How we rank AI video tools, and how we earn
Step 1: can the plan make your videos?
For every verified plan we apply each of the tool’s stated credit or minute rules to your video length and count. A stated maximum length is a hard limit, and stated rounding is applied. A plan that cannot cover the number of videos you asked for is skipped. Credit rules we flag as not comparable are listed on the tool’s own page only.
Step 2: what does it cost?
The plan’s price for the billing you chose (monthly or yearly). Per video = that price ÷ your number of videos. On the “cheapest” pages, per video = plan price ÷ the videos the plan covers when fully used. Pay-per-output tools cost the stated rate × seconds.
Step 3: sort
Each tool keeps its cheapest workable plan. Tools are sorted by that price, lowest first, then by name. A tool we cannot price exactly is not slotted in with a guess; it goes to the “not yet verified” list. Clip and caption tools are priced per minute of source video and ranked in their own table, never mixed with finished-video tools. “Paid plan” rankings leave out $0 plans, which are listed as free allowances.
What is not in the ranking
Output quality, our opinion, reviews, and anything to do with money we might earn. Taxes, retries, top-ups, rollover and seats are not modelled either; see the method page for the details and the AI video cost calculator to rank tools for your own numbers.
How UGCCost earns
The links to Arcads, Higgsfield, MakeUGC, OpusClip and Submagic are affiliate links: their button says “Try” and is marked “affiliate link”. If you buy through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Every other tool gets the same button saying “Visit”, which earns nothing.
The ranking code does not read affiliate data, and a test re-runs the rankings without it to check they are identical. The site also has one labelled sponsor card at the bottom of pages; it is never part of a ranking. Short version on the affiliate disclosure.
Sources and corrections
Numbers come only from the vendor’s own pricing, help and legal pages, each with a verbatim quote from a dated capture. If a figure here no longer matches the vendor’s page, email [email protected] with the page and the tool; we re-check the official page before changing anything.
Questions
Do affiliate links change the AI video ranking?
Affiliate status has no influence on prices, plan selection or rankings.
What decides the order of AI video tools on UGCCost?
Each tool is placed by the lowest monthly price of a plan that can actually make your videos, at your length; affiliate deals are never an input.
How are these costs checked?
Every price, allowance and credit rule is copied from the vendor’s own pages, with the source linked and dated. Prices checked 21 Oct 2026. Tools we cannot price exactly are listed as not yet verified, never estimated. See the method or use the calculator.