Best AI Video Generators 2026: What the Free Tier Actually Lets You Download
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We checked the pricing pages, payment policies, licensing docs, and credit tables of five AI video generators — Runway, Pika, Luma Dream Machine, Kling, and Hailuo — on October 6, 2026. The decision is simple: which free plans document usable credits, a watermark policy, and commercial rights — and which claims can actually be checked from vendor material.
The Short Answer
- Pika — Pika's $0 Free card lists 0 monthly credits (packs only), no watermark, and no commercial license. Those are vendor-documented features, not a firsthand file inspection.
- Hailuo AI — Hailuo's current subscription terms say Free downloads are watermarked and a one-time welcome package expires after three days, but they do not publish the package amount, a recurring free allowance, a per-video credit rate, or a retroactive clean re-download rule.
- Kling AI — Kling Basic is $0 with no monthly Credits or commercial use. Its paid cards show introductory, renewal, and list prices separately; watermark removal is premium-only.
- Runway — Runway sells its own Gen-4.5 alongside hosted third-party models in one subscription, but its free credits are a one-time 125-credit deposit, and Standard's 625 monthly credits are 52 seconds of Gen-4.5 video.
- Luma Dream Machine — Luma Dream Machine watermarks both its Free tier and its $9.99 Lite plan permanently; clean web export and commercial rights start at the $29.99 Plus plan.
| Tool | Best for | From | Clean export from | Free video/mo | Free export |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pika | Free-plan policy | Free | Free | 0s recurring | No watermark * |
| Hailuo AI | Documented Policy Limits | $14.99/mo | $14.99/mo | Not published | Watermarked * |
| Kling AI | Plan-price caveat | $10/mo | $10/mo | Not published | Watermarked * |
| Runway | Documented rate table | $12/mo (annual) | $12/mo (annual) | 0s recurring | Watermarked * |
| Luma Dream Machine | Policy clarity | $9.99/mo | $29.99/mo | Not published | Watermarked * |
What We Checked, and How
Every number in this post was read on the vendor’s own pages — no aggregator summaries — and each figure links to its source with the date we checked it. The seconds-per-month column is our arithmetic on the vendor’s own published credit rates, at each tool’s default model and base resolution, with the math printed next to every figure.
One honest caveat: we have not yet created a free account on each tool and inspected the downloaded file ourselves. That standing test — same prompt, default settings, check the corners — is queued, and its exact procedure is in our full methodology. Until it runs, every watermark verdict here is the vendor’s own stated policy, marked (*). Verdicts will flip to firsthand the day the downloads happen, even if a download contradicts the vendor’s docs.
Three patterns emerged from the docs alone:
- Pika is the exception to the free-watermark pattern. Its Free card lists “No watermark,” while Runway, Hailuo, and Luma document a watermark on free output and Kling calls removal premium-only. Pika also lists no commercial license on Free.
- None of the five publishes recurring included Free video credits today. Pika lists 0 monthly credits and credit packs only; Runway’s 125 credits are one-time; Hailuo’s welcome package expires in 3 days but has no published amount; and Luma and Kling do not state a recurring Free credit allowance.
- The cheapest paid tier is not always the clean one. Luma’s $9.99 Lite keeps the watermark — permanently. Clean export there costs $29.99.
Free-plan policy
1. Pika — Free-plan policy
Pika’s current Free card flips the old trade-off: it explicitly lists “No watermark,” but it also lists 0 credits per month and says generation uses purchased credit packs. The card includes all models and two parallel video generations, but excludes a commercial license. That is useful vendor documentation for a buyer who already has packs; it is not evidence of a recurring free video allowance or of a file we downloaded and inspected.
From Free. Free plan: Free is listed at $0 with 0 monthly credits; it can use purchased credit packs but does not include a commercial license.
- Free — $0/mo, or $0/mo billed annually · 1 seat
- Starter — $10/mo, or $8/mo billed annually · 1 seat
- Creator — $35/mo, or $28/mo billed annually · 1 seat
- Fancy — $95/mo, or $76/mo billed annually · 1 seat
Free-tier export Not tested yet
Reported (not verified by us): No watermark — Pika's current $0 Free card lists 'No watermark'. This is the vendor's documented feature, not our own downloaded-file inspection. Pika pricing page (Free feature list) . We'll replace this the moment we run our own export test.
Watermark-free from Free (Free)
Free tier: 0s recurring
Pros
- The current $0 Free card documents no-watermark output, vendor-reported pending our own export test
- Free includes all listed models and allows two video generations in parallel
- Pika permits one-time credit top-ups on Free without starting a subscription
Skip it if
- You need included recurring video generation — Free lists 0 monthly credits and requires purchased packs for credits
- You need a commercial license without subscribing — Free excludes it; Starter is the first listed plan that includes one
- You need priority queueing or early access — neither is included on Free
Documented Policy Limits
2. Hailuo AI — Documented Policy Limits
Hailuo’s accessible subscription terms are clear about the decision that matters at export: Free downloads include a watermark, and Standard subscribers and above can download without one. Standard is listed at $14.99 per month with 1,000 monthly credits. The same terms say a new user receives one welcome package of credits which expires after three days, but do not publish that package’s amount or a recurring monthly Free allowance. That makes a Free monthly seconds estimate impossible without guessing.
We also removed the old claim that upgrading lets you re-download earlier Free generations without a watermark. The current accessible subscription terms do not state that policy, nor do they list a current per-video credit rate that would support a Standard seconds estimate. Those are unknowns rather than evidence of a negative policy. We have not generated or inspected a Hailuo download ourselves, so the watermark result remains vendor-reported.
From $14.99/mo. Free plan: A one-time welcome package of free credits (amount unpublished) expires 3 days after it is granted; the current subscription terms do not state a recurring monthly free-credit allowance.
- Standard — $14.99/mo · 1 seat
- Pro — $54.99/mo · 1 seat
- Master — $119.99/mo · 1 seat
- Ultra — $124.99/mo · 1 seat
- Max — $199.99/mo · 1 seat
Free-tier export Not tested yet
Reported (not verified by us): Watermarked — Hailuo's payment policy states it outright for free users: 'Video downloads will include a watermark.' Hailuo payment policy . We'll replace this the moment we run our own export test.
Watermark-free from Standard ($14.99/mo)
Free tier: Not published
Pros
- Its subscription terms explicitly say Free downloads include a watermark and Standard or above can download without one
- The same terms publish monthly credit allotments for all current paid plans
- The terms grant paid subscribers commercial-use rights in generated and downloaded content
Skip it if
- You need a reliable free-volume estimate — the welcome-package amount and recurring free allowance are not published in the current terms
- You need a paid-seconds estimate — the accessible terms list plan credits but not a current per-video credit rate
- You need a documented retroactive clean re-download rule — the current accessible subscription terms do not state one
Plan-price caveat
3. Kling AI — Plan-price caveat
Kling’s published plan guide lists Basic as free forever with no monthly Credits and no commercial use. Its Credits Policy says promotional credits depend on the relevant promotion, while watermark removal is premium-only. The plan guide stacks a first-month discount, a renewal discount, and a shown list price; we retain the $10 shown Standard price rather than treating a temporary offer as durable pricing.
From $10/mo. Free plan: Basic is listed at $0 and free forever, with no monthly Credits listed and no commercial use.
- Standard — $10/mo · 1 seat
- Pro — $37/mo · 1 seat
- Premier — $92/mo · 1 seat
- Ultra — $180/mo · 1 seat
Free-tier export Not tested yet
Reported (not verified by us): Watermarked — Kling's Credits Policy calls watermark removal a premium-only function, and the current paid plan cards list brand watermark removal while Basic does not. This is a vendor-reported policy, not our own downloaded-file inspection. Kling Credits Policy . We'll replace this the moment we run our own export test.
Watermark-free from Standard ($10/mo)
Free tier: Not published
Pros
- Publishes a flat credit exchange rate ($1 = 66 credits) and purchased credits stay valid for 2 years
- The current Standard card lists 660 monthly credits and about 33 720p videos
- Paid cards list brand watermark removal and commercial use
Skip it if
- You need commercial rights on the free tier — Basic is listed as non-commercial
- You want a published recurring free allowance — Basic lists no monthly Credits, while event login-credit amounts are not published
- You need a stable sticker price — the current plan guide shows introductory, next-renewal, and list figures separately
Documented rate table
4. Runway — Documented rate table
Runway’s free plan is a one-time 125-credit deposit that never refreshes and cannot be topped up. The available Free-model selection changes and Runway directs users to sign in to see it, so we do not promise a specific model or duration. Standard costs $15 monthly ($12 annual-equivalent) for 625 monthly credits and no watermarks; at the published Gen-4.5 rate of 12 credits per second, that is 52 seconds. Runway’s pricing page gives 104 seconds for Gen-4 Turbo from the same 625 credits while its model table states 5 credits per second (125 seconds), so we leave that discrepancy unresolved rather than choose a number.
From $12/mo (annual). Free plan: 125 one-time credits that never refresh; the flagship Gen-4.5 model requires Standard or higher.
- Standard — $15/mo, or $12/mo billed annually · 1 seat
- Pro — $35/mo, or $28/mo billed annually · 1 seat
- Max — $95/mo, or $76/mo billed annually · 1 seat
Free-tier export Not tested yet
Reported (not verified by us): Watermarked — Runway's own help center states every free-plan video carries a Runway watermark, with Standard the first watermark-free plan. Runway Help Center — Free plan details . We'll replace this the moment we run our own export test.
Watermark-free from Standard ($12/mo (annual))
Free tier: 0s recurring
Standard: ~52s
Pros
- One subscription covers Runway's own models plus hosted third-party ones (the pricing page lists Gen-4.5, Nano Banana Pro, Aleph, Veo 3.1)
- Publishes exact per-second credit rates for every model, so costs are predictable before you generate
- 4K upscaling included from the Standard plan up
Skip it if
- You want to try the flagship model before paying — Gen-4.5 requires Standard or higher, so the free credits can't touch it
- You expect free credits to refresh — the 125 credits are one-time and can't be topped up on a Free plan
- You're optimizing for footage volume — 625 Standard credits are 52 seconds of Gen-4.5 a month
Policy clarity
5. Luma Dream Machine — Policy clarity
Luma’s licensing page documents the decisive split: Free and Lite output is watermarked, personal-use only, and remains marked even after an upgrade. Lite costs $9.99/month on the web, so paying for it does not buy clean export. Plus starts at $29.99/month with no watermark and commercial rights. Dream Machine credits and API credits are separate; the current sources we checked do not establish a comparable API export policy, so we do not treat it as an exception.
From $9.99/mo. Free plan: Free plan exists, but Luma's current plan guide does not publish a numeric monthly credit allowance for it; Free output is personal-use only and watermarked.
- Lite — $9.99/mo · 1 seat
- Plus — $29.99/mo · 1 seat
- Unlimited — $94.99/mo · 1 seat
Free-tier export Not tested yet
Reported (not verified by us): Watermarked — Luma's licensing page says Free and Lite output is watermarked and personal-use only — and the watermark 'cannot be removed, even if you later upgrade'. Luma licensing page . We'll replace this the moment we run our own export test.
Watermark-free from Plus ($29.99/mo)
Free tier: Not published
Plus: ~500s
Pros
- Rights in what you generate on eligible plans vest permanently, even if you later downgrade
- Publishes a per-model credit table, including Ray3.14, so paid-plan video math is checkable
Skip it if
- You assume the $9.99 Lite tier removes the watermark — it doesn't; clean export starts at Plus ($29.99/month)
- You plan to upgrade later to clean old files — Luma's watermark is permanent once a file is generated
- You need a free-video volume estimate — Luma's current plan guide does not publish a numeric Free credit allowance
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you download watermark-free AI video for free?
Pika's current $0 Free card lists “No watermark,” but also 0 included monthly credits, credit packs only, and no commercial license. Runway, Hailuo, and Luma document watermarks on free output; Kling describes watermark removal as premium-only. We have not run a free-tier download ourselves, so every statement here is vendor-reported rather than a firsthand export finding.
Which AI video generator has the best free tier?
There is no evidence-backed overall winner from the current free-plan documents. Pika publishes a no-watermark policy but 0 included monthly credits; Runway has 125 one-time credits that never refresh; Hailuo's welcome package expires after 3 days but has no published amount; and Luma and Kling do not publish a recurring free credit allowance.
How many seconds of video does a paid month actually buy?
Only some paid plans support a comparable calculation from current vendor tables. Runway Standard is 52 seconds of Gen-4.5 for $15, and Luma Plus is up to 500 seconds of Ray3.14 720p for $29.99. Pika's Starter table varies by model (for example, seven 5-second Seedance 2.5 clips or 27 Wan 3.0 clips from 900 credits), Kling publishes a 33-video equivalence without a clip duration, and Hailuo lists 1,000 Standard credits at $14.99 without a per-video rate. We therefore do not rank them by seconds.
Does upgrading remove watermarks from videos I already generated?
It depends on the vendor, and documentation is often incomplete. Luma's licensing page says the watermark 'cannot be removed, even if you later upgrade', so files generated on Free or Lite stay marked forever. Hailuo's current accessible subscription terms say Free downloads are watermarked and paid downloads are clean, but do not state whether older Free generations can be re-downloaded clean after upgrading. Runway, Pika, and Kling do not state a policy here, so we do not claim one.
Why do some verdicts carry a (*) mark?
A (*) means the verdict comes from documentation — here, mostly the vendor's own policy, licensing, and pricing pages — rather than from our own hands-on export test. We keep those two kinds of claims structurally separate: the moment we run our own free-tier download of a tool, the firsthand result replaces the reported one, even if it contradicts the vendor's docs. The split is explained on our methodology page.
Is Luma's $9.99 Lite plan watermark-free?
No. Luma's licensing page puts Lite in the same bucket as Free: watermarked output and personal use only. The first watermark-free web plan is Plus at $29.99/month. Luma says annual plans save 20%, but its current guide does not publish the final annual checkout price, so we do not state one.
How We Keep This Updated
We re-check pricing and re-run the free-tier export test on every tool in this list. Every change is logged here. Our full procedure is on the methodology page, and if anything above is wrong or out of date, tell us and we will re-check it.
- 2026-10-06 — Monthly source review corrected stale Pika Free claims: its current card lists 0 included monthly credits, credit packs only, and no watermark. Rechecked all five vendors' current prices, credit terms, watermark policies, and licensing claims; no firsthand export test added.
- 2026-08-27 — Hailuo's current accessible subscription terms rechecked. Removed unsupported annual prices, credit-to-seconds math, and retroactive clean re-download claim; no firsthand export test added.
- 2026-08-10 — Pika's price, recurring credit allowance, and base-rate math rechecked against its current pricing page; no firsthand export test added.
- 2026-08-07 — First published. All five watermark verdicts are sourced to vendor documentation (*) pending our own free-tier export runs; pricing, credit rates, and seconds-per-month math verified against vendor pages this day.