HEAD TO HEAD
Veo 3.1 Lite vs Wan 2.6: which is worth your budget?
Veo 3.1 Lite — Google
Wan 2.6 — Alibaba
| Veo 3.1 Lite | Wan 2.6 | |
|---|---|---|
| $ / second (base) | $0.05 | $0.05 |
| 10-second clip | $0.50 | $0.50 |
| 1 minute of output | $3.00 | $3.00 |
| Native audio | Yes | — |
| Max clip length | 8s | 10s |
Rates shown at each model's base tier, verified July 2026 from official vendor pricing pages and documentation. Vendors change prices without notice — see methodology.
The verdict
Two routes to nearly-free video. Lite's pitch: $300 in Google credits (~100 minutes), native audio, zero setup. Wan's pitch: open-source forever, fine-tunable, free at the margin if you own the GPU. Start on Lite — the credits are the market's best onboarding. Graduate to Wan when volume outgrows credits or you need a custom style. In sequence, they're the cheapest complete education in AI video available.
Whichever you pick, apply a retake multiplier before budgeting: the model that gets your specific shot right in fewer attempts is often the cheaper one in practice, regardless of sticker price. Full tier breakdowns: Veo 3.1 Lite pricing and Wan 2.6 pricing.
Run your own numbers. The cost calculator applies your clip length, resolution and a realistic retake buffer across every model at once.