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Cheapest 4K AI video generator (2026): every verified 4K rate, ranked
4K is where AI video gets expensive fast: the same model usually costs two to four times its 1080p price. This page ranks only rates that are officially priced at 4K / UHD (19 of the 237 rates in ClipCost’s calculator) plus 10 rates at 2K / QHD / 1440p, per second and per usable 30-second clip, and shows when upscaling a 1080p keeper beats rendering every try in 4K.
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Affiliate disclosure: some links on ClipCost may be affiliate links; if you sign up we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes the numbers — every price comes from the official pricing pages linked on each tool page and under Sources.
Quick answer
Cheapest ranked 4K: LTX-2.3 Fast · 4K, audio on (LTX API) at $0.24/sec = $21.60 per usable 30s (#183= of 237), audio included. Cheapest 4K without audio: Veo 3.1 Fast · 4K, no audio (Vertex AI) at $0.25/sec = $22.50. Cheapest 4K on a subscription: Kling 3.0 / 3.0 Omni · 4K (via Luma) = $33.08. Cheapest 2K / 1440p: MiniMax H3 · 2K (via Luma) = $10.35. Cheaper still, not ranked yet: Google’s new Gemini Omni 1.2 Flash at about $0.209/sec = $18.77 (4K is upsampled). 4K costs a median 2.3× the same model’s 1080p price (across 17 verified pairs), and on the LTX API, upscaling a 1080p keeper to 4K costs $14.40 vs $21.60 for native 4K tries. Prices checked Nov 10, 2026.
Basis: usable = 3 attempts (1 + 2 retries), the same as the calculator. Plan-credit rows assume you use every credit on the cheapest annual plan that includes the model; API rows are pay-as-you-go. “4K” = rows whose official price is stated for 4K, UHD or 2160p. Ranks are site-wide across all 237 ranked rates. Cost only, not quality. 14 of the 19 4K rows include native audio (or charge the same with or without it).
Every verified 4K rate, cheapest first
| Rank of 237 | Tool · model (4K / UHD) | Native audio | 4K method | Route | $/sec | 30s try | Usable 30s (2 retries) | Usable 60s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 183= | LTX-2.3 Fast · 4K, audio on (LTX API) | Yes | Not stated | Pay-as-you-go API | $0.24 | $7.20 | $21.60 | $43.20 |
| 191= | Veo 3.1 Fast · 4K, no audio (Vertex AI) | No | Not stated | Pay-as-you-go API | $0.25 | $7.50 | $22.50 | $45.00 |
| 200= | Gemini Omni Flash 1.1 · 4K (via Runway API) | Not stated | Upsampled (Google docs) | Pay-as-you-go API | $0.30 | $9.00 | $27.00 | $54.00 |
| 200= | LTX-2.5 Fast · 4K, audio on (LTX API) | Yes | Not stated | Pay-as-you-go API | $0.30 | $9.00 | $27.00 | $54.00 |
| 200= | Veo 3.1 Fast · 4K with audio (Vertex AI) | Yes | Not stated | Pay-as-you-go API | $0.30 | $9.00 | $27.00 | $54.00 |
| 203 | Gemini Omni Flash · 4K (Gemini/Vertex) | Not stated | Upsampled (Google docs) | Pay-as-you-go API | $0.3041 | $9.12 | $27.37 | $54.74 |
| 207 | LTX-2.3 Pro · 4K, audio on (LTX API) | Yes | Not stated | Pay-as-you-go API | $0.32 | $9.60 | $28.80 | $57.60 |
| 213 | Kling 3.0 / 3.0 Omni · 4K (via Luma) | Either (same price) | Not stated | 147 cr/s on Plus annual credits | $0.3675 | $11.03 | $33.08 | $66.15 |
| 218= | LTX-2.5 Pro · 4K, audio on (LTX API) | Yes | Not stated | Pay-as-you-go API | $0.39 | $11.70 | $35.10 | $70.20 |
| 218= | Vidu Q4 Preview API · 4K | Yes | Not stated | Pay-as-you-go API | $0.39 | $11.70 | $35.10 | $70.20 |
| 220= | Veo 3.1 Standard · 4K, no audio (Vertex AI) | No | Not stated | Pay-as-you-go API | $0.40 | $12.00 | $36.00 | $72.00 |
| 222 | FLUX 3 · UHD, audio on (BFL API / Playground) | Yes | Upsampled (BFL docs) | Pay-as-you-go API | $0.41 | $12.30 | $36.90 | $73.80 |
| 223= | Kling 3.0 Omni · 4K (Kling API) | Either (same price) | Not stated | Pay-as-you-go API | $0.42 | $12.60 | $37.80 | $75.60 |
| 223= | Kling 3.0 · 4K, with or without native audio (Kling API) | Either (same price) | Not stated | Pay-as-you-go API | $0.42 | $12.60 | $37.80 | $75.60 |
| 225 | Kling 3.0 · 4K (via Runway API) | Not stated | Not stated | Pay-as-you-go API | $0.43 | $12.90 | $38.70 | $77.40 |
| 230= | LTX 2.5 Fast · 4K with audio (via Runway) | Yes | Not stated | 30 cr/s on Standard annual credits | $0.576 | $17.28 | $51.84 | $103.68 |
| 232 | Veo 3.1 Standard · 4K with audio (Vertex AI) | Yes | Not stated | Pay-as-you-go API | $0.60 | $18.00 | $54.00 | $108.00 |
| 233 | Seedance 2.0 · 4K (via Luma) | Yes | Not stated | 261 cr/s on Plus annual credits | $0.6525 | $19.58 | $58.73 | $117.45 |
| 236 | Kling O3 · 4K (via Runway) | Yes | Not stated | 43 cr/s on Standard annual credits | $0.8256 | $24.77 | $74.30 | $148.61 |
“4K method”: Google says Gemini Omni Flash 1080p and 4K are upsampled, and Black Forest Labs says FLUX 3 QHD / UHD are the same generation finished by an upsampler. The other pricing pages do not say whether 4K is rendered natively.
What 4K costs over 1080p, model by model
Same model, same storefront. Veo 3.1 Standard on Vertex AI has one price for 720p and 1080p. Runway prices Kling 3.0 and Kling O3 by Std / Pro tier rather than resolution, so they have no 1080p pair. Sorted from smallest to biggest premium.
2K, QHD and 1440p: the cheaper step up
10 ranked rates sit between 1080p and 4K. The cheapest is MiniMax H3 · 2K (via Luma) at $10.35 usable 30s, less than half the cheapest 4K rate.
| Rank of 237 | Tool · model (2K / QHD / 1440p) | Native audio | Route | $/sec | Usable 30s (2 retries) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 118 | MiniMax H3 · 2K (via Luma) | Yes | 46 cr/s on Plus annual credits | $0.115 | $10.35 |
| 119= | LTX-2.3 Fast · 1440p, audio on (LTX API) | Yes | Pay-as-you-go API | $0.12 | $10.80 |
| 134= | MiniMax H3 API · 2K | Not stated | Pay-as-you-go API | $0.13 | $11.70 |
| 147= | MiniMax Hailuo 3 / H3 · 2K (via Runway API) | Not stated | Pay-as-you-go API | $0.15 | $13.50 |
| 155 | LTX-2.3 Pro · 1440p, audio on (LTX API) | Yes | Pay-as-you-go API | $0.16 | $14.40 |
| 163= | LTX-2.5 Fast · 1440p, audio on (LTX API) | Yes | Pay-as-you-go API | $0.19 | $17.10 |
| 163= | Vidu Q4 Preview API · 2K | Yes | Pay-as-you-go API | $0.19 | $17.10 |
| 191= | LTX-2.5 Pro · 1440p, audio on (LTX API) | Yes | Pay-as-you-go API | $0.25 | $22.50 |
| 195= | FLUX 3 · QHD, audio on (BFL API / Playground) | Yes | Pay-as-you-go API | $0.28 | $25.20 |
| 212 | LTX 2.5 Fast · 1440p with audio (via Runway) | Yes | 19 cr/s on Standard annual credits | $0.3648 | $32.83 |
Upscale the keeper instead of rendering every try in 4K
Retries are where most of the money goes. If you generate drafts at 1080p and upscale only the take you keep, you pay the 4K price once instead of three times:
- LTX API: 3 tries of LTX-2.3 Fast at 1080p ($5.40) + LTX video upscale to 4K at $0.30/sec of input on the 30s keeper ($9.00) = $14.40, vs $21.60 for 3 native 4K tries.
- Runway app: Runway’s credits page lists Topaz “Upscale to 4K” at 2 credits/sec, about $1.15 for a 30s keeper on Standard annual credits, on top of whatever 1080p model you used.
- An upscale is not a native 4K render; ClipCost compares cost only, so check the result on your own footage.
Not ranked yet (official, checked tonight)
- Gemini Omni 1.2 Flash 4K (Gemini API): Google’s pricing page lists Omni 1.2 Flash video output at $12.00 per 1M tokens, “$0.209/s for 4K with upsampling at 17,376 tokens/s” = $18.77 usable 30s (not ranked (would be ~#175)). Google also says requests to Omni 1.1 Flash will route to 1.2 and be billed at 1.2 rates from Dec 3, 2026. See Gemini Omni cost.
- Gemini Omni 1.2 Flash 4K via the Runway API: 21 credits/sec × $0.01 = $0.21/sec = $18.90 usable 30s (not ranked (would be ~#175)).
- MiniMax H3 2K in the Runway app: 15 credits/sec = $0.288/sec on Standard annual ($25.92 usable 30s, not ranked (would be ~#197)).
- Seedance 2.0 4K on Runway: 150 credits/sec on both the Runway API ($1.50/sec = $135.00) and the Runway app ($2.88/sec on Standard annual = $259.20), not ranked (dearer than all 237). Luma’s Seedance 2.0 4K ($58.73) is ranked above. See Seedance 2.0 cost.
Which to pick (on cost)
- Cheapest 4K with audio: LTX-2.3 Fast on the LTX API ($21.60); LTX-2.3 Pro is $28.80. See LTX API pricing.
- Google 4K: Veo 3.1 Fast on Vertex AI ($22.50 silent, $27.00 with audio); Standard is $54.00 with audio. Lite has no 4K. See Veo 3.1 variants.
- Kling 3.0 in 4K: Luma Plus annual credits ($33.08) beat the Kling API ($37.80) and the Runway API ($38.70). See Kling 3.0 cost.
- Need 4K deliverables but iterate a lot: draft at 1080p or lower and upscale the keeper ($14.40 on LTX vs $21.60 native). See Cheapest 1080p.
- A sharper step up without 4K prices: 2K / 1440p from $10.35 (MiniMax H3 via Luma) or $10.80 (LTX-2.3 Fast). See MiniMax Hailuo cost.
Honest flags
- Resolution comes from each row’s official price label. Tools that sell 4K only as an upscale add-on, or do not state the output resolution, are not in the ranked 4K table.
- Native audio: “Yes” means the official price includes generated audio; “Either” means the same price with or without it; “Not stated” means the pricing page does not say.
- Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash rows ($17.50 per 1M video tokens) are ranked as listed today; Google says 1.1 requests will be billed at the cheaper 1.2 rate from Dec 3, 2026, so those rows will change then.
- Plan-credit prices need a paid plan and assume you use all credits; API prices are pay-as-you-go. Vidu’s per-credit price ($0.005) is from ClipCost’s Nov 1, 2026 check; the Q4 Preview 2K / 4K credit rates (38 / 78 per second) were re-read tonight.
Related: calculator · Compare · Cheapest AI video generator · Cheapest 1080p AI video generator · Cheapest AI video API · Pricing comparison · Veo 3.1 variants · LTX API pricing · Gemini Omni cost · Kling 3.0 cost · Seedance 2.0 cost · FLUX 3 cost · MiniMax Hailuo cost · LTX tool page · Veo tool page · Kling API tool page · Luma tool page · FAQ.
Sources (checked Nov 10, 2026, about 9pm Central)
- LTX API pricing: 4K ltx-2-3-fast $0.24/sec, ltx-2-3-pro $0.32, ltx-2-5-fast $0.30, ltx-2-5-pro $0.39; 1440p $0.12 / $0.16 / $0.19 / $0.25; video upscale to 4K $0.30/sec of input — re-read tonight.
- Google Cloud Vertex AI pricing: Veo 3.1 Fast 4K $0.30 with audio / $0.25 video only, Standard 4K $0.60 / $0.40; Gemini Omni 4K 17,376 tokens/sec — re-read tonight.
- Gemini API pricing: Gemini Omni 1.2 Flash video output $12.00 per 1M tokens ($0.209/s for 4K with upsampling); Omni 1.1 Flash $17.50, routing to 1.2 from Dec 3, 2026 — read tonight.
- Runway API pricing: kling3.0_4k 43, gemini_omni_flash_1.1 (4K) 30, gemini_omni_flash_1.2 (4K) 21, seedance2 (4K) 150, hailuo3 (2K) 15 credits/sec at $0.01 — re-read tonight.
- Runway credits page: app Kling O3 4K 43, LTX 2.5 Fast 1440p / 4K 19 / 30, Seedance 2.0 4K 150, MiniMax H3 2K 15 credits/sec, Topaz Upscale to 4K 2 credits/sec — re-read tonight.
- Luma pricing: Kling 3.0 / 3.0 Omni 2160p 147, Seedance 2.0 4K 261, MiniMax H3 2K 46 credits/sec — re-read tonight.
- Kling API pricing: Kling 3.0 and 3.0 Omni 4K $0.42/sec with or without native audio — re-read tonight.
- Black Forest Labs pricing: FLUX 3 QHD $0.28/sec, UHD $0.41 — re-read tonight.
- MiniMax video pricing: MiniMax-H3 2K $0.13/sec — re-read tonight. Vidu API pricing: Q4 Preview 2K 38 / 4K 78 credits/sec — re-read tonight.
- All other rows: the verified rates in ClipCost’s data, each with its official source and check date on the linked tool page.
FAQ
What is the cheapest 4K AI video generator?
On verified list prices checked Nov 10, 2026, the cheapest 4K rate ClipCost ranks is LTX-2.3 Fast at 4K on the LTX API: $0.24 per second with audio, or $21.60 per usable 30-second clip with 2 retries (#183= of 237). The cheapest 4K without audio is Veo 3.1 Fast on Vertex AI at $0.25 per second ($22.50). Google's new Gemini Omni 1.2 Flash works out to about $0.209 per second at 4K ($18.77 usable 30s), but Google says its 4K is upsampled and ClipCost has not ranked it yet.
How much more does 4K cost than 1080p?
Across the 17 models ClipCost has verified at both 1080p and 4K on the same storefront, 4K costs a median 2.31 times the 1080p price. The jump ranges from 1.5 times (Veo 3.1 Standard on Vertex AI) to 4.0 times (LTX-2.3 Fast on the LTX API), so the cheapest 4K model also has the biggest 4K markup.
Is it cheaper to upscale 1080p to 4K than to generate native 4K?
On the LTX API, yes. Three 30-second tries of LTX-2.3 Fast at 1080p cost $5.40, and upscaling only the keeper to 4K at LTX's $0.30 per second adds $9.00, for $14.40 in total. Generating all three tries in native 4K costs $21.60. An upscale is not the same as a native 4K render, so compare the output before you commit.
How much does Veo 3.1 cost in 4K?
On Vertex AI, Veo 3.1 Fast costs $0.30 per second at 4K with audio ($27.00 usable 30s) and $0.25 without audio ($22.50). Veo 3.1 Standard costs $0.60 per second with audio ($54.00) and $0.40 without audio. Veo 3.1 Lite has no 4K option.
How much does a 1-minute 4K AI video cost?
With 2 retries per clip, a usable minute of 4K costs $43.20 on LTX-2.3 Fast with audio, $45.00 on Veo 3.1 Fast without audio and $54.00 on Veo 3.1 Fast with audio. Premium 4K costs far more: Veo 3.1 Standard with audio is $108.00 per usable minute.
What is the cheapest 2K or 1440p AI video generator?
MiniMax H3 at 2K inside Luma, at 46 credits per second on Luma Plus annual credits ($0.115 per second, $10.35 usable 30s, #118 of 237). LTX-2.3 Fast at 1440p on the LTX API is close behind at $0.12 per second ($10.80), and the MiniMax H3 API itself charges $0.13 per second at 2K ($11.70).