Veo 3.1 vs Veo 3.1 Fast vs Veo 3.1 Lite
Veo is Google DeepMind's video model, the one inside the Gemini app, Flow and YouTube. Veo 3.1 arrived in October 2025 with richer native audio, reference images and scene extension, and it now comes in three tiers: the full model, Fast, and the budget Lite tier from March 2026. Each has its own page with the same nine clips.
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Which one to pick
Veo 3.1 Fast
$0.10 per second with audio, 720p via Gemini API
Default choice. Most of the quality at $0.15 a second with audio.
Veo 3.1
$0.40 per second with audio, 720p or 1080p via Gemini API
Hero shots and anything going to 4K.
Veo 3.1 Lite
$0.05 per second with audio, 720p via Gemini API
Drafts and volume at $0.05 a second.
Side by side, measured
| Model | Price | Seconds to make one clip | 9 clips cost | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veo 3.1 Fast | $0.10 per second with audio, 720p via Gemini API | 52 to 96 | $8.10 | 4, 6 or 8 seconds; our five-second fixture rounds to six |
| Veo 3.1 | $0.40 per second with audio, 720p or 1080p via Gemini API | 67 to 108 | $21.60 | 4, 6 or 8 seconds only; our five-second fixture rounds to six |
| Veo 3.1 Lite | $0.05 per second with audio, 720p via Gemini API | 37 to 102 | $2.70 | 4, 6 or 8 seconds; our five-second fixture rounds to six |
Seconds and cost are from our own runs of the same 9 prompts through each model; open a model for every clip and the request behind it.
Every version
| Version | Released | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| Veo | Announced at Google I/O 2024: 1080p clips over a minute long. | |
| Veo 2 veo-2.0-generate-001 | 4K output and a better grasp of physics; reached the Gemini app in April 2025. | |
| Veo 3 veo-3.0-generate-preview | Synchronised audio: dialogue, sound effects and ambience generated with the picture. | |
| Veo 3.1 veo-3.1-generate-preview | Richer audio, up to three reference images, first-and-last-frame transitions, scene extension. | |
| Veo 3.1 Fast veo-3.1-fast-generate-preview | The speed tier at a quarter of the price per second. | |
| Veo 3.1 Lite veo-3.1-lite-generate-preview | The budget tier, 720p and 1080p only, halving developer costs again. |
Frequently asked questions
Is Veo 3 free?
Not on the API, where Google lists no free tier for any Veo model. In the Gemini app, video generation is a paid-plan feature: Google AI Pro accounts get a few Veo 3.1 Fast clips a day and Ultra gets Veo 3.1, with occasional free weekends.
Veo 3.1, Fast or Lite?
Fast for most work. The full model when it is a hero shot or needs 4K, Lite when you are iterating and the clip will be regenerated anyway. Every page runs the same nine clips, so compare.