Veo 3.1 vs Sora 2
Veo 3.1 has the higher overall score (9.3/10 vs 9.0/10). But Sora 2 costs 4.0x less: $1.25 per 10-second video, vs $5.00.
| Criterion | Veo 3.1 | Sora 2 |
|---|---|---|
| TopVideoAI score | 9.3/10better | 9.0/10 |
| Realism | 9.6better | 9.1 |
| Motion | 9.1better | 8.9 |
| Prompt adherence | 9.2 | 9.3better |
| Art direction | 8.9better | 8.8 |
| Price of a 10 s video | $5.00 | $1.25better |
| Published API price | $4.00 per 8 s | $1.00 per 8 s |
| Generated audio | Yes | Yes |
| Developer | OpenAI | |
| Released | October 2025 | September 2025 |
Provisional scores out of 10. Public API prices checked 08/20/2026.
Choose Veo 3.1 if…
you care most about realistic light and materials and ambient sound generated with the picture.
- Realistic light and materials
- Ambient sound generated with the picture
- Very good prompt understanding
- Most expensive per second
- Short clips
Choose Sora 2 if…
you care most about follows the requested staging precisely and sound and dialogue.
- Follows the requested staging precisely
- Sound and dialogue
- Low price for the standard version
- The Pro version costs three times as much
Videos side by side
Examples generated by each model. Click to enlarge.
Veo 3.1
Sora 2
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Veo 3.1 and Sora 2?
Veo 3.1 (Google): The most photorealistic output in the ranking, especially for animals, natural light and textures. Sora 2 (OpenAI): Very strong at telling a short scene: it follows staging and dialogue directions closely.
Veo 3.1 or Sora 2: which one is better?
Veo 3.1 has the higher overall score (9.3/10 vs 9.0/10). But Sora 2 costs 4.0x less: $1.25 per 10-second video, vs $5.00.
Which is cheaper, Veo 3.1 or Sora 2?
Sora 2, at $1.25 per 10-second video through the API ($1.00 per 8 s), vs $5.00 for Veo 3.1.