Updated · 6 min read
AI video credits explained: what a 5-second clip really costs
Credits are the honest way to price AI video, because a 4K 15-second render costs the platform about forty times what a 720p 5-second one does. But credits are also confusing if nobody shows the arithmetic. This page shows it.
What a credit costs
Basic is $9.99 for 200 credits a month, about 5 cents each. Starter is $15 for 300. Plus is $65 for 1,300. Business is $99 per seat for 2,000 pooled credits. Ultra is $169 for 3,400 and includes unlimited images on the value lane. Yearly billing gives you a month free. Top-up packs are available on any plan and stay valid for 12 months.
What drives the price of a video
- Resolution is the biggest lever. On Seedance 2.0 a 5-second clip is 25 credits at 720p, 59 at 1080p and far more at 4K.
- Duration is billed in brackets of 5, 8, 10 and 15 seconds on Seedance 2.0, up to 30 seconds on Seedance 2.5, and to the exact second on Kling.
- A reference image or video adds a little on Seedance 2.0 standard. Fast, Mini and 2.5 charge the same with or without references.
- Model tier: Seedance 2.0 Mini and Fast are the budget lane at 12 and 19 credits for 5 seconds. Flagships cost more.
Images and audio
Images are flat per render: Nano Banana 2 credits, GPT Image 2.5 Low 2, Seedream 5.0 lite 3, GPT Image 2.5 Medium 3, Nano Banana Pro 4, Seedream Pro 1.5K 4, GPT Image 2.5 High 8, Seedream Pro 2K 9. Voiceover starts at 1 credit, sound effects at 2, a music track is 14, a composed scene with dialogue and effects is 20.
Refunds and failures
If a render fails for any reason, the credits come back automatically, usually within seconds. Some failures are retried for you before that happens, for instance when an output soundtrack trips a copyright check. You pay for clips that finish.
Spending fewer credits per keeper
- Test on Mini or Fast at 5 seconds. Fix the prompt there, then render the final at the resolution you need.
- Use the free Enhance step on image prompts and Director Mode on video prompts only once the idea is right.
- Generate reference images first. A 3-credit image that locks a character saves a 59-credit video retake.
- For long pieces, render 30 seconds on Seedance 2.5 once instead of three 10-second clips with joins.
Questions, answered
Do unused credits roll over?+
Plan credits renew each cycle. Top-up credits stay valid for 12 months.
Is there a cheaper way to get 1080p?+
Render at 720p first to lock the prompt, then re-render the final at 1080p. The price difference per 5-second clip is 34 credits on Seedance 2.0.
Where is the full price table?+
On the credits page, which lists every model, resolution and duration bracket.