Best AI Video models in 2026
Text-to-video and image-to-video models. Most now generate synced audio too. Chinese models like Kling, Hailuo, Vidu and PixVerse often cost a fraction of Veo per second.
Budget pick: Kling, Hailuo, Vidu, PixVerse, Wan
Veo
Google · Veo 3.1 · Gemini Omni Flash
APICinematic realism with native audio
Photoreal physics, synced dialogue and sound effects, up to 4K. Veo 3.1 Lite is the cheaper tier. Gemini Omni Flash (May 2026) adds conversational editing that keeps characters and lighting across follow-up changes.
- Where to use:
- Gemini app (AI Pro and up), Google Flow, Gemini API and Vertex AI.
Seedance
ByteDance · Seedance 2.0
APIReference-driven shots and image-to-video
Tops or sits near the top of most text-to-video and image-to-video arenas. Takes multiple reference images, keeps characters consistent, lip-syncs, and outputs up to 4K and 15-second clips.
- Where to use:
- Dreamina, CapCut, BytePlus API and most video API aggregators.
Kling
Kuaishou · Kling 3.0 (Turbo, Omni)
APIBudget pickMotion, multi-shot scenes and value
Released February 2026 with multi-shot storyboarding, camera control, native audio in several languages and 5–15 second clips. A June update added the faster Kling 3.0 Turbo.
- Where to use:
- Kling app and web (daily free credits), Kling API.
Runway
Runway · Gen-4.5
APIEditing tools for filmmakers
Less dominant on leaderboards than in 2025, but still the most complete editor: Aleph video-to-video edits, Act-Two performance capture, references and keyframes.
- Where to use:
- Runway web and iOS app (free trial credits), Runway API.
Hailuo
MiniMax · Hailuo 3 (H3, H3 Max)
APIBudget pickCheap, physics-heavy action shots
MiniMax's video model, known for realistic motion and physics at a low price. Hailuo 3 takes text, image, video and audio references and outputs 4–15 second clips with native stereo audio.
- Where to use:
- Hailuo AI app (free daily credits), MiniMax API, OpenRouter and fal.
- Price:
- ≈$0.05/s via API hosts
Vidu
ShengShu · Vidu Q3 (Turbo, Pro)
APIBudget pick16-second clips with audio, anime styles
Q3 generates up to 16 seconds of 1080p video with dialogue, sound effects and music in one pass, and cuts between camera angles on its own. Reference-to-video keeps characters consistent. Q3 Turbo is the cheap fast tier.
- Where to use:
- vidu.com (free credits), Vidu API and most video API hosts.
- Price:
- ≈$0.06–0.13/s
PixVerse
PixVerse (AISphere) · PixVerse V6
APIBudget pickLowest cost per second, social effects
V6 (March 2026) improved camera moves and multi-shot character continuity, and generates audio and on-screen text in English and Chinese. Huge library of viral effect templates.
- Where to use:
- PixVerse app and web (free daily credits), PixVerse API and CLI.
- Price:
- from ≈$0.025/s on third-party hosts
Wan
Alibaba · Wan 2.2 (open weights)
Open weightsBudget pickBest open-weight video model to self-host
Apache 2.0 text-to-video and image-to-video models that run on a single consumer GPU at the small size. Newer Wan releases are API-only.
- Where to use:
- Hugging Face, ComfyUI, or hosted on Replicate, fal and similar.
LTX
Lightricks · LTX-2
Open weightsFast open-weight video with audio
Open-weight model that generates video and audio together, fast enough for local iteration on a single GPU.
- Where to use:
- LTX Studio, Hugging Face, ComfyUI.
Recently shut down
- OpenAI Sora — App closed April 26, 2026; API shut down September 24, 2026.
New model versions ship every few weeks and rankings shift with them. Prices are rough API list rates and vary by host and resolution. Check the official page before you commit.