Bottom line: Vidu is an AI video generator from ShengShu Technology with a real free plan: 80 credits a month, enough for a handful of short clips. Free output is watermarked, capped at 720p, and licensed for personal use only — so treat the free tier as a workshop for learning the model and testing ideas, not a production pipeline. Its standout trick is native audio: newer Vidu models generate sound together with the picture.
Free-plan details checked October 16, 2026, against Vidu’s published plan information and current pricing coverage; Vidu has adjusted tiers during 2026, so confirm credit costs in the app before a big project. This is a research-based review; we do not claim hands-on testing.
What does Vidu do?
Vidu turns text prompts and still images into short AI videos on the web and in mobile apps. Its three core modes are text-to-video, image-to-video (animating a photo), and reference-to-video, where reference images of a character or object help keep that subject consistent across the clip — historically a Vidu strength, including multi-character scenes. Styles run from realistic to anime. Since the Q3 model generation, its headline feature is synchronized audio and video in a single pass: dialogue, effects, and background sound produced with the footage. A separate API with per-second pricing serves developers.
What is actually free on Vidu?
The free plan costs $0 and renews at 80 credits per month. Credit cost varies with model, duration, resolution, and quality mode — the app shows it before you generate. Reviewers’ math puts a standard short clip at roughly 8 credits, so the month buys around ten short clips if you spend carefully, and far fewer in premium quality modes.
The free plan’s boundaries are as important as the credits:
- Watermark: free videos carry a visible Vidu watermark.
- Resolution: free output is capped at 720p; 1080p sits on paid plans.
- Commercial use: not included — free output is for personal use; commercial rights start with paid plans.
- Short clips: free generations are short (single-digit seconds on the standard settings reviewers document), made for social-length pieces.
What do the paid plans add?
Standard, listed at $9.99/month on monthly billing (less billed annually), is the first publishable tier: a larger credit pool, watermark-free exports, higher resolution, and commercial use. Higher tiers scale credits into the thousands monthly with faster queues. Subscription credits expire after 30 days, while purchased and bonus credits last longer.
Pros and cons of Vidu’s free plan
Pros
- Renewing monthly credits — come back next month and create again at $0
- Reference-to-video is genuinely useful for keeping a character consistent
- Native audio generated with the video on newer models saves a production step
- Credit cost is shown before you generate, so spending is never a surprise
Cons
- Watermarked, 720p, personal-use-only output is not client-ready
- Quality modes multiply credit cost, and every retry spends credits too
- Plan names and credit pools have shifted during 2026 — check the current pricing page
- Short clip lengths mean longer pieces must be stitched in an editor
Who is Vidu best for?
Social creators, anime fans, and beginners learning AI video on a renewing free allowance. If you need watermark-free HD clips with commercial rights, the free plan is your test drive and Standard is the real starting point.
Frequently asked questions
Is Vidu really free?
Yes. The free plan is $0 with 80 credits renewing monthly. Paid plans add larger credit pools, higher resolution, watermark removal, and commercial rights.
Can I use free Vidu videos commercially?
No. Free output is for personal, non-commercial use. Commercial rights require a paid plan.
How many videos does 80 credits make?
Roughly ten short standard clips at about 8 credits each — fewer at higher quality modes or longer settings, since cost varies by model, duration, and resolution.
Does Vidu generate sound?
On its newer Q3-generation models, yes: synchronized dialogue, effects, and background audio are generated together with the video in a single pass.
Verdict: A fair, renewable free workshop for AI video — small credits, visible strings, and one capability (native audio) most rivals still make you add yourself. Learn on free; publish on paid.