Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.
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.
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 that lets you extend its eight-second clips into longer, more cohesive videos. Other unique features round out Gemini’s video generation offerings, such as its AI animation tool, Whisk, and its Omni model, which can create videos from any input.
Budget-conscious users: You can try out Flow, Veo 3.1, and Whisk for free. Gemini’s paid plans (which start at a reasonable $4.99 per month) unlock Omni access and higher usage limits.
Filmmakers: For filmmakers interested in AI, Veo’s Flow tool lets you create cohesive, cinematic videos.
Grok can generate audio alongside video clips, but the quality of the video isn’t quite as good as Veo’s. That said, it does something that Gemini can’t: create AI NSFW videos. 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 generate. If you’re interested in NSFW AI videos, check out Grok’s datable AI companions, too.
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 more permissive about what you can generate than competing platforms.
Adobe Firefly offers a plethora of features that the other apps on this list don’t, such as an easy, 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 quick, and Firefly’s premium plans start at just $9.99 per month. 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 limited video length.
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.
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. 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 about more than video generation, thanks to its status as a class-leading AI web search tool. It’s a good option if you want to dip your toes into the world of AI video generation but don’t care to sign up for a full-on AI chatbot.
People who don’t want to use a chatbot: Chatbots aren’t for everyone. Perplexity distinguishes itself by focusing on AI web search, instead.
Meta’s Vibes is more than just a video generation engine: It’s a TikTok-style social platform. Vibes focuses on short clips around five seconds long, which you can customize with 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 lets you add music to your videos, giving your 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.
Creators with a particular style: Hyperrealism isn’t always better. Vibes is among the best services we tested for generating cinematic, 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.
Evaluating 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, 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.
- 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.”
- 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.”
- 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 whether the sound matches 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 check whether it syncs perfectly, since effects often fire just a moment too soon or too late.
Particularly with AI voices, we listen for any distortion or obvious processing. Although it can be difficult to describe in words, AI voices often have a noticeable 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 most are not. If you don’t want to pay for AI-generated video capabilities, expect significantly fewer features and more restrictive usage limits.
Is There a Length Limit for AI Videos?
Yes, but this limit varies by 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 the same thing multiple times, even with the same prompt, can yield different results. Check out our guide on getting the most out of AI video generation for some advice on making the best videos possible.
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. Check out our dedicated roundup for more options.
What Happened to Sora?
Roughly a year after releasing the Sora app and its Sora 2 model, OpenAI shut it down. Although you can still export your remaining Sora data, you can’t create new videos with it anymore.
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.
Read Our Editorial Mission Statement and Testing Methodologies.
My Experience
I’ve been writing about consumer technology and video games for over a decade at a variety of publications, including Destructoid, GamesRadar+, Lifewire, PCGamesN, Trusted Reviews, and What Hi-Fi?, among many others. At PCMag, I review AI and productivity software—everything from chatbots to to-do list apps. In my free time, I’m likely cooking something, playing a game, or tinkering with my computer.
The Technology I Use
I use a ThinkPad for work, but my heart belongs to the PC I built with a fully custom water-cooling loop down to the SSD. Outside of that, I usually hang onto a Pro Max iPhone for a couple of years before getting the latest model. I also spend a decent amount of time with an aging Kindle.
As for software, I’ve used Chrome and iTunes for too long to stop. I rely on the Google Suite for organization and backing up my data, and I couldn’t enjoy my days off without Discord and Steam. I typically write down what I need to do in the Notes app on my iPhone.
For audio, I’m a lover of cables, especially the ones that connect to my Shure SRH-1540 daily drivers. At home, my Yamaha RX-V583 receiver drives a pair of Paradigm Prestige 15Bs for stereo entertainment, with enough Polk speakers in concert to round out a 7.1 setup.
I’ve been writing about consumer technology and video games for over a decade at a variety of publications, including Destructoid, GamesRadar+, Lifewire, PCGamesN, Trusted Reviews, and What Hi-Fi?, among many others. At PCMag, I review AI and productivity software—everything from chatbots to to-do list apps. In my free time, I’m likely cooking something, playing a game, or tinkering with my computer.
I use a ThinkPad for work, but my heart belongs to the PC I built with a fully custom water-cooling loop down to the SSD. Outside of that, I usually hang onto a Pro Max iPhone for a couple of years before getting the latest model. I also spend a decent amount of time with an aging Kindle.
As for software, I’ve used Chrome and iTunes for too long to stop. I rely on the Google Suite for organization and backing up my data, and I couldn’t enjoy my days off without Discord and Steam. I typically write down what I need to do in the Notes app on my iPhone.
For audio, I’m a lover of cables, especially the ones that connect to my Shure SRH-1540 daily drivers. At home, my Yamaha RX-V583 receiver drives a pair of Paradigm Prestige 15Bs for stereo entertainment, with enough Polk speakers in concert to round out a 7.1 setup.
Read full bio
PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering lab-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.
For over 40 years, PCMag has been a trusted authority on technology, delivering independent, labs-based reviews of the latest products and services. With expert analysis and practical solutions across consumer electronics, software, security, and more, PCMag helps consumers make informed buying decisions and get the most from their tech. From in-depth reviews to the latest news and how-to guides, PCMag is the go-to source for staying ahead in the digital world.
Leave a Reply