# Seedance vs Veo 3.1: which video model to use, and what each clip costs

> Seedance 2.0 beats Veo 3.1 by 175 Elo in the Nov 2026 video arena and costs less per second. See every tier priced per 8-second clip and when Veo still wins.

Canonical URL: https://honeyvid.ai/learn/seedance-vs-veo/
Updated: 2026-11-13
Publisher: HoneyVid (https://honeyvid.ai)
Topic: Seedance

## Short answer

Seedance 2.0 beats Veo 3.1 on quality and length: Elo 1136 against 961 in Artificial Analysis's text-to-video arena, with clips to 15 seconds against 8 (5 Nov 2026). An 8-second clip costs $2.99 against $3.20 on each maker's API. Pick Veo 3.1 Lite or Fast for cheap drafts, native 4K or free daily Flow credits.

## Key facts

- **Arena Elo, text to video with audio:** Seedance 2.5 1155, Seedance 2.0 1136, Veo 3.1 961, Veo 3.1 Fast 957, Veo 3.1 Lite 951 ([source](https://artificialanalysis.ai/video/leaderboard/text-to-video))
- **Price per minute on the maker's API:** Seedance 2.0 $22.45, Seedance 2.5 $34.12, Veo 3.1 $24.00, Veo 3.1 Fast $7.20, Veo 3.1 Lite $4.80 ([source](https://artificialanalysis.ai/video/leaderboard/text-to-video))
- **Seedance 2.0 specs:** 4 to 15 seconds; native 480p and 720p; up to 9 images, 3 videos and 3 audio clips as references ([source](https://seed.bytedance.com/en/public_papers/seedance-2-0-advancing-video-generation-for-world-complexity))
- **Veo 3.1 specs:** 4, 6 or 8 seconds; 720p, 1080p and 4K output (4K on the standard model); 24 fps; English prompts ([source](https://docs.cloud.google.com/vertex-ai/generative-ai/docs/models/veo/3-1-generate))
- **Both on Runway's API (credits a second, $0.01 each):** Seedance 2.0 30 at 720p, 40 at 1080p, 150 at 4K; Veo 3.1 40 with audio, 20 without; Veo 3.1 Fast 15 and 10 ([source](https://docs.dev.runwayml.com/guides/pricing/))
- **Veo in Google Flow:** 50 free credits a day; Lite 10 credits, Fast 20, Quality 100 per generation ([source](https://support.google.com/flow/answer/16526234))

Seedance 2.0 is the better video model and Veo 3.1 is the cheaper one to draft with. Every number below comes from ByteDance, Google, Runway and Artificial Analysis pages read on 5 November 2026.

## Is Seedance better than Veo?

Yes. Voters in Artificial Analysis's blind arena prefer Seedance 2.0 over Veo 3.1 by 175 Elo points for text to video and 180 for image to video.

| Model | Text-to-video Elo | Image-to-video Elo | Released |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Seedance 2.5 | 1155 | 1159 | Jul 2026 |
| Seedance 2.0 | 1136 | 1135 | Mar 2026 |
| Veo 3.1 | 961 | 955 | Jan 2026 |
| Veo 3.1 Fast | 957 | 936 | Jan 2026 |
| Veo 3.1 Lite | 951 | 929 | Mar 2026 |

Both boards are version 2.1 and include audio ([text to video](https://artificialanalysis.ai/video/leaderboard/text-to-video), [image to video](https://artificialanalysis.ai/video/leaderboard/image-to-video)). Seedance 2.5 tops the image-to-video board outright. The three Veo 3.1 tiers sit within 10 points of each other on text to video, so paying for the standard model over Lite buys little on this measure.

## What does an 8-second Seedance or Veo clip cost?

An 8-second Seedance 2.0 clip costs $2.99 on ByteDance's API and a Veo 3.1 clip with audio costs $3.20 on Google's, per Artificial Analysis's per-minute prices. Veo's Fast and Lite tiers cut that to $0.96 and $0.64.

Eight seconds is Veo 3.1's longest single clip, so it is the fair unit. The maker-API column divides Artificial Analysis's price per minute by 60 and multiplies by 8. The Runway column uses [Runway's API rates](https://docs.dev.runwayml.com/guides/pricing/) at $0.01 a credit.

| Model and tier | Maker's API, 8 s | Runway API, 8 s | Elo (text to video) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Veo 3.1 Lite | $0.64 | Not sold | 951 |
| Veo 3.1 Fast, with audio | $0.96 | $1.20 | 957 |
| Seedance 2.0 Mini, 720p | Not listed | $1.20 | Not ranked |
| Seedance 2.0 Fast, 720p | Not listed | $1.92 | Not ranked |
| Seedance 2.0, 720p | $2.99 | $2.40 | 1136 |
| Veo 3.1, with audio | $3.20 | $3.20 | 961 |
| Seedance 2.0, 1080p | One rate listed (above) | $3.20 | 1136 |
| Seedance 2.5, 1080p | $4.55 | $5.44 | 1155 |

Seedance 2.0 at 720p on Runway is the best quality per dollar in the table: 1136 Elo for $2.40. Veo 3.1 without audio drops to 20 credits a second on Runway, $1.60 for 8 seconds. Seedance 2.5 on Runway adds 15 credits a second at 720p for any reference video you upload.

In apps, Google Flow charges 10 credits for a Lite generation, 20 for Fast and 100 for Quality ([Flow credits](https://support.google.com/flow/answer/16526234)). Dreamina charges 17 credits a second for Seedance 2.0 Pro at 720p, 8 for Fast and 5 for Mini ([Dreamina](https://dreamina.capcut.com/seedance/seedance-price)). Full per-platform prices are in [Seedance pricing](https://honeyvid.ai/learn/seedance-pricing/) and [Google Veo 3 pricing](https://honeyvid.ai/learn/google-veo-3-pricing/).

## How do Seedance and Veo compare on specs?

Seedance makes longer clips and takes more references; Veo makes native 4K and supports first-and-last-frame control and extension.

| | Seedance 2.0 | Veo 3.1 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Clip length | 4 to 15 s | 4, 6 or 8 s |
| Native resolution | 480p, 720p (Runway sells 1080p and 4K tiers) | 720p, 1080p; 4K on the standard model |
| Audio | Generated with the video | Generated with the video |
| References | Up to 9 images, 3 videos, 3 audio clips | Asset reference images (standard and Fast) |
| First and last frame | Not stated by ByteDance | Yes, all three tiers |
| Extend a clip | Not stated by ByteDance | Yes, all three tiers |
| Aspect ratios | Set per request | 16:9 and 9:16 |
| Prompt language | Not stated | English only |

Sources: [ByteDance Seed](https://seed.bytedance.com/en/public_papers/seedance-2-0-advancing-video-generation-for-world-complexity) (dated 15 April 2026) and [Google Cloud's Veo 3.1 page](https://docs.cloud.google.com/vertex-ai/generative-ai/docs/models/veo/3-1-generate). Veo 3.1 Lite is still in preview there, while the standard and Fast models are generally available.

## Where is Veo better than Seedance?

Veo is better for free daily drafts, native 4K and Google's own tooling.

- **Free every day:** Flow gives every account 50 credits a day, five Lite or two Fast generations. See [how to use Veo 3 for free](https://honeyvid.ai/learn/how-to-use-veo-3-free/).
- **Cheap tiers:** Veo 3.1 Lite at $0.08 a second is a fifth of Seedance 2.0's API price.
- **Native 4K** on the standard model, and clip extension on every tier.
- **Provenance:** every Flow output carries an invisible SynthID watermark, and most users can toggle a visible one ([Flow help](https://support.google.com/flow/answer/16353333)). Google says it won't claim ownership of what you generate.

The Gemini API's Veo 3.1 preview models shut down on 22 October 2026, and [Google's docs](https://aistudio.google.com/docs/video) now point developers to Gemini Omni Flash or the GA Veo models on its enterprise platform. Gemini Omni Flash 1.1 scores 1129 on the text-to-video board at $9.12 a minute, close to Seedance 2.0 for less than half the price.

## Where is Seedance better than Veo?

Seedance is better for quality, longer shots and reference-heavy scenes.

- **Arena lead** of 175 to 180 Elo on both boards.
- **15-second clips** in one generation, against Veo's 8.
- **Up to 15 reference files** across images, video and audio.
- **Cheaper than or level with standard Veo** on every route in the table above.

For how Seedance stacks up against the other big model, see [Seedance vs Kling](https://honeyvid.ai/learn/seedance-vs-kling/). For Veo against OpenAI's model, see [Veo 3 vs Sora 2](https://honeyvid.ai/learn/veo-3-vs-sora-2/).

## Seedance or Veo: which should you choose?

Choose Seedance 2.0 for finished clips and Veo 3.1 Lite or Fast for cheap iteration.

1. **Final social clips and ads:** Seedance 2.0 at 720p, $2.40 for 8 seconds on Runway's API.
2. **Best image-to-video at any price:** Seedance 2.5.
3. **Drafting dozens of ideas:** Veo 3.1 Lite in Flow, free up to five a day.
4. **4K delivery:** Veo 3.1 standard.
5. **Clips over 8 seconds without stitching:** Seedance.

If you would rather skip model choice entirely, [HoneyVid](https://honeyvid.ai/) turns a trending video template and your character photo into the finished clip.

## Questions

### Is Seedance better than Veo 3?

On blind votes, yes. Artificial Analysis's arena (with audio, read 5 November 2026) scores Seedance 2.0 at 1136 and Veo 3.1 at 961 for text to video, and 1135 against 955 for image to video. Seedance also runs to 15 seconds against Veo's 8. Veo leads on native 4K and on cheap Fast and Lite tiers.

### Which AI video model is better, Kling, Veo or Seedance?

On the same arena board, Seedance 2.0 (1136) ranks above Kling 3.0 Omni 1080p Pro (1022), which ranks above Veo 3.1 (961). On price per second at each maker's API, Kling 3.0 Omni is cheapest of the three at $0.14, then Seedance 2.0 at $0.37 and Veo 3.1 at $0.40.

### What's better than Veo?

Seedance 2.0 and 2.5, Wan 3.0 and MiniMax H3 all score higher than Veo 3.1 on Artificial Analysis's text-to-video board. Google's own Gemini Omni Flash 1.1 scores 1129, close to Seedance 2.0, at $9.12 a minute.

### Is Seedance cheaper than Veo?

Against the standard Veo 3.1 model, yes, by under 3 cents a second: $0.374 a second against $0.40 on each maker's API. Against Veo 3.1 Fast ($0.12) and Lite ($0.08), no. On Runway's API, Seedance 2.0 at 720p is $0.30 a second and Veo 3.1 with audio is $0.40.

### Can I use Veo for free?

Yes, in Google Flow. Every account gets 50 credits a day, enough for five Veo 3.1 Lite or two Fast generations; unused credits expire each day. Seedance has no equivalent daily allowance from ByteDance; Dreamina's US first month costs $0.29.

## Sources

- [Text to Video Leaderboard (AA-Video-T2V v2.1, with audio)](https://artificialanalysis.ai/video/leaderboard/text-to-video), Artificial Analysis (accessed 2026-11-05)
- [Image to Video Leaderboard (AA-Video-I2V v2.1, with audio)](https://artificialanalysis.ai/video/leaderboard/image-to-video), Artificial Analysis (accessed 2026-11-05)
- [Seedance 2.0: Advancing Video Generation for World Complexity](https://seed.bytedance.com/en/public_papers/seedance-2-0-advancing-video-generation-for-world-complexity), ByteDance Seed (accessed 2026-11-05)
- [Veo 3.1](https://docs.cloud.google.com/vertex-ai/generative-ai/docs/models/veo/3-1-generate), Google Cloud (accessed 2026-11-05)
- [Generate videos (Veo and Gemini Omni Flash)](https://aistudio.google.com/docs/video), Google AI Studio docs (accessed 2026-11-05)
- [API pricing](https://docs.dev.runwayml.com/guides/pricing/), Runway (accessed 2026-11-05)
- [Google Flow credits](https://support.google.com/flow/answer/16526234), Google Flow Help (accessed 2026-11-05)
- [Google Flow terms and watermarks](https://support.google.com/flow/answer/16353333), Google Flow Help (accessed 2026-11-05)
- [Seedance Pricing](https://dreamina.capcut.com/seedance/seedance-price), Dreamina by CapCut (accessed 2026-11-05)