Skip to content
trending

AI Tools

Google Veo 3: Pricing, Versions & Test Results

Google Veo 3.1 comes in Quality, Fast and Lite versions. We tested Veo 3.1 Fast against five competitors - here's what it costs and how it performed.

By 5 min read
Google Veo 3: Pricing, Versions & Test Results

👁 114 reads

Veo 3 is Google’s family of video models that generate short clips with sound from text descriptions or images. The current generation is Veo 3.1 in three variants: full (Quality), Fast and Lite. Below we’ve gathered where Veo works today, what it costs at source in dollars, how it performed in our test using the same prompts as five competitors, and what it can’t do.

Quick Summary

Veo 3.1 Fast ranked second in our video model test (8.0/10) and delivered the best coffee-pouring shot. A 4-second 720p clip with sound cost $0.40 via API and was ready in 52-54 seconds. The cheapest access to Veo is through Google AI packages (from $6.22/month for 200 points in Flow), and the most convenient is through Gemini API or OpenRouter, where you pay per second. Limitations: clips are only 4, 6 or 8 seconds, aspect ratios are 16:9 or 9:16, and in the Gemini app the newer Gemini Omni replaces Veo.

New ranking: 10 video models tested with non-English speech - which handles multilingual dialogue without errors

8.0/10Veo 3.1 Fast average in our ranking
$0.40our 4s 720p clip with sound
52-54 sgeneration time
4 / 6 / 8 sonly available durations

Versions: Veo 3, 3.1, Fast and Lite

At the I/O conference on May 20, 2025, Google showed Veo 3 as its first model that generates image and sound in a single pass. On October 15, 2025, it was replaced by Veo 3.1 with better prompt adherence and control over first and last frames. Today the Gemini API pricing lists only 3.1 variants, so when we write “Veo 3,” you’re actually buying Veo 3.1.

Variant API Identifier Resolution Best For
Veo 3.1 (Quality) veo-3.1-generate-preview 720p, 1080p, 4K shots for publication, highest quality
Veo 3.1 Fast veo-3.1-fast-generate-preview 720p, 1080p, 4K daily production, 4x cheaper than Quality in 720p
Veo 3.1 Lite veo-3.1-lite-generate-preview 720p, 1080p sketches, large batches, extending clips in Flow

All three accept text and images for first and last frames, create clips of 4, 6 or 8 seconds, and generate sound together with video. On OpenRouter, Veo 3.1 has been available since March 2026, and Fast and Lite since April 2026.

Where Veo Is Available

  • Google Flow - Google’s video studio for Google AI subscribers. All three Veo 3.1 variants work here alongside Gemini Omni, and Veo has exclusive access to clip extension. According to Google’s help, each account gets 50 points daily.
  • Gemini App - according to Google’s video generation page, videos in the app are now made by Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash, which “will replace Veo in the Gemini app.” If you want Veo specifically, go to Flow or the API.
  • Gemini API and Google AI Studio - pay per second, no free tier for Veo.
  • OpenRouter and other aggregator platforms - same rates as Google, one account for many models. We used OpenRouter for our test.

Veo 3.1 Pricing at Source

Rates from the Gemini API pricing as of September 27, 2026, in USD excluding VAT, per second of finished video with sound. Google notes that you only pay for the generated clip.

Variant 720p 1080p 4K 8s clip in 720p
Veo 3.1 (Quality) $0.40 $0.40 $0.60 $3.20
Veo 3.1 Fast $0.10 $0.12 $0.30 $0.80
Veo 3.1 Lite $0.05 $0.08 not available $0.40

OpenRouter also has cheaper rates without sound, for example Fast in 720p for $0.08 per second. In Google AI packages you pay with Flow points: Lite costs 10 points, Fast 20, and Quality 100 (8 seconds only); in the Ultra plan, Lite and Fast variants are half price. A full breakdown of packages is in the article Veo 3.1: pricing.

Our Test: Same Prompts as Five Competitors

On September 27, 2026, we gave Veo 3.1 Fast two prompts that also went to Wan 3.0, Kling 3.0, Seedance 2.0 Fast, Hailuo 2.3 and Grok Imagine Video. Parameters: 4 seconds (closest to 5s, since Veo doesn’t offer 5s), 720p, 16:9, with sound, one attempt. Full results are in the video AI generator ranking.

Dealat Kinetyra
Synthesia Starter - 12 Months
$79 instead of $216 -63%
See the deal →
Veo 3.1 Fast, coffee, 8.5/10: stream hits the cup, level rises, steam and sunbeams. Best coffee shot in the entire ranking.
Veo 3.1 Fast, tram, 7.5/10: yellow-red car, drops and reflections are correct, but the tram travels from deep in the street to the camera in 4 seconds.
Coffee Tram
Cost (usage.cost) $0.40 $0.40
Time to file download 52 s 54 s
File 1280×720, 4.0 s, with sound 1280×720, 4.0 s, with sound
Speech in track (faster-whisper with VAD) none none
Rating 8.5/10 7.5/10

The bill matches the pricing exactly: 4 seconds at $0.10 USD. Veo together with Grok was the fastest in the entire comparison, three times faster than Wan 3.0 and Hailuo. The audio track has no music or speech that we didn’t request; Seedance and Wan added a melody to the coffee.

Limitations

  • Duration. One clip is 4, 6 or 8 seconds. Longer scenes are made by extending in Flow. Wan 3.0 and Seedance 2.5 create up to 30 seconds in one pass.
  • Aspect ratios. Only 16:9 and 9:16, no square or 4:3.
  • Motion speed. In our tram shot, movement was faster than in a real city. This is one shot, so we’re not generalizing, but it’s worth adding “slowly” to the prompt.
  • No free API. Gemini API has no free tier for Veo. The only free option is 50 daily points in Flow, which don’t accumulate.
  • Non-English dialogue. Google doesn’t publish a list of speech languages for Veo, and we didn’t test non-English dialogue in Veo. Wan 3.0 spoke a Polish line word-for-word in our test, which we described in the Wan AI hub.

Our take: Veo 3.1 Fast is a good default choice for short, realistic shots with sound, especially if you’re already paying for Google AI Pro for Gemini. For quick sketches Grok is cheaper, and for longer scenes Wan 3.0. Broader context is in the guide to video AI generators.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Veo 3 cost?

Through Gemini API, Veo 3.1 costs $0.40 per second, Fast $0.10, and Lite $0.05 in 720p, excluding VAT. In Google AI packages, access starts at approximately $6.22/month (AI Plus, 200 points in Flow).

Is Veo 3 free?

Partially. Google Flow gives each account 50 points daily, meaning for example 2 Fast clips or 5 Lite clips. Gemini API has no free tier for Veo.

What’s the difference between Veo 3 and Veo 3.1?

Veo 3.1 is the successor to Veo 3 with better prompt adherence and control over first and last frames. In the Gemini API pricing from September 2026, only 3.1 variants are listed: Quality, Fast and Lite.

Does Veo 3 work in the Gemini app?

According to Google, videos in the Gemini app are now made by Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash, which replaces Veo there. Veo 3.1 remains in Google Flow, AI Studio and the API.

Is Veo 3 available in the US and UK?

Yes. Google AI packages with Flow are sold in both markets, and the API works with accounts from these countries. We generated through OpenRouter without any workarounds.

// read next

More on this from QUANTSLANT

Piotr Olszewski

Editor and publisher · Quantslant

I edit and publish Quantslant. AI tools help with research, drafts and translation; choosing topics, running the tests, checking facts and the decision to publish are mine, and so is the responsibility for what appears here.

read nextMeta Muse Image: Price, Availability & Test ResultsbenchmarksMeta Muse Image: Price, Availability & Test ResultsMeta's Muse Image ranks 7th in Artificial Analysis at $0.01 per image. We tested it with five prompts and it scored 8.9/10, beating models 13x more expensive.

Most read

  1. 1Best AI Video Generator Apps for Your Phone (2026)
  2. 2Claude Opus 5.5 Motion Graphics: 60s Showreel from One Prompt
  3. 3Wan 2.2 on RTX 4090: timings, VRAM and four test clips
// site map

This page in other languages5

Quantslant in numbers 1,423posts in archive22news from the last 7 days18video models in the observatory
🎬 AI Video Benchmarks: Higgsfield DoP vs OpenAI Sora • Higgsfield vs Runway Gen-3 • AI Video Credit Calculator
× ‹ enlarge ›