Cheap means something different in each content type: a picture and a ten-second clip are not the same job, so a single price ladder across all of them is just a list of image models. This page takes the five cheapest models in each of video, image, lipsync and audio and ranks those 18 together, so the floor in every content type is visible on one page.
All figures are the credits one complete job costs, not a per-second or per-character rate.
Ranking method
The five cheapest models by complete-job cost within each of video, image, lipsync and audio, ranked together by that cost, ascending.
Full ranking
| # | Model | Provider | Credits | Content type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HiDream O1 Image | HiDream | 1 credit | Image |
| 2 | Luma UNI 1 Max | Luma | 1 credit | Image |
| 3 | HiDream O1 Image Edit | HiDream | 1 credit | Image |
| 4 | HiDream O1 Image Dev | HiDream | 1 credit | Image |
| 5 | ERNIE Image Turbo | Baidu | 1 credit | Image |
| 6 | PrunaAI P-Video | PrunaAI | 2-40 credits | Video |
| 7 | Bria Video Background Removal | Bria | 2 credits | Video |
| 8 | Suno Sounds V5.5 | Suno | 2 credits | Audio |
| 9 | VEED Avatars | VEED | 3-70 credits | Lipsync |
| 10 | Seedance Image to Video | ByteDance | 4-105 credits | Video |
| 11 | ByteDance Upscaler Video | ByteDance | 4-346 credits | Video |
| 12 | Sam 3 Video Segment | Sam | 4-90 credits | Video |
| 13 | VEED Lipsync | VEED | 4-81 credits | Lipsync |
| 14 | Runway Upscale V1 | Runway | 10-240 credits | Video upscale |
| 15 | HeyGen Avatar V3 | HeyGen | 17-408 credits | Lipsync |
| 16 | LTX 2 Audio to Video | LTX | 20 credits | Lipsync |
| 17 | ElevenLabs Voice Change | Eleven Labs | 25-600 credits | Audio |
| 18 | Sync Lipsync 2.0 | Sync | 25-600 credits | Lipsync |
The top 5, explained
#1 — HiDream O1 Image (HiDream) costs 1 credit and sits at #11 in text to image on Versely's live model rankings. Content type: Image.
#2 — Luma UNI 1 Max (Luma) costs 1 credit and sits at #11 in edit image on Versely's live model rankings. Content type: Image.
#3 — HiDream O1 Image Edit (HiDream) costs 1 credit and sits at #19 in edit image on Versely's live model rankings. Content type: Image.
#4 — HiDream O1 Image Dev (HiDream) costs 1 credit and sits at #32 in text to image on Versely's live model rankings. Content type: Image.
#5 — ERNIE Image Turbo (Baidu) costs 1 credit and sits at #34 in text to image on Versely's live model rankings. Content type: Image.
Compare these models head-to-head
HiDream O1 Image vs Luma UNI 1 Max
Side-by-side pricing, resolution and rankings
GPT Image 2 Text to Image vs HiDream O1 Image
Side-by-side pricing, resolution and rankings
Luma UNI 1 Max vs Cosmos 3 Super
Side-by-side pricing, resolution and rankings
HiDream O1 Image Edit vs Flux 2 Klein 4B Base Edit
Side-by-side pricing, resolution and rankings
More price rankings
Frequently asked questions
What is the Cheapest AI model overall?+
HiDream O1 Image by HiDream tops this ranking. The five cheapest models by complete-job cost within each of video, image, lipsync and audio, ranked together by that cost, ascending. HiDream O1 Image costs 1 credit and sits at #11 in text to image on Versely's live model rankings.
How is this ranking calculated?+
The five cheapest models by complete-job cost within each of video, image, lipsync and audio, ranked together by that cost, ascending.
How many models qualify for this ranking?+
18 models with a page on Versely meet the criteria for "Cheapest AI model overall", across 14 providers.
Is the top-ranked model also the cheapest?+
Yes — HiDream O1 Image is both the top entry and the cheapest option here, at 1 credit.
Do all of these models hold a Versely leaderboard position?+
7 of the 18 models here hold a position on at least one Versely leaderboard; the remaining 11 are unranked and listed afterward, cheapest complete job first.
Try HiDream O1 Image inside Versely
The all-in-one AI studio for creators. 60+ models for video, image, voice, music and lipsync in a single app.