Veo 3.1 comes in three tiers, and the price gap between them is wider than the feature gap. On 8frame an 8-second clip with audio is 448 credits on Veo 3.1 Standard (about $4.48), 168 on Veo 3.1 Fast ($1.68) and 54 on Veo 3.1 Lite ($0.54). On Google's Gemini API the same clip is $3.20, $0.80 and $0.40 at 720p. Use Fast as the everyday tier (a new Veo node opens on it), Lite to test prompts and for 720p deliverables, and Standard for the shot that has to be the full model. Google describes Fast as "optimizing for speed and business use cases" while "maintaining high quality"; for Lite the only stated differences are features it lacks.
TL;DR
- 8frame, 8 s with audio: Standard 448, Fast 168, Lite 54; silent 224, 112, 33
- Gemini API, per second with audio: Standard $0.40 (720p and 1080p), Fast $0.10 (720p), Lite $0.05 (720p); page updated 2026-10-16
- Output on 8frame: Standard and Fast 1080p, Lite 720p; 16:9 or 9:16 only; no 4K on any tier
- The silent discount is not uniform: half off Standard, a third off Fast, about 40 percent off Lite
- Cheapest test of a prompt: 4 seconds on Lite, 17 credits silent or 27 with sound
What Google says the tiers are
On Google's Gemini API page the three models are veo-3.1-generate-preview, veo-3.1-fast-generate-preview and veo-3.1-lite-generate-preview. All three run 4, 6 or 8 seconds, output 16:9 (default) or 9:16 at 24 fps, and generate audio natively, marked "Always on". Standard and Fast list 720p, 1080p and 4K, with 1080p and 4K "8s length only"; Lite lists 720p and 1080p, and "4k not available for Veo 3.1 Lite". Video extension, 7 seconds per use "up to 20 times", is "available for Veo 3.1 & Veo 3.1 Fast models only, not Veo 3.1 Lite". Veo 3.1 "now accepts up to 3 reference images".
Google gives no wording on how Lite differs in look or speed, and we have not measured it, so this page compares price, limits and settings.
The nuance: silent is not half price on every tier
Google's API lists one price per tier, described as the "video with audio price (default)", with no silent price. On 8frame audio is a toggle on every tier, and the discount for turning it off differs:
| Tier, 8 s on 8frame | With audio | Silent | Silent saves |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veo 3.1 Standard | 448 | 224 | 50 percent |
| Veo 3.1 Fast | 168 | 112 | 33 percent |
| Veo 3.1 Lite | 54 | 33 | 39 percent |
Duration scales cleanly: 4 seconds is exactly half the 8-second price on every tier (224 / 84 / 27 with audio) and 6 seconds is three quarters (336 / 126 / 41). So the cheapest test of a Veo prompt is 4 seconds on Lite: 17 credits silent, 27 with sound; ten drafts cost 170 to 270, less than one 8-second Standard clip. One exception: a start image (with or without an end frame) locks Veo to 8 seconds on 8frame, so test from text before you attach one. Upload rules are in Veo 3.1 image to video requirements.
Price table
Vendor prices as on the vendor's page today; per-clip totals are the per-second price times 8 seconds. 8frame credits as the app charges them, a credit about $0.01 at pack rate.
| Route | Standard | Fast | Lite | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini API, per second | $0.40 (720p, 1080p), $0.60 (4K) | $0.10 (720p), $0.12 (1080p), $0.30 (4K) | $0.05 (720p), $0.08 (1080p) | "video with audio price (default)"; Lite: "4k output not supported" |
| Gemini API, 8 s at 720p | $3.20 | $0.80 | $0.40 | 8 x per-second price |
| Gemini API, 8 s at 1080p | $3.20 | $0.96 | $0.64 | 1080p is 8 s only |
| Runway API, per second | 40 credits with audio, 20 without | 15 with audio, 10 without | not listed | "$0.01 per credit", so $0.40 / $0.20 and $0.15 / $0.10 a second |
| Runway API, 8 s with audio | $3.20 | $1.20 | not listed | 8 x credits x $0.01 |
| Google Flow, per generation | 100 credits ("Quality") | 20 (Ultra: 10) | 10 (Ultra: 5) | Google AI Pro adds 1,000 Flow credits a month |
| 8frame, 8 s with audio | 448 credits ($4.48) | 168 ($1.68) | 54 ($0.54) | Standard and Fast 1080p, Lite 720p |
| 8frame, 8 s silent | 224 | 112 | 33 | audio is a toggle |
| 8frame, 4 s with audio | 224 | 84 | 27 | silent 112 / 56 / 17 |
Per Veo clip, Google's API is cheaper than 8frame on every tier ($3.20 against $4.48 for Standard, $0.80 against $1.68 for Fast, $0.40 against $0.54 for Lite) and is the only route here with 4K; it needs a developer setup, and Google notes "You will only be charged if your video is successfully generated". On Flow, Google's credits page says "With or without a subscription, you receive 50 Google Flow credits per day", while its Get started page lists "Be subscribed to Google AI Plus, Google AI Pro, or Google AI Ultra" among the requirements to use Flow; we state both. More in Veo 3.1 pricing explained.
How it works on 8frame
- Where it lives: the Veo tool. The picker offers 3.1 (Standard), 3.1 Fast, 3.1 Lite and a multi-reference variant (up to 3 images, 8 seconds).
- Node defaults: Veo 3.1 Fast, 8 seconds, sound on, 9:16, which is 168 credits.
- Lengths: 4, 6 or 8 seconds from text; 8 seconds only with a start image or a start and end frame.
- Output: Standard and Fast 1080p, Lite 720p. No 4K on any tier and no video upscaler. Aspect ratios 16:9 and 9:16 (auto with a start image); see resolution by model.
- End frame: the start-and-end-frame mode runs on Veo 3.1 at 8 seconds.
- Not on 8frame: Google's video extension; the node takes no clip to extend.
- Failed generations are refunded automatically.
A $19 Starter plan's 1,000 credits buys 2 Standard clips with audio, 5 on Fast or 18 on Lite; the 17-credit silent Lite draft fits 58 times. Per-second rates for every model are on the price per second page.
A routing rule
Test the prompt on Lite at 4 seconds, silent (17), until motion and framing are right, then once with sound (27). Produce on Fast, the node's default: 168 for 8 seconds with audio, 112 silent when music goes over the shot. Move a shot to Standard (448) only when the piece depends on it; one Standard clip costs as much as eight Lite clips. A 720p deliverable makes Lite a legitimate final tier at 54; a 1080p deliverable means Fast or Standard. More in how to use Veo 3.1 Lite and Veo 3.1 vs Kling v3.
FAQ
Veo 3.1 Fast vs Standard: what is the difference?
Price, mostly. On 8frame an 8-second clip with audio is 168 credits on Fast and 448 on Standard; on Google's API, $0.10 and $0.40 a second at 720p. Google describes Fast as "optimizing for speed and business use cases" while "maintaining high quality". Both output 1080p on 8frame; we have not measured a quality difference.
Veo 3.1 Lite vs Fast: when is Lite enough?
When 720p is enough. Lite outputs 720p on 8frame at 54 credits for 8 seconds with audio, against Fast's 168 at 1080p. On Google's API Lite lacks 4K and extension; 8frame offers neither on any tier.
What does Veo 3.1 Fast cost?
168 credits for 8 seconds with audio on 8frame ($1.68 at pack rate), 112 silent, 84 for 4 seconds with audio. Google's API lists $0.10 a second at 720p and $0.12 at 1080p ($0.80 to $0.96 for 8 seconds); Runway's API lists 15 credits a second with audio at $0.01 a credit ($1.20).
Which Veo 3.1 should I use?
Lite to test prompts and for 720p deliverables, Fast as the default production tier, Standard for the one shot that must be the full model. Test at 4 seconds from text before attaching a start image, which locks the clip to 8 seconds.
Does turning off audio halve the price?
Only on Standard (448 to 224). Fast saves a third (168 to 112), Lite about 40 percent (54 to 33). Google's API lists only the with-audio price.
Can I get 4K from Veo 3.1 on 8frame?
No. Standard and Fast deliver 1080p and Lite 720p, and there is no video upscaler. Google's API offers 4K at $0.60 a second on Standard and $0.30 on Fast, 8-second clips only.
Sources
- Google, Gemini API pricing: https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/pricing (Veo 3.1 "$0.40 (720p and 1080p)", "$0.60 (4k)"; Veo 3.1 Fast "$0.10 (720p)", "$0.12 (1080p)", "$0.30 (4k)"; Veo 3.1 Lite "$0.05 (720p)", "$0.08 (1080p)", "(4k output not supported)"; all "video with audio price (default)"; free tier "Not available"; "You will only be charged if your video is successfully generated"; "Last updated 2026-10-16 UTC"), checked 2026-10-18
- Google, Veo in the Gemini API: https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/veo (model ids; 4, 6 or 8 seconds; 720p, 1080p and 4K with "8s length only" for 1080p and 4K; "4k not available for Veo 3.1 Lite"; 16:9 and 9:16; audio "Always on"; up to 3 reference images; extension "available for Veo 3.1 & Veo 3.1 Fast models only, not Veo 3.1 Lite"; Fast "optimizing for speed and business use cases" while "maintaining high quality"), checked 2026-10-18
- Runway, API pricing: https://docs.dev.runwayml.com/guides/pricing (veo3.1 40 credits a second with audio, 20 without; veo3.1_fast 15 and 10; "Credits can be purchased for $0.01 per credit"), checked 2026-10-18
- Google, Flow credits: https://support.google.com/flow/answer/16526234 (Veo 3.1 Lite 10 credits, Fast 20, Quality 100 per generation; Ultra 5 / 10 / 100; "Google AI Pro subscribers receive an extra 1,000 Google Flow credits each month"; "With or without a subscription, you receive 50 Google Flow credits per day"; daily and monthly credits do not roll over), checked 2026-10-18
- Google, Get started with Google Flow: https://support.google.com/flow/answer/16353333 (requirements to use Flow include "Be subscribed to Google AI Plus, Google AI Pro, or Google AI Ultra"), checked 2026-10-18
- 8frame prices, defaults and limits: the 8frame app, checked 2026-10-18
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.