.
- Pika's per-generation cost varies sharply by model: Seedance 2.5 at 720p for 5 seconds costs 122 credits, Wan 3.0 at the same settings costs 33. Top-up packs run at 60 credits per US$1 on any plan including Free, and pack credits expire 365 days after purchase.
- Runway spends credits by model, duration and resolution: Gen-4.5 costs 12 credits per second of video, so 625 credits is about 52 seconds. Standard and Pro monthly credits do not roll over; Max rolls over up to one month; purchased extra credits never expire.
- Synthesia states about 100 credits per minute of video in the vendor's calculator, an estimate that varies. Starter works out at roughly 12.5 minutes per month, derived from those figures rather than vendor-stated.
- Colossyan's minutes are model-specific: NEO and NEO2 allowances differ per plan.
Free tiers, trials and watermarks
- Colossyan: 20 minutes per month on the NEO model.
- Elai.io: 1 minute.
- HeyGen: 3 videos per month, watermarked, up to 1 minute each, no card.
- Krea: 100 units per day.
- Luma: no free plan on the current pricing page; plans include free trial credits. A trial ends; a free tier does not.
- Pika: no monthly credits on the free tier (credit packs only) and no commercial use.
- Runway: 125 one-time credits that do not expire.
- Synthesia: US$0 Basic with 500 credits per month and a watermark.
- Steve AI: no free tier was listed on the pages checked.
Platforms of many models, and avatar studios
- Runway, Pika, Luma and Krea each host third-party models alongside their own, so a subscription buys access to a platform rather than one model.
- Synthesia, HeyGen, Colossyan and Elai.io are avatar-first products where the video is presenter-led.
Common questions
How much video does an entry plan actually make?
It depends on the unit. Runway's 625 credits cover about 52 seconds at Gen-4.5 rates (12 credits per second). Synthesia's 1,250 credits work out at about 12.5 minutes at the vendor's stated 100 credits per minute. Krea's 5,000 units cover about 15 Seedance 2.0 Fast videos. Elai.io sells 15 minutes directly. All figures read from official pages on 2026-10-27.
Which video generation tools have a free tier?
Colossyan (20 minutes a month on the NEO model), Elai.io (1 minute), HeyGen (3 watermarked videos a month, no card), Krea (100 units a day), Pika (credit packs only, no commercial use), Runway (125 one-time credits) and Synthesia (US$0 Basic with 500 credits a month and a watermark). Luma has no free plan on the current page, only trial credits. Steve AI's pages did not list a free tier when checked on 2026-10-27.
Do unused credits roll over?
It depends on the vendor. Runway's Standard and Pro monthly credits do not roll over, Max rolls over up to one month, and purchased extra credits never expire. HeyGen rolls monthly plans over one cycle and annual plans accumulate until renewal (vendor FAQ). Pika's top-up pack credits expire 365 days after purchase.
Are these tools one AI model each?
No. Runway, Pika, Luma and Krea are multi-model platforms hosting third-party models alongside their own, so a subscription buys platform access. Synthesia, HeyGen, Colossyan and Elai.io are avatar-first, presenter-led products.
What is the cheapest way in?
Krea's Basic at US$9 per month is the lowest monthly-billed entry captured on 2026-10-27, followed by Pika at US$10 and Runway at US$15. What that price buys differs per vendor, so compare the allowance column rather than the price alone.
How fresh are these figures?
Every figure was read from the vendor's official page on 2026-10-27, and each tool's record links the exact page used. Vendors can change prices, credit rates and plan gates at any time.
Sources
- Runway pricing (accessed 2026-10-27)
- Pika (accessed 2026-10-27)
- Luma pricing (accessed 2026-10-27)
- Krea (accessed 2026-10-27)
- Synthesia pricing (accessed 2026-10-27)
- HeyGen pricing (accessed 2026-10-27)
- Colossyan pricing (accessed 2026-10-27)
- Elai.io pricing (accessed 2026-10-27)
- Steve AI (accessed 2026-10-27)
Figures carry the date they were read from the vendor's own page. Listing a tool is not a recommendation, and no ratings or rankings are asserted.
Tools in this guide
Full records, with per-field sources and check dates, on each tool page.