Update — October 13, 2026: Kuaishou announced Kling 4.0 on September 28–30. Only the lighter Kling 4.0 Flash is in limited early access; the full model is due “in October” and has no API or price list yet. Kling 3.0 is still the version you can use at scale.
Kling 3.0, from Kuaishou, was the value-for-performance standout of early 2026 video. Blind votes have since moved on: on Artificial Analysis’s text-to-video board it now sits at #16 (the board’s 1000-point anchor), about 140–160 Elo points below Wan 3.0, Seedance 2.5 and MiniMax H3, and #19 on image-to-video. It remains a dependable, fully priced option. Built on a multimodal architecture that processes text, image, audio and video together, it delivers native 4K output, built-in multilingual audio, and — its signature strength — convincing human motion and face consistency that hold up across a clip.
On Kling’s own API price list, 1080p with native audio is $0.168 per second, below the $0.40 per second our Veo 3.1 page lists for 1080p with audio. That makes it a favorite for brand ads, talking-head content and camera-controlled cinematic shots.
Two things to plan for: audio and 4K push the per-second cost up ($0.42 per second at 4K), and Kling’s content filter is notably strict, which can block prompts other models would allow.
Pricing
| Kling 3.0 API (per second) | 720p | 1080p | 4K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Without native audio | $0.084 | $0.112 | — |
| With native audio | $0.126 | $0.168 | — |
| 4K | — | — | $0.42 |
| Kling 3.0 Turbo, with native audio | $0.112 | $0.14 | — |
These are Kling’s list rates. Third-party hosts price the same model differently, and Kling has not published prices for Kling 4.0.
How it compares
- vs Kling 4.0: 3.0 is the shippable choice today. 4.0 announces 30-second clips, up to 10 keyframes and stereo audio, but only a Flash tier is in limited access.
- vs Seedance 2.5: Seedance 2.5 launched on July 31 with 30-second clips and a larger reference limit, and leads Kling 3.0 on Artificial Analysis text-to-video by 144 Elo points (1144 vs 1000) at about 3.4x the price ($34.12 vs $10.08 per minute). Kling 3.0 is capped at 15 seconds.
- vs Wan 3.0: Wan 3.0 offers 30-second clips and leads Artificial Analysis text-to-video by 158 points (1158 vs 1000) for $12.00 versus $10.08 per minute. Kling 3.0 is cheaper only at the margin.
- vs Veo 3.1: Veo 3.1 is prized for polished native-audio clips but costs more ($24.00 vs $10.08 per minute) and ranks below Kling 3.0 on Artificial Analysis text-to-video (965 vs 1000).
For other models in this category, see the video models directory and our Best AI Video Generator ranking.
Best for
- Brand ads and talking-head video
- Camera-controlled cinematic motion
- Image-to-video with reference control
Pros & cons
Strengths
- Strong human motion and face consistency
- Native 4K output and multilingual audio (5 main languages)
- Generally available with an API and published per-second prices, unlike Kling 4.0
Limitations
- Audio and 4K raise the per-second cost sharply ($0.42/s at 4K)
- Clips top out at 15 seconds, versus the 30 seconds Kling 4.0 announces
- Very strict content filter
Frequently asked questions
How much does Kling 3.0 cost?
On Kling's API list rates, $0.084 per second at 720p and $0.112 at 1080p without native audio, $0.126 and $0.168 with it, and $0.42 per second at 4K. Kling 3.0 Turbo is $0.112 per second at 720p and $0.14 at 1080p with native audio. Third-party resellers price differently.
Should I wait for Kling 4.0?
Only if you need 30-second clips, timed keyframes or stereo audio. Kling 4.0 is announced, but only the lighter Kling 4.0 Flash is in limited early access, and there is no API or price list yet. Kling 3.0 is the version you can use at scale today.