Pika AI Free Tier Guide
Grade C+Compare sub-models, daily quota limits, login requirements, and generation settings.
Free video output at a glance
Based on 30 credits and the lowest observed video cost. Actual output can change with duration, resolution, audio, references, and other settings.
Overview
Pika AI is known for intuitive motion-control tools, Pika Agent, and viral Pikaffects. The official Pricing page and authenticated workspace observed on 2026-07-21 list 80 monthly video credits for Free; the logged-in workspace currently showed 12 credits available.
Free Tier Specifications
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Free Video Credits | 80 credits / month (12 currently observed) |
| Reset Cycle | Monthly |
| Credit Card Required | No |
Model Credit Breakdown
| Feature / Model | Cost / Run | Duration | Resolution | Monthly Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pika 2.5 (Text/Image-to-Video) | 12 Credits | 5 Seconds | 480p | Up to 6 Videos / Month |
| Pikaframes | 12 Credits | 5 Seconds | 480p | Up to 6 Videos / Month |
| Pikascenes | 20 Credits | 5 Seconds | 480p | Up to 4 Videos / Month |
| Pikadditions | 20 Credits | 5 Seconds | 480p | Up to 4 Videos / Month |
| Pikaswaps | 20 Credits | 5 Seconds | 480p | Up to 4 Videos / Month |
| Pikatwists Turbo | 60 Credits | 5 Seconds | 720p | Up to 1 Video / Month |
| Pikaformance | 3 Credits / Second | Up to 10 Seconds | 720p | Up to 2 at 10 Seconds / Month |
| Pikaffects Image-to-Video | 15 Credits | 5 Seconds | 480p | Up to 5 Videos / Month |
Key Considerations
- Pika Pro mode: Pikatwists exposes a Pro option in the selector, but the Free account remained on Turbo; public pricing lists Pro at 80 credits.
- Input caveats: Pikaframes requires frames; Pikascenes requires photos; Pikadditions and Pikaswaps require uploaded media; Pikaformance requires an image and audio.
- Evidence caveat: Costs were read from the current UI where inputs permitted and cross-checked against the official Pricing page. No generation was submitted, so post-generation ledger deduction was not tested. Free-plan watermark and commercial-use policy remain not verified.
Sub-Models & Credit Costs
Costs and estimated output vary by model and generation settings. This table is the structured catalog's single source for model-level credit details.
| Model Name | Cost Per Video | Max Duration | Max Resolution | Est. Runs / Cycle | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pika 2.5 (Standard 5s) | 12 credits | 5s | 480p | 6/cycle | — |
| Pikaffects Effects | 15 credits | 5s | 480p | 5/cycle | — |
| Pikaframes (5s) | 12 credits | 5s | 480p | 6/cycle | Default 5s/480p UI workflow; frame uploads are required before generation. |
| Pikascenes (5s) | 20 credits | 5s | 480p | 4/cycle | — |
| Pikadditions (5s) | 20 credits | 5s | 480p | 4/cycle | — |
| Pikaswaps (5s) | 20 credits | 5s | 480p | 4/cycle | — |
| Pikatwists Turbo (5s) | 60 credits | 5s | 720p | 1/cycle | Pika Pro mode is shown in the selector but is not available on the Free account; public pricing lists 80 credits for Pro. |
| Pikaformance (up to 10s) | 30 credits | 10s | 720p | 2/cycle | UI/public pricing shows 3 credits per second; 30 credits represents the 10s default cap. Image and audio inputs are required. |
Advantages (Pros)
- •Unique Pikaffects deformation effects
- •Pika Agent interactive workflow
Limitations (Cons)
- •720p resolution limit on free tier
- •Watermarked exports
Free Policy Matrix
Alternative Free Tools
PixVerse AI
First signup grants 90 credits (60 daily + 30 bonus), then refreshes 60 credits daily. Free accounts can generate Google Veo 3.1 Lite (60 credits) daily, or try OpenAI Sora 2 (80 credits) on Day 1!
Dreamina
Official UI verified 2026-08-10: Free plan grants 60 daily credits refreshing every 24 hours. Seedream 5.0 Lite costs 1 credit, Seedance 2.0 Mini costs 60 credits (1 full free video per day). No credit card required.
Krea AI
Free is 100 units/day with limited video-model access. Authenticated selector estimates Krea Realtime at ~10 and LTX-2 at ~35 units; selected-model costs are estimates and settings can change them.