10-second clip with sound: Wan 3.0 at 720p $1.25 vs Kling 3 $2.10

A 10-second clip with sound costs $1.25 on Wan 3.0 at 720p and $2.10 on Kling 3 on Sume, which makes Kling 68% more for the same length. Wan also accepts reference images, videos and audio and takes seven aspect ratios, while Kling takes no references and three ratios. Kling's draw is its look, which is a taste call that a price table cannot settle.

All figures are the provider list price times 1.25, from Sume's catalog.

The numbers

Wan 3.0 bills by resolution and has no sound surcharge in its catalog row. Kling 3 bills a higher rate when sound is on.

What the price gap buys

At 1080p the picture changes: Wan is $2.50 and Kling is $2.10, because Kling's rate does not change with resolution while Wan's doubles from 720p. Kling's table lists 720p and 1080p at the same per-second price. If you want a 1080p clip with sound at the lowest price among these two, Kling is the cheaper one.

That is easy to miss. Quoting Wan at 480p against Kling at 1080p is not a comparison of the same output.

How to decide

Run the same prompt on both at the resolution you will ship. Compare the first frame, the motion, and the sound. If your brief needs references or a 4:3 frame, Kling is out regardless of price. If it needs a clip over 15 seconds, so is Kling. If neither applies, pick on the look you prefer and the cost per usable clip, not per second.

Cost over a batch

The gap compounds quickly.

Rates are provider list prices times 1.25 and can change. Re-read the catalog rows before you commit a monthly number to anyone.

Neither price includes retries. If one id needs three tries to give a usable clip and the other needs one, the cheaper rate can be the dearer result, so count cost per shipped clip.

• Fifty 10-second clips at 720p: $62.50 on Wan, $105.00 on Kling with sound.
• Fifty at 1080p: $125.00 on Wan, $105.00 on Kling with sound.
• Add a retry allowance for the clips you will not ship.
• Hold the same prompt on both ids so the comparison is fair.