# Vidu Review Shengshu's AI video generator with Vidu Q4, Q3 and S models, reference-to-video for consistent characters and 3 to 16 second clips to 4K. ## Editor's Score: 72/100 Capability is high: 16 second clips at 4K, reference-to-video consistency and a digital human model. Ease of use is good but three creation modes and four model families take learning. Value is strong at Standard's $8.25 and the published API table, minus points for yearly-only billing and 30-day credit expiry. Delivery loses the most for a pricing page that lists two different Ultimate prices and for free-tier terms that live in blog posts rather than on the plans page. ## Pros - Reference to Video accepts several angles of a character or object and keeps it consistent across clips. - Q4 generates 3 to 16 second clips at up to 4K, longer and sharper than Flow, Firefly or Hailuo. - Standard costs $8.25 a month on yearly billing for 800 credits, and the API publishes a per-second credit table for every model. ## Cons - Consumer plans are sold yearly only, from $99 up front, with no monthly option shown. - Free output is capped at 720p with a visible watermark, and subscription credits expire after 30 days. - Three creation modes and four model families (Q4, Q3, Q2, S) each with their own credit rates take time to learn. ## Pricing Freemium. A free tier is available. - Free: $0/mo - Standard: $8.25/mo billed yearly - Premium: $35.42/mo billed yearly - Ultimate: $95.83/mo billed yearly Pricing reflects what we saw at the time of review (2026-10). Confirm current pricing on the official site. Category: AI Video Tools (https://aitoolseekers.com/category/ai-video-tools) Official site: https://www.vidu.com Last verified by a human: 2026-10-29 Reviewed by a human at AI Tool Seekers, a hand-reviewed AI tools directory. Every listed tool is verified by a person before publishing. Scores are editorial opinions from a fixed rubric (capability, ease of use, value, delivery on promise) and cannot be bought; there is no pay-to-rank. Directory: https://aitoolseekers.com This review: https://aitoolseekers.com/tools/vidu Methodology: https://aitoolseekers.com/how-verification-works ## Verdict Best for animators and creators who need one character to look the same across many clips, and who want 16 second, 4K output at a low yearly price. The trade-off is a pricing page that contradicts itself on the top tier and plans sold yearly only, where Pika and Luma bill monthly with clear tables. Skip it if you need monthly billing, a watermark-free free tier, or a verified iPhone app. Best for: Consistent characters across clips with reference-to-video, up to 16 seconds and 4K Not for: Users who need monthly billing or an unwatermarked free tier ## Overview Vidu's specialty is consistency. Reference to Video takes multiple images of a character or object, including different angles, and holds them across a clip, and Q4 pushes clip length to 16 seconds at up to 4K, which is longer and sharper than Flow's 8 seconds or Hailuo's 2K. First and last frame control and a template library round out the creation side, and the Vidu S model handles real-time digital humans for avatar work. The API publishes a per-second credit table for every model, from 9 credits a second at 540p on Q4 to 78 at 4K, so developers can cost a job before running it. Consumer pricing is cheaper than most rivals but confusing on the page. The free tier is $0 with 10 references a month and Q4 at 540p for 4 credits a second. Standard is $8.25 a month billed yearly as $99 for 800 credits. Premium is $35.42 a month billed yearly as $425 for 3,500 credits with an off-peak quota of 20 videos a day. Ultimate is listed as $95.83 a month billed yearly as $1,150 for 10,000 credits and 200 off-peak videos a day, but a second table on the same page shows Ultimate at $191.67 a month and 8,000 credits, so the top tier is unresolved until Vidu fixes the page. Subscription credits are valid for 30 days; purchased credits last two years. Free output is capped at 720p with a visible watermark in the lower right corner, and commercial use and watermark removal are tied to paid plans, according to Vidu's own blog. The company's older blog posts still quote 40 or 80 free credits a month and different plan prices, so anything you read about Vidu pricing needs a date next to it. ## Who should use it An indie animator producing a web series with a recurring cast gets the most from Vidu: Reference to Video keeps the character stable shot after shot, and Premium's 20 off-peak videos a day make iteration cheap. A developer building a video feature can price it from the public API table, 24 credits a second for Q3 Pro at 1080p, before writing code. A studio testing 4K generation at 16 seconds has few cheaper options. A creator who wants to pay month to month should look at Pika or Luma, since Vidu lists yearly billing only. Someone who needs a free plan with no watermark should try Pika, whose free downloads are unwatermarked, or Google Flow, where the mark is invisible SynthID rather than a visible logo. ## FAQ Q: Is Vidu free? A: There is a $0 tier with 10 references a month and Q4 at 540p for 4 credits a second. Free output is 720p with a visible watermark and is for personal use. Q: How much does Vidu cost? A: Standard $8.25 a month billed yearly ($99) for 800 credits, Premium $35.42 a month billed yearly ($425) for 3,500 credits, Ultimate $95.83 a month billed yearly ($1,150) for 10,000 credits. Q: How long can a Vidu video be? A: Vidu Q4 generates 3 to 16 second clips. Q3 models run 1 to 16 seconds, and Q1 made fixed 5 second clips. Q: What resolution does Vidu support? A: Q4 goes up to 4K, with 540p, 720p, 1080p and 2K below it. The free tier outputs 720p. Q: What is off-peak mode? A: Premium and Ultimate include a daily quota of 20 or 200 videos generated outside busy hours without spending credits. Q: Do Vidu credits roll over? A: Subscription credits are valid for 30 days. Purchased credits are valid for 2 years. Failed or rejected generations do not consume credits.