Seedance vs Sora vs Veo: AI Video Model Comparison

Sora can no longer be used, because OpenAI shut the Sora API on September 24, 2026, so the real choice is Seedance 2.5 or Google Veo 3.1. OpenAI had already closed the Sora app and web experience on April 26, 2026. Pick ByteDance's Seedance 2.5 for one continuous take up to 30 seconds built from references. Pick Veo 3.1 for 8-second clips at the lowest per-second price or at 4K.

At Layer3Labs, we help Small and Mid-sized Business (SMB) operators design scalable Artificial Intelligence (AI) automation workflows, and video model selection currently balances shot duration against per-second rendering costs. Seedance 2.5, distributed through BytePlus ModelArk, creates single continuous takes from 4 to 30 seconds with up to 50 reference assets at approximately $0.231 per second at 720p resolution. Google Veo 3.1, available through the Gemini API, specializes in 4 to 8 second clips with native audio across 720p, 1080p, and 4K resolutions, with prices starting at $0.05 per second on its Lite tier.

Seedance 2.5 (ByteDance) vs. Veo 3.1 (Google): Side-by-Side

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Short Choice Between Seedance 2.5 and Google Veo 3.1

Sora is completely out of the running because OpenAI shut down the Sora API on September 24, 2026, making the working decision a direct comparison between Seedance 2.5 and Google Veo 3.1. Seedance 2.5 is the right choice when your workflow requires continuous takes up to 30 seconds, multi-character consistency using up to 50 reference files, or diverse aspect ratios such as 21:9 ultra-wide and 1:1 square. Google Veo 3.1 is the better choice when you require 4K resolution, fast 8-second social media clips at low per-second rates, or a pipeline already built on the Gemini API.

Note that Google Veo refers to Google's generative video foundation model family, distinguishing it from the sports camera hardware company of the same name. Video model prices change without notice, so check Google's Gemini API pricing and BytePlus ModelArk pricing before budgeting.

If you need neither a take longer than 8 seconds nor 4K, start with Veo 3.1 Lite at $0.05 per second at 720p.

Sora Discontinuation Timeline and Historical Pricing

OpenAI announced the sunset of Sora on March 24, 2026, as reported by NewsBytes. The Sora app and web experience closed on April 26, 2026, and OpenAI formally discontinued the Sora API on September 24, 2026. OpenAI's help page describes an export route at sora.chatgpt.com/sunset and says data is permanently deleted after any final export window, so check that page for whether export is still open. The same page points to ChatGPT subscription refund instructions and says purchased ChatGPT or Sora credits can still be used for Codex.

Before the shutdown, third-party pricing trackers like CostGoat recorded Sora 2's last published API rates. Sora 2 Standard ran at $0.10 per second at 720p resolution. Sora 2 Pro was priced at $0.30 per second at 720p, $0.50 per second at 1024p (1792×1024), and $0.70 per second at 1080p. These historical rates are no longer purchasable, but they serve as an economic baseline for teams migrating existing video automation pipelines.

For developers who built production pipelines around Sora 2 Standard's $0.10 per second rate, Google Veo 3.1 Fast ($0.10 per second at 720p) and Gemini Omni Flash (roughly $0.10 per second at 720p) offer the closest price parity today. The full timeline and export steps are in Is Sora shutting down?.

• March 24, 2026: OpenAI announced the discontinuation of Sora across both consumer and API endpoints.
• April 26, 2026: The Sora app and web experience closed.
• September 24, 2026: The developer API was officially turned off, terminating programmatic access.
• Data export: OpenAI's help page describes an export route at sora.chatgpt.com/sunset; check it for whether export is still open.
• Historical rates: Sora 2 Standard ran at $0.10 per second at 720p, while Sora 2 Pro reached $0.70 per second at 1080p.

→ Compare per-token pricing for every AI model

Seedance 2.5 vs Veo 3.1 on Clip Length and Asset Control

Seedance 2.5 from ByteDance generates continuous video takes ranging from 4 to 30 seconds in a single inference call. As documented on BytePlus ModelArk documentation, this 30-second ceiling is double the 15-second cap on Seedance 2.0. Seedance 2.5 also features omni reference conditioning, allowing developers to submit up to 50 reference files per request (up to 30 images, 10 video files, and 10 audio tracks). That lets a pipeline send the same character images, clips and audio with every request. Seedance 2.5 also supports 11 languages natively, including English, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and Arabic.

Google Veo 3.1, developed by Google DeepMind and detailed in the Google Veo documentation, takes a different architectural approach by generating discrete clips of 4, 6, or 8 seconds. Any generation rendered at 1080p or 4K resolution, or any request using reference images, must run for the full 8 seconds. Veo 3.1 Standard and Fast support up to 3 reference images to guide visual style, while Veo 3.1 Lite does not accept image references.

To achieve longer continuous takes in Google Veo 3.1, developers must use video extension, which appends 7 seconds per call up to 20 consecutive times for a maximum length of 148 seconds. However, Veo video extension operates strictly at 720p resolution and requires an input clip generated within the prior 2 days from Google's servers. For narrative scenes requiring uninterrupted 30-second takes at 1080p, Seedance 2.5 delivers the shot natively, whereas Veo 3.1 cannot extend beyond 8 seconds without dropping resolution to 720p.

• Seedance 2.5 outputs 4 to 30 continuous seconds in one pass at 480p, 720p, or 1080p.
• Seedance 2.5 supports up to 50 reference assets (30 images, 10 videos, 10 audio files) for character and scene consistency.
• Google Veo 3.1 outputs 4, 6, or 8 seconds; 1080p, 4K, and reference-guided clips require the full 8-second duration.
• Google Veo 3.1 Standard and Fast accept up to 3 reference images; the Lite tier does not support reference images.
• Veo video extension adds 7 seconds per call up to 148 seconds, but extension is locked to 720p resolution.

Price per Second and Total Clip Cost Calculations

Billing structures between the two active platforms differ fundamentally in their unit economics. Google Veo 3.1 bills a flat rate per second of generated video through the Gemini API, charging only when a generation completes successfully. As listed on the official Google pricing documentation, Veo 3.1 Standard costs $0.40 per second at 720p and 1080p, rising to $0.60 per second at 4K. Veo 3.1 Fast costs $0.10 per second at 720p, $0.12 per second at 1080p, and $0.30 per second at 4K. Veo 3.1 Lite costs $0.05 per second at 720p and $0.08 per second at 1080p.

ByteDance prices Seedance on BytePlus ModelArk pricing using million-token increments based on input and output frame dimensions. For a standard 5-second 16:9 output without video input, BytePlus lists benchmark costs for Seedance 2.5 at $1.156 for 720p (equivalent to $0.231 per second) and $2.843 for 1080p (equivalent to $0.569 per second). Seedance 2.5 costs more per second than Veo 3.1 Fast at 720p ($0.231 versus $0.10) and more than Veo 3.1 Standard at 1080p ($0.569 versus $0.40).

Clip-level arithmetic demonstrates the total cost implications for production pipelines. An 8-second 720p clip costs $0.40 on Veo 3.1 Lite (8 × $0.05), $0.80 on Veo 3.1 Fast (8 × $0.10), and $3.20 on Veo 3.1 Standard (8 × $0.40). On Seedance 2.5, an 8-second 720p clip costs approximately $1.85 (8 × $0.231). For a continuous 30-second scene at 720p, Seedance 2.5 handles the entire prompt in a single generation costing approximately $6.93 (30 × $0.231). Producing a 30-second scene in Veo 3.1 requires an initial 8-second generation followed by four 7-second extensions (reaching 36 seconds total), which on Veo 3.1 Fast would cost $3.60 (36 × $0.10), assuming extension seconds bill at the same per-second rate. Confirm that on Google's pricing page. It also means five sequential API requests, all at 720p.

• Google Veo 3.1 Lite: $0.05/s at 720p ($0.40 per 8-second clip), the lowest list rate in this comparison.
• Google Veo 3.1 Fast: $0.10/s at 720p ($0.80 per 8s clip) and $0.12/s at 1080p ($0.96 per 8s clip).
• Google Veo 3.1 Standard: $0.40/s at 720p and 1080p ($3.20 per 8s clip); $0.60/s at 4K ($4.80 per 8s clip).
• Seedance 2.5 720p: $0.231/s ($1.156 per 5s benchmark, roughly $1.85 per 8s clip, and $6.93 per 30s take).
• Seedance 2.5 1080p: $0.569/s ($2.843 per 5s benchmark, roughly $4.55 per 8s clip, and $17.07 per 30s take).

→ Compare per-token pricing for every AI model

Model Selection by Workflow and Output Requirements

Choosing between Seedance 2.5 and Google Veo 3.1 depends on output dimensions, scene length, and technical infrastructure. For short ad clips and b-roll made in volume, start with Google Veo 3.1 Lite ($0.05 per second at 720p) or Fast ($0.10). Either costs less than half of Seedance 2.5's $0.231 per second at 720p.

When production specifications call for 4K resolution, Google Veo 3.1 Standard ($0.60 per second) or Veo 3.1 Fast ($0.30 per second) must be selected, because Seedance 2.5 does not support 4K output. Teams seeking 4K from ByteDance must revert to the older Seedance 2.0 model, which lists 4K rendering at $0.78 per second ($3.89 per 5-second output). When a project needs one take up to 30 seconds, up to 50 reference files, or a 21:9 or 1:1 frame, pick Seedance 2.5. Google Veo 3.1 is strictly limited to 16:9 and 9:16 framing.

Neither system fits organizations that require an unpaid developer tier, because Veo 3.1 runs only on the Gemini API's paid tier and BytePlus recommends a balance above USD 30 before enabling Seedance 2.5. Furthermore, teams operating in the European Union (EU), United Kingdom (UK), Switzerland, or Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions must account for Google's rule that restricts people generation to adults under the allow_adult parameter. In addition, Google retains generated assets on its servers for only 2 days, making automated immediate downloading mandatory.

• Short ad variants and social clips: Pick Google Veo 3.1 Lite ($0.05/s) or Fast ($0.10/s) for lowest per-second costs.
• 4K resolution deliverables: Pick Google Veo 3.1 Standard or Fast; Seedance 2.5 caps resolution at 1080p.
• Extended continuous takes: Pick Seedance 2.5 for single takes up to 30 seconds in one call, at up to 1080p.
• Non-standard framing: Pick Seedance 2.5 for 21:9, 4:3, 1:1, or 3:4 framing; Veo 3.1 supports only 16:9 and 9:16.
• Multi-asset consistency: Pick Seedance 2.5 to feed up to 50 reference files into a single video generation pipeline.

Cheaper Tiers and Gemini Omni Flash

Both Google and ByteDance provide lower-cost model alternatives for cost-sensitive automation pipelines. Within ByteDance's ModelArk catalog on BytePlus ModelArk, developers can access Seedance 2.0 Fast at $0.12 per second ($0.60 per 5 seconds at 720p) and Seedance 2.0 Mini at $0.08 per second ($0.38 per 5 seconds at 720p). BytePlus also maintains a temporary enterprise discount through October 7, 2026, offering 60 percent off Seedance 2.0 Mini (roughly $0.03 per second at 720p) and 25 percent off Seedance 2.0 Fast (roughly $0.09 per second at 720p). To activate Seedance 2.5 on ModelArk, BytePlus recommends maintaining an account balance above 30 United States Dollars (USD), committing to an AI Savings Plan, or purchasing a dedicated resource pack.

Third-party creative platforms also host these models. For example, creative platform Runway includes Seedance 2.0 models alongside its own proprietary tools on paid tiers, detailed on the Runway pricing page. Runway subscriptions range from the Standard plan at $15 per month ($12 billed annually) for 625 credits to the Max plan at $95 per month ($76 billed annually) for 9,500 credits. On Runway, Seedance 2.0 Pro 1080p consumes 160 credits per 4 seconds, while Seedance 2.0 Fast consumes 116 credits per 4 seconds. A Runway credit price is Runway's price, not ByteDance's ModelArk rate.

Google's Gemini API video documentation now advises developers to use Gemini Omni Flash (gemini-omni-1.1-flash) as the default model for automated video generation and conversational video editing. Billed at 5,792 tokens per second of 720p video on the paid tier, Gemini Omni Flash costs approximately $0.10 per second under Standard pricing. Google says to use Veo 3.1 for specific capabilities such as scene extension, last-frame control, or integration with legacy pipelines.

• Seedance 2.0 Mini: Lists at $0.08/s at 720p; temporary enterprise discount through October 7, 2026 drops rate to roughly $0.03/s.
• Seedance 2.0 Fast: Lists at $0.12/s at 720p; enterprise discount through October 7, 2026 drops rate to roughly $0.09/s.
• BytePlus access: BytePlus recommends a balance above 30 USD, an AI Savings Plan, or a resource pack to activate Seedance 2.5.
• Runway third-party hosting: Plans from $15 to $95/mo provide credits to run Seedance 2.0 Pro (160 credits/4s) and Fast (116 credits/4s).
• Gemini Omni Flash: Google's recommended default video model at roughly $0.10/s for 720p multimodal video generation.

The Verdict

Sora is not a candidate. OpenAI discontinued the Sora app and web experience on April 26, 2026, and closed the Sora API on September 24, 2026. What was once a three-way race is now a direct decision between ByteDance's Seedance 2.5 and Google Veo 3.1.

Choose Google Veo 3.1 if your primary production needs are 4K resolution, low per-second inference costs on short promotional clips, or deep integration within the Gemini API ecosystem. Veo 3.1 Lite at $0.05 per second is the lowest list per-second rate on this page, and Veo 3.1 Fast at $0.10 costs less than half of Seedance 2.5's $0.231 at 720p.

Choose Seedance 2.5 if your creative workflow requires continuous takes up to 30 seconds without multi-call extension jumps, multi-asset character consistency using up to 50 reference files, or diverse aspect ratios such as 21:9 ultra-wide or 1:1 square. If you need a free API tier, neither fits: Veo 3.1 has no free tier in the Gemini API, and BytePlus recommends a balance above USD 30 before enabling Seedance 2.5. Runway's free plan, with 125 one-time credits, is the free trial in this comparison. The routing would change if Google added single calls longer than 8 seconds to Veo 3.1, or if BytePlus priced Seedance 2.5 below Veo 3.1 Fast's $0.10 per second at 720p.