Pika API vs Replicate video models

Pika API

Keyless catalogue with live prices and JSON input schemas for 162 operations. $10 a month membership before any usage, and no free generation.

Replicate video models

One bearer token reaches more than twenty official video models at published per-second prices, each with a typed input schema, and failed runs aren't charged. Tokens have no scopes or spend cap, no SLA is published, and the terms let Replicate withdraw any model without notice.

Pika API

1. Call GET /catalog/apis/{api_id}?expand=inputs first. It's free and returns the path, schema and price
2. Check GET /billing/balance before a submit. A 403 can mean an inactive key or an empty balance
3. Send an Idempotency-Key on every submit, and a fresh one only when you change the body
4. Record cost from billing.charge_micro_usd only once billing.state is settled

Replicate video models

1. Call official models at POST /v1/models/{owner}/{name}/predictions with no version, then poll GET /v1/predictions/{id} or pass webhook. Video jobs usually outlast the 60-second Prefer: wait window
2. Download the output file within the hour. API predictions lose inputs, outputs and logs after 60 minutes
3. Read the model's price tiers before setting resolution, mode or generate_audio. Kling 3.0 runs from $0.168 to $0.42 a second and Veo 3.1 doubles with audio
4. Send Cancel-After on every create. There is no idempotency key, so a blind retry is a second paid video
5. Keep credit above $20 or enable auto-reload. Low balances are throttled, and granted credit with no card is held to 6 requests a minute