AI video generator without a subscription: who sells one-off credits

Yes, you can make AI video without a subscription. Runway, Pika, CapCut, Hailuo and PrismPoster all sell one-off credits to accounts with no plan, but they differ on whether those credits expire. PrismPoster has no subscription at all: you buy a credit pack from €3.99, and purchased credits never expire.

The short answer

If you make video now and then, a pay-as-you-go tool is usually the better fit: you pay once for credits and nothing renews. The questions that matter are whether you can buy credits without a plan, and how long those credits last once you have them.

Most people searching for the cheapest AI video generator are really asking a narrower question: "what will I pay if I only need a few clips this month?" Per-clip prices change often and depend on length and resolution, so this guide compares the terms that decide that answer instead of quoting prices that may be stale by next week.

Which AI video generators work without a subscription?

We read each vendor's own pricing, help or policy pages on 29 September 2026. "Not stated" means the official page we could read did not say.

Tool	Subscription required?	Buy credits without a plan?	Do bought credits expire?	Free start?	Checked on
PrismPoster	No	Yes, packs from €3.99	Never	Yes, starter credits in many countries	2026-09-29
Runway	No	Yes, additional credits for all users	Never, per its pricing FAQ	Yes, free tier	2026-09-29
Pika	No	Yes, one-off top-up packs	Yes, 12 months after purchase	Free account, credits come from packs	2026-09-29
CapCut	No	Yes, purchased credits	Yes, 2 years after purchase	Yes, free tier	2026-09-29
Hailuo AI	No	Yes, extra credits	Yes, on 31 December of the second year after purchase	Yes, free tier	2026-09-29
Midjourney	Yes	No, extra time needs an active plan	Usable only while subscribed	No	2026-09-29
Luma Dream Machine	Yes	No, top-ups need an active paid plan	Yes, 12 months	Not stated	2026-09-29
HeyGen	Yes	No	Not stated	Yes, free tier	2026-09-29
Higgsfield	Yes	No, packs need an active plan	Yes, 90 days	Yes, free tier	2026-09-29
Leonardo.Ai	Yes	No, top-ups are for paid users	Never, but usable only while subscribed	Yes, free tier	2026-09-29
Ideogram	Yes	No, top-ups are for paid plans	Yes, 12 months	Yes, free tier	2026-09-29

Midjourney and Ideogram are image tools and Leonardo.Ai is mostly used for images; they are here because people often ask the same question about them.

The tools that sell credits without a plan

Runway

Runway sells additional credits to every user, including accounts on the free tier, with a minimum purchase size. Its pricing FAQ says purchased credits never expire. If you render every week, its paid plans include a monthly allowance that usually works out cheaper per credit than buying credits one batch at a time.

Pika

Pika's free account comes with no credits of its own, but you can buy a top-up pack without starting a subscription. Top-up credits expire 365 days after purchase, so buy what you expect to use within a year. Regular users get more for their money from a monthly plan.

CapCut

CapCut's help pages describe purchased credits as the option for people without a Pro or Teams plan, and they stay valid for two years from purchase. If you already edit in CapCut every day, the Pro subscription bundles credits with editing features you may want anyway.

Hailuo AI

Hailuo sells extra credits outside its membership plans. Purchased credits stay valid until 31 December of the second calendar year after you buy them, which is a long window. Membership credits, by contrast, last one month and do not roll over.

PrismPoster

PrismPoster has no subscription. You start free where starter credits are offered, then buy a one-off pack when you need more. Purchased credits never expire, and any pack opens every studio. Details are in the section below.

When a subscription is cheaper

A subscription is often the better deal if you render video every week. Monthly plans usually price each credit lower than small one-off packs, and some add features that matter to heavy users, such as more parallel renders or team seats.

The trade-off is that plan credits typically reset at the end of each billing cycle. Of the tools above, Runway rolls over unused credits only on its top plan, and Pika, Luma, Hailuo and Higgsfield all say monthly plan credits do not carry over. If you skip a month, you pay for credits you never use.

A simple rule: if you can predict steady use every month, compare the plan's per-credit price with the pack price and pick the lower one. If your use comes in bursts, such as a launch, a campaign or a one-off project, pay-as-you-go credits that last a long time usually cost less overall.

How PrismPoster works without a subscription

Start free where it is offered. New accounts get 200 starter credits in many countries, with no card needed. They are not offered in Belarus. Unused starter credits expire 24 hours after they are granted, so use them to try things out on the day you sign up.

Buy a one-off pack when you need more. Packs start at €3.99 and are charged once. Nothing renews and there is nothing to cancel. Prices show in your own currency at checkout.

Purchased credits never expire. Credits you buy stay in your account until you spend them, whether that is next week or next year. Unused purchased credits can be refunded within 14 days.

Any pack opens everything. One completed purchase of any size opens every studio and the Premium video engine, and removes the visible AI label from work that does not include a real person's likeness. Commercial use is allowed on every account, free ones included.

A standard video clip starts at 30 credits for a base clip at 360p and 125 credits at 1080p, and you pick a length of 4, 6, 8, 10 seconds. The AI video cost guide works through what a typical project uses.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there an AI video generator without a subscription?

Yes. As of September 2026, Runway, Pika, CapCut and Hailuo AI all sell one-off credits to accounts without a plan, and PrismPoster has no subscription at all. The main difference between them is how long bought credits last: from one year at Pika to never expiring at Runway and PrismPoster.

Do Runway credits expire?

Runway's pricing FAQ says purchased additional credits never expire, and you can buy them without a paid plan. Credits included with a monthly plan are different: they reset each billing cycle, and only Runway's top plan rolls over up to one month of unused plan credits.

Can I buy Pika credits without a subscription?

Yes. Pika sells top-up packs as one-off purchases, and buying one does not start a subscription. The free account itself has no credits, so a pack is how you start. Top-up credits expire 365 days after purchase, and monthly plan credits do not carry over.

What is the cheapest way to make a few AI videos?

For occasional use, buy a small one-off credit pack from a tool whose bought credits last a long time, so nothing goes to waste. Try free credits first where a tool offers them. If you render every week, compare the per-credit price of a monthly plan with the pack price instead.

Do PrismPoster credits expire?

Credits you buy on PrismPoster never expire, and there is no subscription to keep active. The free starter credits some new accounts receive are different: they expire 24 hours after they are granted. Unused purchased credits can be refunded within 14 days of purchase.

Is pay-as-you-go AI video worth it?

It is worth it when your use is irregular. You pay only for what you render, and long-lasting credits carry over between projects. Heavy weekly users usually save money with a subscription, because monthly plans tend to price each credit lower, as long as they use the full allowance.

Try it without a subscription

See every pack and what it costs in your currency on the pricing page, or start a clip in the AI video generator.