AI video generators by use case in 2026
By AppDuo Editorial Team · Updated
All five tools below generate video with AI, but each fits a different job: an all-in-one studio suite, cinematic clips from text and images, finished videos assembled by an agent, an image-first workflow that also does video, or a low-cost way to try it out. Picks are arranged by role, not ranked.
One thing they share: all five bill in credits or tokens, and the cost of a clip changes with model, resolution and length, so the plan price does not tell you the real cost. All five have English-only interfaces, and none publishes official VND pricing; prices here are the USD list prices on each vendor's official pages. Runway, Luma and MiniMax (Hailuo's maker) face lawsuits, and Leonardo and invideo have documented controversies; each pick says who made the claim and where it stands.
All-in-one studio suite6.8/101. Runway
Combines Runway's Gen-4.5 with third-party models such as Kling and Seedance, plus editing tools, Runway Ads, voice, music, an API and MCP; Max adds HDR and ProRes export. Free gives 125 one-time credits; Standard is $15/month ($12 billed yearly) for 625 credits, and at 12 credits per second of Gen-4.5 that is about 52 seconds of video, with credits expiring on the billing date. Trustpilot sits at 1.1/5 and there is no published refund policy. A proposed class action by YouTube creators in New York alleges Runway bypassed YouTube's protections to collect training videos; on October 30, 2026 the court refused to dismiss it, with no finding of liability and no class certified.
Read our full Runway review
Cinematic text and image-to-video6.9/102. Luma Dream Machine
Text-, image- and video-to-video with reference images, consistent characters from a single face photo and edit-by-description; Ray models offer SDR, HDR and HDR+EXR options. The pricing page lists no free plan; Plus is $30/month ($25 billed yearly) for 10,000 credits and includes commercial use. The published credit table shows 5 seconds of Ray3.2 text-to-video at 100 credits in 720p but 400 in 1080p. The privacy policy allows user data to be used for training, and no opt-out was found. Per the court docket, Druyan-Sagan Associates sued Luma on August 25, 2026 over an ad using a Carl Sagan recording; Luma has moved to dismiss three claims and there is no ruling yet.
Read our full Luma Dream Machine review
Agent-built finished videos6.2/103. invideo AI
Describe a scene and the agent edits on a multitrack timeline; the editor also writes scripts and storyboards, searches footage and uses Veo 3.1, Kling, Wan and Seedance for video and ElevenLabs for audio, with multiplayer editing and MCP for external agents. The personal Basic plan is $9 per seat per month for 190 credits; the page gives inconsistent yearly figures. Credits do not roll over and are forfeited on cancellation, and refunds apply only within 24 hours if no credits were used. Trustpilot sits at 1.8/5, with many reports of credits running out before a video is finished and of refunds being declined, though the App Store shows 4.5/5. User data may be used for model training.
Read our full invideo AI review
Image-first workflow with video7.3/104. Leonardo.Ai
A Canva-owned image and video platform with 80+ models (including in-house Phoenix and Lucid) and custom model training, suited to designers and game artists. Free gives 150 tokens a day but only the Auto model and public creations; Essential is $12/month ($10 billed yearly) for 8,500 tokens; only Ultimate at $60/month adds unlimited relaxed-pace video generation on selected models. iOS in-app prices are higher than on the web, and refunds can be refused for a change of mind. User ratings are high: 4.8/5 on the US App Store and 4.7/5 on Trustpilot (Trustpilot notes the company has not invited reviews recently, so they may not be representative). In March 2024 404 Media reported users getting around its filters to make non-consensual sexual deepfakes; the company says it has added safeguards.
Read our full Leonardo.Ai review
Low-cost entry for short clips6.2/105. Hailuo AI
MiniMax's tool for text- and image-to-video with subject reference for consistent characters, plus image and audio generation and Hailuo Agent. There is a free tier and paid plans from $9.99/month, but plan names, credits and limits appear only after signing in, which makes comparison hard. It runs on the web and Android; no app was found on the US App Store. Public ratings are low: 3.4/5 on Google Play and 1.4/5 on Trustpilot. Disney, Universal and Warner Bros. Discovery are suing MiniMax, alleging Hailuo generates their copyrighted characters; in May 2026 the court denied motions to dismiss, with no ruling on the merits.
Read our full Hailuo AI review
AI video generators by use case at a glance: data table
Data (JSON)Prices are per month in the currency the vendor lists, from the plans checked on the date shown. Download the full data as JSON.
| App | Score | Free plan | Cheapest paid plan | User rating | Platforms | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runway | 6.8 | Yes | $15Standard | 4.5/5App Store (US) | Web, iOS, Android, API | Nov 11, 2026 |
| Luma Dream Machine | 6.9 | Yes | $30Plus | 4.5/5App Store (United States) | Web, iOS, API | Nov 11, 2026 |
| invideo AI | 6.2 | Yes | $9/userBasic | 4.5/5App Store (US) | Web, iOS, Android | Nov 11, 2026 |
| Leonardo.Ai | 7.3 | Yes | $12Essential | 4.6/5Google Play (US) | Web, iOS, Android, API | Nov 11, 2026 |
| Hailuo AI | 6.2 | Yes | $9.99Paid | 3.4/5Google Play | Web, Android, API | Nov 11, 2026 |
How we chose
Picks come from AppDuo's published research profiles, limited to products that generate video. They were compared on how they make video (from text, from images, agent-assembled), the cheapest personal plan and the credits it buys, credit and refund terms, whether user data may be used for model training, public ratings and documented controversies. Only plans for the same audience are compared (personal against personal). AppDuo did not run the tools itself and this is not a head-to-head quality test; prices and policies keep the source-check dates in each review.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheapest to start paying for?
Among monthly personal plans: invideo Basic at $9 per seat, Hailuo from $9.99, Leonardo Essential at $12, Runway Standard at $15 and Luma Plus at $30. The plan price does not tell you how much video you get, since credit allowances and per-second costs differ and Hailuo shows details only after sign-in. Estimate the seconds of video you need each month and check the credit tables in each review.
Can I use any of them for free?
To a degree. Runway gives 125 one-time credits, about two 5-second Gen-4.5 clips. Leonardo gives 150 tokens a day, Auto model only, with public creations. Hailuo has a free tier but does not publish its limits. The Luma and invideo pricing pages list no free plan.
Do unused credits carry over, and can I get a refund?
Usually not. Runway Standard and Pro credits expire on the billing date; only Max rolls over one month. invideo credits do not roll over, are forfeited on cancellation, and refunds apply only within 24 hours if unused. Runway publishes no refund policy, and Leonardo can refuse refunds for a change of mind. Read the terms before paying for a year.
Which vendors face lawsuits?
YouTube creators have a proposed class action against Runway over training videos; Disney, Universal and Warner Bros. Discovery are suing MiniMax (Hailuo) over copyrighted characters, and per MLex iQIYI has sued it in Shanghai; Luma faces a suit over a Carl Sagan voice clip in an ad. All remain allegations with no finding of infringement. Leonardo has no lawsuit on record, but 404 Media reported deepfake misuse in 2024.
Will my uploads be used to train AI?
It depends. Luma's and invideo's policies allow user data to be used for model training. Runway's policy is silent and offers no opt-out. Leonardo uses submitted content to operate and improve the service. For Hailuo, no passage on training was found. If your material is sensitive, read the privacy notes in each review.
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