01
Nominal cost per 10-second shot (mid-2026)
These are aggregator prices, USD, at 720p unless noted. Direct API pricing is usually higher.
- Sora 2 — ~$0.55
- Veo 3.1 — ~$0.75
- Veo 3.1 Fast — ~$0.25
- Kling 2.5 — ~$0.45
- Seedance 2.0 — ~$0.20
- Hailuo 02 — ~$0.30
- Wan 2.5 — ~$0.28
02
The keeper-shot multiplier
Nominal cost is misleading. What matters is cost per usable clip. In our benchmarks, one keeper takes roughly 2-4 rolls. So a $0.55 Sora 2 shot is actually a $1.10-$2.20 keeper. Budget accordingly.
03
Hidden waste patterns
Three that quietly triple bills:
- Re-rolling for tiny prompt tweaks instead of re-prompting from a clear brief.
- Generating at 1080p when 720p + upscale is 40% cheaper for the same final quality.
- Ignoring the fast tier of a model when the shot is a draft, not a final.
04
The pragmatic rule
Draft with the fast tier. Lock the shot. Generate the final at full quality. Upscale last. This one rule cuts most working budgets in half.
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