AI video generators in 2026, after Sora

Two things changed this year: Sora's consumer app was shut down in April 2026 and its API was withdrawn on 24 September 2026, and Higgsfield became the largest platform in the category by disclosed revenue while growing faster than anything else in it.

The models stayed shared: Veo 3.1, Seedance 2.5 and Wan 2.7 turn up on most platforms here, which leaves the terms as the thing to compare.

Terms matter more in video than in images because the unit costs are higher, and one failed render on a flagship model can cost more than a month of image generation. Whether that render gets refunded is worth knowing before you pay.

Billing terms on video platforms

Checked August 2026.

Platform	Buy without a subscription	Credit lifetime	Failed render
Azurade AI	Yes, one-time packs	No expiry	Refunded automatically
Higgsfield	No, top-ups need an active plan	Monthly expiry, no rollover	Not stated publicly
PixVerse	No, subscription required	Daily credits die daily, plan credits at period end	Refunds refused for output quality
Pollo AI	No, Pro-Yearly plan required	Add-ons never expire, survive cancellation	Not stated publicly
Sora, first party	Consumer app shut down April 2026	Not applicable	API withdrawn 24 September 2026
Prepaid API platforms	Yes, load a balance	A year after purchase at Replicate and fal.ai	Varies; fal.ai charges nothing when its side fails

The platforms, and the models worth using

Higgsfield

The category leader and the deepest video toolset in the consumer tier, backed by a $400M raise in August 2026 at a $5.4B valuation. If you generate video every week and will spend the monthly allowance, it is a strong product.

What it does well

The most complete video feature set available to non-developers
Support praised in reviews for handling billing issues quickly
4.5 out of 5 on G2 across 82 reviews, and 390 reported Fortune 500 customers

Check before you buy

No pay-as-you-go tier: a top-up requires an active subscription. (Higgsfield pricing, checked September 2026)
Subscription credits reset at renewal with no rollover, and credit packs expire 90 days after purchase, which stings more in video, where a single clip can cost a meaningful share of the allowance. (Higgsfield's own help center, checked September 2026)
Reviewers report charges after canceling and refused refunds. (G2 reviews, June and July 2026)

PixVerse and Pollo AI

The cheap end of consumer video. Low monthly prices, and correspondingly tight rules about what happens to the credits.

What it does well

Among the lowest monthly prices for video generation
PixVerse has a free tier

Check before you buy

PixVerse expires daily credits the same day and membership credits at the end of the 30-day cycle; only bonus credits from purchases and rewards never expire. (PixVerse's own terms of service, checked September 2026)
PixVerse credit pack purchases are non-refundable regardless of whether the credits were used. (PixVerse's own terms of service, checked September 2026)
Pollo's add-on packs are documented as never expiring, but only Pro-Yearly subscribers can buy them. (Pollo AI's own pricing page, checked September 2026)

Sora, and what replaced it

The consumer app closed on 26 April 2026 and the API was withdrawn on 24 September 2026. We removed Sora 2 from Azurade AI ahead of the API date instead of selling credits against a model about to stop answering.

What it does well

Sora 2 was strong right up to the day the API went
Clips already rendered with it do not expire with the API

Check before you buy

There is no first-party product to return to: the app is gone and the API went with it, and the 24 September 2026 removal happened on schedule. (OpenAI's own removal schedule and dated shutdown coverage, confirmed September 2026)

The models to move to

Veo 3.1 is the closest general-purpose replacement for Sora 2, in fast and quality tiers. Seedance 2.5 is stronger on motion and camera work, with Fast and Mini tiers for cheap iteration. Wan 2.7 covers the widest range of inputs, including image-to-video, reference-to-video and editing. Kling 3.0 goes up to 4K with sound and has a faster Turbo tier. All four run here on the same balance as the image models.

What it does well

Veo 3.1: realistic general-purpose video, fast and quality tiers
Seedance 2.5: motion and camera work, with cheaper Fast and Mini tiers to test an idea first
Wan 2.7: text, image, reference and editing inputs in one family
Kling 3.0: clips up to 4K with sound from text or a first and last frame, plus a faster Turbo tier
Older generations such as Veo 2, Veo 3 and Hunyuan are still available and cost less

Check before you buy

Video pricing scales with duration and resolution on every platform, so compare a real clip length rather than a headline per-second figure. (Our own pricing and competitor rate cards, September 2026)

Why expiring credits hurt more in video

A monthly allowance that resets is a bet that you will have a video project every month, and in the months you do not, you have paid for renders you never ran.

Azurade AI credits have no expiry, so a quiet quarter costs nothing and the balance is waiting when the next project lands. A render that fails returns its credits automatically, and with a flagship clip that is real money.

Credits never expire. The balance only moves when you add to it or spend from it, with no monthly reset and no rollover cap.
Subscription credits stack, so a quiet month leaves the balance where it was and the next drop lands on top.
A failed generation goes back to your balance automatically, without a ticket or anyone having to approve it.
Canceling takes two clicks in your own profile, ends at the close of the period you already paid for, and shows you the date.
One-time credit packs need no subscription, so you can buy credits, spend them when you like and stop whenever.
A person reads and answers mail sent to support@azurade.com.

The long version of why we will not sell expiring credits is on the blog.

Try it before you commit to anything

There is no plan to start, nothing to cancel later, and the credits you buy stay yours until you spend them. Read the pricing page first if you want the numbers before the signup.

Generate a video

Frequently asked questions

What is the best AI video generator in 2026?▼

Higgsfield has the deepest toolset and the most momentum, and it is the right pick if you generate video regularly and will use a monthly allowance before it resets. If you work in bursts, the deciding factor is usually whether unspent credits survive, which is where pay-per-generation with non-expiring credits wins. On models specifically, Veo 3.1, Seedance 2.5 and Wan 2.7 are the current front line and are available across most platforms.

Is Sora still available?▼

No. The consumer app was shut down on 26 April 2026, and the Sora 2 API was withdrawn on 24 September 2026, so nobody can run it now, whatever a pricing page says. We removed it early.

What happens if a video generation fails?▼

Here, the credits are returned to your balance automatically, with no ticket and no wait. Worth checking wherever you generate: video is expensive per render, and at least one platform in this comparison states plainly that dissatisfaction with a result is not grounds for a refund.

Can I generate AI video without a subscription?▼

On most consumer platforms, no. The category leader requires an active plan even to buy a top-up. Azurade AI sells one-time credit packs that need no subscription, and those credits do not expire, so occasional video work does not mean keeping a plan alive between projects.

How much does one AI video clip cost?▼

It depends on model, duration and resolution, and it varies by more than an order of magnitude across the category. Compare a specific clip length at a specific resolution rather than a headline rate, because per-second pricing hides how quickly a longer or higher-resolution render adds up. Our own per-model credit costs are listed on the pricing page.

Other comparisons

How this page is sourced

Competitor terms are from each company's own pricing pages, FAQs and public reviews, most recently re-checked in September 2026, and each claim names its source. Terms change, sometimes quietly, so check the current page before you buy, and tell us if something here has gone out of date.