Pika review: our take
Pika is the cheapest paid way into AI video on this list. Starter costs $10 a month, or $8 billed yearly, for 900 credits, and you can skip the subscription entirely by buying a pack, from 1,500 credits for $25. Its own Pika 2.5 model renders at up to 1080p, and its API also offers third-party models such as Seedance 2.5, Kling 3.0 and Veo 3.1.
The catch is the license: Starter and the free account carry no commercial license, so client or ad work needs Creator at $35 a month. Pika 2.5 text-to-video is limited to 5 seconds. For more models and editing tools in one plan, look at Runway; for longer clips with dialogue, Kling.
By the Prompt Hackers team · facts checked 4 Oct 2026
What Pika does
Pika turns text or an image into short video clips. Its own Pika 2.5 model renders at 720p or 1080p, with 5-second text-to-video clips and a choice of 5 or 10 seconds from a reference image, and Pika's API also offers third-party models such as Seedance 2.5 and Veo 3.1. Credits come from a monthly plan or from packs bought without a subscription.
Who Pika is for
Best for
- people who want the cheapest paid start in AI video
- occasional users who prefer buying credits once over a subscription
Not for
- commercial projects on Starter: the license starts at Creator, $35 a month
- longer text-to-video: Pika 2.5 makes 5-second clips from text
Pika features
- F1Pika 2.5 model
- F2720p and 1080p
- F35-second text-to-video
- F45 or 10 seconds from an image
- F5Third-party models via API
- F6Pika 2.5 Keyframe
- F7Credit packs without a plan
- F8API
Pika pricing and plans
| Plan | Monthly | Billed yearly, per month | What it includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | — | no monthly credits, credit packs only, no watermark, no commercial license |
| Starter | $10 | $8 | 900 credits a month, no commercial license |
| Creator | $35 | $28 | 3,150 credits a month, commercial license |
| Fancy | $95 | $76 | 8,550 credits a month and up, commercial license, unlimited parallel generations |
| Credit packs | — | — | 1,500 credits for $25 up to 66,000 for $1,000, no subscription needed |
Free plan: yes. Prices as listed by the vendor in USD, before tax; they change, so check the pricing page before you buy.
Pika FAQ
- How much does Pika cost?
- Paid plans start at $10/mo, with a discount for yearly billing. Prices checked on 4 Oct 2026.
- Does Pika have a free plan?
- Yes, Pika has a free plan.
- What are the alternatives to Pika?
- Tools that cover the same jobs include Runway, Kling AI, Luma AI, Google Flow.