Google Veo 3 / Veo 3.1: The Cheapest Native 4K AI Video Model
Veo 3 (officially Veo 3.1) is Google's flagship AI video generation model, and the cheapest way to reach native 4K per second. Raw API pricing starts at $0.10 per second for the Fast tier without audio and runs up to $0.60 per second for Standard 4K with audio. Slates ships it on credits next to Kling and Seedance.
| Tier | Resolution | Audio Off | Audio On |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veo 3.1 Fast | 1080p | $0.10/s | $0.15/s |
| Veo 3.1 Fast | 4K | $0.30/s | $0.35/s |
| Veo 3.1 Standard | 1080p | $0.20/s | $0.40/s |
| Veo 3.1 Standard | 4K | $0.40/s | $0.60/s |
Raw API pricing, verified 2026-04-09. Available on Slates credits.
What Veo 3.1 actually is
Veo 3.1 is Google's flagship video generation model, built by Google DeepMind. The "3" and "3.1" naming gets confusing because Google released them close together. Most people search for "veo 3" and end up on the 3.1 release page.
There's no "Veo 3 base" anymore. The current flagship is just Veo 3.1, with two quality tiers underneath it: Fast and Standard.
What makes Veo different from Kling and Seedance is what 4K costs. All three reach native 4K, but Veo Standard does it at $0.40 per second without audio, against $0.42 on Kling and $0.78 on Seedance. Veo Fast goes lower still at $0.30.
So if your project ships in 4K (and most professional client work does), Veo is the seat that makes 4K an everyday resolution instead of a hero-shot splurge. What you trade for it is clip length and flexibility: 4 to 8 seconds, 16:9 or 9:16, and three reference images.
Real pricing for Veo 3.1 across every tier
Veo's pricing has more tiers than most models because of the resolution and audio toggles. Here's the raw API breakdown.
Veo 3.1 Fast is $0.10 per second with no audio and $0.15 per second with audio. The same Fast tier at 4K resolution is $0.30 per second without audio and $0.35 per second with audio.
Veo 3.1 Standard at 1080p is $0.20 per second without audio and $0.40 per second with audio. Standard at 4K is $0.40 per second without audio and $0.60 per second with audio.
Slates ships all of these with credit-based pricing. No Google account required, no key management, just pay through Slates and generate.
When to pick Veo over Kling or Seedance
Pick Veo 3.1 when the shot needs to ship in 4K and there is more than one of them. Kling and Seedance both reach 4K too, but Veo Standard is the cheapest per second of the three, so it is the only one where 4K is a default rather than a splurge.
Pick Veo when the project relies on Google's reference-image consistency. Veo accepts up to 3 reference images per generation and holds the subject across the shot. That's solid for hero shots of products, characters, or environments where the look needs to match an existing visual.
Pick Veo Standard for the highest motion fidelity. Veo Standard is slower and more expensive than Fast, but the motion coherence on complex scenes is the best in class. Use it for the 5 hero shots in a project, not for the 30 b-roll cutaways.
Skip Veo when the prompt features realistic people in non-PG poses. Google's content filters are aggressive and the same filters that block Imagen work block Veo. So fashion, music video, and editorial work that needs less restrictive filters should run on Kling or Seedance instead.
How to access Veo 3.1 without Google Flow
Google Flow is Google's official Veo wrapper. It's fine for casual use but it's a browser-based tool with credit caps and no real timeline editor. Most production work outgrows it within a few projects.
Slates ships Veo 3.1 with credit-based pricing. Top up Slates credits and generate, no Google account required. It works as a single toggle in the same prompt panel.
It gives you the same model, the same output quality, and the same resolution options.
Frequently asked questions
What is Google Veo 3?+
Veo 3 (currently Veo 3.1) is Google DeepMind's flagship AI video generation model, and the cheapest route to true native 4K per second. It comes in Fast and Standard quality tiers, both with optional audio generation, and ships in Slates on credits next to Kling and Seedance.
How much does Veo 3.1 cost per second?+
Veo 3.1 Fast is $0.10 per second at 1080p without audio and $0.15 per second with audio. Standard is $0.20 per second at 1080p without audio and $0.40 per second with audio. The 4K versions roughly double those rates: $0.40 to $0.60 per second for Standard 4K depending on the audio toggle.
Can Veo 3.1 actually output 4K video?+
Yes, native 4K (3840x2160) without any upscale step, on both the Fast and Standard tiers. Kling and Seedance 2.0 also reach 4K in Slates, so Veo is not the only option, but at $0.40 per second Veo Standard is the cheapest of the three (Kling is $0.42, Seedance is $0.78).
What's the difference between Veo Fast and Veo Standard?+
Fast generates in roughly half the time and costs roughly half as much per second. Standard takes longer and costs more, but motion coherence and prompt adherence are stronger on complex scenes with multiple subjects. Use Fast for everyday work and b-roll, Standard for the handful of hero shots that justify the higher cost per second.
Why does Veo reject some of my prompts?+
Google applies the same content filters to Veo as it does to Imagen. Realistic people in non-PG poses, fashion editorial work, and music video scenes can get rejected even when the prompt is benign. For prompts that hit the filter, [Kling 3.0](/models/kling-ai) and Seedance 2.0 have less restrictive content policies and usually work as alternatives.
Related
Run Veo 3.1 in a real timeline editor
Slates exposes Veo 3.1 Fast and Standard with credit-based access. Native 4K, audio toggle, and a real multi-track timeline. No Google Flow credit caps.
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