As of October 2026, Google Veo 3.1 runs in three places: Google Flow, the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform (Google Cloud), and third-party creative platforms such as Higgsfield. Two routes that most tutorials still recommend no longer work: the Gemini app now generates video with Gemini Omni instead of Veo, and the Veo 3.1 Preview models in the Gemini API were shut down on October 22, 2026. Which route fits depends on three things: how many clips you need a month, whether a person or a script triggers the generation, and how you want to pay.
All facts checked on each vendor’s official pages on October 27, 2026.
This guide covers what changed, what each platform gives you, the limits that matter in practice, and how the pricing works out once you count retakes.
Why can’t you use Veo 3.1 in the Gemini app or Gemini API anymore?
Google confirms three changes on its own pages:
- Gemini app: video generation now uses Gemini Omni, not Veo. Omni 1.1 Flash makes clips of up to 10 seconds with native audio.
- Gemini API:
veo-3.1-generate-preview,veo-3.1-fast-generate-previewandveo-3.1-lite-generate-previewwere shut down on October 22, 2026. Google points developers togemini-omni-1.1-flashor to the GA Veo models on the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform. - Google Flow: still offers Veo 3.1 in three variants (Lite, Fast and Quality) next to Gemini Omni.
If a script calls veo-3.1-generate-preview through AI Studio, it now fails. Switch the model ID or the platform before you debug anything else. If your code already talks to Gemini through the Google Gen AI SDK, the Vertex AI Gemini Python walkthrough shows the Google Cloud client setup the GA Veo model IDs run on.
Where can you use Google Veo 3.1? Platforms compared
| Platform | Veo 3.1 variants | Length and resolution | How you pay | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Higgsfield | Veo 3.1 (Standard, Fast), Veo 3.1 Lite | 4, 6 or 8 s; 720p or 1080p; 16:9 or 9:16 | Plan credits; exact cost shown before each run; Plus plan or higher | Creators and teams who need more volume, from a browser, an AI agent or a terminal |
| Google Flow | Lite, Fast, Quality | 4, 6 or 8 s (Quality: 8 s only) | Flow credits: 50 a day for everyone plus a monthly grant on Google AI plans | Occasional clips inside Google’s own editor |
| Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform | veo-3.1-generate-001, veo-3.1-fast-generate-001 (GA) | 4, 6 or 8 s; 720p, 1080p or 4K; 16:9 or 9:16 | Google Cloud billing with Provisioned Throughput or fixed quota | Companies building Veo into their own product |
| Gemini app | None (now Gemini Omni) | Up to 10 s Omni clips | Google AI plan | Quick clips where the model doesn’t matter |
| Gemini API | None since Oct 22, 2026 | n/a | n/a | Migrate to Omni or the Agent Platform |
1. Higgsfield: Veo 3.1 Standard, Fast and Lite on plan credits
Higgsfield is a generative platform for creative production. The Higgsfield Veo 3.1 page offers Veo 3.1 Standard (text-to-video, 1 to 3 reference images, lip sync) and Fast (Start and End frames, quicker generation), plus Veo 3.1 Lite for drafts. Clips are 4, 6 or 8 seconds at 720p or 1080p, in 16:9 or 9:16.
Limits. Veo is available from the Plus plan up, not on Starter, and it isn’t part of Unlimited, so every generation uses credits. The exact cost shows on the Generate button before you run a job, and failed generations return their credits automatically.
Agent access. The same account works through the Higgsfield MCP server (https://mcp.higgsfield.ai/mcp) or the CLI, with no separate API key:
npx skills add higgsfield-ai/skillsThen:
higgsfield auth loginFor the full CLI and Skills flow with prompts and outputs, see the guide to generating AI video from the terminal.
2. Google Flow: free daily credits and Veo 3.1 credit costs
Flow is Google’s AI filmmaking tool, and its help center publishes the credit math. Everyone gets 50 Flow credits a day, with or without a subscription. Google AI Plus adds 200 credits a month, Google AI Pro adds 1,000, Google AI Ultra $100 adds 10,000 and Ultra $200 adds 25,000.
| Veo 3.1 variant | Lengths | Credits per generation |
|---|---|---|
| Lite | 4, 6, 8 s | 10 (Ultra: 5; lower-priority Lite: 0 on Ultra) |
| Fast | 4, 6, 8 s | 20 (Ultra: 10) |
| Quality | 8 s | 100 for everyone |
Limits. One request in Flow may produce two videos. Without a subscription, Google says you may not be able to generate video during peak hours, roughly 2 PM to 5 PM UTC. Editing uploaded videos isn’t available in the EEA, Switzerland or the UK, and extra AI credits can’t be bought in Japan.
3. Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform: the Veo 3.1 API on Google Cloud
This is the production route for teams building on Google Cloud. Google’s Veo 3.1 model page lists veo-3.1-generate-001 and veo-3.1-fast-generate-001 as GA, with text-to-video, image-to-video, first and last frame, extension and reference images. Clips are 4, 6 or 8 seconds (reference-to-video is 8 seconds only), output goes up to 4K, and the listed region is us-central1.
Limits. Consumption is through Provisioned Throughput or fixed quota; pay-as-you-go isn’t supported. The current version lists a retirement date of “November 17, 2026 or later”, so pin the model version in your code and watch Google’s model versions page.
How much does Veo 3.1 cost per video, including retakes?
Count generations, not finished clips. Plan on 2 to 3 attempts per usable shot.
- Flow:
usable clips ≈ monthly credits ÷ (credits per generation × attempts). On Google AI Pro, 1,000 credits ÷ (100 × 3) ≈ 3 usable Veo 3.1 Quality clips from the monthly grant, or about 16 Fast clips (1,000 ÷ (20 × 3)). - Higgsfield:
usable clips ≈ plan credits ÷ (credits per clip × attempts), with the credits per clip read off the Generate button. Failed generations don’t count against you because their credits come back. Plan prices differ by region, so check the Higgsfield pricing page for yours. - Agent Platform: priced through your Google Cloud agreement and quota, so the per-clip cost depends on your contract.
Which Veo 3.1 platform should you use?
- Creators and small teams who need regular volume: Higgsfield on Plus or Ultra. You get Veo 3.1 Standard, Fast and Lite, the cost before every run, automatic refunds for failed generations, and MCP or CLI access when generation is part of a workflow.
- Occasional clips inside Google’s ecosystem: Google Flow on the Google AI plan you already have.
- A product built on Veo with a cloud contract: the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform.
FAQ
Can I still use Veo 3.1 in the Gemini app?
No. Google says Gemini Omni replaces Veo in the Gemini app. Veo 3.1 is still available in Google Flow, on the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform and on platforms such as Higgsfield.
Is Veo 3.1 still available in the Gemini API?
Not as a preview. The Veo 3.1 Preview models were shut down on October 22, 2026. Google recommends gemini-omni-1.1-flash or the GA Veo models on the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform.
Can you use Veo 3.1 for free?
Yes, in small amounts. Google Flow gives everyone 50 credits a day without a subscription, which covers up to five Veo 3.1 Lite generations at 10 credits each or two Fast generations at 20 credits each. Quality costs 100 credits per generation, so it needs the monthly grant from a Google AI plan. Free users may also be unable to generate during peak hours, roughly 2 PM to 5 PM UTC.
What is the difference between Veo 3.1 Lite and Fast?
Lite is the cheapest variant and is meant for drafts: it costs 10 Flow credits per generation against 20 for Fast. Fast generates quicker than the full model and, on Higgsfield, adds Start and End frames. A cost-effective pattern is to iterate on Lite or Fast and render only the final shot on Quality in Flow or Standard on Higgsfield.
Veo 3.1 vs Gemini Omni: which one does Google use where?
Gemini Omni now powers video in the Gemini app and the Gemini API, and Omni 1.1 Flash makes clips of up to 10 seconds with native audio. Veo 3.1 clips are 4, 6 or 8 seconds and stay available in Google Flow, on the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform and on Higgsfield. Flow offers both models side by side, so you can run the same prompt through each before you commit.
Google AI Pro ran out in a week. Where do I get more Veo generations without paying for Ultra?
You have four options. Draft on Lite or Fast and keep Quality for the final shot, which stretches the same 1,000 credits several times. Buy extra AI credits from Google if your region supports it. Use Veo 3.1 on Higgsfield’s Plus or Ultra plan, where each run shows its cost first. Or move to the Agent Platform if you’re building a product and can commit to a quota.
Is Veo 3.1 available on Higgsfield’s Starter plan?
No. All Veo models are locked on Starter. Plus and Ultra include Veo 3.1.
Can I generate Veo 3.1 clips from a terminal?
Yes. On Higgsfield, the CLI + Skills setup and the MCP endpoint let coding and chat agents generate Veo clips on your plan credits. On Google Cloud, call the GA model IDs on the Agent Platform.
Is Higgsfield’s API the same as the MCP and CLI?
No. The Higgsfield API is a separate product with its own dollar balance and per-generation billing; plan credits from the site don’t transfer to it.
Does Veo 3.1 follow prompts better than Sora?
Sora is no longer an option: OpenAI switched off the Sora 2 API on September 24, 2026. To compare Veo 3.1 with another model on your own shots, write five prompts that each contain one countable detail (“three red umbrellas”, “camera pans left”), run each once per model at the same length and ratio, and score whether the detail, the action and the camera move match.
