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Blog > 7 Best AI Video Generators in 2026
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Searching for the best AI video generator in 2026? I’ve looked at the top tools based on performance, price, and user-friendliness.
I’ve found that some AI generators are better in a corporate context, with high-quality avatars that are perfect for presentations, while others lend themselves more to creative projects. My list looks at all of these use cases to judge the overall quality.
Runway is my overall pick for the best AI video generator in 2026.
It recently released its new model, Gen-4.5. In my testing, the results were very impressive.
Runway says that its AI can ensure consistency of scenes and characters from one shot to the next. That addresses a criticism which has been leveled at just about every AI video generator.
It’s too early to make a thorough assessment of Runway’s claim, but I found it to work well in testing. I fed it a reference image or video, which can then be rendered in various styles and customized in different ways.
Rendering is achieved via plain-language text prompts combined with additional images or videos (for example, an image of an animated character).
Once a video has been generated, Runway offers a suite of “directing” tools. To apply specific motion and direction to up to five parts of a scene, you can manually circle them.
Runway has numerous different pricing plans that revolve around a credit system.
Pro Tip: Runway is also available in Canva Magic Studio. Most features in Magic Studio require a paid Canva subscription. The bonus of signing up to Canva is that you get access to the full Canva suite, including AI image tools and AI video generators.
InVideo was Exploding Topics’ top AI video generator pick in 2023.
In 2026, it remains one of the best for business use.
The technology has improved significantly in the last couple of years, and InVideo has continued to add more features. As of February 2026, it's seeing approximately 8 million visitors per month.
My favorite feature is still its text-to-video generator. The AI only requires broad-brush prompts to generate its output.
You can include technical specifications in the prompt, too, like the length or orientation of the video.
Generating video uses up generative credits. These credits are a kind of currency that you ‘spend’ when you’re making brand-new AI visuals (as opposed to using stock clips).
If you have a video script, InVideo will create an AI voiceover — you can select the accent you want, or clone your own voice.
There’s also a large library of over 16M pieces of stock media, accessible via AI.
Once a video is generated, I found it easy to edit. Using the same text prompt controls, I was able to make tweaks to the final product.
InVideo is more expensive than it was a couple of years ago, which is primarily why I’ve moved it down the rankings. Having said that, you still get plenty of options.
High-volume users can manually add more generative credits, AI minutes and iStock access.
All of these prices are based on annual billing. When paying month-to-month, the price goes up.
Like InVideo AI, Kling’s standout feature is its text-to-video generator. You can see impressive results right on the homepage. The first video was created with the prompt, “A young woman walks down a wet cyberpunk street”.
I found it easy to select different styles of video output, like anime or realism. And the editing suite comes with a motion brush, and a tool for creating smooth transitions between start and end frames.
Kling also has an API platform. The API allows businesses to integrate image and video generation into their own apps or software, and it also has a virtual try-on feature designed for fashion retailers.
As with most AI video generators, Kling uses a system of AI credits. This applies to both its app and its API.
For the app:
All of these prices also come discounted when billed annually, making Kling one of the most competitively priced AI video generators.
For the API:
VEED is one of the best AI video generators around in a corporate setting. It’s aimed at marketing, training, sales and internal communications teams.
The starting point is still text-to-video prompts, much like the other tools I tested.
You can also create reusable AI avatars, either from scratch or as a clone of a real-life person. These avatars can then virtually present videos. The benefit is that an avatar can present a video more quickly than it would take to film something from scratch, and at lower cost.
VEED can also translate voiceovers into different languages, correct eye contact, and remove filler words.
In my testing, I was able to automatically generate subtitles and then edit them or move them to sync better with the video, although it was occasionally glitchy when removing words.
VEED pitches itself as a great suite for corporate teams. Enterprise pricing is drawn up on a custom basis. But there are two preset payment tiers:
Pro Tip: Canva users can use the Subtitles by VEED integration without paying for a separate VEED account.
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Like VEED, HeyGen is best for making videos to camera using AI avatars. I first heard about its avatars in 2024, and it has established a reputation as being the go-to AI tool for this use case.
You can create AI clones of themselves by uploading videos or photos, generate animated avatars using text prompts, or choose from a library of stock AI figures. Interactive avatars can have real-time conversations, effectively acting as video chatbots.
Once an avatar has been generated, HeyGen provides personalization tools. Outfits, backdrops and styles are all adjustable, and there are motion controls for altering facial expressions and movements.
HeyGen can also translate voiceovers into 70 languages and 175 dialects. The process can be automated using the API.
I saw a content creator use HeyGen to translate their TikTok videos to Chinese around the time US users were moving to RedNote. You can tell the videos are AI if you watch closely, but that said, the results were definitely realistic enough to fool a few followers.
Pro Tip: You can access HeyGen AI avatars through Canva, in addition to a few of the other video generators I’ve mentioned.
Synthesia is another avatar-led AI video generator.
The main use case is turning pre-written scripts into polished corporate videos.
There’s a library of more than 240 avatars, and you can also create a digital twin. Closed captions and translations are generated automatically, and voiceovers can be generated in over 160 languages.
There are hundreds of video templates designed to match different corporate contexts. These are customizable with brand logos and colors.
I was able to test Synthesia with a free account and didn’t need to use my credit card, which is always helpful. The onboarding wizard took me through the process of creating a basic video from a text prompt.
It wasn’t perfect; it added things like “21 of November” to the script, which didn’t sound good when scanning. However, the AI voiceover sounded natural and realistic.
In one sense, Colossyan is probably the most limited AI video generator on this list. But by the same token, it could also be called the most specialized.
Put simply, it’s all about training videos, explainers and educational content. The toolkit lets users create AI avatars to deliver scripts which would previously have been time-consuming to film.
Avatars can have conversations with trainees to create immersive, scenario-based experiences. Colossyan also makes it easy to add quizzes and other interactive elements.
There’s a choice of more than 600 AI voices, as well as 100+ languages.
Colossyan also utilizes AI in the script-writing process. Its GPT-4 writing assistant can be used from the ideas stage through to final adjustments.
If I had to choose one of these tools today, I’d go with Runway. It was the most fun to use and gave me the most creative results.
That said, the tool you choose will be dictated by your use case. If you’re a developer, you might want to look into Google's Veo 2, which you can access via the Gemini API. I didn’t include this in the main list since it’s a little more specialized than the general-purpose video generators I tested, but it is notable for being inexpensive.
HeyGen can’t be beaten for avatars, and for an all-rounder, you may be best off with a Canva subscription which gives you a little bit of everything in one package.
As AI continues to change how we create and consume content, it's also important to make sure you're optimizing for AI-powered search. The Exploding Topics AI Visibility Checker is a free tool that enables you to learn how you're doing in AI search compared to your competitors.
Use real-time topic data to create content that resonates and brings results.
Exploding Topics is owned by Semrush. Our mission is to provide accurate data and expert insights on emerging trends. Unless otherwise noted, this page’s content was written by either an employee or a paid contractor of Semrush Inc.
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Written By
James Martin
Research Journalist
James is a Journalist at Exploding Topics. After graduating from the University of Oxford with a degree in Law, he completed a… Read more
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