Build an AI social media content production budget
A social content package mixes different resources. Thirty packages are not necessarily thirty videos: each may need a short clip, two images and supporting copy. Define the package first so the budget reflects the actual deliverables.
Open this calculator preset →Write a concrete definition of one package
The preset uses 30 packages, each with a 15-second video and two final images. Only 25% of the video is generated; the remaining footage must come from your material. Voiceover is included for the full video duration unless you turn it off.
A caption, carousel and video are not interchangeable assets. If your plan requires five carousel panels per package, change images per output to five. Copywriting and scheduling are manual steps in this calculator, even when you use an existing assistant to help prepare them.
Compare the whole stack rather than isolated prices
The cheapest image model and the cheapest video model may live at different providers with separate minimum purchases. Paying both minimums can make the combination more expensive today than a slightly higher metered rate at one provider.
The engine adds the video, image and voice requirements into a complete candidate before ranking. Shared API usage is grouped once; subscription fees are added separately. The breakdown shows the new payment and the balance remaining after the project. This is why cost per generated asset and additional cash needed can disagree.
Keep prepaid tools and unused subscriptions distinct
Only the credit still available for this work reduces the additional cost. Entering an existing plan does not mean every output is free, and selecting a different plan does not cancel your old subscription. A skipped subscription remains your responsibility.
ChatGPT Plus is treated as an already-paid aid for manual preparation. Its value may be useful in writing briefs and captions, but the calculator does not assign it an invented image, video or API allowance. The same separation prevents double-counting consumer and developer plans.
Make the budget resilient to changing formats
Run a small representative package through your production process. Measure how many generations become approved assets, whether the footage is long enough and how much manual work remains. Then apply that workload across the month.
If the budget is too high, Budget Rescue explores a lower AI video share. It does not remove image deliverables, shorten the clips or reduce attempts. You can make those changes yourself, but they are changes to the brief and should be agreed before promising a client or team the original output volume.
A worked monthly budget
These figures use the calculator’s recorded pricing snapshot and the assumptions below. They are historical examples, not a live quote. No existing credit or subscription is assumed. The target budget is $50.00.
- Monthly outputs
- 30
- Seconds per output
- 15
- AI video share
- 25%
- Images per output
- 2
- Attempt factor
- 1.25×
- Narration
- Included
| Tool | Planned demand | Usage + new plan fee |
|---|---|---|
| MiniMax H3 Max480p · Runway API | 300 seconds | $15.00 |
| Gen-4 Image720p · Runway API | 90 images | $4.50 |
| ElevenLabs FreeMultilingual v2 · direct subscription | 8,460 characters | $0.00 |
Metered usage: $19.50. Additional payment: $19.50. The payment includes new subscription fees and minimum API purchases. It may exceed metered usage. The original brief fits the target budget.
Runway API: $19.50 to pay; $0.00 API credit remaining after this project.
ElevenLabs: $0.00 to pay; $0.00 API credit remaining after this project.
Tax, labor, stock assets and distribution are excluded. The free voice option, where shown, is noncommercial. No commercial or privacy requirement is assumed in these examples. The influencer preset additionally requires supported character consistency. See the full calculation rules.
Calculate your own budget →Common questions
Does this include social scheduling software?
No. The estimate covers the selected generation tools. Scheduling, publishing, analytics and community management are outside its scope.
Why can two rankings choose the same tools?
A single complete workflow may be both the cheapest and the best value within your budget. The rankings do not force different results for appearance.
Can I calculate a client retainer from this?
Use the software estimate as one cost input. Add labor, revisions, overhead, taxes and your margin separately; the result is not a complete service quote.
Sources and corrections
Provider prices are linked in the example table. Runway’s setup guide documents the initial credit purchase minimum. Runway’s reference guide explains character image consistency. Workload choices and comparisons are our own model assumptions. Report a correction with the official source and affected scenario.