Is the Veo 3.1 API free? The per-second prices Google lists
Veo 3.1 on the Gemini API is priced per second for Standard, Fast and Lite, charged only on success. The rates, plus 8-second clip totals and what to verify.
The Gemini API pricing page lists Veo 3.1 with paid per-second rates for three tiers: Standard, Fast, and Lite. It also says you are charged only when a video is produced successfully. This research read did not confirm a free allowance for Veo video, so check the page's free-tier column yourself before assuming any.
Veo 3.1 prices per second
Rates as listed on 2026-10-03, with 8-second totals worked out as rate times eight. The Veo docs say 1080p, 4K, and reference images need an 8-second clip, so the 8-second total is the number that matters most for those settings.
| Tier | 720p | 1080p | 4K | 8 s at 1080p |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $0.40 | $0.40 | $0.60 | $3.20 |
| Fast | $0.10 | $0.12 | $0.30 | $0.96 |
| Lite | $0.05 | $0.08 | not offered | $0.64 |
What people search versus what the pages say
Search suggestions around Veo 3.1 include phrases like "api key free", "api pricing", and "api access". They show what people ask, not what the pricing page promises. The pricing page and the Veo guide are the sources to cite.
The Veo guide lists durations of 4, 6, and 8 seconds. It also says generated videos are stored for two days, so download results inside that window.
Success-only billing, two ways
Google charges on success. Sume reserves the estimated amount when a request is accepted, captures it on completion, and releases or refunds the reservation for failed jobs, as the generation admission docs describe. The effect for you is similar, but the reserve means your balance must cover the estimate at submit time.
Reading the tier names
Standard, Fast, and Lite are quality and speed tiers of the same model family. The price ladder is steep: at 720p, Standard is $0.40 per second, Fast $0.10, and Lite $0.05. That is a factor of eight between top and bottom.
Lite is announced as costing under half of Fast and supports 720p and 1080p in 4, 6, or 8 second clips, according to Google's launch post. That makes it the natural tier for drafts and variants, with Fast or Standard reserved for finals. Remember the 4K row exists only for Standard and Fast, so a 4K deliverable rules Lite out.
- Drafts and variants: Lite.
- Most finals: Fast.
- Hero shots and 4K: Standard, or Fast at 4K.
- Always confirm the live rate before a large batch.
Budget the take count, not the clip
When budgeting any video API, price the clip you will actually order, then multiply by the number of takes you expect to discard. A $0.64 Lite clip becomes $1.92 across three takes. The per-second tables on vendor pages are list prices, so confirm the live rate in your own account before you commit a campaign budget.
Sources
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Written by Sume