The formula
credits = base_first_5s + rate_per_extra_second × (seconds − 5)- base_first_5s
- a fixed entry price covering the opening five seconds. You pay it in full for a three-second clip too — the block is never prorated downwards.
- rate_per_extra_second
- the marginal rate, charged only on seconds six and up. On every model in this family it is a fraction of the base.
- seconds − 5
- clamped at zero. Anything at or below five seconds costs exactly the base.
Worked example — A ten-second clip on Kling O3 Pro Image to Video
- 1.base_first_5s = 56 credits
- 2.rate_per_extra_second = 12 credits
- 3.56 + 12 × (10 − 5)
- 4.56 + 60
= 116 credits
Why a three-second clip is the worst value on the page
This is the only formula in the catalogue with an entry price in it, and it inverts the usual advice about keeping clips short. Under linear per-second billing, three seconds costs three-fifths of five. Here it costs the same as five, so a short clip is pure waste.
The marginal seconds are the best value on the page. On Kling O3 Pro Image to Video the base works out to 11 credits a second across the first block, then drops to 12 for everything after it. Whether that reads as a discount depends on the model — the ratio between base and marginal rate is not constant across the 25 models that bill this way.
The practical rule is to use the whole block. If you are generating a five-second beat, do not ask for three. If you need eight seconds, check what ten costs before you cut it down.
Entry blocks, marginal rates and the cost curve
Every figure below is computed from Versely's live price matrix — the same matrix the app quotes you from before it charges. These are prices, not verdicts: the buyer's guides are where models get ranked.
Base price and marginal rate across the family
Both figures come from the same model's published price table. The range column is the catalogue's own floor and ceiling.
| Model | First 5 seconds | Each extra second | Marginal vs base rate | Published range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kling 2.5 Turbo | 17 | 4 | 1.2× | 17 – 34 |
| Kling O1 Reference to Video | 23 | 5 | 1.1× | 23 – 45 |
| Kling O1 Standard Image to Video | 34 | 7 | 1× | 34 – 68 |
| Kling O1 Standard Reference to Video | 34 | 7 | 1× | 34 – 68 |
| Kling O3 Standard Text to Video | 45 | 9 | 1× | 45 – 135 |
| Kling O3 Standard Image to Video | 45 | 9 | 1× | 45 – 135 |
| Kling O1 Image to Video | 45 | 9 | 1× | 45 – 90 |
| Kling O3 Standard Reference to Video | 45 | 9 | 1× | 45 – 135 |
| Kling Video V3 Standard Image to Video | 51 | 11 | 1.1× | 51 – 152 |
| Kling Video V3 Standard Text to Video | 51 | 11 | 1.1× | 51 – 152 |
The floor of each published range is the base price, which confirms that a clip cannot cost less than one block however short you make it. The fourth column compares a marginal second against the blended cost of a second inside the base block. 25 models bill this way in total.
What each second actually costs on Kling O3 Pro Image to Video
Effective cost per second is the total divided by the duration — it falls as the base spreads over more seconds.
| Clip length | Arithmetic | Total credits | Effective per second |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3s | 56 (base only) | 56 | 19 |
| 5s | 56 (base only) | 56 | 11 |
| 6s | 56 + 12 × 1 | 68 | 11 |
| 8s | 56 + 12 × 3 | 92 | 12 |
| 10s | 56 + 12 × 5 | 116 | 12 |
| 15s | 56 + 12 × 10 | 176 | 12 |
The three-second row is the trap: it costs exactly what five seconds costs, at nearly double the effective per-second rate.
What changes a base-plus-marginal bill
Not going under five seconds
A three-second clip and a five-second clip are the same charge. Always take the full block.
The marginal rate
Seconds six and up bill at 12 credits on Kling O3 Pro Image to Video — cheaper per second than the base block.
Splitting one long clip into several short ones
Expensive. Each clip pays its own base, so three five-second clips pay three bases where one fifteen-second clip pays one.
Model choice
Bases run from 17 to 168 credits across this family, which sets the floor on every generation.
What the base price does not cover
- Extending an already-rendered clip, a separate job billed at a flat per-second rate with no base.
- Models that sell duration in whole tiers rather than a base plus a meter — those round differently and have their own page.
- Any audio, caption or export step downstream of the generation.
Five-second versus ten-second clips on one plan
A Monthly plan's 774 credits is 13 five-second clips on Kling O3 Pro Image to Video, or 6 ten-second ones.
Plan sizes and what each grants are on the cost hub.
Models with an entry block
Every model page shows its own price matrix, its published credit range, and the option table this formula reads from.
Kling 2.5 Turbo
base_plus_per_secondKling · 17–34 credits
Kling O1 Reference to Video
base_plus_per_secondKling · 23–45 credits
Kling O1 Standard Image to Video
base_plus_per_secondKling · 34–68 credits
Kling O1 Standard Reference to Video
base_plus_per_secondKling · 34–68 credits
Kling O3 Standard Text to Video
base_plus_per_secondKling · 45–135 credits
Kling O3 Standard Image to Video
base_plus_per_secondKling · 45–135 credits
Kling O1 Image to Video
base_plus_per_secondKling · 45–90 credits
Kling O3 Standard Reference to Video
base_plus_per_secondKling · 45–135 credits
Kling O3 Pro Text to Video
base_plus_per_secondKling · 56–168 credits
Kling Video V3 Pro Text to Video
base_plus_per_secondKling · 68–202 credits
Kling O3 Pro Image to Video
base_plus_per_secondKling · 56–168 credits
Kling Video V3 Pro Image to Video
base_plus_per_secondKling · 68–202 credits
Frequently asked questions
Does a three-second clip cost less than a five-second one?+
No. The first five seconds are a single indivisible block, so anything at or under five seconds is charged the full base price.
Is the sixth second cheaper than the first five?+
On Kling O3 Pro Image to Video, yes — the base averages 11 credits a second while additional seconds bill at 12. The effective per-second cost falls the longer the clip runs.
Is one long clip cheaper than several short ones?+
Substantially. Three separate five-second clips pay three bases — 168 credits — where a single fifteen-second clip pays one base plus ten marginal seconds, 176.
Why does the catalogue show a range instead of one price?+
Because the total depends on the duration you choose. The floor of the range is the base price; the ceiling is the base plus the marginal rate across the model's longest supported clip.
Do all models from these providers bill this way?+
No — plenty bill as a plain per-second meter with no base at all. 25 models in the catalogue use base-plus-marginal, and each model page prints the formula that applies to it.
Different job, different arithmetic
These are not variations on the formula above — each one meters something else entirely.
What does a 7-second clip cost when the model sells 6s and 10s?
credits = price( smallest tier ≥ your duration )It sells duration in whole tiers, so an extra second can cost as much as the previous six.
What does a 30-second AI talking head cost?
credits = rate_per_second × secondsIt bills a flat rate for every second of output, so length is the only lever.
What does a finished 30-second AI ad cost end to end?
credits = (image_price × shots) + (video_rate × seconds) + ceil(chars ÷ 1,000 × 12) + (lipsync_rate × seconds) + exportIt sums four unrelated meters, so no single rate predicts the total.
Which model should I actually pick?
This page prices the job. The buyer's guides rank the models, with the sort criterion stated on every one.
Best AI model for short video clips
Filtered to video generators with duration data, sorted by minimum supported duration ascending.
Best Kling AI model
Filtered to Kling models, sorted by best leaderboard position (unranked models after, cheapest complete job first).
Best image-to-video AI model
Filtered to models with the image-to-video category, sorted by best leaderboard position (unranked models after, cheapest complete job first).
Jobs billed this way
Further reading
See the price before you spend it
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