Vidu vs ShortMake
Plans, free access, limits and intended use side by side, taken from each vendor’s own pages. No score and no winner: the facts show where the two differ.
Change tools
AI video generator for text, image and reference-to-video, with its own Q4 and Q3 models and an API
Budget credits per minute, not per video
- Free access
- Vidu: Free access
- ShortMake: Free access
- Paid from
- Vidu: USD 99 billed yearly
- ShortMake: USD 19.99 per month
- Plans listed
- Vidu: 4
- ShortMake: 4
- Public API
- Vidu: Not confirmed
- ShortMake: Not confirmed
Where Vidu and ShortMake differ
On the listed facts these two look alike. The plans, limits and screenshots below show where the details part ways.
Head to head
Each value from the tool’s profile and the vendor’s own pages
| Vidu | Fact | ShortMake |
|---|---|---|
| Access and price | ||
| Free access availableFree · USD 0 per month | Free accessSame | Free access availableFree · USD 0 |
| USD 99 billed yearlyStandard · $8.25 per month, list $10 | Lowest listed paid plan | USD 19.99 per monthStarter · billed monthly · annual view shows $20.00 per month |
| Free plan; paid from $8.25 a month billed yearly ($99) | Pricing model | Free start; paid from $19.99/month |
| 4 | Plans listedSame | 4 |
| Not confirmed | Public API | Not confirmed |
| Not confirmed | Card to start | Not required |
| Not confirmed | Open source | No |
| What it is for | ||
| Creators and marketers who want text, image and reference-based AI video, including anime-style clips, from one web app | Built for | Faceless vertical shorts generated from a one-line idea |
| Video & editing | CategorySame | Video & editing |
| Platforms |
|
| Works with | Not listed |
| How current | ||
| Profile sources checked | ||
| Prices confirmed · Oct 31, 2026 | Pricing checkSame | Prices confirmed · Oct 13, 2026 |
Official source check for both tools. No hands-on testing and no score: “Differs” marks a documented difference, not a better tool.
Plans and prices
Vidu
Prices confirmed · Oct 31, 2026- FreeUSD 0 per month
- StandardUSD 99 billed yearlyUSD 8.25 per month, list $10
- PremiumUSD 425 billed yearlyUSD 35.42 per month, list $43
- UltimateUSD 2,300 billed yearlyUSD 191.67 per month, list $230
ShortMake
Prices confirmed · Oct 13, 2026- FreeUSD 0
- StarterUSD 19.99 per monthbilled monthly · annual view shows $20.00 per month
- CreatorUSD 29.99 per monthbilled monthly · annual view shows $21.00 per month
- ProUSD 49.99 per monthbilled monthly · annual view shows $34.99 per month
Strengths and limits
Vidu
Strengths
- Free plan exists: The pricing page lists a $0 Free plan with bonus credits for logged-in users.
- Several input modes: The menu lists text, image and reference to video plus image generation.
- Developer access: A separate API platform sells pay-as-you-go credit packs.
Limits to plan around
- Free limits are not numbers: The credit amount and watermark terms for the Free plan are not stated on the pages we read.
- Monthly price not shown: The captured pricing text shows yearly-billed prices only.
- Broad license to your content: The Terms give Vidu a perpetual, sublicensable license to content you submit.
ShortMake
Strengths
- Fast path from idea to draft: One prompt produces script, voice, visuals and captions together.
- No card to start: The FAQ says you can start free without a credit card.
- Clear credit rule of thumb: The pricing page states that a 60-second video uses about 100 to 120 credits.
Limits to plan around
- No refunds once credits land: The terms rule out refunds after credits are added to the account.
- Countdown discounts: A timed first-month discount sits beside the list price and can be mistaken for the regular rate.
- Dated legal pages: Terms date from February 2024 and describe the service as beta; the LLC country is not stated.
See both products
Start from your task, not from a winner.
Run both tools on the same real task, then compare the result, how much editing it needs and how fast it uses your plan’s allowance.
How we reviewChange this pair
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Audio & voice
Automation
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Data & spreadsheets
Images & design
Presentations
Research & sources
Video & editing
Website builders
Writing & content
Comparing tools from different categories is fine, and often useful — a writing assistant and a research tool solve different halves of the same job. The table will show you exactly where they diverge.
Questions about comparing tools
How does the comparison work?
Add two tools to the comparison tray from any tool card, then open this page. The table pulls each tool's verified plan details, platforms, strengths and limits from its profile, so both columns carry the same kind of evidence, with a separate source-check date for each tool.
Do you declare a winner?
No. The table sets two tools against each other on documented facts, not on a score. Which one wins depends on your task, your budget and your usage volume — three things we cannot see from here.
Why are some cells empty or marked unverified?
Because we could not confirm that detail on the vendor's own pages. Rather than filling the gap with a figure from elsewhere, we mark it and say why on the tool's profile.
Can I compare more than two tools?
Not at once. Two columns keep the differences readable and force a real decision. Remove either selected tool to replace it, or clear both to start a new pair.
Every figure in the table above comes from the linked profile, where the source and the verification date are listed. Browse all tools or read the editorial policy.