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Google Veo 3: Pricing, Access and Alternatives
Google DeepMind’s video model line, with native audio. Reach it through the Gemini API, AI Studio, Flow, or Vertex AI.
Quick answer
Veo is Google DeepMind’s hosted video model family. Veo 3.1 is the current Gemini API pricing anchor, Veo 3 is the common product-generation name, and Veo 2 may still appear in older workflows or comparisons.
Developers start with Google AI Studio / Gemini API; creators may use Flow where available. There are no public open weights.
Paid Gemini API rates for Veo 3.1 run from $0.05/s to $0.60/s depending on tier and resolution: Lite, Fast and Standard are the public budget anchors.
Use Google Flow
Creator-facing Veo workflow through Google Flow; plan and region access depend on your Google account.
Open Flow01Veo active model family and API tiers
Use Veo 3.1 pricing for current Gemini API budgeting. Veo 3 remains the common product name and Veo 2 remains useful for older-workflow compatibility checks, but the public price table is anchored on Veo 3.1 Lite/Fast/Standard.
| Veo 3.1 Lite | Veo 3.1 Fast | Veo 3.1 Standard | Veo 2 / legacy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positioning | Lowest-cost API tier | Fast generation tier | Highest-quality default tier | Older generation/workflow |
| 720p price | $0.05/s | $0.10/s | $0.40/s | Check current Gemini/Vertex availability |
| 1080p price | $0.08/s | $0.12/s | $0.40/s | Check current Gemini/Vertex availability |
| 4K price | not supported | $0.30/s | $0.60/s | Not the current public budget anchor |
| Audio | Native audio | Native audio | Native audio | Model/workflow dependent |
| Weights | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed |
| Best for | Cost-sensitive API tests | Speed | Quality | Older project compatibility |
02Generation modes
Veo 3 is strongest when you need hosted Google-quality video generation with audio and API access rather than local/open weights.
Text to Video
T2VGenerate video from written scene prompts through Google’s hosted model access.
text → video
Image to Video
I2VUse an image as visual direction and animate it with prompt controls where supported.
image + prompt → video
Native Audio
AUDIOVeo 3.1 pricing and docs describe video generation with native audio as the default.
prompt → video + audio
Frame / extension control
CTRLVeo 3.1 supports scene extension, last-frame control and image-based direction.
frames + prompt → video
Gemini API
APIDeveloper access via Gemini API / generateContent workflow.
API request → generated video
Flow creator workflow
FLOWCreator-facing access path through Google Flow / Labs where available.
web workflow → video
03Official pricing & registration
Google’s Gemini API pricing page lists Veo 3.1 paid-tier video-with-audio pricing per second. There is no free tier for Veo 3.1; you need billing enabled.
| Path / model | Official price | What you get | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Register / API key | Free account / billing required for paid usage | Google AI Studio API key path | Official source ↗ |
| Veo 3.1 Lite | $0.05/s 720p · $0.08/s 1080p · 4K not supported | Lowest-cost API video with audio | Official source ↗ |
| Veo 3.1 Fast | $0.10/s 720p · $0.12/s 1080p · $0.30/s 4K | Faster video generation with audio | Official source ↗ |
| Veo 3.1 Standard | $0.40/s 720p/1080p · $0.60/s 4K | Higher-quality video generation with audio | Official source ↗ |
| Google Flow | Plan/region access varies | Creator-facing Veo workflow | Official source ↗ |
| Vertex AI / Google Cloud | See Google Cloud generative AI pricing | Enterprise/cloud deployment path | Official source ↗ |
04How to prompt
Example: A chef plates a neon dessert in a rainy Tokyo night market, handheld close-up moving to wide shot, sizzling street-food ambience and soft crowd noise, cinematic realism, shallow depth of fieldOpen Gemini video docs
05vs the competition
Short version: Veo is the stronger pick for official per-second API pricing and native-audio workflows in Google’s ecosystem. Sora is the OpenAI ecosystem alternative, but its public pricing and access details are less transparent.
Read full comparison →06FAQ
Is Google Veo 3 open source?
No — Veo 3 / Veo 3.1 is a proprietary Google DeepMind model accessed through Google-hosted products and APIs.
Where do I register for Veo 3?
Developers can start with Google AI Studio at https://aistudio.google.com/app/apikey. Creators can also check Google Flow at https://labs.google/fx/tools/flow where available.
How much does Veo 3 cost?
Official Gemini API pricing for Veo 3.1 lists Lite from $0.05/s, Fast from $0.10/s, and Standard from $0.40/s for video with audio. Higher resolutions cost more where supported.
Does Veo 3 support audio?
Yes — Google’s Gemini API pricing and video docs describe Veo 3.1 as video generation with native audio.
Veo 3 vs Sora: which should I use?
Use Veo 3 if you want Google ecosystem/API access and native-audio video generation. Use Sora if you are committed to OpenAI’s product ecosystem. For production workflows, compare price, region availability and output limits.
07Sources
Google DeepMind Veo model page
Scope: Official Google DeepMind Veo overview.
Gemini API video generation docs
Scope: Official docs describe Veo 3.1, native audio, extension and frame-control capabilities.
Gemini API pricing
Scope: Official Veo 3.1 per-second pricing table.
Google Flow
Scope: Creator-facing Google Labs / Flow access path.
Google Cloud generative AI pricing
Scope: Vertex AI / cloud pricing entry.