OpenAI's AI video generator, publicly available since December 2024, known for cinematic frames and physical realism.
Text-to-video tools have exploded. We map the mainstream options to five needs: cinematic quality, short-video volume, open-source self-hosting, creative exploration and marketing assets.
Sora 2 went from #1 on the App Store to shutdown in seven months, Runway Gen-4.5 tops the blind-test leaderboard, Veo 3.1 makes native audio table stakes, and Kling and Hailuo wage a cost war — our annual review sorts the field into three camps.
A full comparison of five AI video generators — from quality, length and control to price — to help you pick the right creative tool.
AI video generation makes a major breakthrough, with three leading tools each bringing distinct strengths.
可灵 AI (Kling)
Kuaishou's AI video generator, launched in June 2024, standout for Chinese-language scenes and character consistency, now iterated to the 2.x series.
Hailuo AI Video
MiniMax's AI video generator with 1080p HD output, camera control and character consistency.
Runway
A pioneering AI video company; Gen-4 leads on world consistency, widely used across film, advertising and short video.
Pika
An AI video platform launched November 2023, popular on social media for playful effects and 'Pikaffects' transformations.