HEAD TO HEAD
Veo 3.1 vs Wan 2.6: which is worth your budget?
Veo 3.1 — Google
Wan 2.6 — Alibaba
| Veo 3.1 | Wan 2.6 | |
|---|---|---|
| $ / second (base) | $0.40 | $0.05 |
| 10-second clip | $4.00 | $0.50 |
| 1 minute of output | $24.00 | $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
Opposite ends of the market: $0.40/s turnkey premium with audio versus $0.05/s open-source silence. They rarely compete for the same shot — which is the insight. Veo owns dialogue and polish; Wan owns bulk and pipelines. The comparison matters at the strategy level: a $300/month Veo budget buys 12 premium minutes, or 2 premium minutes plus a hundred Wan minutes of everything else. Most channels need the second shape.
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 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.