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AI Video Production Cost Calculator
How much does it cost to create a faceless YouTube video? Estimate the total across images, AI video, voiceover, motion graphics and scene planning. Every rate we used is listed below the calculator.
1. Choose a look
2. Size your video
7 min × 12 = 84 scenes · about 5 seconds each · unit costs measured on our own 12-scene runs
3. What the scenes are made of
Drag the white dividers, or focus one and use the arrow keys. Looks start from the mix they normally use.
Standard images: about 0.2 cents each.
See every rate we used
| What | Price | Unit | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voiceover (BuildTuber voices) | $0.000015 | per character | measured |
| Scene planning | $0.0006 | per scene | measured |
| AI image, photo and cinematic looks | $0.0017 | per image | measured |
| AI image, Economy stickman | $0.0058 | per image | measured |
| AI image, Premium | $0.019 | per image | measured |
| Research and archive scene | $0.0033 | per scene | measured |
| Stock footage scene (choosing the clip) | $0.003 | per scene | estimate |
| Text over a picture | $0.002 | per title | estimate |
| Designed motion graphic | $0.05 | per scene | measured |
| AI video clip, 720p | $0.067 | per 5-second clip | listed |
| AI video clip, 1080p | $0.159 | per 5-second clip | listed |
Measured is a real run or a provider response. Listed is a provider's price page. Estimate is a reserve we use until the real cost is known. Rates as of 2026-10-23.
Excludes your time, research, licensing, subscriptions and revisions.
How to estimate an AI video's cost
First, choose a look, the video length and how many scenes a minute it runs at. Then decide how many scenes use low-cost AI images, generated video clips, archive material, stock or motion graphics. The calculator adds voiceover and scene planning. Different mixes can produce very different totals for the same seven-minute script.
What is and isn't included?
The results include voiceover, scene planning, text over pictures and each visual type you use. They do not include the time spent writing or researching, archival licensing, subscriptions, purchased stock media, or marketing.
Rates are measured on BuildTuber's own runs where they say so, and carry a date: they were last checked on 2026-10-23. See the methodology for how cost figures are labelled.
Frequently asked questions
Does one BuildTuber credit equal one US dollar?
This calculator is denominated in dollars. Each rate it uses is a unit price we measured or took from a provider list, with a label saying which, and the full table is under the calculator. The Plans screen in the app is the authority on what a dollar of credit buys, so check it before relying on a conversion.
Can I compare Economy, Standard and Premium image quality?
Yes. Pick a look, then switch the image quality. Economy is the tier for the stickman looks, Standard is the tier for the others, and Premium is available on both. The calculator intentionally does not disclose underlying model or custom LoRA identities.
Why do retries matter?
An unusable image or video clip can require another generation. Some failures are free and some completed-but-rejected outputs are billable. This calculator does not add a separate retry allowance: the motion graphics rate already includes the repair that our measured runs needed, and any other regeneration is yours to add on top. If you regenerate often, treat the result as a floor.
Is a $1 AI video realistic?
It can be possible for certain low-cost, image-led workflows, but there is no universal $1 price. Duration, scene count, model, voiceover and generated motion determine the result.
Want to try the workflow? Start creating with BuildTuber's 25 free scenes →