AI video generators jumped from novelty to marketing essential in just two years. But free tiers keep shrinking. On November 28, 2025, OpenAI cut Sora 2’s daily allowance from 30
AI video generators jumped from novelty to marketing essential in just two years. But free tiers keep shrinking. On November 28, 2025, OpenAI cut Sora 2’s daily allowance from 30 to 6 videos, and Google switched Gemini 3 Pro to a variable cap the same day. If you depend on no-cost clips for rapid ideation, you need platforms that still provide a standing free plan, usable resolution, and browser-based exports. This guide profiles six that deliver—so you can iterate without reaching for a credit card.
Why “free” AI video feels so confusing right now
Shrinking free tiers on AI video generators like Sora and Gemini make today’s marketing workflows harder to trust.
Two years ago, text-to-video demos were novel; today they sit in nearly every marketer’s toolkit. The confusion starts when you aim to keep costs at zero. According to a TechRadar analysis, OpenAI cut Sora 2’s free allowance from 30 to 6 daily videos on November 28, 2025. That same week, Google replaced Gemini 3 Pro’s fixed quota with a “daily limits may change” notice and reduced Nano Banana Pro image outputs to 2 generations. These restrictions show a wider trend: providers are pulling back compute-intensive freebies and steering frequent creators toward paid plans. You can also explore our collection of free online tools to discover useful utilities beyond video generators. If you depend on no-cost clips for rapid ideation, you need tools whose free tiers still leave a breathing room. This guide spotlights the six that passed the hands-on tests.
What this guide covers
You’ll see only browser-based tools that
- maintain a permanent free tier, not a three-day countdown
- allow you to generate and download video today, with or without a watermark
- slot into a marketing workflow rather than only adding captions or trims
Desktop installers, mobile-only apps, and limited “AI” add-ons did not make the cut. There are 27 candidates to six that met all three criteria.
Setting expectations up front
Free tiers excel at rapid ideation, such as hook testing or early client proofs. They fall short when you need production polish. Most providers cap free exports at 480 p or 720 p and add a logo; only a few reaches 1080 p without branding. Credits are limited as well: Leonardo offers about 150 fast tokens per day; Runway provides a one-time batch of 125 credits, and Pika’s Basic plan tops out at roughly 80 clips per month. Once you hit those limits (resolution, watermark, or credits), upgrade or combine tools to stay flexible without stretching your budget.
What “free AI video generator online” really means
In this guide, free refers to a standing plan you can open today, still use next month, and export without an instant paywall. Three-day promos and one-off credit drops don’t qualify.
Not all free AI video generators are equal—use this framework to decode their limits before you commit.
Free offers are categorized into three buckets:
- Truly free – export at the stated resolution with no watermark and a license for commercial use (rare).
- Free but watermarked – download without paying, but every frame carries the logo; fine for internal decks or organic social, risky for paid ads.
- Free trial – a handful of starter credits, then the door shuts. These tools don’t appear on the shortlist.
This line is drawn because on November 28, 2025, OpenAI cut Sora 2 to six free video generations per day, and Google shifted Gemini 3 Pro to a variable “fair-use” cap the same week. Credit shrinkage is now the norm; relying on promo access can break your workflow overnight.
Before you choose a platform, check four numbers:
- maximum export resolution (480 p, 720 p, 1080 p, or 4 K)
- watermark size or placement
- daily or monthly credit allowance
- commercial-use rights in the terms of service
Every tool featured here clears those hurdles and runs entirely in your browser, so you can spin up test clips as fast as you write the prompt.
How to test and rank these tools
Each platform has been put through three marketing scenes:
- a 15-second vertical UGC ad for TikTok
- a 30-second 16:9 explainer opener
- a 5-second YouTube Shorts hook
For each test, it is fed into the same 20-line prompt set, generated three versions, and timed performance on a 2022 MacBook Air (8-core CPU, 8 GB RAM) over a 100 Mbps connection. The process yielded 54 clips, enough to spot clear patterns without spending a full week.
Same brief has been run through 27 browser-based AI video tools and scored them on five weighted factors marketers care about most.
Here are the graded results against five weighted factors that reflect everyday pain points:
| Criterion | Weight | What is checked |
| Free-tier value | 25% | ongoing credits, export resolution, card-free sign-up |
| Output quality & control | 25% | motion realism, prompt accuracy, aspect-ratio options |
| Watermark impact | 20% | logo size and placement, client readiness |
| Workflow fit | 20% | built-in editing, version history, export presets |
| Sustainability & rights | 10% | license clarity, likelihood the free plan continues |
There were 27 eligible tools. Twenty-one fell short because they hid a countdown trial, required a desktop download, or placed a center-frame watermark on every render. The remaining six met all free-tier criteria and still delivered usable output after OpenAI and Google reduced free Sora and Gemini allowances on November 28, 2025.
The six best free AI video generators online
27 contenders have been tested and found only six that let you download clips without a paywall or an oversized watermark. The pages that follow outline each tool’s strengths, limits, and the marketing jobs it handles best.
Leonardo AI Video Generator: best overall creative suite for marketers
Leonardo combines images, Elements, Canvas, and motion in one browser tab. Type a prompt, generate a still, select Motion, and the scene animates in seconds. If you prefer a blank slate, you can start with frontier text-to-video models such as Veo 3.
Leonardo’s browser-based suite lets marketers move from prompt to motion, Canvas, and exports without leaving a single tab.
The free tier gives you about 150 fast tokens every 24 hours, enough for several video renders without a credit card. Each render subtracts tokens; when the meter reaches zero, you wait for the next reset rather than face a paywall. Free clips download at up to 1080 p with no watermark, though they appear in a public workspace. Leonardo retains ownership, while you receive a non-exclusive license for commercial use, suitable for most campaigns but risky for embargoed ideas.
Workflow is the standout advantage. Storyboard three hero shots before lunch, add text and calls to action in Canvas, then export footage for a quick polish in your editor.
Limitations: token caps require discipline, private generations and 4 K exports sit behind paid tiers, and public visibility lets competitors remix your clip. For daily hook tests and mood boards, it remains the most complete free lab in the group.
Pika: best for fast, stylized AI clips
Pika feels like a sketchpad. Type a prompt and watch a three-to-four-second loop appear in under a minute. Tap Remix to swap camera moves, lighting, or color grades until the right thumbnail shows up.
Free plan at a glance
- 80 video credits each month
- 480 p output with an unremovable watermark
- No commercial license on the free tier
These limits make Pika ideal for internal mood boards, concept decks, or organic social tests, but not for paid ads.
Why marketers enjoy it: a growing catalog of style presets lets you jump from anime to photoreal in one click, then fine-tune depth of field or motion curves without starting over. The speed keeps creative momentum high and prevents blank-page paralysis.
Watch-outs: resolution tops out at 15-second clips, credits disappear fast if you chase multiple versions, and you’ll need a paid tier for 720 p or commercial rights. Export your winning reference, refine elsewhere, and keep Pika as the rapid-fire idea lab in your stack.
Runway: best for cinematic text-to-video experiments
Runway’s Gen-3 and Gen-4 models excel at sweeping camera moves and dramatic lighting. Enter a prompt such as “slow-motion drone shot over misty redwood forest at dawn,” and Gen-4 returns a color-graded sequence that feels like pre-vis for a brand film.
Free plan snapshot
- one-time 125-credit stash on sign-up
- up to 720 p exports with a small watermark, capped at three projects
- commercial rights included, but the logo must stay visible
Motion Brush lets you isolate a single object, Frame Interpolation stretches a three-second clip to five without artifacts, and instant aspect-ratio switching keeps social edits simple.
Trade-offs: Gen-4 uses about 12 credits per second, so the free balance drops quickly; 1080 p and 4 K require a paid tier, and storage is limited to 5 GB on the free plan. Treat Runway as a cinematic sketchpad, ideal for pitching a direction; plan to budget for upgrades once the client approves.
MindVideo AI: best free multi-model playground
MindVideo bundles Kling, Runway Gen-4, Luma Dream Machine, and its own Seedance 1.0 Pro in one browser tab, so you can compare models without juggling windows. If you want to master Luma AI's full feature set, dedicated tutorials cover advanced motion controls and camera work beyond MindVideo's unified interface.
Free plan snapshot
- 30 credits every day, reset at midnight UTC
- exports up to 4 K when server load is light; otherwise 1080 p with a subtle corner watermark
- personal-use license only; paid tiers unlock commercial rights
That mix makes MindVideo a solid after-hours idea lab. Queue five prompts before you log off, wake up to finished clips, and pick the keeper. Quick toggles for aspect ratio, duration, and frame interpolation cover early tests, though you won’t find a timeline editor or caption tool.
Watch-outs: queue times spike when frontier models trend, and commercial rights remain unclear on the free plan. Keep backups, export promptly, and confirm usage terms before sharing a final cut.
EaseMate AI: best all-in-one workspace with video baked in
EaseMate bundles chat, image generation, document tools, and a Veo-powered video generator behind one login. You can draft a script, translate captions, and spin a sample clip without leaving the page. The Veo-3-Fast integration makes it particularly useful alongside YouTube Shorts generative AI tools for creators who need quick vertical video iterations.
Free plan snapshot
- 30 sign-up credits plus a small daily check-in bonus
- credits are shared across every feature; a 15-second Veo-3-Fast clip costs about 12 credits
- exports at 720 p with a corner watermark and a social-use license
Why it helps marketers: workflow continuity. Draft copy with the chat assistant, drop the same text into the video panel, then request subtitles or a thumbnail from the image tab before you open another browser window.
Limits to watch: the shared credit pool runs dry after roughly six video clips; watermark removal and 1080 p sit behind a subscription; detailed timeline editing is still missing. Treat EaseMate as your creative switchboard, useful for stitching tasks together, then hand off final polish to a dedicated editor once the concept lands.
Kapwing: best for social-first editing with AI assist
Kapwing is an online editor that now includes a text-to-video generator. Treat it as the final stop: trim, caption, resize, and publish from one browser tab.
Free plan snapshot
- unlimited exports up to 4 minutes
- 720 p resolution with a watermark in the bottom-right corner
- automatic subtitles (10 minutes per month) and basic text-to-speech
These limits make Kapwing ideal for TikTok drafts, internal approvals, or meme-style organic posts. Social managers can swap aspect ratios, burn captions, and push directly to YouTube or TikTok without opening desktop software.
Limits to note: the watermark remains unless you upgrade, uploads cap at 250 MB, and 1080 p or 4 K exports require the Pro tier. Use Kapwing for rapid edits. When a concept performs, rerender watermark-free assets in Leonardo or Runway, then polish them here before launch.
Free-tier snapshot: how the top tools compare
The table below distills the four deal breakers—resolution, watermark, credit pool, and license—so you can match a tool to today’s task in seconds. Figures reflect each vendor’s public docs on December 1, 2025.
A side-by-side snapshot of how Leonardo, Pika, Runway, MindVideo, EaseMate and Kapwing stack up on the four free-tier deal breakers.
Real use cases: how to put the free tiers to work
Below are three workflows that the team runs in real campaigns. Each one keeps costs at zero while proving a creative direction before budget kicks in.
1. Turn a product drop into a UGC-style ad
The brief: a 15-second vertical spot for a sneaker launch, zero shoot budget.
- Generate three stills in Leonardo that show the shoe on a rotating neon plinth.
- Select Motion to animate each still into a five-second loop, then export the sharpest clip.
- Open Kapwing, switch the canvas to 9:16, trim the loop to eight seconds, and add timed captions: “Lighter than your morning latte.” Finish with a bass hit from Kapwing’s library.
Total time: about 25 minutes. Watermarks stay invisible because Leonardo’s download is clean and Kapwing’s logo sits outside the safe zone on most social feeds.
2. Build a B2B feature-launch explainer without a studio
Need a 30-second dashboard tour for next week’s webinar? Follow these steps.
- Ask EaseMate’s chat assistant to draft a 45-second script.
- Capture two product screenshots, feed them to Leonardo’s Image → Motion tool with a prompt such as “subtle UI glow, cinematic zoom,” and export 720 p clips.
- In Kapwing, place the animated shots on a 16:9 timeline, burn in subtitles, and let the Richard voice track read your script.
- For a five-second opener, prompt Runway Gen-4 with “digital cityscape morphing into data streams.” Drop the rendered clip at the top and apply a cross-fade.
Spend: $0. Delivery: the same afternoon.
3. Rapid-fire hook testing for pennies
Hook performance often hinges on the first two seconds.
- After hours, queue ten latte-themed prompts in MindVideo; by morning you have a mixed mood board.
- Trim the five strongest clips to five seconds in Kapwing and overlay the same super: “Cold brew, hot productivity.”
- Launch five dark posts in Meta Ads Manager at $50 each. Use the same audience, headline, and copy; only the visual changes.
- When the winning hook emerges, rerender that concept at 1080 p in Leonardo or Runway without a watermark and relaunch the ad at scale.
These free-tier workflows trade high resolution for speed and insight. Once the data confirms a creative angle, move to a paid plan for 4 K masters or remove any remaining watermarks before going live.
Limitations and gotchas of free AI video generators
Free tiers shine during testing, yet they carry four hidden hazards.
Watermarks. A corner logo sounds harmless until YouTube compression turns it into a fuzzy blob. If you plan paid ads, budget for a watermark-free render.
Resolution caps. Many free plans stop at 480 p or 720 p. On a modern phone, 480 p shows only 307 k pixels, which is less than one-quarter of 1080 p detail. Treat low-res clips as placeholders.
Licensing. Leonardo lets you publish commercially but keeps files public after 30 days; Pika blocks paid placements on its free tier. Always check the “commercial use” line before launch day.
Quota volatility. On November 28, 2025, OpenAI cut Sora 2 to six daily generations, and Google shifted Gemini 3 Pro to a variable cap the same week. Expect similar throttles and export key clips as soon as they finish rendering.
Stay alert to these four factors and free AI video moves from risky gimmick to reliable R&D engine. Ignore them and you may end up recutting a campaign hours before it goes live.
How to choose the right free AI video generator for your use case
Answer three quick questions to match the tool to the job.
Use this three-question decision tree to pair the right free AI video generator with the editor that fits your workflow.
- What is the creative task?
- High-fidelity image-to-video or tight prompt control → start with Leonardo, then move to Runway for cinematic shots.
- Style exploration and rapid remixing → choose Pika.
- How deep is the workflow?
- Need script writing, translation, and captions in one tab → EaseMate.
- Need timeline edits, social crops, or burnt-in captions → Kapwing after you render in any generator.
- Pixels or Rights: What matters more?
- MindVideo offers up to 4 K exports but limits commercial use on the free tier.
- Leonardo provides a public-workspace license at 1080 p; Kapwing grants social use at 720 p with a watermark. Pick higher resolution for mock-ups, pick a clear license if you plan to publish.
Shortcut: pair a generator (Leonardo or Pika) with an editor (Kapwing). This two-tool combo covers nine of ten briefs that are seen in client work without pulling out a credit card.
Conclusion
Free-tier AI video tools can unlock rapid ideation, concept testing, and lightweight content creation—as long as you understand their caps on resolution, watermarks, licensing, and daily credits. Leonardo, Pika, Runway, MindVideo, EaseMate, and Kapwing each excel in different scenarios, from cinematic pre-vis to social-ready edits. Use this guide to pick up the right pair for your next campaign, then upgrade only when data proves the creative direction is worth the spend.
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