The cost of an AI video is rarely the cost of generating one clip. A usable result may need several attempts, a different camera move, an extended shot, or a higher-resolution export. Price the production process you expect to follow.
Write a tiny production brief
Specify the final duration, number of shots, aspect ratio, output resolution, and whether you need generated audio. Add a rough allowance for alternate takes. If a workflow requires image generation before video generation, count both stages.
For an initial test, one short shot is enough. Use a subject and motion you can evaluate clearly, rather than a complex scene with many moving parts. Keep the source prompt and settings with each attempt so you can understand what changed.
Read the credit rules beside the price
Runway's official pricing page explains that model, duration, and resolution affect credit use. Adobe's Firefly comparison separates standard features from premium features that use credits. A shared label such as “Pro” does not make two plans equivalent.
For a fictional service charging 40 credits per attempt, six attempts at each of four shots would use 960 credits before any editing or exports. This is a planning example, not the price of a particular model. Substitute the current rate for the settings you will use.
Check what unlimited means
Midjourney's plan comparison distinguishes Fast and Relax processing and limits some modes to particular tiers. Check whether an unlimited claim applies to your chosen model, resolution, generation mode, and queue.
A slower queue may be entirely workable for experiments and unsuitable for a deadline. Decide how much waiting your project can tolerate before treating extra capacity as necessary.
Inspect the export and usage conditions
- Can you download at the required resolution and aspect ratio?
- Does the selected plan include the export you need?
- Is a watermark present, and is its removal tied to a particular plan?
- Do the applicable terms cover your intended personal or client use?
- Can you retain and organize the source assets for later revisions?
Those questions are a checklist, not promises about every listed service. Read the current terms in the tool you choose.
Compare cost per accepted shot
Track the total credits spent and the number of shots you would actually keep. Divide the first by the second to get a useful planning figure for your own style of work. Keep a margin for experimentation and stop a test when the results no longer justify further attempts.
Browse Runway, Kling AI, and Firefly for official entry points and reviewed pricing sources. Their inclusion here is not a hands-on quality ranking.
