Short answer: pick by the job, not by the name. Veo 3.1 is the cinematic pick, with sound on every tier. Seedance 2.5 and Wan 3.0 make the longest clips (up to 30 seconds) and take the most reference images. MiniMax H3 is the low-cost all-rounder with native stereo audio. Kling V3 is the 1080p image-to-video pick. And Sora's API ends on September 24, 2026.
Updated October 6, 2026. When this guide first ran in June, Kling had no sound, Luma was a current model and Sora was still usable. All three have changed, Seedance 2.5, MiniMax H3 and Wan 3.0 have arrived since, and LTX 2.5 replaced LTX Video 2.3.
Every number below comes from the model catalogue as it runs in MoodNode today: clip lengths, reference limits and the credit price you see before you press Generate.
The lineup at a glance
| Model | Maker | Native audio | Clip length | Reference images | Credits, shortest clip | Built for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veo 3.1 | Yes | 4, 6, 8 s | 4 (Ref2V) | 240 for 4 s | Cinematic shots with sound | |
| Veo 3.1 Fast | Yes | 4, 6, 8 s | none | 90 for 4 s | Veo quality at a lower price | |
| Veo 3.1 Lite | Yes | 4, 6, 8 s | none | 30 for 4 s | Budget Veo, 720p/1080p | |
| Kling V3 Pro | Kuaishou | Yes | 5, 10 s | none | 126 for 5 s | 1080p image-to-video, voice control |
| Kling V3 Standard | Kuaishou | Yes | 5, 10 s | none | 95 for 5 s | 1080p on a budget |
| Seedance 2.5 | ByteDance | Yes | 4 to 30 s | up to 30 | from 180 for 4 s | Long cinematic clips, many references |
| MiniMax H3 (Hailuo 3) | MiniMax | Yes, stereo | 5 to 15 s | up to 9 | 45 for 5 s | All-rounder: text, image or reference to video |
| MiniMax H3 Max Turbo | MiniMax | Yes | 5 to 15 s | none | 30 for 5 s | Lowest-cost H3 tier |
| Wan 3.0 | Alibaba | Yes | 2 to 30 s | up to 10 (Ref) | 30 for 2 s | Long 720p clips, any-to-video |
| Happy Horse 1.1 | Alibaba | Yes | 3 to 15 s | up to 5 (Ref) | 63 for 3 s | Any-to-video at 720p |
| Gemini Omni Flash 1.1 | Yes | 4 to 10 s | up to 3 (Ref2V) | 60 for 4 s | Synchronized audio at 720p | |
| PixVerse v6 | PixVerse | Yes | 5, 10, 15 s | none | 34 for 5 s | Cheap clips with sound and styles |
| Grok Imagine Video 1.5 | xAI | Yes | 5, 10, 15 s | none | 105 for 5 s | Image-to-video with sound, 720p |
| LTX 2.5 Fast | Lightricks | Yes | 6 to 20 s | none | 81 for 6 s | 720p text or image to video, camera moves |
| LTX 2.5 Pro | Lightricks | Yes | 6, 8, 10 s | none | 108 for 6 s | Higher-fidelity LTX at 720p |
| Runway Gen-4.5 | Runway | No | 5, 10 s | none | 188 for 5 s | Runway's top text and image to video |
| Pika v2.2 | Pika | No | 5, 10 s | none | 40 for 5 s | Silent text or image to video |
Credits are at each model's default resolution; higher resolutions and longer clips cost more, and the exact number shows next to Generate before you commit. For a sense of scale, the 1,500-credit pack is $15, so one credit is one cent.
What each one is for
Cinematic shots with sound: Veo 3.1
Veo 3.1 is Google's cinematic model, and its big advantage is that every tier generates audio with the clip. The catch is length: 8 seconds at most. If budget matters more, Veo 3.1 Lite keeps the audio at 32 credits for a 4-second clip, an eighth of the full model's price, and Veo 3.1 Fast sits in between.
When the clip has to be long: Seedance 2.5 or Wan 3.0
Both go up to 30 seconds in a single generation, which matters because stitching short clips is where continuity breaks. Seedance 2.5 also takes up to 30 reference images, the most of any model here, so it is the one to reach for when a character or product has to stay consistent across a long shot. Wan 3.0 covers the same length at 720p for much less (80 credits for 5 seconds, from 32 for 2 seconds), with a separate reference mode that takes up to 10 images.
The low-cost all-rounder: MiniMax H3
H3 does text-to-video, image-to-video and reference-to-video (up to 9 references) in one family, with native stereo audio, at 48 credits for 5 seconds and clips up to 15 seconds. It is MoodNode's default video model for that reason. MiniMax H3 Max Turbo drops the price to 32 credits for 5 seconds if you do not need references.
Animating a photo at 1080p: Kling V3
Kling V3 now generates audio (it did not when this guide first ran), outputs 1080p, and the Pro tier adds voice control. Clips are 5 or 10 seconds. If you want longer Kling clips, Kling O3 goes from 3 to 15 seconds.
Cheap clips with sound: PixVerse v6
At 36 credits for 5 seconds, PixVerse v6 is one of the cheapest models that still makes audio, with clips up to 15 seconds and built-in styles. It is the sensible choice for B-roll and social clips you plan to iterate on.
Silent, when you will score it yourself: Runway Gen-4.5 and Pika v2.2
Gen-4.5 is Runway's top text-and-image-to-video model, and Pika v2.2 is a lower-cost option at 40 credits for 5 seconds. Neither generates sound, which is fine when the clip is headed into an edit with its own music.
Sora: what happened, and where to go
Per OpenAI's own help docs, the Sora web and app were discontinued on April 26, 2026, and the API is scheduled to end on September 24, 2026 (OpenAI Help Center).
If you built on Sora, the migration in one line: cinematic text-to-video goes to Veo 3.1, long shots with recurring characters go to Seedance 2.5, and cheap clips with sound go to MiniMax H3 or PixVerse v6.
The broader lesson is not to build a workflow that only works with one model. Models get retired, repriced and replaced every few months; this table would have looked different in June.
Which one for which job
| Making… | Start with |
|---|---|
| A cinematic shot with sound | Veo 3.1 |
| A shot longer than 15 seconds | Seedance 2.5 or Wan 3.0 |
| A character that must stay consistent | Seedance 2.5 (up to 30 references) |
| A photo brought to life at 1080p | Kling V3 |
| Many cheap clips with audio | MiniMax H3 Max Turbo, Veo 3.1 Lite or PixVerse v6 |
| One model for text, image and reference input | MiniMax H3 |
| A silent clip for your own soundtrack | Runway Gen-4.5 or Pika v2.2 |
Compare them on your own prompt
Spec tables narrow the field; your prompt decides it. On a MoodNode canvas you can run one prompt through several models side by side:
- Open a canvas at app.moodnode.ai.
- Add a Text Input (or an image, for image-to-video) and write your prompt.
- Connect it to a few AI Video nodes, each set to a different model.
- Run them, compare the results, and keep the winner.
- Send the keeper to Upscale if you need more resolution.
For cleaner results from any of these models, the AI video prompt guide covers camera moves, lighting and the mistakes that waste a generation.
Run your prompt through Veo, Kling, Seedance, MiniMax and Wan on one canvas: open MoodNode. Sign up with Google and you start with free credits.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best AI video model in 2026?
There is no single winner; it depends on the job. Veo 3.1 is the cinematic pick with native audio on every tier. Seedance 2.5 and Wan 3.0 make the longest clips, up to 30 seconds. Seedance 2.5 takes the most reference images (up to 30 in MoodNode). For the lowest cost with sound, Veo 3.1 Lite and MiniMax H3 Max Turbo start at 32 credits a clip.
Which AI video models generate sound?
Most current ones do. Veo 3.1 (all tiers), Kling V3, Seedance 2.5 and 2.0, MiniMax H3, Wan 3.0, Happy Horse, Gemini Omni Flash, PixVerse v6, Grok Imagine Video 1.5 and LTX 2.5 all generate audio with the video. Runway Gen-4.5 and Pika v2.2 are silent.
Which AI video model makes the longest clips?
Seedance 2.5 and Wan 3.0 both go up to 30 seconds in one generation. MiniMax H3, Kling O3, Happy Horse, PixVerse v6 and Grok Imagine Video 1.5 reach 15 seconds. Veo 3.1 tops out at 8 seconds, and Kling V3 at 10.
Is Sora still available in 2026?
No. OpenAI shut down the Sora web and app on April 26, 2026, and the Sora API is scheduled to end on September 24, 2026. For Sora-style cinematic text-to-video, Veo 3.1 is the closest replacement; for long clips with many references, look at Seedance 2.5.
What is the cheapest AI video model with audio?
In MoodNode, Veo 3.1 Lite (32 credits for 4 seconds), MiniMax H3 Max Turbo (32 credits for 5 seconds) and PixVerse v6 (36 credits for 5 seconds) are the cheapest models that generate sound. On the 1,500-credit pack, one credit costs one cent.