Best AI Text to Video Generators in 2026: 10 Tools Ranked

Last verified 4 October 2026. The best AI text to video generator for cinematic clips is Google Veo 3.1 in Flow, which writes picture and sound from one prompt, with Kling AI close behind for longer clips. If you need a finished explainer or marketing video with a voiceover or a presenter, InVideo AI and HeyGen fit better. Below are 10 tools we checked against each vendor's own pages this week, split into prompt-to-video models (picks 1 to 5) and script-to-video tools (picks 6 to 10), with clip length, audio, licensing and price for each.

Toolradar data: of the 138 published tools in our AI video generation category, 94 are freemium and 5 are completely free, which leaves 39 on other pricing models. The category mixes cinematic models, avatar studios and editors, so it pays to sort by what you are making.

Quick Comparison

Our picks: the best AI text to video generators, ranked

Picks 1 to 5 generate new footage from a prompt. Picks 6 to 10 assemble a whole video from a script.

1. Google Veo (Flow and Gemini)

Veo 3.1 generates video and audio together from a text prompt, in 8-second clips at 1080p or 4K, with reference images, extension and vertical video. The Gemini API docs list 4, 6 or 8 seconds, with 1080p and 4K requiring 8. In Google's Flow studio you can also pick Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash, which makes up to 10 seconds. Google says Omni now powers the Gemini app in place of Veo 3.1, and every video there carries SynthID, an invisible watermark.

Video needs a subscription, per Flow's credit page: AI Plus is $4.99 a month with 200 Flow credits, AI Pro is $19.99 with 1,000, and AI Ultra starts at $99.99 with 10,000. A Veo 3.1 Fast clip costs 20 credits, Quality 100 and Lite 10, and unused credits do not roll over.

Pick it if you want the most realistic single shot with synchronized sound and already pay for Google AI.

2. Kling AI

Kling VIDEO 3.0 makes clips of 3 to 15 seconds at 720p or 1080p, with native audio in Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean and Spanish, including dialects, accents and code-switching. Custom Multi-Shot lets you set the number and length of shots in one generation. A second costs 6 credits at 720p and 8 at 1080p without audio, or 9 and 12 with audio, and 4K is 30 credits per second.

The Standard plan is $6.99 for the first month and $8.80 after, with 660 credits. A 10-second 1080p clip with audio costs 120 credits, so Standard holds five. Free users get daily credits with a watermark, and Kling says every video, free tier included, can be used commercially. Kling says Kling 4.0 launches this month with clips of up to 30 seconds and stereo audio.

Pick it if you want longer clips with spoken dialogue at a low entry price.

3. Runway

Runway's Gen-4.5 makes 2 to 10 second clips from text, per its API changelog, at 12 credits per second on the developer pricing page. The product page says you can generate dialogue and music on supported models, or add voiceover and music to any clip afterward, and it lists Veo 3.1, Seedance 2.5 and Kling alongside Runway's own models.

On the pricing page, Free gives 125 one-time credits. Standard is $15 a month, or $12 billed annually, with 625 credits and no watermarks, and a Gen-4.5 clip costs 60 credits for 5 seconds. Runway says what you create is yours on every plan, Free included.

Pick it if you want several video models under one subscription and plain ownership terms.

4. Dreamina (Seedance 2.5)

Dreamina runs ByteDance's Seedance 2.5, which makes single clips of up to 30 seconds with 4K output, and a beta mode reaches 180 seconds. It takes up to 50 references, including text, scripts, photos, video and music, and Dreamina's Seedance 2.0 page stresses audio synchronized with the visuals. Free daily credits let you test it, and removing the watermark from downloads is a paid feature.

On Dreamina's Seedance pricing page, through October 9, 2026, Seedance 2.0 Fast and Mini cost $0.008 per generated second at 720p and Pro costs $0.016. Basic is $1.50 for the first month in the US, then EUR 13.99 a month on the European page, with 1,361 credits counted as 19 ten-second videos.

Pick it if you want long single takes at the lowest per-second price.

5. Hailuo AI (MiniMax H3)

MiniMax H3, released July 31, 2026, is the model behind Hailuo's current video tool. Hailuo's H3 page lists 5 to 15 second clips at up to 1440p or 2K with native stereo sound, and up to 12 reference files, with caps of 9 images, 3 videos and 3 audio clips. MiniMax lists native multi-shot modeling among its capabilities.

The page prices text-to-video at roughly $0.073 to $0.120 per second at 2K, so a 10-second clip lands between about $0.73 and $1.20.

Pick it if you want 2K output with stereo sound and pay by the second.

6. InVideo AI

InVideo AI covers prompt-to-video and script-based creation. It lists Seedance 2.5 and 2.0, Google Veo 3.1 and Kling among its video models, and Agent Two edits a multitrack timeline when you describe the change in plain words. Plans include premium stock footage, plus AI voice and avatar tools.

Pricing is in euros per seat per month: Starter is EUR 20 with 400 credits, Plus is EUR 60 (EUR 36 billed annually) with 2,000, and Max is EUR 150 (EUR 75 billed annually) with 5,000. 4K export starts on Starter, and unused credits do not roll over. A Seedance 2.0 Fast generation uses about 30 credits, and standard Seedance 2.0 about 72 credits per 5 seconds. The page lists no free plan.

Pick it if you want a whole edited video from one prompt, with the model choice handled for you.

7. HeyGen

HeyGen puts a presenter on screen. Its Video Agent turns a typed idea into a share-ready video, Avatar V aims at consistent identity across angles and expressions, and the script editor works like a document. Video translation covers 175+ languages and dialects with lip-sync.

On the pricing page, Free gives 3 videos a month of up to 1 minute at 1080p with a watermark. Creator is $29 a month ($24 annually) with 600 credits, 30-minute videos, voice cloning and no watermark, and Pro is $49 a month and adds 4K export. HeyGen says credit use varies with the model, duration and complexity of the generation.

Pick it if you want a presenter speaking your script in many languages.

8. Synthesia

Synthesia turns a script, document or prompt into a video with an avatar, voiceover and scenes, and most videos render in 2 to 5 minutes. It covers more than 140 languages and holds SOC 2 Type II, ISO 42001 and GDPR compliance. Its main use cases are learning and development, sales enablement and internal communications.

On the pricing page, the free Basic plan gives 10 minutes of video a month, 9 avatars and a Synthesia watermark. Starter is $29 a month ($18 billed annually) for about 12 minutes a month and 125+ avatars, and Pro is $89 ($64 annually) for about 60 minutes and 180+ avatars. Exports are Full HD.

Pick it if you are producing training, onboarding or compliance videos and your IT team will ask about security.

9. Pictory

Pictory converts scripts, blog posts, URLs, slide decks and text prompts into videos with automatic captions, AI voices and stock footage. Its Starter plan draws on 5 million Getty Images and Storyblocks videos, and Professional on 18 million. Custom avatars and voice cloning start at Professional.

On the pricing page, Starter is $29 a month ($25 billed annually) with 200 video minutes and 100 AI credits, and Professional is $59 ($35 annually) with 600 minutes and 500 credits. Paid plans have no watermark and include ElevenLabs voices, and a free trial is offered on every paid plan.

Pick it if you turn blog posts, webinars or scripts into captioned, stock-based videos.

10. Fliki

Fliki pairs a script with 2,000+ AI voices in 80+ languages, and matches each scene to stock footage or a fresh AI clip. Paid plans offer Veo 3.1 Fast, Kling 3.0, MiniMax H3, Seedance 2.5 and 2.0 and others, switchable per scene, and can animate an image into a clip of up to 20 seconds.

On the pricing page, Free gives 3 credits, or 3 minutes of video, a month at 720p with a watermark and no commercial rights. Standard (180 credits, videos up to 15 minutes, 1080p, no watermark, commercial rights) starts from $28 a month, and Premium allows 600 credits and videos up to 40 minutes.

Pick it if you make voiceover-led videos and want AI clips mixed in scene by scene.

How to choose an AI text to video generator

Decide what you are making. Cinematic shots, ads and social clips come from the prompt models in picks 1 to 5. Explainers, training and sales videos come from the script tools in picks 6 to 10. Creators gravitate to Kling, Google and Dreamina; marketers to InVideo AI, HeyGen and Pictory; training teams to Synthesia and HeyGen.

Separate clip length from video length. The prompt models make 2 to 30 seconds per clip, and you assemble the scenes yourself. The script tools output the finished video: up to 30 minutes on HeyGen Creator and 15 minutes on Fliki Standard.

Check how sound is made. Veo 3.1, Gemini Omni, Kling, Dreamina and Hailuo H3 generate audio with the clip, and Runway does on supported models. The script tools use voices over your script.

Read the license and the watermark. Kling allows commercial use on every plan, Runway says you own your work on every plan, Fliki reserves commercial rights for paid plans, and the free tiers of HeyGen, Synthesia and Fliki add a watermark. InVideo AI, HeyGen, Synthesia and Pictory do not state commercial terms on their pricing pages, so read their terms before client work.

Compare the cost of a 10-second clip. Credits differ by vendor, so convert:

• Dreamina: about $0.08 on Fast or Mini and $0.16 on Pro, at first-month promotional 720p rates that end October 9.
• Hailuo H3: about $0.73 to $1.20 at 2K.
• Kling: 120 credits at 1080p with audio, about $1.60 on Standard after the first month.
• Google Flow: a Veo 3.1 Fast clip is 20 credits, so AI Pro's 1,000 credits cover 50, about $0.40 each.

For image-first and avatar tools too, see our broader guide to the best AI video generators.

FAQ

What is the best AI text to video generator?

For cinematic clips, Google Veo 3.1 in Flow, because it generates picture and synchronized sound from one prompt. Kling AI is the pick for longer clips of up to 15 seconds with dialogue. For a finished marketing video with voiceover and stock, use InVideo AI, and for a presenter, use HeyGen.

Is there a free text to video generator?

Yes, with limits. Kling and Dreamina give daily credits, Runway gives 125 one-time credits, HeyGen gives 3 one-minute videos a month, Synthesia gives 10 minutes a month and Fliki gives 3 minutes a month. Most free output is watermarked. For more, see our guide to the best free AI video generators.

What is the difference between text to video and script to video?

Text to video models, such as Veo, Kling and Seedance, generate new footage from a prompt, one short clip at a time. Script to video tools, such as Pictory, Synthesia and Fliki, assemble a full video from your script with a voiceover and stock footage or an avatar.

Can AI text to video generators create audio and dialogue?

Yes. Veo 3.1 and Gemini Omni generate synchronized audio, Kling adds dialogue in five languages, and Seedance synchronizes audio with the visuals. Hailuo H3 outputs native stereo sound.

Can I use text to video clips commercially?

Kling says all videos, free tier included, can be used commercially, and Runway says you own your work on every plan. Fliki grants commercial rights on paid plans only. Check the terms of any other tool before client work.

Is OpenAI's Sora still available?

No. OpenAI's help center says the Sora web and app experiences were discontinued on April 26, 2026 and the Sora API on September 24, 2026. Use Veo, Kling or Runway for prompt-to-video instead.

Bottom line

Start with Google Veo 3.1 in Flow if you want one prompt to give you a realistic shot with sound, and switch to Kling AI when you need longer clips or a lower entry price. Pick InVideo AI for a finished marketing video from a single prompt, HeyGen when you want a presenter, and Synthesia when the video is training and security review matters. Write one 30-second prompt and one 60-second script this week, run them through a free tier of a prompt model and a script tool, and keep whichever pairing you would publish.