Veo 3.1 costs $0.40 per second of video through Google's Gemini API, and that price includes the sound. The cheaper tiers are Veo 3.1 Fast at $0.10 to $0.12 per second and Veo 3.1 Lite at $0.05 to $0.08 per second, all as of September 2026 (Gemini API pricing). So one 8-second clip costs between $0.40 and $3.20 at 720p or 1080p.
If you prefer a monthly fee, Google AI Pro costs $19.99 a month in the US and includes 1,000 Google Flow credits for video, as of September 2026 (Google AI plans). Below: full price tables, the real cost of a clip, the old Veo 3 prices, and every way to reach Veo.
Veo 3.1 API pricing per second
Google bills Veo by the second of finished video. Audio is always on in the Gemini API, so these prices include sound. You pay only when a video is generated, not when a filter blocks it. There is no free tier for Veo in the Gemini API.
Prices per second, as of September 2026, from the Gemini API pricing page:
| Model tier | 720p | 1080p | 4K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veo 3.1 | $0.40 | $0.40 | $0.60 |
| Veo 3.1 Fast | $0.10 | $0.12 | $0.30 |
| Veo 3.1 Lite | $0.05 | $0.08 | Not offered |
Veo 3.1 is the quality tier. Fast is quicker and much cheaper. Lite, the lowest-cost tier, reached the Gemini API on March 31, 2026 (Gemini API deprecations), and Google pitches it at high-volume video apps (Google Cloud blog).
Silent video costs less on Vertex AI
Google Cloud's Vertex AI (now called Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform) charges the same rates for video with audio. It also sells video without audio for less. Prices per second, as of September 2026, from the Vertex AI pricing page:
| Model tier | 720p, no audio | 1080p, no audio | 4K, no audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veo 3.1 | $0.20 | $0.20 | $0.40 |
| Veo 3.1 Fast | $0.08 | $0.10 | $0.25 |
| Veo 3.1 Lite | $0.03 | $0.05 | Not offered |
On Google Cloud, Veo 3.1 and Fast have been generally available (GA, fully supported for production) since November 17, 2025, while Lite is in preview (Google Cloud docs). In the Gemini API, all three are still preview models.
What happened to Veo 3 and Veo 3 Fast pricing
Here is the short history. On September 8, 2025, Google cut Veo 3 from $0.75 to $0.40 per second and Veo 3 Fast from $0.40 to $0.15 per second (Google Developers Blog). Veo 3.1 reached the Gemini API on October 15, 2025.
The Gemini API then shut down Veo 3 and Veo 3 Fast on June 30, 2026, and names Veo 3.1 as the replacement (Gemini API deprecations). Google Cloud's price list still shows the older models, as of September 2026: Veo 3 at $0.40 per second with audio, and Veo 3 Fast at $0.10 (720p) or $0.12 (1080p) with audio. For new work, the 3.1 tiers cost the same or less.
How much does an 8-second Veo clip cost?
Eight seconds is the longest single Veo clip. It is also the only length allowed at 1080p and 4K. The 4- and 6-second options run at 720p (Veo docs). Here is the math at Gemini API rates, as of September 2026:
| Model tier | 4 s at 720p | 8 s at 720p | 8 s at 1080p | 8 s at 4K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veo 3.1 | $1.60 | $3.20 | $3.20 | $4.80 |
| Veo 3.1 Fast | $0.40 | $0.80 | $0.96 | $2.40 |
| Veo 3.1 Lite | $0.20 | $0.40 | $0.64 | Not offered |
Longer videos are several clips cut together. A 32-second ad made from four 8-second 1080p clips costs $12.80 on Veo 3.1, $3.84 on Fast or $2.56 on Lite. Retakes are billed again, so budget for them.
Google AI Pro and Ultra: what the plans include
Google's consumer plans do not bill per second. Each plan adds monthly credits for Google Flow, Google's AI filmmaking studio, where every Veo generation spends credits. US prices and credits, as of September 2026, from Google AI plans and the Flow credits help page:
| Plan | US price per month | Extra Flow credits per month |
|---|---|---|
| No plan | $0 | None |
| Google AI Plus | $4.99 | 200 |
| Google AI Pro | $19.99 | 1,000 |
| Google AI Ultra | $99.99 | 10,000 |
| Google AI Ultra (top tier) | $199.99 | 25,000 |
Every account also gets 50 Flow credits per day, and unused credits do not roll over. Without a plan, video may be unavailable at peak times, roughly 2 PM to 5 PM UTC. The $99.99 Ultra tier is new: Google added it on May 19, 2026, and cut the top tier from $250 to $200 (Google blog).
Credits per Veo generation in Flow, as of September 2026 (Flow help):
| Veo 3.1 tier in Flow | Clip lengths | Credits, non-Ultra subscribers | Credits, Ultra subscribers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lite | 4, 6 or 8 s | 10 | 5 |
| Fast | 4, 6 or 8 s | 20 | 10 |
| Quality | 8 s | 100 | 100 |
So Pro's 1,000 monthly credits cover about 10 Quality clips, 50 Fast clips or 100 Lite clips. The $99.99 Ultra plan covers about 100 Quality, 1,000 Fast or 2,000 Lite clips. One Flow request can create two videos, and each one counts as a generation.
One more detail. Google's plan pages now list Gemini Omni Flash, a newer Google model, for video in the Gemini app. Google's FAQ says Pro includes a limited trial of Veo 3.1 Lite there, and Ultra includes Veo 3.1. In Flow, plan credits buy all three Veo tiers.
API or subscription: which is cheaper?
Compare the same work both ways, using September 2026 prices. Ten 8-second Veo 3.1 clips cost $32.00 through the API at 720p or 1080p. On Pro, those ten Quality clips use the whole 1,000-credit allowance of a $19.99 plan that also includes storage and Gemini. Fifty 8-second Fast clips at 720p cost $40.00 through the API, and they also fit in Pro's monthly credits.
The API suits developers and apps that need automation, exact resolution control and billing per clip. A plan suits people who make clips by hand in Flow and can live with monthly limits.
How to access Veo 3.1
| Where | Best for | How you pay |
|---|---|---|
| Gemini API (key from Google AI Studio) | Developers building apps | Per second, paid tier only |
| Vertex AI on Google Cloud | Companies already on Google Cloud | Per second, GA models |
| Google Flow | Creators making clips by hand | Plan credits plus 50 daily credits |
| Gemini app | Quick, casual clips | Plan usage limits |
| FrameSurfer | Finished short videos with voiceover, captions and music | One plan covering more than a dozen models |
Key API specs, as of September 2026, from the Veo docs:
- Formats: 16:9 or 9:16 at 24 frames per second.
- Length: 4, 6 or 8 seconds. 1080p and 4K need 8 seconds.
- Inputs: a text prompt, a start image, or a first and last frame.
- Reference images: up to 3 on Veo 3.1 and Fast, to keep a person, character or product looking the same.
- Extension: add 7 seconds at a time, up to 20 times, for up to 148 seconds at 720p. Not on Lite.
- Storage and watermark: videos stay on Google's servers for 2 days and carry SynthID, Google's invisible AI watermark.
What Veo 3.1 is good at
Veo 3.1 makes the picture and the audio in one pass, including spoken dialogue, sound effects and background sound. Google's own examples put quoted dialogue straight into the prompt. It is also strong at:
- Cinematic realism across a wide range of visual styles.
- Vertical video for Shorts, Reels and TikTok, thanks to the 9:16 option.
- Shot control with first and last frames, so a clip starts and ends where you need it.
- Consistent subjects through reference images.
- Fast testing. Google positions the Fast tier for ad generation and quick A/B tests of creative ideas.
The limits: one clip tops out at 8 seconds, only English prompts are fully supported, and in the EU, UK, Switzerland and the Middle East and North Africa only adults can be generated. If you are weighing Veo against OpenAI's model, note that OpenAI has set shutdown dates for Sora 2. For other options with native audio, see Kling AI pricing and Seedance 2.0 pricing.
Using Veo 3.1 inside FrameSurfer
FrameSurfer offers Veo 3.1 and Veo 3.1 Fast alongside more than ten other AI video models, all on one plan. In FrameSurfer, both Veo models:
- make clips of 4, 6 or 8 seconds
- render at 720p or 1080p
- start from a text prompt, a start image or an end image
- generate native audio with the picture
- accept aspect ratio, resolution, duration, seed and negative prompt settings
The difference is everything around the clip. You describe an idea, and FrameSurfer writes the script, generates each shot on the model you pick, and cuts the shots into one video with voiceover, captions and music. Because Veo stops at 8 seconds, a 30-second video becomes a planned sequence of Veo shots. You can adjust timing and text in the editor, then export MP4 up to 1080p in vertical, square or widescreen. FrameSurfer shows the cost before a generation runs.
To try it, open FrameSurfer's text to video tool and pick Veo 3.1 or Veo 3.1 Fast.
If you already have a product photo or a first frame, start with image to video instead. To see how Veo compares on clip length, sound and inputs, check the AI video models comparison or our guide to the best AI video generators.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Veo 3 free?
Not through the API. The Gemini API has no free tier for Veo 3.1, as of September 2026. Google Flow gives every account 50 free credits a day to try it, but people without a plan may be blocked from video at peak times.
How much does an 8-second Veo 3.1 video cost?
At Gemini API rates as of September 2026, an 8-second clip costs $3.20 on Veo 3.1 at 720p or 1080p, $0.80 to $0.96 on Fast, and $0.40 to $0.64 on Lite. In 4K it costs $4.80 on Veo 3.1 and $2.40 on Fast.
What is the difference between Veo 3.1, Veo 3.1 Fast and Veo 3.1 Lite?
They are three tiers of the same model family, and all three make audio. Veo 3.1 aims for the best quality, Fast is quicker and cheaper, and Lite is the cheapest. Lite skips 4K output and video extension.
How long can a Veo 3.1 video be?
One generation is 4, 6 or 8 seconds. Through the Gemini API, you can extend a Veo 3.1 or Fast clip 7 seconds at a time, up to 148 seconds at 720p.
Is Veo 3 still available?
The Gemini API shut down Veo 3 and Veo 3 Fast on June 30, 2026, and points users to Veo 3.1. Google Cloud's price list still showed Veo 3 in September 2026.
Can I use Veo 3.1 without a Google subscription?
Yes. You can pay per second through the Gemini API or Vertex AI, use Flow's 50 daily credits, or pick Veo 3.1 inside FrameSurfer's text to video tool.
