Pick Veo 3.1 for hero shots and footage that will be watched closely, Veo 3.1 Fast for drafts, social clips and anything you plan to render many times, and Veo 3.1 Lite for high-volume short clips at 720p or 1080p. All three share the same Veo 3.1 foundation, so a prompt written for one runs on the others without changes.
This Veo models comparison covers the current family. Veo 2 and Veo 3 have been retired, and a short history block below explains what changed.
The Veo 3.1 model family
Veo is Google DeepMind's line of AI video models. Every current Veo model turns a text prompt or an image into a short clip of 4, 6 or 8 seconds, in landscape 16:9 or vertical 9:16.
Veo 3.1
Veo 3.1 is the flagship tier. It renders up to native 4K at 3840×2160, with a choice of 24, 30 or 60 frames per second and 16-bit HDR. Sound is generated in the same pass as the picture: spoken lines with lip sync, effects, room tone and music. Its Ingredients to Video mode takes up to three reference images of a character, object or setting and keeps them consistent across clips. Reference-driven clips on this tier run 8 seconds.
Veo 3.1 Fast
Built for turnaround, the Fast tier renders roughly 30% quicker than the flagship and reaches the same 720p, 1080p and 4K resolutions, with native audio in the same render. Controls match the flagship: start and end frames, reference images, and up to four videos per prompt. Reference-driven clips can be cut at 4, 6 or 8 seconds here.
Veo 3.1 Lite
Veo 3.1 Lite is the volume tier, built for teams producing many short clips. It keeps a tight menu: two aspect ratios, three lengths with 8 seconds preselected, and a resolution choice of 720p or 1080p. 4K is not available. It runs at 24 frames per second, reads prompts of up to 1,024 tokens in English, and accepts one image that becomes the opening frame.
Veo 2 vs Veo 3: the retired generations
- Veo 2 produced silent clips at 720p and supported style and asset reference images.
- Veo 3 added built-in audio and raised the ceiling to 1080p, but dropped reference images.
- Both are retired. Veo 3.1 replaced them, bringing back reference images, adding 4K, and offering three tiers instead of one.
Veo 3.1 vs Veo 3.1 Fast
These two differ in speed and credits more than in features.
- Resolution: both go up to 4K. Picking Fast puts no ceiling on the final piece.
- Audio: both build sound alongside the video, so neither needs a separate audio pass.
- Speed: Fast returns renders around 30% sooner, which matters when you iterate on one shot many times.
- Reference clips: the flagship locks reference-image clips to 8 seconds, while Fast lets you cut them at 4 or 6.
Veo 3.1 vs Veo 3.1 Lite
This pairing comes down to how far a clip needs to go.
- Resolution: Veo 3.1 reaches 4K. Veo 3.1 Lite stops at 1080p.
- Image control: Veo 3.1 takes start and end frames plus up to three reference images. Lite takes one starting image.
- Use case: Veo 3.1 suits campaign openers and client work. Lite suits batches of short social clips where volume beats polish.
Veo 3.1 Fast vs Veo 3.1 Lite
Both keep iteration cheap, with different ceilings.
- Resolution: Fast keeps the 4K option. Lite tops out at 1080p.
- Controls: Fast carries the full flagship toolkit, including reference images and first-and-last-frame generation. Lite keeps it to a single start image.
- Best fit: choose Fast for drafts that may become finals. Choose Lite for clips that will stay at 1080p or below.
Full comparison table
| Veo 3.1 | Veo 3.1 Fast | Veo 3.1 Lite | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Role | Flagship quality tier | Speed tier | High-volume tier |
| Max resolution | 4K (3840×2160) | 4K (3840×2160) | 1080p |
| Resolution options | 720p, 1080p, 4K | 720p, 1080p, 4K | 720p, 1080p |
| Clip length | 4, 6 or 8 seconds | 4, 6 or 8 seconds | 4, 6 or 8 seconds |
| Aspect ratios | 16:9, 9:16 | 16:9, 9:16 | 16:9, 9:16 |
| Image input | Start and end frames, up to 3 reference images (8 s clips) | Start and end frames, reference images at 4, 6 or 8 s | One start image |
| Credits per second, text to video | 6 silent; 12 with audio (720p/1080p); 18 at 4K with audio | 3 silent; 3 to 4 with audio; up to 9 at 4K | 2 at 720p; 3 at 1080p |
Same prompt, three models
Each prompt below ran once on all three models at 720p, 4 seconds and default settings, with no edits. The clips are silent.
Cinematic dialogue
A woman sits across from a man at a cafe table, leans in and says ‘I don’t think we should do this anymore,’ camera slowly pushes in on a 50mm lens, shallow depth of field, afternoon light
All three frame her in a sunlit cafe with shallow depth of field. Veo 3.1 holds the tightest close-up, and Lite adds warm window backlight.
A glass of red wine falls off a marble kitchen counter in slow motion, shattering on a tile floor, liquid splashing outward, overhead camera angle, 120fps feel
Action with physics
All three catch the glass breaking and the wine splashing. Fast shows the most dramatic splash mid-air.
A bustling Tokyo street at night, neon signs reflecting on wet pavement, crowds walking, a street musician playing guitar in the foreground, handheld camera movement
Complex scene
Each clip delivers wet neon streets, umbrellas and a moving crowd. Veo 3.1 and Lite bring the guitarist into the frame.
A perfume bottle rotating slowly on a black reflective surface, soft golden backlight, wisps of smoke drifting past, cinematic 4K, no text
Product/commercial
The golden backlight, reflection and smoke land in all three. Veo 3.1 gives the richest amber tone.
A surreal underwater sculpture of liquid mercury twisting into flowing shapes, bioluminescent particles floating upward, ethereal ambient light, anamorphic lens flare
Abstract/artistic
All three twist the mercury into glossy, flowing shapes. Fast pushes the metallic contrast furthest.
A creator unboxing a mystery package on camera, genuine surprised reaction, ring light setup, 9:16 vertical format, natural voiceover
Vertical social content
All three show a creator mid-reaction with the package in hand. Fast lands the clearest surprised expression.
At 720p and 4 seconds, the gap is small. Pick by budget and features, and save Veo 3.1 for finals that need 4K or reference images.
Which Veo model should you use?
Match the tier to where the clip ends up.
- Choose Veo 3.1 for hero shots, brand campaigns and footage you may crop or reframe later.
- Choose Veo 3.1 Fast for exploration, client option rounds and social video. It keeps 4K and audio while returning takes sooner, so more attempts fit into a session.
- Choose Veo 3.1 Lite for large batches of short 16:9 or 9:16 clips at 720p or 1080p, where a single start image is enough direction.
A practical workflow is to explore on Fast or Lite, then render the few shots that survive on the flagship.
How to try Veo models with Picsart
All three Veo 3.1 models are available in Picsart AI Playground.
- Open AI Playground and choose one of the three Veo 3.1 tiers.
- Set the aspect ratio, length and resolution.
- Write a detailed prompt covering camera, subject, action, setting and mood.
- Generate, then switch models and run the same prompt again to compare.
Frequently asked questions
Both reach 4K, generate native audio and share the same controls. Fast renders about 30% quicker and uses fewer credits per second, and it allows reference-image clips shorter than 8 seconds.
Find your Veo model
The Veo lineup is now three tiers of one model. Test one prompt on all three in AI Playground and keep the tier that fits.
