The State of AI Video in 2025: Veo 3, Runway Gen‑4, Midjourney Video, Pika, Luma & More
TL;DR: AI video is now a real production tool—not just a toy. Google’s Veo 3 leads for cinematic realism with native audio (but currently 8‑second clips), Runway Gen‑4 focuses on control and consistency for storytellers, Midjourney Video (V1) brings affordable, stylized animation for creators, Pika offers fast, credit‑based plans with lots of templates, and Luma Dream Machine remains a flexible, iterative workhorse.
OpenAI’s Sora is accessible in a limited form via ChatGPT Plus. Chinese entrants like Kling are pushing realism and speed, and open‑source Stable Video Diffusion still matters for tinkerers.
Cinematic realism + control. Models are finally maintaining character and scene consistency across shots (Runway Gen‑4), while Veo 3 adds native audio (dialogue, SFX) to short, high‑fidelity shots. The VergeGoogle DeepMind
Production integrations. Veo 3 is available via Vertex AI and Gemini API (per‑second pricing), and it’s shipping inside Canva for one‑click 8‑second clips with sound. Runway’s credits map cleanly to seconds for budgeting. Google Cloud+1Google Developers BlogCanvaRunway
Mainstream creator access.Midjourney Video (V1) launched with a simple image‑to‑video flow and extend to ~21 seconds; Pika and Luma keep iterating with accessible pricing. The VergeMidjourneyPikaLuma AI
Quick Comparison Table
Specs and prices change fast; check linked sources for the latest.
Veo 3 is Google/DeepMind’s flagship video generator. The current preview in Gemini/Vertex produces 8‑second clips at 720p/1080p with native audio generation (dialogue, ambient, SFX). It also supports image‑to‑video. Enterprise delivery includes SynthID watermarking. Google CloudGoogle AI for DevelopersGoogle DeepMindGoogle Developers Blog
Google AI Ultra (consumer):$249.99/mo and includes access to Veo 3. blog.google
Canva integration: “Create a Video Clip” generates 8‑second clips with sound directly in Canva AI. Canva
Where it shines: Short, cinematic shots (ad cut‑ins, product b‑roll, trailers) that need synchronized sound without leaving your prompt. Watchouts: The 8‑second limit is real today—even though you can stitch or extend sequences in external editors or tools. Google Cloud
Runway Gen‑4
Runway’s latest model targets a filmmaker’s core pain point: consistency. Gen‑4 can keep characters/objects coherent across shots using a single reference image and gives you stronger control over camera, motion, and style. Help docs list 12 credits/sec (Gen‑4) or 5 credits/sec (Gen‑4 Turbo), with 5s or 10s durations typical. Plans include monthly credits that map transparently to seconds. The VergeRunwayRunway
Why people like it: Control modes (e.g., Motion Brush, camera moves) and a pipeline designed for storytelling rather than one‑off clips. Runway
Midjourney Video (V1)
Midjourney, famous for images, shipped its first video tool: animate a single frame into a 5‑second clip, then extend in 4‑second increments up to ~21 seconds. It’s fast, fun, and affordable, with subscriptions starting around $10/month, and videos priced ~8× an image job (per The Verge). Expect dreamlike, artistic “moving paintings,” not documentary realism. MidjourneyThe Verge
Pika
Pika has evolved into a rich, template‑driven platform—Pikascenes, Pikatwists, swaps, and more—plus lip‑sync and “Selfie With Your Younger Self.” The official pricing page shows annual‑billed tiers (Standard $8/mo, Pro $28/mo, Fancy $76/mo) with clear credit costs per feature (Turbo/Pro/2.1/2.2 all spelled out). It’s one of the easiest ways to experiment across lots of creative “modes” without huge spend. Pika
Luma Dream Machine (Ray2)
Dream Machine is a flexible ideation engine—great for iterative prompting, Extend, Loop, and even Modify Video (bring your own footage). Base generations are typically 5–10 seconds, and Modify can output up to 30 seconds. Plans: Lite $9.99/mo, Plus $29.99/mo, Unlimited $94.99/mo (commercial rights vary by tier). Luma AI+1
OpenAI Sora (public status)
Sora’s high‑end demos set expectations last year; as of now, ChatGPT Plus members can generate up to 10‑second, 720p Sora clips in a limited consumer flow, with C2PA metadata and visible watermarks for provenance. OpenAI+2OpenAI+2
Kling
Kuaishou’s Kling surged in 2025 with 2.1 upgrades, widely compared against Veo 3 for realism and motion. It’s mobile‑first (iOS/Android) and popular with creators globally. Public pricing varies by region; multiple trackers cite ≈$10/mo entry tiers. DecryptAppleGoogle PlayGeniusFirms
Open‑oriented stacks still matter. Stable Video Diffusion provides image‑to‑video foundations (14/25 frames, 3–30 fps), with related 3D/4D research models for multi‑view and asset generation. Great for developers who want custom pipelines or local control; budget time for setup and tuning. Stability AI+1
Pricing & What It Really Costs Per Clip
Veo 3 (Gemini API):$0.75/second → an 8‑second clip costs $6.00 in API charges. Consumer access via AI Ultra is $249.99/mo. Canva’s integration wraps costs in your Canva plan. Google Developers Blogblog.googleCanva
Runway Gen‑4:12 credits/sec (Gen‑4) = 120 credits for a 10‑second shot; Runway documents 1 credit ≈ $0.01, so about $1.20 not counting your included monthly credits. Gen‑4 Turbo can be less than half that. RunwayRunway Academy
Midjourney Video: Subscriptions from $10/mo; The Verge notes video jobs cost ~8× an image job, roughly “one image worth of cost per second.” Good for budget‑minded stylized clips. The Verge
Pika: Annual‑billed $8/$28/$76 tiers with 700/2300/6000 monthly credits and granular per‑feature credit tables so you can forecast spend precisely. Pika
Luma: Lite $9.99/mo, Plus $29.99/mo, Unlimited $94.99/mo; credit systems and relaxed mode help you scale. Luma AI
What People Say: Reviews & Reception
Runway Gen‑4: praised for consistency and narrative control; coverage by Ars Technica/The Verge/TechCrunch highlights improvements over Gen‑3 Alpha. Ars TechnicaThe VergeTechCrunch
Veo 3: media note cinematic quality and native audio; Google rolled out Veo 3 Fast for quicker iterations and made Veo broadly accessible via Vertex AI. TechRadarGoogle Cloud
Midjourney Video: reception focuses on accessibility and price, with some legal scrutiny around training data. The Verge
Legal, Safety & Watermarking
C2PA/SynthID: Sora embeds C2PA metadata (plus visible watermarks). Google’s Veo 3 includes SynthID digital watermarking. Runway documents provenance and moderation efforts (C2PA in earlier Gen‑3 Alpha comms). These signals matter for brands and platforms. OpenAIGoogle Developers BlogRunway
Which Tool Should You Choose?
Ad spots, product launches, high‑polish shorts with sound → Veo 3 (accept the 8‑second unit and stitch). Google Cloud
Short films, music videos, multi‑shot continuity → Runway Gen‑4 (use reference images + credits math to budget). The VergeRunway
Stylized social clips on a budget → Midjourney Video (5–21 s with easy extend). Midjourney
Template‑driven creative experiments & viral formats → Pika (credit‑clear pricing; try “Pikascenes”/“Pikatwists”). Pika
Iterative ideation & light post → Luma Dream Machine (Modify up to 30 s). Luma AI
Mobile‑first realism → Kling (fast, photorealistic outputs; plan varies by region). Decrypt
Custom pipelines, local control → Stable Video Diffusion (developer‑friendly, research‑oriented). Stability AI
What’s Next
Longer coherent shots: Expect more than 8–10 s per generation as compute and distillation improve (Google’s “Veo 3 Fast” is an early nod to iteration speed). TechRadar
Richer controls: Keyframes, region‑based edits, object tracking, natural‑language “director notes” across the board (Luma’s Modify/Extend/Keyframes point the way). Luma AI
Enterprise guardrails: Deeper watermarking/credentials and indemnification programs to unlock brand usage at scale. Google Developers Blog