Compare
Fastest AI Video & Image Generators — Speed Rankings
When you are iterating on creative ideas or building an automated pipeline, generation speed directly impacts your workflow. We benchmarked all seven AI models available through agent-media CLI and ranked them from fastest to slowest. Image models dominate the top spots, but among video generators, the spread is significant — from 90 seconds to over 3 minutes per clip.
Complete Speed Rankings
Times represent typical generation on standard prompts. Actual speed varies by prompt complexity, server load, and output duration.
| Rank | Model | Type | Speed | Provider |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Flux 2 Flex | Image | ~5 seconds | fal.ai / Black Forest Labs |
| #2 | Flux 2 Pro | Image | ~10 seconds | fal.ai / Black Forest Labs |
| #3 | Grok Imagine | Image | ~15 seconds | xAI |
| #4 | Veo 3.1 | Video | ~90 seconds (8s) | Google DeepMind |
| #5 | Kling 3.0 Pro | Video | ~2 min (5s) | Kuaishou / Kie.ai |
| #6 | Seedance 1.0 Pro | Video | ~2 min (5s) | ByteDance |
| #7 | Sora 2 Pro | Video | ~3 min (8s) | OpenAI |
Image Models — Sub-15-Second Generation
Flux 2 Flex — The Speed Champion (~5 seconds)
Flux 2 Flex is the fastest model in the entire lineup. At roughly five seconds per image, it generates results faster than most people can evaluate the previous one. Quality is slightly below Flux 2 Pro, but for concept exploration, batch thumbnails, and rapid prototyping, the tradeoff is well worth it. At just 25-50 credits per image, it is also the cheapest model available.
Flux 2 Pro — Production Quality at 10 Seconds
Double the generation time of Flex, but with noticeably sharper output, better text rendering, and more reliable photorealism. If you are producing final assets rather than drafts, the extra five seconds per image is a minor penalty for significantly improved quality. Flux 2 Pro remains faster than every video model in the lineup.
Grok Imagine — Artistic Quality at 15 Seconds
The slowest image model at 15 seconds, but still well within real-time iteration territory. Grok trades speed for a more distinctive artistic style with richer color palettes and more complex scene compositions. The 5-second gap between Grok and Flux Pro is negligible for single images but adds up in batch workflows.
Video Models — 90 Seconds to 3 Minutes
Veo 3.1 — Fastest Video Model (~90 seconds for 8s)
Google's Veo 3.1 delivers an 8-second video clip in about 90 seconds, nearly twice as fast as Kling or Seedance for the same output duration. It also produces the highest resolution (4K) and includes synchronized audio generation. The tradeoff is cost — Veo is the most expensive video model at ~$1.60 per clip. For professional workflows where time equals money, the speed advantage often justifies the premium.
Kling 3.0 Pro & Seedance 1.0 Pro — Tied at ~2 Minutes
Both models generate a 5-second clip in approximately two minutes. Kling and Seedance share similar infrastructure speed but target different content types — Kling for general-purpose photorealism and Seedance for human body motion. If speed is your only criterion, these two are interchangeable; choose based on output quality for your specific subject matter.
Sora 2 Pro — Slowest but Longest Duration (~3 minutes for 8s)
Sora is the slowest video model, taking about three minutes for an 8-second clip. However, it compensates with the longest maximum duration (12 seconds) and a unique creative interpretation style. The extra processing time reflects Sora's more complex generation pipeline, which contributes to its distinctive artistic output. For batch workflows, factor in the roughly 2x time penalty versus Veo.
Best Value for Speed
For images: Flux 2 Flex at ~5 seconds and ~$0.08 per image is unbeatable for speed-to-cost ratio. Use Flux 2 Pro when you need higher quality without sacrificing much speed. For video: Veo 3.1 at ~90 seconds is the fastest, but costs 3x more than Kling or Seedance. If you can tolerate two-minute waits, Kling 3.0 Pro offers the best balance of speed, quality, and cost for general video work.
Quick Start — Try the Fastest Models
# Fastest image — Flux 2 Flex, ~5s
$ agent-media generate flux2-flex -p "Neon-lit Tokyo street at night, rain reflections" --sync
# Fastest video — Veo 3.1, ~90s
$ agent-media generate veo3 -p "Drone shot over a coral reef, tropical fish, crystal water" -d 8 --sync
# Best speed/cost video — Kling, ~2 min
$ agent-media generate kling3 -p "A cat knocking objects off a desk in slow motion" -d 5 --sync