Correction, 2026-10-02: this page listed the Gemini app as a place to use Veo 3.1 with a Google AI plan. Google now says Gemini Omni will replace Veo in the Gemini app, so for Veo the plan route is Flow, and Flow's own help pages contradict each other on whether you need a subscription at all (one gives everyone 50 credits a day, another requires Google AI Plus, Pro or Ultra). It did not say that the Gemini API has no free tier for Veo 3.1, or that the Veo tool on 8frame opens on Veo 3.1 Fast (168 credits for 8 seconds with sound), not on full Veo 3.1; the 8frame table now lists every length with sound and the 8-second silent price for each tier. It recommended 8frame for "watermark-free clips" without comparing watermarks on Google's routes, so that row is gone. It also said as fact that Veo "responds to" lighting, lens and sound language and that one prompt "gives it" the colour, focus and soundtrack; we had not measured that, so it is now advice.
Correction, 2026-09-30: the first version of this page gave the API price as about $0.75 a second and an 8-second clip as about $6; Google's pricing page lists $0.40 a second for Standard. It said 8frame returns native 4K/60fps Veo clips (8frame runs Veo 3.1 at 1080p), suggested upscaling the clip with Topaz on the canvas (8frame has no video upscaler), and quoted Gemini plan prices and credit counts we could not confirm in US dollars. All fixed below.
By the end of this you'll know the legitimate ways to generate a Veo 3.1 clip in 2026 and which one fits your work. Veo 3.1 is Google's video model; it makes video with sound from a text or image prompt. For the model itself, what is Veo 3 covers it. This is the access guide: Google's routes, the per-clip canvas route, and a decision table.
The short version on cost: on Google's Gemini API, Veo 3.1 Standard is $0.40 a second at 720p or 1080p, so an 8-second clip is $3.20, and there is no free tier for Veo 3.1. On the 8frame canvas, the Veo tool opens on Veo 3.1 Fast at 168 credits for 8 seconds with sound; full Veo 3.1 (Standard) is 448 credits ($4.48 at pack rate) with sound or 224 silent, and Lite is 54. Per clip, Google's API is cheaper than 8frame; 8frame needs no code.
Google's routes
Flow, with a Google AI plan. Flow is Google's AI creative studio, and it is where Google's plans give you Veo. Google's help pages disagree on who can use it. The Flow credits page says: "With or without a subscription, you receive 50 Google Flow credits per day." The Flow eligibility page says that to use Flow you must "Be subscribed to Google AI Plus, Google AI Pro, or Google AI Ultra." On the credits page, a Veo 3.1 Lite generation costs 10 Flow credits, Fast 20 and Quality 100 (Lite and Fast cost 5 and 10 on Ultra), Google AI Pro adds 1,000 Flow credits a month, and unused credits don't roll over. Plan prices vary by country, so check Google's subscriptions page for yours, and open Flow in your own account to see which rule applies to you.
The Gemini app. Google says "Gemini Omni is our latest video editing and generation model that will replace Veo in the Gemini app," and video there needs a Google AI subscription. So the app is no longer a Veo route.
The Gemini API. The developer route, billed per second of generated video. Google lists the free tier for Veo 3.1 as "Not available". From Google's pricing page, checked 2026-10-02 (last updated 2026-10-01):
| Model | 720p | 1080p | 4K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veo 3.1 Standard | $0.40/s | $0.40/s | $0.60/s |
| Veo 3.1 Fast | $0.10/s | $0.12/s | $0.30/s |
| Veo 3.1 Lite | $0.05/s | $0.08/s | Not offered |
Google lists these as the price for video with audio, the default. The API is the cheapest route per Veo clip and the route that offers 4K. It needs a developer setup: an API key, code or a tool that calls the API, and your own storage for the files.
For all routes side by side, see Veo 3.1 pricing explained; for what is left of free Veo, see how to use Veo 3 for free.
The 8frame canvas route, step by step
On the 8frame canvas, Veo 3.1 sits next to the other video models and one credit balance covers them all.
Step 1: Open the canvas and add a Veo node
Open 8frame and add a video node with the Veo tool. A new Veo node opens on Veo 3.1 Fast, 8 seconds, sound on: 168 credits. Switch the model in the node to Lite, or to Standard (shown as "3.1" in the picker). Prices on 8frame, from its pricing code:
| Veo on 8frame | 4 s | 6 s | 8 s | 8 s silent | Output |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veo 3.1 Lite | 27 | 41 | 54 | 33 | 720p |
| Veo 3.1 Fast (default) | 84 | 126 | 168 | 112 | 1080p |
| Veo 3.1 Standard | 224 | 336 | 448 | 224 | 1080p |
Credits, with sound unless marked silent. The cheapest Veo run is 17 credits: 4 silent seconds on Lite.
- Length: 4, 6 or 8 seconds from a text prompt. With a start image, the clip is always 8 seconds.
- Shape: 16:9 or 9:16.
- Resolution: 1080p on Fast and Standard, 720p on Lite.
Step 2: Add a start image for image-to-video
If you have a starting still (a product shot, a brand frame), connect it to the Veo node. With a start image the clip runs 8 seconds, so only the 8-second prices apply. With a start and an end image, Veo 3.1 animates between them, also at 8 seconds. Need the still first? Generate it with Nano Banana Pro (21 credits) on the same canvas and connect it. What the start image has to meet is in Veo 3.1 image-to-video requirements.
Step 3: Write the prompt with lighting and sound
Name the light, the lens and the sound in the prompt. "Rooftop at dusk, city lights coming on, condensation on a glass bottle in the foreground, shallow depth of field, wind, ambient city noise" asks for the colour, the focus and the soundtrack in one prompt. Check the result against each part, and rewrite the part that didn't come through. The Veo 3 prompt guide has more structures.
Step 4: Draft cheap, finish on Fast or Standard
Switch the node to Veo 3.1 Lite for drafts (17 credits for 4 silent seconds, 54 for 8 seconds with sound) or draft on another lower-priced model, then rerun the winning prompt on Fast (168) or Standard (448). A rerun is a new generation, not an upscale of the draft, so expect a different take. There is no video upscaling on 8frame, so pick the resolution you deliver at.
Which route to pick
| Your situation | Route |
|---|---|
| Already paying for a Google AI plan | Flow, with your plan's Flow credits |
| Building Veo into your own product | Gemini API |
| Lowest price per Veo clip, and you can work with an API | Gemini API (Lite from $0.05 a second at 720p) |
| You need 4K | Gemini API (Standard or Fast) |
| No code, uneven volume, credits that roll over while subscribed | 8frame (from $19/month) |
| Veo next to other video and image models on one balance | 8frame |
FAQ
Can I use Veo 3.1 without a Gemini subscription?
Yes. The Gemini API bills per second with no subscription (it has no free tier for Veo 3.1). On the 8frame canvas, the Veo tool opens on Veo 3.1 Fast at 168 credits for 8 seconds with sound, with Lite from 17 and Standard at 448, on a plan from $19/month that covers the other models too. For Flow, Google's help pages disagree on whether you need a Google AI plan; check in your own account.
Can I still use Veo in the Gemini app?
Google says Gemini Omni will replace Veo in the Gemini app, and video there needs a Google AI subscription. For Veo itself, use Flow, the Gemini API or 8frame.
What's the cheapest way to generate a Veo 3.1 clip?
On the API, Veo 3.1 Lite at $0.05 a second at 720p, $0.40 for 8 seconds. On 8frame, Veo 3.1 Lite at 17 credits for 4 silent seconds or 54 for 8 seconds with sound; switch the node from Fast to Lite first.
Does Veo 3.1 generate audio?
Yes. Google prices video with audio as the default on the API. On 8frame, sound is a setting and starts on: 8 seconds is 448 credits with sound and 224 silent on Standard, 168 and 112 on Fast, 54 and 33 on Lite.
How long can a Veo 3.1 clip be on 8frame?
4, 6 or 8 seconds from a text prompt, and always 8 seconds from a start image. The shapes are 16:9 and 9:16.
Can Veo 3.1 make 4K video?
Through the Gemini API, yes: Standard at $0.60 a second and Fast at $0.30. On 8frame, Veo 3.1 Standard and Fast run at 1080p and Lite at 720p.
Can I use Veo 3.1 for commercial work?
On 8frame, commercial use is cleared on paid plans. On Google's routes, check the terms of the plan or API you use.
Sources
- Gemini app: Gemini video generation ("Gemini Omni is our latest video editing and generation model that will replace Veo in the Gemini app"; "Google AI subscription required"), checked 2026-10-02
- Gemini API pricing for Veo 3.1 Standard, Fast and Lite by resolution (free tier "Not available"; listed as the price for video with audio; page last updated 2026-10-01): ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/pricing, checked 2026-10-02
- Flow credits: Google Flow help, 16526234 (50 credits a day with or without a subscription; credits per Veo 3.1 generation; no rollover), checked 2026-10-02
- Flow eligibility: Google Flow help, 16353333 (subscription to Google AI Plus, Pro or Ultra required), checked 2026-10-02
- Google AI plans: gemini.google/subscriptions (Flow credits by plan; prices shown vary by country), checked 2026-10-02
- 8frame prices: backend tool registry (calculateVeo31Cost), read 2026-10-02; default model, lengths, the 8-second start-image lock and picker labels: front-end tool registry, read 2026-10-02; shapes and output resolution: 8frame Veo 3.1 integration, checked 2026-10-01
Draft on Lite, finish on Fast or Standard.
Try it without signing up: the 8frame canvas opens on a real board. The canvas is free and unlimited; generation is paid from $19/month.