Cheapest AI video model on VdoBloom, measured in credits per second

"Cheapest" only means something once you fix the resolution and the length, because most models bill per second and roughly double their rate at each resolution step. A model that looks cheap at 5 seconds can be the expensive one at 15.

So here is the honest comparison: credits per second of output at 720p, read directly from VdoBloom's pricing table. At the bottom of the range Seedance 1.5 Pro charges 1.5 credits per second at 720p — only ByteDance V1 Pro Fast Image-to-Video undercuts it there, at 1.4. At the top, Seedance 2.5 charges 20 credits per second for the same resolution — a 13x spread inside the same platform.

If you are producing at volume — bulk product clips for a Flipkart or Meesho catalogue, ad variants, thumbnail loops — this single number is the one that determines whether the workflow is viable. Picking the right tier for drafts and the right tier for finals is worth more than any prompt trick.

Start with a low-cost draft

What this tool does

  • Lowest per-second rate on VdoBloom: Seedance 1.5 Pro — 0.75 credits/sec at 480p, 1.5 at 720p, 3.0 at 1080p, over a 4-14 second duration range. A 4-second 480p clip costs 3 credits; 8 seconds at 720p costs 12.
  • Cheapest single 720p clip outright: ByteDance V1 Pro Fast Image-to-Video at 7 credits for 5 seconds (1.4 credits/sec) — but it is image-to-video only and offers just 5 and 10 second durations.
  • Credits per second at 720p: ByteDance V1 Pro Fast I2V 1.4 · Seedance 1.5 Pro 1.5 · P-Video 1.6 · ByteDance V1 Lite I2V 1.8 · Runway Gen-3 2.0 · Hailuo 2.3 Standard 2.5 (768P) · Grok Imagine Video 1.5 3.0 · Vidu Q2 Turbo 3.0 at 8s · PixVerse v4 4.0 · WAN 2.6 Flash 4.0 · Kling 3.0 std 5.6 · WAN 2.7 6.4 · Kling V3 Turbo 7.2 · PixVerse V6 9.0 · Seedance 2 16.4 · Seedance 2.5 20.0.
  • Cheapest 10-second clip on the platform: 8 credits, either ByteDance V1 Lite Image-to-Video at 480p or Seedance 1.5 Pro at 480p.
  • Enabling audio on Seedance 1.5 Pro doubles the rate: 720p goes from 1.5 to 3.0 credits/sec.
  • Stepping from 720p to 1080p roughly doubles cost on most models — Seedance 1.5 Pro 1.5 to 3.0 credits/sec, P-Video 1.6 to 3.2, ByteDance V1 Lite I2V 1.8 to 4.0.
  • Seedance 2 Mini is on a promotional rate through 7 September 2026 at 3.3 credits/sec at 720p and 1.6 at 480p; the standard rates are 8.2 and 3.8 credits/sec.
  • Veo 3.1 is flat-priced at 40 credits (Fast) or 160 (High Quality) with no duration or resolution dial — the most expensive way to produce a short draft.
  • The most expensive per-clip video-model configuration is Seedance 2 at 4K: 331 credits for 4 seconds and 1,240 credits for 15 seconds. Avatar and lip-sync jobs are priced by input length and can run higher — Kling AI Avatar Pro reaches 1,910 credits at 1080p for 300 seconds.
  • Two cheap routes to sound: Seedance 1.5 Pro's audio toggle doubles its rate to 1.5 credits/sec at 480p and 3.0 at 720p, and WAN 2.6 Flash carries audio on by default at 4 credits/sec at 720p (20 credits for 5 seconds) across a 2-15 second range.

How it works

  1. 1.Fix your resolution before comparing anything

    Rates are quoted per resolution tier and roughly double at each step. Decide whether the clip ships at 480p, 720p or 1080p first — comparing a 480p rate against a 1080p rate is how people conclude the wrong model is cheap.

  2. 2.Use the per-second models for drafts

    Seedance 1.5 Pro (0.75 credits/sec at 480p), P-Video (1.6 at 720p) and Grok Imagine Video 1.5 (1.5 at 480p) all bill by the second. Only Grok Imagine Video goes below 4 seconds — it steps from 1 to 15 seconds — while Seedance 1.5 Pro and P-Video start at 4 seconds, which is still just 3 credits on Seedance 1.5 Pro at 480p. Fixed-duration models force you to buy 5 or 10 seconds whether you need them or not.

  3. 3.Keep audio off until the visuals are approved

    Audio is not free. On Seedance 1.5 Pro it doubles the rate outright. Generate silent drafts, lock the motion, then re-render once with audio — or add sound at the final tier on a model like WAN 2.6 Flash where it is included at 4 credits/sec at 720p.

  4. 4.Batch your drafts at 480p

    For catalogue or ad-variant work, run every concept at 480p first. Ten 4-second concepts on Seedance 1.5 Pro at 480p cost 30 credits total — less than one 5-second clip on most premium models. Only the winners get rendered at delivery resolution.

  5. 5.Re-render the winners, do not upscale blindly

    Once a concept is approved, re-run the identical prompt at 720p or 1080p on the same model so the motion is reproduced. Topaz Video Upscale is available at 3.2 credits/sec for 1x and 2x with a 30-credit minimum, which is worth it for a take you cannot risk regenerating.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest AI video model on VdoBloom?

Seedance 1.5 Pro has the lowest per-second rate: 0.75 credits/sec at 480p, 1.5 at 720p and 3.0 at 1080p, across a 4-14 second range. That makes a 4-second 480p clip cost 3 credits and an 8-second 720p clip cost 12. It is also available on both the text-to-video and image-to-video tabs, which no other model at that price point is.

Is there anything cheaper for a single short clip?

Yes, marginally, if you are working from an image. ByteDance V1 Pro Fast Image-to-Video costs 7 credits for 5 seconds at 720p, which works out to 1.4 credits/sec, and ByteDance V1 Lite Image-to-Video costs 4 credits for 5 seconds at 480p. Both are image-to-video only and both are restricted to 5 and 10 second durations, so they are less flexible than Seedance 1.5 Pro.

Why does the same model cost different amounts for the same length?

Resolution and audio. Most models roughly double their rate at each resolution step — Seedance 1.5 Pro goes 0.75 credits/sec at 480p, 1.5 at 720p, 3.0 at 1080p — and enabling audio doubles it again. A 10-second Seedance 1.5 Pro clip therefore ranges from 8 credits to 60 depending on those two switches alone.

Which cheap model still gives me sound?

Two routes. Seedance 1.5 Pro has an audio toggle that doubles its per-second rate to 1.5 credits/sec at 480p and 3.0 at 720p, so a 4-second 480p clip with sound costs 6 credits. WAN 2.6 Flash generates native audio by default: it is image-to-video only, runs 2 to 15 seconds, and costs 4 credits/sec at 720p — 20 credits for 5 seconds and 40 for 10. Both sit far below MiniMax H3's 15 credits/sec at 768P for comparable audio-carrying output.

Is the Seedance 2 Mini discount permanent?

No. Seedance 2 Mini is on a promotional rate that runs until 7 September 2026, currently 3.3 credits/sec at 720p and 1.6 at 480p. After that it returns to the standard rates of 8.2 and 3.8 credits/sec. If you are planning a budget around it, plan for the standard rate.

How do I keep costs down for bulk product or catalogue videos?

Draft every concept at 480p on Seedance 1.5 Pro at 0.75 credits/sec, which makes a 4-second test 3 credits, then re-render only the approved ones at 720p. For image-driven listing clips specifically, ByteDance V1 Pro Fast Image-to-Video at 7 credits per 5-second 720p clip lets you produce a large catalogue before spending anything on a hero render.

Related tools

Best AI model for image-to-video: pick by constraint, not by hype

40+ image-to-video variants. Cheapest 720p: ByteDance V1 Pro Fast at 7 credits per 5s. Longest: Vidu Q3 at 16s. Highest: Gemini Omni at 4K.

WAN vs Seedance: which model family should you actually pick?

WAN caps at 1080p and 15s; Seedance 2 reaches 4K and Seedance 2.5 runs 30s. Credit costs, durations and resolutions for all 16 variants compared.

Best AI video model for realism: what is actually measurable

No model wins realism outright. Compare the 4K tier — Seedance 2, Gemini Omni, Kling 3.0, LTX-2 Fast — plus what each actually costs in credits.

PixVerse vs Vidu: the controls and limits that decide it

PixVerse gives 21 camera moves and 5 styles; Vidu Q3 runs 16s. Vidu 2.0 has no 9:16 portrait. Real credit costs for both families.

Ready to try it?

Start with a low-cost draft