The Beginner’s Guide to AI Video Credits (What They Really Cost)
AI video tools all talk in “credits”, but your bank account is still in dollars. This guide shows you how credits really work, how to translate them into real money, and how to compare platforms fairly.
What Are AI Video Credits?
Most AI video platforms don’t charge per minute like a traditional editor. Instead, they give you a pool of “credits”. Every time you generate a clip, some of those credits are burned. The exact amount depends on factors like duration, resolution, model tier and extra processing steps.
Credits are simply a way for platforms to meter GPU usage without showing raw compute cost. Your job as a creator is to translate that abstract credit system back into one simple question:
“How much did this 5–10 second clip actually cost me?”
The Key Idea: Cost Per Second of Video
Once you know the cost per second, everything becomes directly comparable:
- You can compare two different models on the same platform.
- You can compare one platform’s Turbo model to another’s Pro model.
- You can decide when higher resolution or fidelity is worth paying for.
There are three numbers you need:
- Price per month (or top-up pack).
- Credits per month included in that price.
- Credits per generation for your chosen model, resolution and duration.
Step 1 – Work Out Your Price Per Credit
Convert your plan into a price per credit:
price_per_credit = plan_price / credits_per_month
Example (numbers just for illustration):
- You pay $30 per month.
- Your plan includes 3,000 credits.
$30 ÷ 3,000 = $0.01 per credit (one cent per credit).
Some platforms include one-time free credits on a free tier, or yearly bundles that work out cheaper per credit than monthly plans. Always reduce everything back to “$ per credit”.
State-of-the-art AI video. New users get 50% bonus credits on their first month (up to 5 000 credits).
Step 2 – Work Out Credits Per Clip
Next, you need to know how many credits your typical clip uses. Patterns include:
- Credits per second – a fixed number of credits for each second of video at a given resolution.
- Credits per duration bucket – fixed price for 5s vs 10s clips.
- Credits by resolution – 1080p uses more credits than 720p.
Then calculate:
cost_per_clip = credits_per_clip × price_per_credit
Examples:
- 5s 720p clip using 50 credits → 50 × $0.01 = $0.50
- 10s 1080p clip using 120 credits → 120 × $0.01 = $1.20
Step 3 – Convert to Cost Per Second
Break the clip cost down to cost per second:
cost_per_second = cost_per_clip ÷ seconds_of_video
- 5s clip costing $0.50 → $0.10 per second
- 10s clip costing $1.20 → $0.12 per second
What Affects Credit Cost the Most?
Most platforms charge more credits for:
- Duration – 10s nearly always costs double 5s
- Resolution – 1080p > 720p > 480p
- Model tier – Turbo/Fast vs Pro/Master
- Upscaling & enhancement
- Reruns & variations
Real-World Patterns from Popular Platforms
- Runway – credits per second for Gen-3/4 models; Turbo cheaper than Standard.
- Pika – credits per clip, varies by model (Turbo vs Pro).
- Freepik / WAN – unified credit pool; each model/resolution has a set credit cost.
- Kling – many platforms price 5s vs 10s Turbo clips in fixed blocks.
Important: Exact numbers change frequently. Always check the latest pricing pages.
How to Compare Platforms Fairly
1. Define your “standard shot”
Example:
- Duration: 8–10 seconds
- Resolution: 1080p
- Model: mid-to-high quality
- Style: ads, trailers, vlogs, social clips, etc.
2. Work out cost per shot
- Note monthly plan price and credits.
- Find credit cost for your “standard shot”.
- Calculate cost per clip and cost per second.
3. Factor in free tiers and promos
- One-off free credits
- Monthly small free bundles
- Bonus credits for referrals or yearly billing
When to Spend More Per Second (And When Not To)
Worth paying extra for:
- Hero shots
- Close-up character shots
- Client or commercial work
Use cheaper settings for:
- B-roll, textures, cutaways
- Concept tests
- Casual social content
Practical Workflow: Track Your Real Costs
- Log model, resolution, duration, credits used
- Auto-calculate cost per clip/second
- Tag clips by project or client
Key Takeaways
- Credits → GPU → real money. Always convert.
- Compare platforms on cost per second.
- Duration, resolution, model tier = biggest cost drivers.
- Free tiers help, but long-term planning must use real prices.
- A tiny spreadsheet is enough to avoid overspending.
If you’d like AIVC to work out the cost per clip for a specific platform, tell us the model, resolution and duration — we’ll do the maths for you.