Updates·June 9, 2026, 23:13

Two AI video tests produce two different winners

AI-generated from the sources listed, with automated source checks.

Curious Refuge puts Seedance 2.0 at the top of its rankings (8.4 out of 10), while also calling Kling 3.0 the best overall when user experience is factored in. DIY AI picks Google Flow with Veo 3.1. The two tests use different criteria and scales, so the rankings can't be directly compared.

If you want to make video with artificial intelligence, choosing a tool can be tough. Two new comparisons each point to a different winner.

Seedance leads in one

In Curious Refuge's ranking of ten AI video generators, Seedance 2.0 comes in first with 8.4 points out of 10. According to the reviewers, it's realistic motion and physics in particular that lift its score.

In second place is Kling 3.0 with 8.1, praised for cinematic scenes that feel real. Luma Ray 3.2 is third with 7.7 and earns praise for consistent characters and realistic skin texture.

Google Veo 3.1 is only sixth at Curious Refuge, with 7.2. Runway 4.5 sits in eighth place with 6.2, and Midjourney Video is tenth with 5.0. Midjourney is, however, rated best for aesthetic, stylized scenes.

Veo leads in the other

At DIY AI, the picture is different. Here Google Flow with Veo 3.1 gets the highest score, 9.1 out of 10. The tool is praised for cinematic clips, for delivering audio and video in the same generation, and for following instructions precisely and offering good voice and lip sync.

Runway Gen-4.5 gets 8.9 and is called the best overall production tool, with 9.2 for editing flexibility. Kling 3.0 is third with 8.7 for photorealistic motion and complex scenes.

DIY AI scores based on nine criteria, including video quality, speed, character consistency, commercial licensing and ease of use.

Why they disagree

The scores are the testers' own assessments, and the scales and criteria differ. The versions are not entirely the same either: Curious Refuge lists Runway 4.5, while DIY AI tests Gen-4.5. DIY AI does not mention Seedance in the text that was read.

DIY AI also argues that not all tools should be compared directly. Scene generators such as Veo, Kling and Luma are one category, production tools such as Runway and Higgsfield another, and avatar platforms such as Synthesia and HeyGen a third.

The site also points to an overlooked metric: cost per usable clip. A cheap tool that requires many attempts can end up costing more than a pricier tool that hits the mark more often.

Sora and pricing

According to DIY AI, OpenAI Sora is being shut down as of April 2026, and its API is set to close. Sora scored 8.2 out of 10, but DIY AI advises against it for new purchases. It is unclear whether OpenAI itself has confirmed the shutdown.

Curious Refuge's article does not list prices, but according to the article, most of the tools offer free trial generations. That is an obvious way to test which tool fits your particular task.