AI content cost calculator
Plan videos, images and voiceovers. Compare tool costs against your budget.
Your project
Already paying for tools?
Capacity and assumptions
API balance is separate from your Runway web subscription. Attempts and 900 characters/min are estimates, not provider guarantees.
Black Forest Labs balance
Image prices are verified. The purchase minimum is not: BFL is excluded until you enter that amount or sufficient existing credit.
Hard requirements
An unverified requirement excludes a tool from recommendations.
Budget Rescue
The remaining content uses your footage. Rescue never reduces output count, duration or attempts.
Your workflow
Live estimateYour goal is still within reach.
With 25% AI video and the same output count and duration.
Adjust the workflow. Keep the goal.
AI video 50% → 25%. Use your own footage and editing for the rest.
Original plan: $66.90. Output count and attempts stay the same.Not applied yet: compare before you apply
| Measure | Current plan | Suggested, not applied |
|---|---|---|
| AI video share | 50% | 25% |
| Generated video seconds including attempts | 1,200 s | 600 s |
| Video cost | $60.00 | $30.00 |
| Voice cost | $6.90 | $6.90 |
| Total additional payment | $66.90 | $36.90 |
| Saving | — | $30.00 |
Video seconds = 30 outputs × attempted five-second clips × 5 s. Current: 8 clips per output (6 clips × 1.25 attempts, rounded up). Suggested: 4 clips per output (3 clips × 1.25 attempts, rounded up). Unchanged: 30 outputs, 60 s each, 1.25× attempts, voiceover on. You supply footage for the rest.
Budget Rescue suggestion
$1.23 / outputHow this is billed: 1,125 characters requested per output × 30 outputs = 33,750. Each output is rounded up to 50-character blocks: 1,150 × 30 = 34,500 billable characters (690 blocks). 690 × $0.01 = $6.90. Without rounding it would be $6.75; this assumes one voice request per output.
What you need to pay now
Anyone with the link can see your calculator settings, including entered balances. Estimates recalculate using the site’s pricing data when opened; check the displayed source dates.
2 excluded options
Requires 33,750 characters; 10,000 available. Overages are excluded.
Requires 33,750 characters; 30,000 available. Overages are excluded.
How to carry out this plan
- Prepare 30 videos. Write scripts, choose references and prepare your own material.
- Generate the planned assets. 600 video seconds, 33,750 voice characters. Quantities include generation attempts.
- Review and finish. Select successful generations, check continuity and rights, then edit your final outputs. Captions and distribution are manual steps.
Compare generation, avatars, design, voice, editing and repurposing.
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DescriptEElevenLabsTVTopaz Video AIGVGoogle VeoOSOpenAI SoraCost engine: 10 model / plan options, 3 providers
720p · Runway API
$0.05 / imageUse Gen-4 Image References with the same approved character reference. Reference-guided consistency is supported; identical results are not guaranteed. Review each image manually.
1080p · Runway API
$0.08 / imageUse Gen-4 Image References with the same approved character reference. Reference-guided consistency is supported; identical results are not guaranteed. Review each image manually.
Multilingual v2 · direct subscription
$0.00/month · 10,000 creditsMultilingual v2: 1 character = 1 credit. Optional pay-as-you-go credits and introductory discounts are not modeled. A paid license does not replace rights to input content.
Multilingual v2 · direct subscription
$6.00/month · 30,000 creditsMultilingual v2: 1 character = 1 credit. Optional pay-as-you-go credits and introductory discounts are not modeled. A paid license does not replace rights to input content.
Multilingual v2 · direct subscription
$22.00/month · 121,000 creditsMultilingual v2: 1 character = 1 credit. Optional pay-as-you-go credits and introductory discounts are not modeled. A paid license does not replace rights to input content.
Last price checks: Runway API 18 October 2026 · ElevenLabs 18 October 2026 · Black Forest Labs 18 October 2026. Quality estimates are not provider ratings. BFL is excluded until you enter a purchase minimum or sufficient existing credit.
Calculation and confidence
Existing subscriptions: We use your exact plan and only the remaining credits you enter. New ElevenLabs plans use the full monthly fee, without introductory discounts or overages. Replacements assume no refund for the old plan.
API balance: Runway and BFL balances are separate. Runway uses a conservative $10 top-up minimum; the initial purchase minimum is verified. Enter the BFL minimum from your account. Unspent purchases remain as credit. Runway minimum ↗
Internal assumptions: Five-second clips, 1.25× attempts and 900 characters/min. Runway voice rounds each output to 50-character blocks. Direct ElevenLabs uses Multilingual v2 voices without extra credit multipliers. Quality is an internal score, not an independent benchmark. Best Value = score / (1 + additional dollars).
Scope: Software cost estimates in USD before tax. Labor, equipment, stock assets and distribution are excluded. Consumer subscriptions do not supply another provider's API credits. ChatGPT Plus is used manually for preparation. Prices older than 30 days remain available with a warning; verify before purchase.
License: ElevenLabs Free requires attribution and noncommercial use. Paid plans include a commercial license; rights to your input material and voices still require separate checks. Usage terms ↗
Coverage: 10 options across Runway API, ElevenLabs, Black Forest Labs. This is not the entire market. Two rankings may select the same workflow. Unverified requirements are never assumed supported.
Price checks against official provider pages: Runway API 18 October 2026 · ElevenLabs 18 October 2026 · Black Forest Labs 18 October 2026. These are check dates, not live quotes. Quality, attempts and your top-up minimum are assumptions. Tax, labor and stock purchases are excluded.
How much will your AI project cost?
Start with the outputs you need, then include generation attempts, remaining credits and any new subscription or credit purchases. Compare supported workflows against your budget.
What does the result include?
Additional software spending in USD before tax. Editing, labor, equipment, stock assets and distribution are separate. Provider rates and review dates appear with the estimates.
Where should I start?
Try a small pilot to measure how many attempts produce a usable result. Then change the output count and budget above. Read the calculation methodology or explore the worked cost guides.