The best AI Video Generators in 2024

Everybody loves video! So much so, that all social media channels tend to copy TikTok. But also for other causes like product tutorials, training videos, or ad creation, producing videos with AI gets easier by the minute.

I have tested and compared 15 AI video generators (yes, 15!). New tools hit the market daily and I want to provide a shortcut by sharing my experience with video AI with you.

In this blog post you’ll find an extensive comparison of all AI video makers available: Runway, HeyGen, Pictory, Colossyan, Pika Labs, Fliki, Veed.io, InVideo and more.

You know how marketing always makes everything look great. As if the tools work perfectly. We are not shown the 99 times the software created crap. This is especially true with AI, as the technology is still very young.

So in this review, you’ll get the honest truth. I will show you the videos I generated below, I changed very little, because I want you to get a feel for the base quality. You’ll see some affiliate links, but those tools are not necessarily the winners of each category, because it is important to me to give you an honest insight.

Looking for a free AI video generator? Many of the tools offer trial packages, just take a look at our ‘Generosity’ rating to figure out the best deals to start with.

Alright, let’s get started!

There are very different use cases for AI video generators. Let's break them down into 3 subcategories because it wouldn't be fair to compare a stable diffusion model to an AI avatar generator.

What types of AI Video Generators are there?

1. Prompt to video: GENERATE A NEW VIDEO SEQUENCE WITH A PROMPT

The most famous tool to create a video sequence: Runway
Use cases for prompt to video generators: Creative output, Ads

Similar to image generators like Dall E or Midjourney, these tools can create a completely new clip of anything you can dream of. They are still in their infancy, allowing us to create only 3-4 seconds at a time, but most likely one day they will birth the movies we watch.

Use Case:

Let’s say you want to create a training video and you have put all the content together already. Setting up a home studio with good lighting and sound is complex. Also, maybe you don’t like to be in front of a camera, and getting that perfect take can take a while.

Advantage:

105 seconds of free credit, a generous offer from Runway.

For the moment, I don’t have a use case other than my curiosity and fun playing around with it, but once the technology works perfectly, I’m sure videos will be purely AI-generated.

There will be simply no need for expensive productions and film crews flying around the world.

t variety of footage. I also used their AI-generated voiceovers and was surprised by how good they sound.

2. Assemble clips or repurpose videos from existing footage

The most famous tool for AI avatars: Colossyan, HeyGen, Synthesia.

Use cases for an AI avatar: training videos, presentations, and online courses

Don't like to stand in front of a camera? Your home setup takes too much time or the studio rent is too high? Not a problem with today’s AI avatars. Admittedly the quality of AI avatars but also generated voices differs a lot. That's the whole point of why we are doing this here, right?

Advantage:

Not only can you create everything with just a few clicks, but you can also test different personas, voices, and accents easily.

Want to create a version in Spanish? Not a problem at all! What would have been a project for weeks before, takes 2 minutes with these new AI video tools.

How I rated the tools

Despite such a different variety of use cases, the factors for my rating are the same for all categories:

• Setup/Onboarding: How easy is it to get started with this tool? How simple is the signup, are there any hurdles and complications or can you just start right away?

• User Experience: How easy is the tool to handle and the dashboard to understand? I'm a non-techie person, my reviews are user-friendly and I expect the same from the tools.

• Tool Performance: It all comes down to the output and its quality. Not expecting miracles, but rather comparing the different tools to each other.

• Generosity: Since most of my audience is small business owners and have to watch dollars just like a dime, I appreciate generous trials and free packages.

All prices are monthly because these times are too exciting with new tools every day on the market. You shouldn't commit to a whole year just yet.

How I tested the tools

Within the same category, I gave all tools the same prompt or mission because I wanted to compare the generated videos directly.

The assignment for category 1 was:

• a) Create a completely new sequence with the prompt

  ‘2 people are looking at each other, one is an AI robot, the other a woman. The background is space and the mood is friendly. Make the two protagonists shake their hands.’

  or

• b) where I was able to use a seed image, I used one I had generated previously with Dreamstudio for my image generator review and prompted for their hands to shake.

For category 2

I used a text snippet from my video course “Boost Your Productivity - AI Toolkit for SMEs” that mentions the six main areas where AI can help save time significantly (Accounting, CRM, Chatbots, Virtual Assistants, Data Analytics, Content Generation, ChatGPT). I was curious if the system was able to match the topics with the right imagery.

For category 3 I let the AI avatar recite the intro of my video course and compared them with each other.