Google Launches Veo 3.1 Lite Video Model at Half Cost of Veo 3.1 Fast

March 31, 2026

Details

  • Google for Developers announced Veo 3.1 Lite, a cost-effective video generation model now available in Gemini API and Google AI Studio.
  • Priced at roughly half the cost of Veo 3.1 Fast while matching its speed, enabling rapid iteration and scaling for high-volume video apps.
  • Supports Text-to-Video (T2V) and Image-to-Video (I2V) modes with native Landscape (16:9) and Portrait (9:16) formats.
  • Offers 4, 6, and 8-second video durations in 720p and 1080p resolutions.
  • Developers can start building immediately via Google AI Studio.
  • Builds on Veo 3.1 family, which uses DeepMind engine for fast generation under 60 seconds with synchronized audio, contrasting slower competitors like Sora 2.

Impact

Veo 3.1 Lite undercuts Veo 3.1 Fast's pricing by 50%, making high-speed, quality AI video generation more accessible for developers and lowering barriers for indie creators and businesses scaling content production. This pressures rivals like OpenAI's Sora, which remains slower at 5+ minutes per clip, and positions Google to capture more market share in real-time video apps for social media and advertising. By matching speed at reduced cost, it accelerates adoption curves in cost-sensitive sectors without compromising on key specs like native audio and multi-format support.

Read more