# 11 Best AI Video Model APIs in 2026, Tested

> The best AI video models in 2026, tested on ten briefs and scored on ten criteria, with what each is best for and one API key to call them all.

Author: Alex Breg · Published: 2026-10-27 · Updated: 2026-11-09 · Source: https://dev.runway.com/learn/which-ai-video-model

## Summary

Seedance 2.5 scored highest of the 11 AI video models I tested, 4.5 out of 5, ahead of Seedance 2.0 at 4.4 and Gemini Omni 1.2 Flash at 4.2.\
\
Right behind the two Seedance models sits a tier of very high quality models that cost far less: MiniMax H3 Max, Gemini Omni 1.2 Flash and Wan 3.0 all scored 4.0 or more for half the per-second price of Seedance 2.0 or less on Runway Dev.

This article ranks 11 video models on Runway Dev by how they handled the same ten briefs, from a sneaker ad and a UGC clip to a real estate tour, a dance routine and a scene in the rain. Each brief pairs a prompt with a product reference image, and I show one of them here, a lipstick ad, with every model's clip. Each model gets its score, its highlights, its clip from the test and its price on Runway Dev. After that, I go through the criteria that matter most for each kind of video, from product ads to dance, and the models that fit each one.

Leaderboards rank video models on general prompts, and none of them told me which model would hold up on a real ad. So I wrote ten briefs, the kind brands hand an agency, and ran each one through every video model on Runway Dev. Then I watched every clip, again and again, and scored each one.

## What factors matter most when evaluating AI video models?

Six things decide which video model fits a project: how well it does the job, the inputs it accepts, whether you need sound, the length and resolution, whether you generate or edit and what a usable clip costs.

### 1. Quality for the job

Quality in AI video isn't one thing. A clip can look sharp in every frame and still fail the brief, so quality breaks down into layers that a model can get right or wrong on its own:

- **Following the brief.** Every action, in the order the prompt sets, without dropping a beat or adding one.
- **Keeping things the same.** A face, an outfit or a product that holds from the first frame to the last, including the lettering on a label, the shape of a bottle and the color of a logo.
- **Movement and physics.** Bodies with weight, fabric that falls and liquid that pours, especially in fast motion like dance or sport, where models break down most often.
- **Hands and objects.** Fingers that hold, twist and pass things without merging into them, which is what a product demo depends on.
- **Camera.** The move the prompt asks for, such as a push-in, a pull-back or an orbit, at the speed it asks for.
- **Performance.** Expression, timing and gesture that read as a person, not a mannequin.
- **Voice and lip sync.** The right words, in the right voice, landing on the lips.
- **Sound.** Footsteps, clicks and room tone that happen when the picture says they do.
- **Image quality.** Detail, lighting and skin without warping, flicker or a synthetic look.

Each kind of video leans on different layers: an ad on the product, a talking head on lip sync, a dance video on movement. The same model can also vary from one take to the next, so how often it gets a brief right matters as much as its best clip.

### 2. Inputs

What a model accepts decides how much control you have over the result, and video models differ widely here:

- **Text, frames or both.** Some models start from a prompt alone, others animate a first frame or fill the motion between a first and a last frame you set, and some take keyframes along the way.
- **How many references.** Reference counts range from a handful to dozens: Seedance 2.5 takes up to 30 images, 10 videos and 10 audio clips, while Gemini Omni 1.2 Flash takes 5 images and 3 videos. More references mean more of the cast, the product and the set fixed before generation.
- **Tagging references in the prompt.** Models like Seedance 2.5 let the prompt name each reference, as in "@Image1 runs along the trail from @Image3 and drinks from the bottle in @Image2", so each input plays the role you intend instead of the model guessing.
- **Video references.** A reference clip carries motion, a camera move or a style, which text describes poorly.
- **Audio references.** A voice sample or a track steers the speech, the voice and the timing of the generated sound, on models such as Seedance 2.5, Wan 3.0 and Grok Imagine Video 1.5.

Each model page lists exactly what its endpoints accept, and each model's highlights below sum up its references.

### 3. Sound

Most of the models below generate speech, effects and ambient sound in the same pass as the picture.

### 4. Length and resolution

The longest clip one generation returns, and the resolutions on offer, differ by model and set how many generations a sequence takes.

### 5. Generating or editing

Editing a clip you already have uses `POST /v1/video_to_video`, which serves Seedance 2.5, Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash, MiniMax H3 and Aleph 2.0, among others. [How to edit and finish video with an API](https://dev.runway.com/learn/edit-and-finish-video-api) covers the editing pipeline.

### 6. Cost per usable clip

The rate per second is part of the cost. Retries and billed reference inputs add to it, and draft modes, such as Seedance 2.5's, render a lower-cost preview before you pay for the final video.

## What are the best AI video models in 2026?

Seedance 2.5 and Seedance 2.0 from ByteDance lead my test, and Gemini Omni 1.2 Flash, MiniMax H3 Max, Wan 3.0 and Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash follow within a point. Every model here is served on Runway Dev, and the last column is its price for one second of video there.

| Rank | Model                  | Lab       | Best for                                                            | Score | Price on Runway Dev                           |
| ---- | ---------------------- | --------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | --------------------------------------------- |
| 1    | Seedance 2.5           | ByteDance | Long multi-shot scenes built from many references                   | 4.5   | 68 credits ($0.68) per second at 1080p           |
| 2    | Seedance 2.0           | ByteDance | Reference-driven scenes for less than Seedance 2.5                  | 4.4   | 40 credits ($0.40) per second at 1080p             |
| 3    | Gemini Omni 1.2 Flash  | Google    | Generating, editing and extending from references and keyframes     | 4.2   | 10 credits ($0.10) per second at 1080p |
| 4    | MiniMax H3 Max         | MiniMax   | Cinematic results, much faster and cheaper than the models above it | 4.1   | 8 credits ($0.08) per second at 768p                 |
| 5=   | Wan 3.0                | Alibaba   | Long single takes with sound from image, video and audio references | 4.0   | 20 credits ($0.20) per second at 1080p                  |
| 5=   | Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash  | Google    | Grounded, cinematic shots with native audio                         | 4.0   | 15 credits ($0.15) per second at 1080p |
| 7    | MiniMax H3             | MiniMax   | Scenes steered by text, image, video and audio references           | 3.9   | 15 credits ($0.15) per second at 2K                  |
| 8    | Kling 4.0              | Kling     | Shots set by first, middle and last frames, and video edits         | 3.8   | 23.5 credits ($0.235) per second at 1080p               |
| 9    | Grok Imagine Video 1.5 | xAI       | Fast generation and performances driven by an audio track           | 3.7   | 16 credits ($0.16) per second at 720p       |
| 10   | HappyHorse 1.0         | Alibaba   | Native audio in ten output shapes                                   | 3.2   | 30 credits ($0.30) per second at 1080p        |
| 11   | Kling 4.0 Flash        | Kling     | Quick 720p shots with native audio                                  | 3.0   | 9.4 credits ($0.094) per output second (Without input video)               |

## How are AI video models tested and compared?

Every model got the same ten briefs, each an image and prompt pair, for 10 seconds of 16:9 video with sound. I scored each model's best take from 1 to 5 on ten criteria, and the rank follows the average.

Each brief tests what brands actually ask a video model to do: keep a product exactly as it is, animate hands that handle it, move the camera on cue and land a line of dialogue. The lipstick ad I show below is the cruelest of the ten. A mirror means the reflection has to match the person, and a lipstick is small enough that a model has to really hold on to it to get it right.

Here is one of the ten image and prompt pairs, the lipstick ad, with the clip Seedance 2.5 made from it:

![A VÉRA lipstick in a black lacquer and gold case, its red bullet twisted up, with the cap lying beside it on a gray background](https://d3phaj0sisr2ct.cloudfront.net/devportal/learn/images/which-ai-video-model/which-ai-video-model-lipstick-reference-fe210562.jpg 'Reference image')

![Seedance 2.5's take on the dressing-room brief: she applies the lipstick at the mirror, stands and walks toward the camera to deliver her line](https://d3phaj0sisr2ct.cloudfront.net/devportal/learn/which-ai-video-model-seedance2-5-6cef7682.mp4 'The reference image and the prompt below, as Seedance 2.5 rendered them.')

```text
One continuous 10-second shot, no cuts. A backstage dressing room at night: a vanity mirror framed by round warm bulbs, a rail of evening gowns behind. A model in her late twenties with sleek dark hair, in a black satin robe, sits on a velvet stool facing the mirror. The camera starts behind her and slowly pushes in over her right shoulder, so we see her from behind and her face in the mirror. She twists up the lipstick from the reference image and applies it to her lips with slow, glamorous strokes, watching herself in the mirror. She caps it and sets it on the vanity, turns on the stool, stands and walks toward the camera, and the camera pulls back as she comes closer, keeping her framed from the waist up. She stops, looks into the lens and says softly: "I feel... irresistible." Then she bites her lower lip and smiles. The lipstick keeps the shape, case and engraving of the reference image, and its red matches her lips. Audio: the click of the cap, the faint hum of the bulbs, the rustle of satin, her heels on the wooden floor, her low voice. No music.
```

Each model's score is its average across the ten briefs. The clip comes from the lipstick ad.

The ten criteria cover what a product video has to get right:

1. **Prompt adherence**: every beat of the brief happens, in order.
2. **Product fidelity**: the product keeps its shape, color and lettering from the reference image.
3. **Character consistency**: the same face, hair and clothes from start to end.
4. **Performance**: expressions, timing, eye-lines and gestures that feel directed.
5. **Movement and physics**: bodies, fabric, liquids and objects move with weight and cause.
6. **Hands and handling**: grips, gestures and handling of the product without fused or extra fingers.
7. **Camera**: the requested move happens smoothly, with no jumps or cuts.
8. **Voice and lip sync**: the exact lines, in sync, in distinct voices where there are two.
9. **Sound effects**: effects and ambience timed to the picture, with music only where the brief asks for it.
10. **Visual quality**: detail and light, with no flicker or warping.

## 1. What is Seedance 2.5 best for?

Seedance 2.5 is the best AI video model to date, and the top scorer in my test.

![Seedance 2.5's take on the dressing-room prompt: she applies the lipstick at the mirror, stands and walks toward the camera to deliver her line](https://d3phaj0sisr2ct.cloudfront.net/devportal/learn/which-ai-video-model-seedance2-5-6cef7682.mp4 'Seedance 2.5 on the lipstick ad.')

**Price on Runway Dev:** 68 credits ($0.68) per second at 1080p.

### Seedance 2.5 highlights

- **Best for:** long multi-shot scenes built from many references.
- **Longest clip:** 30 seconds in one generation.
- **References:** 30 images, 10 videos and 10 audio clips.
- **Sound:** generated with the picture, and it extends or edits a clip you already have.
- **A 10-second clip:** 680 credits ($6.80) on Runway Dev.
- **Similar to:** Seedance 2.0 and Wan 3.0.

### How to use Seedance 2.5 with the API

Call Seedance 2.5 on Runway Dev with `model: "seedance2_5"` on image-to-video, text-to-video and video-to-video, with the same API key and task flow as every other model here. [Seedance 2.5 API guide](https://dev.runway.com/learn/seedance-2-5-api) has the request in curl, Node.js and Python, and you can [try it in the playground](https://dev.runway.com/endpoints/text_to_video?modelId=seedance2_5) first.

## 2. What is Seedance 2.0 best for?

Seedance 2.0 gives near-top quality for less than Seedance 2.5.

![Seedance 2.0's take on the dressing-room prompt: she applies the lipstick at the mirror, stands and walks toward the camera to deliver her line](https://d3phaj0sisr2ct.cloudfront.net/devportal/learn/which-ai-video-model-seedance2-c889dbd7.mp4 'Seedance 2.0 on the lipstick ad.')

**Price on Runway Dev:** 40 credits ($0.40) per second at 1080p.

### Seedance 2.0 highlights

- **Best for:** reference-driven scenes for less than Seedance 2.5.
- **Longest clip:** 15 seconds in one generation.
- **References:** 9 images, 3 videos and 3 audio clips.
- **Sound:** generated with the picture.
- **A 10-second clip:** 400 credits ($4.00) on Runway Dev.
- **Similar to:** Seedance 2.5 and MiniMax H3.

### How to use Seedance 2.0 with the API

Call Seedance 2.0 on Runway Dev with `model: "seedance2"` on image-to-video, text-to-video and video-to-video, with the same API key and task flow as every other model here. [Seedance 2.0 API guide](https://dev.runway.com/learn/seedance-2-0-api) has the request in curl, Node.js and Python, and you can [try it in the playground](https://dev.runway.com/endpoints/text_to_video?modelId=seedance2) first.

## 3. What is Gemini Omni 1.2 Flash best for?

Gemini Omni 1.2 Flash generates, edits and extends video in one model.

![Gemini Omni 1.2 Flash's take on the dressing-room prompt: she applies the lipstick at the mirror, stands and walks toward the camera to deliver her line](https://d3phaj0sisr2ct.cloudfront.net/devportal/learn/which-ai-video-model-gemini-omni-flash-1-2-94d681b3.mp4 'Gemini Omni 1.2 Flash on the lipstick ad.')

**Price on Runway Dev:** 10 credits ($0.10) per second at 1080p.

### Gemini Omni 1.2 Flash highlights

- **Best for:** generating, editing and extending in one model.
- **Longest clip:** 15 seconds in one generation.
- **References:** 5 images and 3 videos, plus keyframes.
- **Sound:** native audio in the same pass.
- **A 10-second clip:** 100 credits ($1.00) on Runway Dev.
- **Similar to:** Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash and Seedance 2.5.

### How to use Gemini Omni 1.2 Flash with the API

Call Gemini Omni 1.2 Flash on Runway Dev with `model: "gemini_omni_flash_1.2"` on text-to-video, image-to-video and video-to-video, with the same API key and task flow as every other model here. You can [try it in the playground](https://dev.runway.com/endpoints/text_to_video?modelId=gemini_omni_flash_1.2) and copy the request from there.

## 4. What is MiniMax H3 Max best for?

MiniMax H3 Max gives cinematic results at a fraction of the price of the models above it.

![MiniMax H3 Max's take on the dressing-room prompt: she applies the lipstick at the mirror, stands and walks toward the camera to deliver her line](https://d3phaj0sisr2ct.cloudfront.net/devportal/learn/which-ai-video-model-h3-max-323a4ff6.mp4 'MiniMax H3 Max on the lipstick ad.')

**Price on Runway Dev:** 8 credits ($0.08) per second at 768p.

### MiniMax H3 Max highlights

- **Best for:** cinematic results, much faster and cheaper than the models ranked above it.
- **Longest clip:** 15 seconds in one generation.
- **Frames:** a first and a last frame you set, with a seed for repeatable takes.
- **Sound:** always on, generated with the picture.
- **A 10-second clip:** 80 credits ($0.80) on Runway Dev.
- **Similar to:** MiniMax H3 and Kling 4.0 Flash.

### How to use MiniMax H3 Max with the API

Call MiniMax H3 Max on Runway Dev with `model: "h3_max"` on image-to-video and text-to-video, with the same API key and task flow as every other model here. You can [try it in the playground](https://dev.runway.com/endpoints/text_to_video?modelId=h3_max) and copy the request from there.

## 5. What is Wan 3.0 best for?

Wan 3.0 is built for long single takes with sound.

![Wan 3.0's take on the dressing-room prompt: she applies the lipstick at the mirror, stands and walks toward the camera to deliver her line](https://d3phaj0sisr2ct.cloudfront.net/devportal/learn/which-ai-video-model-wan3-8118019d.mp4 'Wan 3.0 on the lipstick ad.')

**Price on Runway Dev:** 20 credits ($0.20) per second at 1080p.

### Wan 3.0 highlights

- **Best for:** long single takes with sound.
- **Longest clip:** 30 seconds in one generation.
- **References:** 10 images, 5 videos and 5 audio clips, plus a first and a last frame.
- **Sound:** generated in the same pass.
- **A 10-second clip:** 200 credits ($2.00) on Runway Dev.
- **Similar to:** Seedance 2.5 and Kling 4.0.

### How to use Wan 3.0 with the API

Call Wan 3.0 on Runway Dev with `model: "wan3"` on image-to-video and text-to-video, with the same API key and task flow as every other model here. [Wan 3.0 API guide](https://dev.runway.com/learn/wan-3-0-api) has the request in curl, Node.js and Python, and you can [try it in the playground](https://dev.runway.com/endpoints/text_to_video?modelId=wan3) first.

## 5. What is Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash best for?

Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash makes grounded, cinematic shots with strong sound.

![Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash's take on the dressing-room prompt: she applies the lipstick at the mirror, stands and walks toward the camera to deliver her line](https://d3phaj0sisr2ct.cloudfront.net/devportal/learn/which-ai-video-model-gemini-omni-flash-1-1-ac9d74f1.mp4 'Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash on the lipstick ad.')

**Price on Runway Dev:** 15 credits ($0.15) per second at 1080p.

### Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash highlights

- **Best for:** grounded, cinematic shots with native audio.
- **Longest clip:** 10 seconds in one generation.
- **References:** 5 images and 3 videos, plus a first and a last frame.
- **Editing:** extends or edits a clip you already have.
- **A 10-second clip:** 150 credits ($1.50) on Runway Dev.
- **Similar to:** Gemini Omni 1.2 Flash and Wan 3.0.

### How to use Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash with the API

Call Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash on Runway Dev with `model: "gemini_omni_flash_1.1"` on text-to-video, image-to-video and video-to-video, with the same API key and task flow as every other model here. [Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash API guide](https://dev.runway.com/learn/gemini-omni-flash-1-1-api) has the request in curl, Node.js and Python, and you can [try it in the playground](https://dev.runway.com/endpoints/text_to_video?modelId=gemini_omni_flash_1.1) first.

## 7. What is MiniMax H3 best for?

MiniMax H3 is steered by images, video and audio at once.

![MiniMax H3's take on the dressing-room prompt: she applies the lipstick at the mirror, stands and walks toward the camera to deliver her line](https://d3phaj0sisr2ct.cloudfront.net/devportal/learn/which-ai-video-model-hailuo3-8b26499d.mp4 'MiniMax H3 on the lipstick ad.')

**Price on Runway Dev:** 15 credits ($0.15) per second at 2K.

### MiniMax H3 highlights

- **Best for:** scenes steered by several kinds of reference at once.
- **Longest clip:** 15 seconds in one generation.
- **References:** 9 images, 3 videos and 3 audio clips.
- **Editing:** edits a clip you already have.
- **A 10-second clip:** 150 credits ($1.50) on Runway Dev.
- **Similar to:** Seedance 2.0 and MiniMax H3 Max.

### How to use MiniMax H3 with the API

Call MiniMax H3 on Runway Dev with `model: "hailuo3"` on image-to-video, text-to-video and video-to-video, with the same API key and task flow as every other model here. You can [try it in the playground](https://dev.runway.com/endpoints/text_to_video?modelId=hailuo3) and copy the request from there.

## 8. What is Kling 4.0 best for?

Kling 4.0 sets a shot by its first, middle and last frames.

![Kling 4.0's take on the dressing-room prompt: she applies the lipstick at the mirror, stands and walks toward the camera to deliver her line](https://d3phaj0sisr2ct.cloudfront.net/devportal/learn/which-ai-video-model-kling-4-63f97546.mp4 'Kling 4.0 on the lipstick ad.')

**Price on Runway Dev:** 23.5 credits ($0.235) per second at 1080p.

### Kling 4.0 highlights

- **Best for:** shots set by first, middle and last frames, and edits of a clip you have.
- **Longest clip:** 30 seconds in one generation.
- **References:** 10 images and 5 videos.
- **A 10-second clip:** 235 credits ($2.35) on Runway Dev.
- **Similar to:** Kling 4.0 Flash and Wan 3.0.

### How to use Kling 4.0 with the API

Call Kling 4.0 on Runway Dev with `model: "kling_4"` on image-to-video, text-to-video and video-to-video, with the same API key and task flow as every other model here. [Kling 4.0 API guide](https://dev.runway.com/learn/kling-4-0-api) has the request in curl, Node.js and Python, and you can [try it in the playground](https://dev.runway.com/endpoints/text_to_video?modelId=kling_4) first.

## 9. What is Grok Imagine Video 1.5 best for?

Grok Imagine Video 1.5 is built for fast generation and performances driven by an audio track.

![Grok Imagine Video 1.5's take on the dressing-room prompt: she applies the lipstick at the mirror, stands and walks toward the camera to deliver her line](https://d3phaj0sisr2ct.cloudfront.net/devportal/learn/which-ai-video-model-grok-imagine-1-5-4da945a4.mp4 'Grok Imagine Video 1.5 on the lipstick ad.')

**Price on Runway Dev:** 16 credits ($0.16) per second at 720p.

### Grok Imagine Video 1.5 highlights

- **Best for:** fast generation and performances driven by an audio track.
- **Longest clip:** 15 seconds in one generation.
- **References:** 7 images and 3 audio clips, and the prompt can name each image.
- **Sound:** native audio, steered by reference audio.
- **A 10-second clip:** 160 credits ($1.60) on Runway Dev.
- **Similar to:** HappyHorse 1.0 and Kling 4.0 Flash.

### How to use Grok Imagine Video 1.5 with the API

Call Grok Imagine Video 1.5 on Runway Dev with `model: "grok_imagine_1_5"` on image-to-video and text-to-video, with the same API key and task flow as every other model here. You can [try it in the playground](https://dev.runway.com/endpoints/text_to_video?modelId=grok_imagine_1_5) and copy the request from there.

## 10. What is HappyHorse 1.0 best for?

HappyHorse 1.0 makes clips with native audio in ten output shapes.

![HappyHorse 1.0's take on the dressing-room prompt: she applies the lipstick at the mirror, stands and walks toward the camera to deliver her line](https://d3phaj0sisr2ct.cloudfront.net/devportal/learn/which-ai-video-model-happyhorse-1-0-f9b9e9cc.mp4 'HappyHorse 1.0 on the lipstick ad.')

**Price on Runway Dev:** 30 credits ($0.30) per second at 1080p.

### HappyHorse 1.0 highlights

- **Best for:** native audio in many output shapes.
- **Longest clip:** 15 seconds in one generation.
- **Frames:** text or a first frame.
- **Sound:** native audio in every clip.
- **A 10-second clip:** 300 credits ($3.00) on Runway Dev.
- **Similar to:** Grok Imagine Video 1.5 and MiniMax H3 Max.

### How to use HappyHorse 1.0 with the API

Call HappyHorse 1.0 on Runway Dev with `model: "happyhorse_1_0"` on image-to-video and text-to-video, with the same API key and task flow as every other model here. You can [try it in the playground](https://dev.runway.com/endpoints/text_to_video?modelId=happyhorse_1_0) and copy the request from there.

## 11. What is Kling 4.0 Flash best for?

Kling 4.0 Flash is made for quick, low-cost drafts and storyboards.

![Kling 4.0 Flash's take on the dressing-room prompt: she applies the lipstick at the mirror, stands and walks toward the camera to deliver her line](https://d3phaj0sisr2ct.cloudfront.net/devportal/learn/which-ai-video-model-kling-4-flash-3c2a5575.mp4 'Kling 4.0 Flash on the lipstick ad.')

**Price on Runway Dev:** 9.4 credits ($0.094) per output second (Without input video).

### Kling 4.0 Flash highlights

- **Best for:** quick shots with native audio.
- **Longest clip:** 20 seconds in one generation.
- **References:** 10 images and 5 videos.
- **Editing:** edits a clip you already have.
- **A 10-second clip:** 94 credits ($0.94) on Runway Dev.
- **Similar to:** Kling 4.0 and MiniMax H3 Max.

### How to use Kling 4.0 Flash with the API

Call Kling 4.0 Flash on Runway Dev with `model: "kling_4_flash"` on image-to-video, text-to-video and video-to-video, with the same API key and task flow as every other model here. You can [try it in the playground](https://dev.runway.com/endpoints/text_to_video?modelId=kling_4_flash) and copy the request from there.

## What are the newest AI video models available through an API?

The newest video models on Runway Dev are Gemini Omni 1.2 Flash from Google and Kling 4.0 Flash from Kling, both in the test above. The [model catalog](https://dev.runway.com/models/catalog) lists every model Runway Dev serves today, and the [API changelog](https://docs.dev.runwayml.com/api-details/api_changelog/) records each new arrival.

## How do you access every top AI video model with one API key?

Runway Dev serves the leading models from other labs next to Runway's own behind one API key, one credit balance and one bill, so switching from Wan 3.0 to Seedance 2.5 or Gemini Omni 1.2 Flash means changing the `model` field of the request, with the same SDKs and the same task flow. Create an account at dev.runway.com, make an API key and add credits. The [API reference](https://docs.dev.runwayml.com/api/) documents every request, and each model guide has its request in curl, Node and Python.

This is the whole integration in Node.js. To try another model, change `model` and keep the rest, within the inputs that model accepts:

```js
import RunwayML from '@runwayml/sdk';

const client = new RunwayML(); // reads RUNWAYML_API_SECRET

const task = await client.textToVideo
  .create({
    model: 'seedance2_5', // or 'gemini_omni_flash_1.2', 'h3_max', 'wan3'...
    promptText:
      'A lipstick on a mirrored vanity, the camera slowly pushing in.',
    ratio: '1920:1080',
    duration: 10,
  })
  .waitForTaskOutput();

console.log(task.output[0]); // the video URL
```

A coding agent can build the integration for you. The [Runway Dev plugin](https://docs.dev.runwayml.com/guides/plugin/) installs the Runway Dev MCP and the Runway Dev skills in Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and Grok Bot. The MCP works from your live account: the models your project can call with their current prices and input limits, your credit balance and the record behind any task. The skills package Runway's expertise, so the agent builds AI video into your app the way Runway would.

With [Workflows](https://dev.runway.com/workflows), Runway's own models and other labs' models chain into one video pipeline that runs from a single API call. A creative or marketing teammate can build and test the workflow visually in the [Runway app](https://app.runwayml.com/workflows) and [publish it as an endpoint](https://help.runwayml.com/hc/en-us/articles/50682960972947-Publishing-a-Workflow-as-an-Endpoint) your code calls.

## Which AI video model is best for each use case?

The best model for a video depends on what that video has to get right, and no single model leads on every criterion. A product ad lives or dies on the product, a UGC clip on lip sync and a dance video on movement. Here is what matters most for each kind of video:

| Use case                          | What matters most                                   |
| --------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| Product ads                       | Product fidelity, visual quality, camera, hands     |
| UGC videos                        | Lip sync, performance, character consistency        |
| Real estate listing videos        | Camera, visual quality, prompt adherence            |
| Dance videos                      | Movement and physics, character consistency, camera |
| Beauty and makeup tutorials       | Hands, product fidelity, performance                |
| Fashion and apparel               | Character consistency, movement, visual quality     |
| Spokesperson and explainer videos | Lip sync, performance, character consistency, sound |
| Short films and narrative scenes  | Prompt adherence, performance, camera, sound        |
| Music videos                      | Movement and physics, camera, visual quality        |
| Food and drink ads                | Product fidelity, hands, visual quality             |
| Recurring characters and mascots  | Character consistency, lip sync, performance        |
| ASMR and sound-first content      | Sound effects, hands, visual quality                |
| Trailers and teasers              | Camera, visual quality, prompt adherence, sound     |
| Storyboards and animatics         | Prompt adherence, camera                            |

Keeping track of where every model is strong and where it falls short is painful. It's a full-time job: each new model and each update moves the answer, so the pick you made last month may not hold today. Runway has packaged that knowledge into [Model Routers](https://dev.runway.com/model-routers), built on what Runway knows about each model's strengths, limits, cost and speed, so you don't have to evaluate models and reconsider your choice every time.

## How do you always get the right AI video model for each task?

Send your requests through a Model Router instead of a fixed model. You create a router once and set what it optimizes for (cost, quality or latency), a maximum cost per generation and the models it may use. Your code then sends the router's config ID instead of a model ID. For each request, the router reads the prompt and inputs, keeps the models that support them and picks the one that fits the job best within your cost cap. The response names the model it picked, and the task reports what it cost.

- **The right model for every request.** A product ad and a dance clip can go to different models through the same call.
- **One integration.** Changing which models you use means changing the router's settings, not your code.
- **Cost you control.** No generation goes over the cap you set.
- **Nothing hidden.** Every response says which model ran and what it cost.

[How to let a Model Router choose the right model for each request](https://dev.runway.com/learn/choosing-the-right-model) walks through the setup.

## FAQ

**How do I choose the best AI video model?**

Start from what the video has to get right: a product that keeps its look, a line delivered in sync, a camera move or fast motion. Then pick the model that handles those criteria best for your budget and speed. Since the answer changes with every new model, a Model Router can make that choice for each request instead.

**Which AI video model should I use for my project?**

The model that fits a project depends on the job: references and long scenes, first and last frames, editing or drafts at volume. The use case table in this guide lists the criteria each kind of video depends on, from product ads and UGC to dance and real estate, and a Model Router picks the model that fits those criteria for each request.

**Which AI video API should I use for my app?**

Pick an API that serves several leading models behind one integration, since no single model leads on every job and the leader changes with each release. Runway Dev serves all 11 models in this test on one API key, so switching models means changing the `model` field, and a Model Router can choose the model for each request.

**What is the best AI video model in 2026?**

Seedance 2.5 from ByteDance scored highest in my test of 11 video models on ten briefs, 4.5 out of 5, followed by Seedance 2.0 at 4.4 and Gemini Omni 1.2 Flash at 4.2. All three run on Runway Dev.

**What's the best alternative to the Sora API?**

OpenAI shut down the Sora API on September 24, 2026, without naming a replacement, so it isn't in this test. Seedance 2.5 scored highest of the 11 models that are, and Gemini Omni 1.2 Flash and MiniMax H3 Max came close for far less. All of them run on Runway Dev with one API key, so moving off Sora means changing one integration, not adding one per model.

**Which AI video API has the best quality?**

Quality belongs to the model, not the API that serves it, so the API with the best quality is the one that serves the best models. Runway Dev serves Seedance 2.5, the top scorer in my test, along with every other model in it.

**Is there a MiniMax Hailuo API?**

Yes. MiniMax H3, the Hailuo 3.0 model, runs on Runway Dev at 15 credits ($0.15) per second at 2K, along with MiniMax H3 Max at 8 credits ($0.08) per second at 768p. Both are in this test, and both use the same API key and task flow as every other model on Runway Dev.

**Which AI platform has the best selection of video models?**

Runway Dev serves 8 of the top 10 image-to-video models and 6 of the top 10 text-to-video models with audio on Artificial Analysis on November 4, 2026, including the 1st-ranked model on both boards, Seedance 2.5 and Wan 3.0.

**Is there a single API for multiple video models?**

Runway Dev is one API for video models from several labs, including Seedance 2.5, Wan 3.0, MiniMax H3, Gemini Omni 1.2 Flash and Runway's own models, with one key, one credit balance and one bill. Switching models means changing the `model` field.

**What is the cheapest high-quality AI video model?**

MiniMax H3 Max is the lowest-priced model in my test and one of the fastest, and it scored 4.1 out of 5, 4th of 11, at 8 credits ($0.08) per second at 768p on Runway Dev. Gemini Omni 1.2 Flash scored 4.2 at 10 credits ($0.10) per second at 1080p.

**Which AI video model is the best value?**

Gemini Omni 1.2 Flash is the best value in my test: it scored 4.2 out of 5, 3rd of 11, at 10 credits ($0.10) per second at 1080p on Runway Dev, a fraction of the price of the two Seedance models above it.

**Which AI video APIs can generate clips longer than 10 seconds?**

On Runway Dev, Seedance 2.5, Wan 3.0 and Kling 4.0 each return up to 30 seconds of video from one generation. Each model's highlights in this guide list its longest clip.

**Which AI video models generate sound?**

Seedance 2.5, Seedance 2.0, Gemini Omni 1.2 Flash, MiniMax H3 Max, Wan 3.0, Grok Imagine Video 1.5 and HappyHorse 1.0 generate sound in the same pass as the picture, including speech, so there's no separate audio step. All seven run on Runway Dev.

**Are the models on Runway Dev the official ones?**

Runway Dev serves each lab's official model, so the clips in my test are what each model returns through Runway Dev. Each model page names the lab that makes it.

**Which video models does Runway make?**

Runway's own video models on Runway Dev include Gen-4.5, Aleph 2.0, Ruby and Enhance Frame Rate. Gen-4.5 generates video natively in HDR, Aleph 2.0 edits a clip from a prompt and keyframes, Ruby converts any video to HDR and Enhance Frame Rate converts a clip to a new frame rate. They run next to the leading models from other labs, on the same key.

**How often is this ranking updated?**

The test runs again when a new video model joins Runway Dev, and at least once a month, with the same ten briefs so new scores compare with old ones.