Editorial guide · No affiliate links
The AI Shorts Stack: The Real Tools and Monthly Cost Behind 95 Shorts
An AI short goes through four stages: script → scene clips → voice → edit and check. We ran those stages on five tools to make 95 shorts.
Cost splits in two: monthly subscriptions that do not depend on volume (fixed) and credits consumed per extra episode (variable). Across our latest 20 episodes the median variable cost was KRW 3,690 per episode, 88% of it video-clip credits.
Reviewed 2026-10-20
The stack we actually use (2026-10)
| Role | Tool | Plan | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Script, research, edit automation | Claude ↗ | Max 20x × 2 accounts | $400 |
| Scene clips (video) | Google AI (Flow · Veo) ↗ | Google AI Ultra (20x) × 2 accounts | ≈ $450.86 |
| Korean narration | Typecast | Business | $69 |
| English narration | ElevenLabs | Starter | $6 |
| Editing and caption check | ffmpeg · Whisper ↗ | Free · open source | Free |
| Monthly total | ≈ $925.86 | ||
Claude and Google AI run on two accounts each so two episodes can be produced in parallel. Median variable cost (latest 20 episodes): 266 video credits (KRW 3,192) + 911 voice credits (KRW 451). Human review time is not included. "≈" values are converted at 1 USD = KRW 1,330.79 (2026-10-20).
Three stacks by volume
Trial · 1–2 shorts
Free plans only, to run the pipeline once. Typecast Free is a one-time 3,000 credits with attribution.
- Claude · Free — Free
- Higgsfield AI · Free — Free
- Typecast · Free — Free
- ffmpeg · Whisper · Free · open source — Free
Test run · ~3 shorts / month
Not tested by us: an estimate dividing Higgsfield Plus's official ≈ 80 videos by 26 shots per short.
- Claude · Pro — $20
- Higgsfield AI · Plus — $59
- Typecast · Basic — $5
- ffmpeg · Whisper · Free · open source — Free
Our stack, one account each · ~90 shorts / month
Our real stack with one account each. Video credits (25,000/month) ÷ 266 per episode ≈ 94 shorts is the ceiling.
- Claude · Max 20x — $200
- Google AI (Flow · Veo) · Google AI Ultra (20x) — ≈ $225.43
- Typecast · Business — $69
- ElevenLabs · Starter — $6
- ffmpeg · Whisper · Free · open source — Free
"≈" values are converted at 1 USD = KRW 1,330.79 (2026-10-20).
Calculate for your volume
Capacity check
Subscriptions only; re-takes and staff time are not included. Our ~90-second shorts: ~950-character script, 26 shots (CL-076), 266 video credits (median of latest 20)
Tools compared
Typecast
An AI text-to-speech service from Neosapience with a deep Korean voice library and per-sentence control of emotion, speed and sentence endings. We voiced all 95 of our Korean AI shorts with it.
Open tool card →ElevenLabs
A US/UK voice AI company. Multilingual TTS, voice cloning, dubbing, sound effects and voice agents all draw on one shared credit pool. We used it to voice the English versions of our shorts.
Open tool card →Higgsfield AI
An AI image and video studio that runs its own tools (Soul, Cinema Studio and more) alongside third-party models such as Seedance, Kling and Veo on one credit balance. Strong on camera moves and first/last-frame control.
Open tool card →Who this guide is for
Solo creators publishing faceless shorts
People who need a pipeline that holds a daily cadence.
Teams delivering AI video to clients
People who must price material cost and commercial rights into a quote.
Creators trimming subscriptions
People paying for several tools without a per-episode cost.
What to compare before choosing
- Cost per episode — Split into fixed (subscriptions ÷ episodes) and variable (credits per episode).
- Re-take rate — Video credits varied 1.8× (239–442) with first-pass acceptance.
- Pronunciation — Check numbers, amounts and names against a transcript.
- Commercial license — Free plans add attribution or non-commercial terms.
- Price volatility — Video tools rename and reprice plans within months; read the check date.
FAQ
How much does one AI short cost?
For us, the variable cost (credits per extra episode) was a median KRW 3,690 across the latest 20 episodes, plus subscriptions divided by monthly volume.
Can I do it on free plans only?
For one or two shorts. Free plans carry small credit allowances and attribution or non-commercial terms.
Where does most of the money go?
Video: 88% of variable cost was video-clip credits, and re-takes push it up.
How we built this guide
- The real-stack table comes from our billing records and per-episode credit logs (unit prices as of 2026-10-07).
- Prices were re-read on each official pricing page on 2026-10-20; plans without a USD price are converted at that day's rate and marked "≈".
- This page contains no affiliate links. Every external link goes to the official site, and affiliate status does not affect which tools are listed or their order.