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Cost Breakdown All prices verified -- 8 generations tracked

A 3-minute YouTube explainer video costs $5.75 on FairStack.

Same quality. Same AI models. No subscriptions. Here's every generation, every cost, every model.

YouTube Explainer Video
$5.75
FairStack total
$58/mo
Subscription cost
Flat 20%
Platform fee, included in every rate
~30 minutes
Time to create

What you are producing

A 3-minute explainer video with professional narration, 6 video clips for visual storytelling, background music, a thumbnail, and sound effects — the standard format for educational YouTube content.

Deliverables: 3-minute video with AI narration, 6 video clips (5s each), background music track, thumbnail image, 3 sound effects

Every generation. Every cost.

Narration script (~2,500 characters)
voice ElevenLabs TTS Turbo 2.5
$0.27
1 x $0.27
Rate: $0.108/1K chars
2,500 chars x $0.108/1K chars = $0.27
Video clips for visual storytelling
video WAN 2.6
$2.52
6 x $0.42
Rate: $0.084/s (720p)
5s x $0.084/s (720p) = $0.42, x 6 = $2.52
Background music track
music Suno Generate Music
$0.072
1 x $0.072
Rate: $0.072/track
1 x $0.072/track = $0.072
Thumbnail image
image GPT Image 2.5 Flare
$0.037044
3 x $0.012348
Rate: $0.012348/image (medium, 16:9)
1 x $0.012348/image (medium, 16:9) = $0.012348, x 3 = $0.037044
Sound effects (whoosh, click, ding ~5s each)
sfx ElevenLabs Sound Effects
$0.0216
3 x $0.0072
Rate: $0.00144/s
5s x $0.00144/s = $0.0072, x 3 = $0.0216
Alternate video takes (re-generations)
video WAN 2.6
$2.52
6 x $0.42
Rate: $0.084/s (720p)
5s x $0.084/s (720p) = $0.42, x 6 = $2.52
Alternate narration takes
voice ElevenLabs TTS Turbo 2.5
$0.27
1 x $0.27
Rate: $0.108/1K chars
2,500 chars x $0.108/1K chars = $0.27
Alternate thumbnail options
image GPT Image 2.5 Flare
$0.037044
3 x $0.012348
Rate: $0.012348/image (medium, 16:9)
1 x $0.012348/image (medium, 16:9) = $0.012348, x 3 = $0.037044
Total on FairStack
8 generations -- pay-as-you-go, no subscription
$5.75

The subscription alternative

To produce the same project using individual AI tools, you would need:

Runway Pro plan
2,250 credits/mo (37 Gen-4 clips max)
You use: 12 clips = 720 credits (32% of plan)
$28/mo
ElevenLabs Creator plan
100K credits/mo
You use: ~5,000 chars (5% of plan)
$22/mo
Suno Pro plan
500 songs/mo
You use: 1 track (0.2% of plan)
$8/mo
Subscriptions
$58/mo
3 separate tools
FairStack
$5.75
One account, pay-per-generation

You'd use 32% of Runway, 5% of ElevenLabs, and 0.2% of Suno. You pay for 100% of each.

$5.75 vs $58/mo. And you only pay for what you generate.

No unused credits

Subscriptions charge for capacity you do not use. FairStack charges for what you generate. Nothing more.

One account, all modalities

Video, voice, image, music, sound effects -- all from one platform. No juggling 3 subscriptions.

One price list, shown with its settings

Every rate on this page comes from the same public price list as the API quote, and is shown beside the settings it is priced at.

Frequently asked questions

How does pay-per-generation compare to a subscription?
Subscriptions charge you for capacity whether you use it or not. FairStack charges per generation — you only pay for what you create, at the catalog rate shown beside every step above together with the settings that rate is priced at.
Which models does this breakdown use?
Video clips use WAN 2.6 at $0.084/s (720p). Narration uses ElevenLabs TTS Turbo 2.5 at $0.108/1K chars. Any step can be swapped for another model; each model page lists its rate and the settings it is priced at.
Do I need to buy a subscription to use FairStack?
No. FairStack is pay-as-you-go. Add funds ($1 minimum), generate what you need, done. No monthly commitment.
What if I produce multiple videos per month?
Your cost scales linearly. 4 videos/month = $22.99. 10 videos = $57.48. Compare that to $58/mo in subscriptions regardless of output.

More production cost breakdowns

See what other projects cost to produce with AI.

Podcast Episode

$1.22 vs $33/mo subs

Intro/outro music, full transcription, episode artwork, 3 audiogram video clips

See breakdown

Social Media Content (1 Week)

$3.76 vs $45/mo subs

14 images, 5 video clips (5s), 1 voice-over, 5 alternate takes

See breakdown

Game Trailer (30 seconds)

$3.84 vs $58/mo subs

6 cinematic clips, voice-over narration, epic music, 4 concept art images, 6 sound effects, title card, alternate takes

See breakdown

Stop paying for capacity you do not use.

YouTube Explainer Video for $5.75 instead of $58/mo. Same AI models. No subscription.

Start Creating
All Cost Breakdowns Pricing Compare to Competitors

All FairStack prices come from the public price catalog, the same rates POST /v1/estimate and the charge use, platform fee included. Competitor prices from public pricing pages.

Subscription costs are monthly totals. FairStack charges per generation with no minimum commitment.