Pricing pages for AI video tools are optimized for conversion, not clarity. Monthly subscription fees hide per-video limits, API costs, and feature gates. This article breaks down what you actually pay per video across every major AI video tool.
The True Cost Per Video
The metric that matters is cost per finished video, not monthly subscription price. A $15/mo tool that limits you to 10 videos costs $1.50/video. A $30/mo tool with unlimited processing costs less per video if you publish frequently.
VidNo
Free Tier (Self-Hosted)
- Monthly cost: $0
- Per-video cost: ~$0.10-0.30 (Claude API fee for script generation)
- Hidden costs: GPU electricity (~$0.10/video), GPU hardware (amortized)
- Limits: None. Process as many videos as you want.
- True cost at 4 videos/month: ~$0.80-1.60/month
Pro ($29/month)
- Monthly cost: $29
- Per-video cost: $0 (API costs included)
- Hidden costs: None
- Limits: Unlimited videos
- True cost at 4 videos/month: $7.25/video
- True cost at 12 videos/month: $2.42/video
Descript
Hobbyist ($24/month)
- Monthly cost: $24
- Per-video cost: $0
- Hidden costs: Limited to 10 hours of transcription/month. Exceeding requires Business plan.
- Limits: 10 hours transcription, 1 hour AI voice, watermark on exports for free tier
- True cost at 4 videos/month: $6.00/video
Business ($33/month)
- Monthly cost: $33
- Per-video cost: $0
- Hidden costs: None within plan limits
- Limits: 30 hours transcription, unlimited AI voice
- True cost at 4 videos/month: $8.25/video
Gling
Creator ($15/month)
- Monthly cost: $15
- Per-video cost: $0
- Hidden costs: You still need another editor for final production. DaVinci Resolve (free) or Premiere ($22/mo) adds to total cost.
- Limits: Processing time limits on lower tiers
- True cost at 4 videos/month: $3.75/video (Gling only, editor not included)
- True cost with Premiere: $9.25/video
NarrateAI
- Monthly cost: $20-35/mo (varies by plan)
- Per-video cost: Some plans charge per video beyond monthly allocation
- Hidden costs: Upload bandwidth, storage for processed videos
- True cost at 4 videos/month: $5-8.75/video
Trupeer
- Monthly cost: $0-25/mo
- Per-video cost: Free tier limited to 5 recordings/month
- Hidden costs: Pro features (custom branding, team features) require paid plan
- True cost at 4 videos/month: $0-6.25/video
Cost Comparison Table
| Tool | Plan | Monthly | 4 vids/mo | 12 vids/mo | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VidNo Free | Self-hosted | ~$1 | $0.25 | $0.08 | API costs only |
| VidNo Pro | $29/mo | $29 | $7.25 | $2.42 | All-inclusive |
| Descript | Hobbyist | $24 | $6.00 | $2.00 | 10hr limit |
| Descript | Business | $33 | $8.25 | $2.75 | 30hr limit |
| Gling | Creator | $15+ | $3.75+ | $1.25+ | Needs separate editor |
| NarrateAI | Pro | $35 | $8.75 | $2.92 | Cloud upload required |
The Real Calculation
Price per video is only half the equation. The other half is time per video. If a tool costs $2/video but requires 3 hours of editing, and another costs $7/video with zero editing, the "expensive" tool is cheaper if your time is worth more than $1.67/hour.
For developers (whose time is typically valued at $50-150/hour), the time savings of full automation dwarf subscription differences. VidNo's free tier at $0.20/video with zero editing time is the clear winner on total cost of ownership.
For feature comparisons beyond pricing, see best AI video editors for tutorials.