Veo 3.1 API pricing: Lite vs Fast vs Quality, per clip

Through API Stock, an eight-second Veo 3.1 clip costs $0.10 on Lite, $0.20 on Fast and $1.20 on Quality at 720p. Quality at 1080p has a different tariff, $1.425 per clip, about $1.43 when displayed to cents. Start with the input controls and resolution your shot requires, then compare results before paying for a more expensive tier.

Updated 15 October 2026. Prices now start at $0.10 per clip on Lite and $0.20 on Fast. Quality costs $1.20 at 720p and $1.425 at 1080p. The tables below use the checked catalog snapshot; the original cover retains the prices shown when this article was published on 27 September 2026. Check the current quote before a batch.

How much does each Veo 3.1 tier cost?

Veo is billed per generation rather than per output second. These are eight-second clips; changing the prompt does not change the tariff.

720p and 1080p cost the same on Lite and Fast, but not on Quality. The balance debit retains fractional cents: one Quality 1080p request is $1.425, and ten are $14.25. A cent-denominated display may show $1.43 for one request; do not multiply that rounded display to budget a batch.

All three input schemas also accept resolution: "4k". 4K uses a separate pricing tier, not the 720p/1080p price above. The public catalog checked after the 15 October deployment quotes the following flat prices for an eight-second request:

These are checked tariffs, not a 4K quality benchmark. Select 4K on the model page and check the current quote before a batch.

Should you start with Lite, Fast or Quality?

• Lite: use it for a text-only brief when you do not need a supplied first frame. Three attempts cost $0.30 at the listed resolution tariffs.
• Fast: choose it when your request needs an image, including a first/last-frame workflow. Use urls and the generationType supported by the model reference.
• Quality: compare it with Fast on your actual shot. A higher price and a tier name are not evidence of better motion, object preservation or prompt adherence. This article does not contain a controlled Veo quality benchmark.

Treat prompt development and final selection as separate decisions. Moving a prompt between tiers makes a new generation; it does not upgrade the same frames. For a first-frame workflow see the image-to-video guide.

How does an eight-second Veo clip compare with other models?

The following scenarios all use 720p, eight seconds of output and no input video. The table retains fractional cents; cent-denominated displays may round these amounts. This is a price comparison, not a quality ranking.

The audio settings matter: the silent Kling row is not an equivalent sound-enabled request. Grok Imagine offers 6, 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 seconds, so we have not invented an eight-second Grok request for this table. The ten-second comparison with actual Grok and Kling results covers those scenarios separately.

What does a Veo 3.1 request look like?

This text-to-video request selects Fast at 720p, for $0.20 at the snapshot price:

curl -X POST https://api.api-stock.com/api/v1/generation/create \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $API_STOCK_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "veo3.1-fast",
    "input": {
      "prompt": "Slow dolly-in on a ceramic coffee cup on a wooden table, morning light, steam rising. Sound: quiet room tone, no music.",
      "aspectRatio": "16:9",
      "resolution": "720p"
    }
  }'

The response contains a taskId. Poll GET /api/v1/task/status/{taskId} or set a top-level webhook URL. A terminal generation failure is refunded; a successfully generated clip that you decide not to use still counts as a paid attempt. See the task lifecycle and the text-to-video guide.

How should you budget for retries and batches?

At the snapshot tariffs, twenty separate requests cost $2 on Lite, $4 on Fast, $24 on Quality 720p or $28.50 on Quality 1080p. If you assume four paid attempts for each accepted result, one accepted Lite clip would cost $0.40 and one Fast clip $0.80. That is a planning assumption, not an observed acceptance rate.

Use the same shot brief to compare candidates, record every attempt and decide your acceptance criteria before choosing the best result. Do not infer a success rate from one showcase clip. Our video cost comparison distinguishes tariff arithmetic from measured results.

FAQ

How much does the Veo 3.1 API cost?

At the 15 October 2026 API Stock snapshot, an eight-second clip costs $0.10 on Lite, $0.20 on Fast and $1.20 on Quality at 720p. Quality 1080p has a $1.425 tariff (about $1.43 on a cent-denominated display). 4K has a separate tier.

Is Veo billed per second or per video?

Per generation. Dividing a clip price by eight gives a comparison rate, not a way to buy fewer seconds of Veo output.

Does 1080p cost more than 720p?

On Quality, yes: $1.425 versus $1.20 before cent rounding. Lite and Fast have equal 720p and 1080p prices in this snapshot.

Which tier accepts an image?

Fast and Quality accept image input; Lite is text-only. Check the supported image modes and fields on the model page rather than copying input settings between tiers.

Is Quality guaranteed to produce a better clip?

No such guarantee is established here. Compare candidates on your brief and count paid attempts; this article reports pricing and input options, not a controlled Veo quality test.