I Ran the Same Prompt Through 7 AI Models — Here Is Every Frame, Every Dollar, Every Second
There are dozens of AI video and image generators in 2026. Most reviews compare features on paper. I wanted real numbers: how long does each model take, how much does it cost, and what does the output actually look like? So I ran the same prompts through all 7 models available in agent-media CLI and measured everything.
TL;DR
- Fastest video: Sora 2 Pro (~45s for 5s clip)
- Cheapest video: Seedance 1.0 Pro (104 credits / ~$0.28)
- Highest quality video: Kling 3.0 Pro (native 4K at 60fps)
- Best lip sync: Veo 3.1 (native audio generation)
- Best image quality/price: Flux 2 Pro (5 credits / ~$0.04)
- Most creative images: Grok Imagine (wide style range)
The setup
I used agent-media CLI to run every test. One tool, one command per model. No browser tabs, no web UIs, no juggling provider accounts. Every generation was submitted with --sync so I could measure wall-clock time from submission to output.
$ npm install -g agent-media-cli
$ agent-media login
$ agent-media generate kling3 -p "Drone flying through a misty mountain forest at sunrise, rays of light through trees, cinematic aerial shot" --sync
Same prompt, same workflow, different model flag. That's the entire methodology.
Video models: 4 models, 1 prompt
I ran each video model with a cinematic prompt and measured generation time, credit cost, and output quality. Here are the results.
| Model | Resolution | Gen Time | Credits | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kling 3.0 Pro | Up to 4K (3840x2160) at 60fps | ~2 minutes for 5s | 187 | ~$0.50 for 5s |
| Veo 3.1 | 4K (3840x2160) | ~90 seconds for 8s | 395 | ~$1.60 for 8s |
| Sora 2 Pro | 1080p (Full HD) | ~45 seconds for 5s | 187 | ~$0.50 for 5s |
| Seedance 1.0 Pro | 1080p | ~60 seconds for 5s | 104 | ~$0.28 for 5s |
1Kling 3.0 Pro
Prompt: "Man in hoodie does a taste reaction to food, expressive face, funny energy"
Strengths
- + Native 4K output — broadcast-ready clarity
- + Best multi-shot storyboard with subject consistency
- + Natural facial motion and gesture realism
Trade-offs
- - Slower generation vs Sora 2
- - Higher credit cost per second
2Veo 3.1
Prompt: "Drone flying through a misty mountain forest at sunrise, rays of light through trees, cinematic aerial shot"
Strengths
- + Best lip sync and body language in the industry
- + Native audio generation (dialogue, SFX, music)
- + Native 9:16 for Shorts/Reels without quality loss
Trade-offs
- - Highest credit cost
- - Requires Creator plan or higher
3Sora 2 Pro
Prompt: "Abstract ink drops swirling in water, slow motion, vibrant colors mixing, black background"
Strengths
- + Fastest generation time of any video model
- + Best at complex multi-subject prompts
- + Excellent physics simulation
Trade-offs
- - Max 1080p (no 4K)
- - Strict duration limits (4s, 8s, 12s)
4Seedance 1.0 Pro
Prompt: "Young woman talks to phone camera in sunny coffee shop, selfie vlog style"
Strengths
- + Lowest credit cost per video
- + Best prompt following and scene consistency
- + Flexible duration (1.2–12s in 0.1s increments)
Trade-offs
- - Max 1080p
- - 24fps (vs 60fps on Kling)
Image models: 3 models, 1 prompt
Same approach for images. One prompt, three models, real numbers.
| Model | Resolution | Gen Time | Credits | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flux 2 Pro | Up to 4 megapixels | 3–5 seconds | 5 | ~$0.04 |
| Flux 2 Flex | Up to 4 megapixels | 3–5 seconds | 9 | ~$0.07 |
| Grok Imagine | Multiple formats (square, portrait, landscape) | 4–8 seconds | 17 | ~$0.13 |
5Flux 2 Pro
Prompt: "Neon-lit Tokyo alley at night, rain-soaked streets, glowing signs reflected in puddles, cinematic wide shot"
Strengths
- + Zero-config — auto prompt enhancement
- + Photorealistic at production scale
- + Fastest image generation
Trade-offs
- - Less fine-grained control than Flex
- - No reference image input
6Flux 2 Flex
Prompt: "Futuristic spaceship cockpit interior, holographic star map, teal and orange lighting, sci-fi concept art"
Strengths
- + Fully configurable inference parameters
- + Best typography and text rendering
- + Up to 10 reference images for style transfer
Trade-offs
- - Higher cost than Pro
- - Requires tuning for best results
7Grok Imagine
Prompt: "Golden retriever running through autumn leaves in a forest, motion blur, warm golden light"
Strengths
- + Best instruction following for creative prompts
- + Wide style range (photo, anime, painting, sketch)
- + 4 variations per prompt
Trade-offs
- - Lower max resolution than Flux
- - Slower than Flux models
Which model should you pick?
There is no single "best" model. It depends on what you need:
Highest quality cinematic video
Kling 3.0 Pro
Native 4K at 60fps, multi-shot consistency. Worth the higher cost for production work.
Talking head / lip sync content
Veo 3.1
Best lip sync in the industry plus native audio generation. Ideal for UGC and social content.
Fast iteration / prototyping
Sora 2 Pro
Under 45 seconds per generation. Best for rapid prompt testing and concept exploration.
Budget-conscious video production
Seedance 1.0 Pro
104 credits per video — roughly half the cost of Kling or Sora. Great quality-to-price ratio.
Production image generation
Flux 2 Pro
5 credits per image with zero-config quality. The workhorse for batch image generation.
Creative / stylized images
Grok Imagine
Widest style range from photorealism to anime. Best instruction following for creative prompts.
Fine-tuned image control
Flux 2 Flex
Adjustable parameters, reference images, best text rendering. For when you need precise control.
Real cost: what $19/month gets you
The Starter plan on agent-media CLI gives you 1,000 credits per month. Here is what that buys across different models:
| Model | Credits/Gen | Gens for 1,000 Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Kling 3.0 Pro | 187 | 5 |
| Veo 3.1 | 395 | 2 |
| Sora 2 Pro | 187 | 5 |
| Seedance 1.0 Pro | 104 | 9 |
| Flux 2 Pro | 5 | 200 |
| Flux 2 Flex | 9 | 111 |
| Grok Imagine | 17 | 58 |
Mix and match freely — all 7 models are included on every plan. No per-model charges, no separate subscriptions.
How this compares to using each model directly
You could sign up for each provider separately. Here is what that looks like:
| Provider | Cheapest Plan | CLI? |
|---|---|---|
| RunwayML | $15/mo | No |
| Sora (ChatGPT) | $20/mo (480p) | No |
| Sora (API) | $0.10/sec | API only |
| Midjourney | $10/mo | No |
| agent-media CLI | $19/mo (all 7 models) | Yes |
For detailed comparisons, see:
Methodology
- All tests run on February 21, 2026 using agent-media CLI v1.0.5
- Video models tested with 5-second default duration where possible
- Generation times are wall-clock from CLI submission to output URL
- Credit costs reflect actual deductions from account balance
- Dollar costs estimated at the Starter plan rate ($19/1,000 credits = $0.019/credit)
- Model specs (resolution, fps) from official provider documentation
- All outputs are real — click any video or image to see the actual generation
Try all 7 models yourself
One install, one login, one command per model. Plans start at $19/mo.