What is the best AI video model in 2026?
What is the best AI video model in 2026?
Updated October 23, 2026 · By Jason Miller
There is no single best AI video model in 2026; by job, Seedance 2.5 and Wan 3 lead for long single takes (both up to 30 seconds in Sloosh Studio, which runs 20 video models under one plan), Kling V3 Omni for short multi-shot ads, and Google's Veo 3.1 for native-audio clips inside Google's tools. In blind votes, Wan 3.0 tops Artificial Analysis's text-to-video board (Elo 1175, Oct 23, 2026), with the next six close behind.
Rankings move fast: Kuaishou says Kling 4.0 launched on October 15, 2026, and OpenAI shut down the Sora 2 API on September 24, 2026. Many lists, and Google's AI Overview, still describe older models.
Quick picks by job
- Longest single take: Seedance 2.5 or Wan 3, both up to 30 seconds in Sloosh. Kling 4.0 also makes 3 to 30 seconds, on Kling's own site.
- Long takes on a budget: Wan 3, at about 1.5 credits per second in Sloosh against about 3.47 for Seedance 2.5.
- Multi-shot product ads: Kling V3 Omni, with up to 6 shots and start and end frames plus 7 reference images.
- Ads with legible text and sound: MiniMax H3, which MiniMax aims at advertising and e-commerce.
- Inside Google's apps: Veo 3.1, through the Gemini app, Flow and the Gemini API.
- A full filmmaking suite: Runway, built around its Gen-4.5 model.
How we compared
All sources were checked on October 23, 2026. Quality comes from Artificial Analysis's text-to-video (AA-Video-T2V v2.1) and image-to-video leaderboards, which rank models by Elo from blind pairwise votes. Specs come from each vendor's own pages (Kling, Google, Runway, OpenAI) and, for Sloosh, its model docs and pricing page. We ran no quality test of our own.
What does the clip need?
|
+-- one take over 15 s -----> Seedance 2.5 / Wan 3
+-- several cuts, 1 product -> Kling V3 Omni
+-- on-screen text + sound --> MiniMax H3
+-- edit by chat, 4K -------> Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash
+-- motion from real video -> Seedance 2.5
| (Shadow Clone)
v
Shortlist 2, run one prompt on both, keep the better
Picking a video model by job instead of by leaderboard.
What the leaderboards say (October 23, 2026)
Top 10 on Artificial Analysis's text-to-video board (video with audio):
| Rank | Model | Elo | In Sloosh Studio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wan 3.0 | 1175 | Yes (Wan 3) |
| 2 | Utopai X | 1167 | No |
| 3 | HeyGen Video 1 | 1160 | No |
| 4 | MiniMax H3 (768p) | 1158 | Yes |
| 5 | Dreamina Seedance 2.5 | 1158 | Yes |
| 6 | FLUX 3 Max (720p) | 1155 | No |
| 7 | MiniMax H3 Max | 1154 | Yes |
| 8 | FLUX 3 | 1145 | Yes |
| 9 | Dreamina Seedance 2.0 | 1136 | Yes |
| 10 | Gemini Omni Flash 1.1 | 1130 | Yes |
- The top is a cluster. Each score carries about ±15 Elo, and the rank ranges for 2nd to 7th overlap.
- The order depends on the board. On image-to-video, MiniMax H3 (768p) leads (1140), Seedance 2.5 is third and Wan 3.0 fifth.
- Familiar names sit lower. Kling 3.0 Omni is 17th (1020), Kling 3.0 is the board's fixed 1000 anchor, and Veo 3.1 is 21st (963). Kling 4.0 is not on the board yet.
The leading video models compared
| Model | Maker | Best for | Length | Where to run it | Checked on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seedance 2.5 | ByteDance | Long stories with references and dialogue | 4 to 30 s, up to 1080p | Sloosh, fal, BytePlus ModelArk | Oct 23, 2026 |
| Wan 3 | Alibaba | Long takes at a lower price | Up to 30 s, up to 1080p | Sloosh, fal | Oct 23, 2026 |
| Kling V3 Omni | Kuaishou | Multi-shot ads, frames plus references | 3 to 15 s | Sloosh, Kling | Oct 23, 2026 |
| Kling 4.0 | Kuaishou | Kling's newest model | 3 to 30 s, per Kling | Kling website; API coming soon | Oct 23, 2026 |
| MiniMax H3 | MiniMax | Ads and e-commerce, always with sound | 5 to 15 s, up to 4K | Sloosh, fal | Oct 23, 2026 |
| Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash | Making and editing by chat | 3 to 10 s, 360p to 4K | Sloosh | Oct 23, 2026 | |
| Veo 3.1 | Native audio inside Google's apps | 4, 6 or 8 s on Vertex AI | Gemini app, Flow, Gemini API | Oct 23, 2026 | |
| Gen-4.5 | Runway | Filmmakers who want an editing suite | See Runway | Runway | Oct 23, 2026 |
What Google's AI Overview gets wrong
Google's AI Overview also answers by use case, but three claims are out of date:
- It says Kling v3 leads blind-test leaderboards; on Artificial Analysis, Kling 3.0 Omni is 17th.
- It recommends Sora 2 for realism. OpenAI shut down the Sora 2 API on September 24, 2026, after announcing the end of the Sora app.
- It names Happy Horse 1.0. HappyHorse-1.1 now ranks above it (13th against 16th).
Its Seedance 2.5 and Veo 3.1 picks hold.
The strongest options by job
Seedance 2.5: long stories in one clip
In Sloosh, ByteDance's Seedance 2.5 makes 4 to 30 second clips at up to 1080p, follows timed beats such as 0-3s:, takes image and video references and speaks more than 10 languages. It is Sloosh Studio's default video model.
- Watch out for: BytePlus lists misspelled on-screen text as a known issue; the top resolution is 1080p.
Wan 3: long takes for less
In Sloosh, Alibaba's Wan 3 makes clips of up to 30 seconds from text, a start frame or up to 10 reference images, with sound on by default and a seed to repeat a result.
- Watch out for: a start frame cannot be combined with reference images.
Kling V3 Omni and Kling 4.0: multi-shot control
Kling V3 Omni writes up to 6 shots in one clip of up to 15 seconds and takes start and end frames together with up to 7 reference images. Kling 4.0 makes 3 to 30 second clips with stereo sound and up to 15 reference assets. Sources disagree on its availability: Kling's September 30 post promised the full model "in October", Kuaishou says it launched October 15, a third-party guide dated October 16 still called it a closed beta, and its API is "coming soon". Kling's user guide lists 4K; its product page calls native 4K "coming soon". It is not in Sloosh Studio.
MiniMax H3 and Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash: sound always on
Both always make sound in Sloosh. MiniMax H3 makes 5 to 15 second clips at 480p, 768p, 2K or 4K and, per MiniMax, keeps speech stable in 11 languages. Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash makes 3 to 10 second clips from 360p to 4K.
Veo 3.1 and Runway: outside Sloosh
Veo 3.1 has been generally available since November 17, 2025; Google added vertical video on January 13, 2026 and Veo 3.1 Lite in April. Google says Veo generates sound effects and dialogue natively. Runway presents Gen-4.5 as its video model, beside tools such as Aleph 2.0 and Act-Two. Neither is in Sloosh.
Testing several video models from one plan in Sloosh
Sloosh's docs suggest running one prompt on two models before committing, and drafting on Seedance 2.0 Fast before the final on Seedance 2.5.
- Open Studio Video and pick the first model on your shortlist.
- Write the scene, set length, aspect ratio and resolution, and check the cost on the Generate button.
- Generate, then press Recreate on the result and switch the model chip to the second model.
- Compare both clips in My generations and keep the better one.
Sloosh's Shadow Clone Space uses Seedance 2.5 to copy real human motion.
Watch out for: Veo, Runway, Kling 4.0, Utopai X and HeyGen Video 1 are not in Sloosh. Sloosh has no free plan; a first workspace gets 20 starter credits once, and Creator costs $19 a month for 195 credits.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best AI video model right now?
It depends on the clip. Wan 3.0 leads Artificial Analysis's text-to-video blind votes (Oct 23, 2026), with MiniMax H3 and Seedance 2.5 close behind. By job, Seedance 2.5 and Wan 3 make the longest takes, Kling V3 Omni suits multi-shot ads and Veo 3.1 suits Google's apps.
Which is the best AI video generator in 2026?
The one that lets you pick the model per job. Sloosh Studio offers 20 video models under one plan, with each run's cost on the Generate button; Kling and Google's Flow run their own models.
Which AI video model makes the longest clips?
In Sloosh, Seedance 2.5 and Wan 3 make the longest clips, up to 30 seconds in one take. Kling 4.0 also generates up to 30 seconds natively, on Kling's site.
Which AI video models generate sound?
Most leading models do. In Sloosh, MiniMax H3 and Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash always make sound; Seedance 2.5, Wan 3 and Kling V3 Omni do by default. Google says Veo generates audio natively, and Kling lists stereo sound for Kling 4.0.
Which AI video model is cheapest for long videos?
In Sloosh, Wan 3 costs less than half as much per second as Seedance 2.5, the other 30-second model: about 1.5 credits against about 3.47, per Sloosh's pricing page (Oct 2026).
Is OpenAI's Sora still available?
No. OpenAI shut down the Sora 2 models and Videos API on September 24, 2026, with no one-to-one replacement.
Bottom line
Pick the model by the clip: Seedance 2.5 or Wan 3 for long takes, Kling V3 Omni for multi-shot ads, MiniMax H3 or Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash for clips with sound, Veo 3.1 inside Google and Runway for an editing suite. The blind-vote leaders are close, so shortlist two and run your own prompt on both.
Compare video models in Sloosh Studio