Lights, camera, prompt! The AI video revolution has officially begun

AI video generators are officially taking over. First, chatbots changed how we talk to tech. Then, image generators made art from a few words. Now, AI-powered video tools are going mainstream, turning simple prompts into short, animated clips.

Sure, AI video manipulation has been around for a while, but it was mostly for VFX pros or deepfake specialists. Now, every major tech company is rolling out its own AI video model, making it easier than ever to turn simple text or images into moving visuals.

Whether you want to create cinematic scenes, looping animations, or just experiment with AI-powered creativity, there’s a tool for you.

Here’s a breakdown of the biggest AI video generators, what they offer, and how much they cost.

Sora by OpenAI

Sora is OpenAI’s answer to AI video generation, and it’s already making waves. Unlike DALL·E 3, you can’t have a back-and-forth chat with Sora—it works more like a classic AI creative tool. You type a prompt or upload an image, tweak some settings like resolution and length, and Sora does the rest.

Right now, Sora is locked behind a paywall. If you're on ChatGPT Plus ($20/month), you get 50 priority credits per month and can generate videos up to 5 seconds long at 720p. The Pro plan ($200/month) unlocks 500 priority videos, unlimited relaxed generations, 1080p resolution, and videos up to 20 seconds long. AI-generated videos come with a watermark unless you're on Pro.

Adobe Firefly

Adobe’s Firefly video tool works just like its AI image generator but with added motion controls. You can tweak camera angles, zoom effects, and even mimic drone shots. If you're deep into Adobe’s ecosystem, this one might be your go-to.

Firefly is included in some Creative Cloud plans, but if you’re not subscribed, the Standard plan ($10/month) gives you 20 AI videos per month, while the Pro plan ($30/month) bumps that up to 70 videos. Both plans offer unlimited AI image generation, and videos are 5 seconds long at 1080p with no audio. Adobe also guarantees that Firefly videos are commercially safe, and it won’t train on your content.

Google Veo

Google’s DeepMind is also developing up Veo, an AI video generator that’s currently in private beta. It's expected to support text-to-video and image-to-video prompts, but there’s still a lot we don’t know—like whether it will generate audio.

For now, you can get a taste of Veo’s capabilities through YouTube Shorts, which lets creators generate AI-powered backgrounds. When fully released, Veo videos are expected to max out at 1080p with an embedded Google SynthID watermark. Pricing and full availability are still TBD.

Runway

Runway is already a big deal in the AI creative space, partly because it co-created Stable Diffusion, one of the most popular AI image generators. It also scored a major deal with Lionsgate, which means its AI models are being trained on actual Hollywood movies.

You can use Runway for free with 125 monthly credits, but each generation eats up about 20 credits, so don’t expect unlimited content. If you need more, the $15/month plan (or $144 annually) gives you 625 credits, plus access to newer models, 4K upscaling, and watermark-free downloads. Runway’s terms state it can train on your prompts and videos, though you still own the rights.

Meta MovieGen

Meta’s AI video model is still experimental, but it could shake things up by being the first to generate synchronised audio. The company claims MovieGen could produce sound effects, background noise, and even AI-generated music up to 45 seconds long.

For now, it’s just a research concept with no public release, but if Meta follows Google’s lead, we might see AI-powered video features pop up on Instagram and Facebook first. Meta’s AI models are trained on public content from its platforms, but European users can opt out.

AI video is just getting started, and as these tools evolve, they’ll only get crazier. Whether you're looking for high-quality cinematic footage, social media animations, or just some AI-generated fun, there's something out there for you. Keep an eye on these models—they’re changing the game fast.