Video generation is now a core component of many AI chatbots, but that doesn’t mean every app does it well. In fact, most AI-generated videos sit firmly in the uncanny valley, thanks to myriad errors and distortions. We’ve reviewed the top AI services since their inception and, here, we put them through a series of video generation tests to determine which are best at handling audio, basic scenes, complex motion, and text. Google Gemini’s Veo 3 model is our current favorite because it generally produces the most realistic clips, offers granular control, and delivers passable audio. That said, all of the apps below are worth checking out. Read on for our top picks, followed by everything you need to know about AI video generation.
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
EDITORS’ NOTE
March 28, 2026: With this update, we removed Sora from our lineup because OpenAI is shutting it down. We vetted our remaining picks for currency and availability.
(Credit: Google)
(Credit: Google)
Pros & Cons
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Best-in-class value, with a generous free plan
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Excellent performance in everything from web search to video generation
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Helpful, robust integrations with Google apps
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Standout image editing and generation
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Occasionally incorrect responses
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Invasive data collection
Why We Picked It
Veo 3.1 has cutting-edge AI video quality and produces accompanying audio. It’s flexible in that you can use more AI credits to create higher-quality videos or fewer to generate as many as possible. Veo’s Flow filmmaking tool is a standout feature, which you can use to extend its eight-second-long clips into longer, more cohesive videos. Other unique features round out Gemini’s video generation offerings, such as its AI animation tool, Whisk, which allows you to turn a picture into an animated still and a still into a full-blown animated clip.
Who It’s For
Budget-conscious users: You can try out Flow, Veo 3.1, and Whisk for free, and all of Gemini’s paid plans (starting at $8 per month) increase usage limits for video generation.
Filmmakers: For filmmakers interested in AI, Veo’s Flow tool lets you create cohesive, cinematic videos.
Specs & Configurations
AI Model
3 Flash and 3 Pro
Can Resume Prior Conversations
Learn More
Veo 3.1 Review
(Credit: xAI)
(Credit: xAI)
Best for NSFW Videos
Grok
Pros & Cons
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Unique features, such as virtual companions and X searches
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Good at complex reasoning, file processing, and web searches
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NSFW content, if that’s your thing
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Expensive
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Lackluster image and video generation
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Limited research and sourcing abilities
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Occasionally incorrect responses
Why We Picked It
Even though Grok generates audio, its video quality isn’t quite at the level of Veo. That said, it does something that neither of them can: create six-second-long AI NSFW videos for free. From a privacy perspective, Grok’s willingness to turn still images of real people into explicit videos is extremely concerning. However, if you’re not using the technology for nefarious purposes, then it’s easy to appreciate it as a tool that gives you more freedom over what you create. If you’re interested in NSFW AI videos, check out Grok’s datable AI companions, too.
Who It’s For
Adults looking for NSFW content: Adults can effortlessly generate NSFW AI videos in seconds with Grok’s Imagine model.
People who oppose censorship: If you’re against all forms of censorship, Grok is much more permissive about what you can generate than competing platforms.
Specs & Configurations
AI Model
Grok 3 and Grok 4
Can Resume Prior Conversations
(Credit: Adobe)
(Credit: Adobe)
Pros & Cons
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Good selection of preset styles and effects
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Can match the style or structure of uploaded images
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Gives you a choice of aspect ratios
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Your content doesn’t train Adobe’s AI
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Images can look distorted or not match the request
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Video creations top out at five seconds in length
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No negative prompt option to exclude objects from images
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Requires subscription to remove watermark
Why We Picked It
Adobe Firefly has a plethora of features that the other apps on this list don’t, such as an easy and intuitive way to customize a video’s motion, style, and points of reference. It also allows you to generate videos with various models. Furthermore, the video generation process is incredibly quick, and Firefly’s premium plans start at just $9.99 per month (significantly less than what competitors charge). You can even generate sound effects for videos, using your voice to indicate the perfect timing. However, all these benefits come at the cost of audio sync issues, generally lower video quality than what you get with Veo, and a maximum clip length of five seconds.
Who It’s For
The privacy-conscious: Adobe says that it doesn’t train its models on your creations, which is great given how much data other AI services collect.
Tinkerers: With robust customization options, such as the ability to generate sound effects based on prompts, Firefly is great for creators who want control and flexibility.
Learn More
Adobe Firefly Review
(Credit: Perplexity/PCMag)
(Credit: Perplexity/PCMag)
Pros & Cons
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Top-notch web search abilities
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Slick user interface
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Variety of models to choose from
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Competent creative writing, file processing, image generation, and voice chat capabilities
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Not clear which models it uses for media generation
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Unimpressive deep research
Why We Picked It
Perplexity doesn’t have a first-party video generation model, but it does use best-in-class technology, such as Gemini’s Veo 3.1 model and others. The experience and results aren’t quite as good as if you were to use those models directly on their parent platforms, but Perplexity’s value proposition is impressive, since it also provides a competent AI web browser and a class-leading AI web search tool starting at $17 per month, billed annually. It’s a good option if you want to dip your toes into the world of AI video generation without forking over the money for a full-on chatbot.
Who It’s For
Casual users: If you have a passing interest in AI video generation, Perplexity allows you to try out top models at a low cost.
People who don’t want to use a chatbot: Chatbots aren’t for everyone. Perplexity distinguishes itself by focusing on AI web search, instead.
Specs & Configurations
AI Model
Sonar and Third-Party Models
Can Resume Prior Conversations
Learn More
Perplexity Review
(Credit: Meta)
(Credit: Meta)
Best for Adding Music
Vibes
Why We Picked It
Meta’s Vibes is more than just a video generation engine; it also features a TikTok-style social platform. Vibes focuses on short clips of around five seconds in length, which you can customize through different styles and sliders for stylization, variety, and weirdness. This setup makes tweaking videos easy without sacrificing too much control. Unlike most AI video generators, Vibes allows you to add music to videos, giving its creations a distinct feel. Although Vibes’ videos don’t quite look best-in-class, the service works well enough for the more stylized videos you are likely to want to pair with music. Vibes is free, too, so you don’t have to worry about paying for yet another subscription.
Who It’s For
Creators with a particular style: Hyperrealism isn’t always better. Vibes is among the best services we tested for generating cinematic and colorful videos.
Music fans: If you can’t stand videos without music, Vibes lets you easily add a background track to your AI-generated creation.
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Buying Guide: The Best AI Video Generators for 2026
How We Choose the Best AI Video Generators
Evaluation how AI video generators handle our test prompts, which you can learn more about below, is a major part of how we decide which apps make this list. Furthermore, all of the entries here are full-service AI video generation apps that work without additional configuration, meaning you can just download them or open their web pages to get started. You can also generate AI videos locally on your computer with a powerful enough setup (such as with Stable Diffusion), but those solutions are outside the scope of this list.
How Do We Test AI Video Generators?
Although we tailor our testing to each app and its unique features, such as Gemini’s Flow feature in Veo, our evaluation encompasses four primary pillars: audio, basic scenes, complex motion, and text. We use the exact same prompt to get the clips in the cards above for the sake of a fair comparison.
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To test for basic scene generation, including adherence to a given prompt and overall realism, we use the following prompt: “Show me someone going about their daily life in a trendy apartment with rustic decor.”
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To test for complex motion, which routinely trips up even the most advanced AI video generation, we use: “Show me a pro Rubik’s Cube solver solving a cube.”
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To test for text, particularly while it’s in motion to some extent, we use: “Show me a teacher in front of a class writing down y = mx+b on a whiteboard while explaining the concept.”
When we test the audio component of AI videos, we aren’t analyzing waveforms or measuring bitrates. Rather, if a particular app supports audio generation, we listen closely to see if the sound matches up with what’s happening on-screen. Oftentimes, AI-generated videos with audio lack certain sound effects or include effects that don’t make sense. If the audio matches what’s in the frame, we look to see if it syncs up perfectly, since effects often fire just a moment too soon or late.
Particularly with AI voices, we listen for any distortion or obvious processing. Although it can be somewhat challenging to describe in words, AI voices often have a noticeably robotic quality. A good point of comparison for AI voices is Sesame, a Technical Excellence award winner. Its AI voices sound conversational and exceptionally realistic.
Does AI Video Generation Work Well?
AI-generated videos can sometimes be quite realistic, but you often have to pay for a service, run multiple generations, and carefully tweak your prompt to prevent them from looking or sounding fake. However, the technology is rapidly improving. Soon, it will likely be difficult to tell the difference between an AI video and a real one, even if you use a free app and an unsophisticated prompt.
Do AI Videos Include Audio?
Sometimes, though, this is increasingly common. For example, Gemini’s Veo 2 AI video generation model doesn’t generate audio, but Veo 3 does. If you want an AI video with accompanying audio, check if the app you plan to use supports it before refining your prompts.
Is AI Video Generation Free?
Some AI video generation models are free to use, but the answer isn’t always straightforward. If you don’t want to pay for AI video generation capabilities, expect significantly fewer features and restrictive usage limits.
Is There a Length Limit for AI Videos?
Yes, but this limit varies depending on the app. Keep in mind that these limits are in seconds, not minutes. That said, some apps help you work around these limitations. Gemini’s Flow tool in Veo, for example, lets you extend AI-generated clips, while Adobe Firefly helps you generate a video based on the last frame of another video you provide.
How Can You Tell If a Video Is Real?
The short answer is that you can’t always tell. A variety of signs can help you determine if a video is likely authentic, but the tell-tale characteristics of AI videos might become increasingly difficult to spot as the technology improves.
How Can You Make Better AI Videos?
Prompt engineering is the practice of designing and optimizing requests to an AI to get the best possible results, and this is a key component of AI video generation. Even changing just a few words in a prompt can have a significant impact. Generating something multiple times, even with the same prompt, can also get you different results. Check out our guide on getting the most out of AI video generation for some advice on making the best videos possible.
Recommended by Our Editors
Can You Make AI Videos of Yourself or Other Real People?
Yes, but there are some caveats. Gemini’s Veo model lets you make videos of yourself, but it won’t make videos of celebrities in most cases. Grok went so far as to allow you to generate explicit content of real people, but it came under fire for this functionality, and now it isn’t as permissive. So, whether you can generate AI videos of yourself or other people depends on the app, its current version, and how much prompt engineering you do. Regardless of your ability to do so, you shouldn’t make or share AI-generated videos of other people, especially explicit videos, without their consent.
Can You Make NSFW AI Videos?
Grok’s Imagine AI video generator generates explicit content if requested, but most mainstream AI video models don’t. On our list, Grok is the only one with meaningful support for explicit content.
What Happened to Sora?
Roughly a year after releasing the Sora app and its Sora 2 model, OpenAI revealed plans to shut it down. While Sora is still accessible at the time of writing, it no longer appears on our list, as its days are clearly numbered.
Disclosure: Ziff Davis, PCMag’s parent company, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April 2025, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.
