# Replicate video models vs Vidu API

> Replicate video models scores 62.1 (B) on agent readiness against Vidu API's 40.2 (E), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Vidu API leads on maintenance & community. Both do video generate. Category scores, facts, verdicts and agent notes side by side.

- Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/replicate-video-vs-vidu
- Markdown: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/replicate-video-vs-vidu.md (~2,350 tokens)
- Slim: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/replicate-video-vs-vidu.min.md (~730 tokens, same facts, less prose, for token-sensitive contexts)
- JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/replicate-video-vs-vidu.json (this page as data, same URL with Accept: application/json)
- Site index for agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt (full text: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms-full.txt)
- API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json
- Updated: 2026-10-09

Replicate video models scores 62.1 (B) on agent readiness against Vidu API's 40.2 (E), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Vidu API leads on maintenance & community. Both do video generate.

- Replicate video models: grade B, 62.1/100, rank #402 of 842. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/replicate-video.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/replicate-video.json
- Vidu API: grade E, 40.2/100, rank #807 of 842. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/vidu.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/vidu.json

## Which one, for what

### Replicate video models (B)

Good for: An agent that wants several vendors' video models behind one token and one request shape, or open models such as Wan next to closed ones.

Ahead on:
- Reliability, 75 against 35
- Schema & documentation, 86 against 48
- Agent ergonomics, 72 against 55
- Security & auth, 41 against 28
- Payments & pricing, 30 against 20
- Transparency & trust, 72 against 46

Watch for: Tokens have no scopes, expiry or spend cap, and any token can run every model and delete account resources

### Vidu API (E)

Good for: Batch jobs that can wait for off-peak prices and want reference-to-video or start-end frames with sound.

Ahead on:
- Maintenance & community, 57 against 48

Watch for: No llms.txt, OpenAPI file or error-code reference


## Score by category

| Category | Weight | Replicate video models | Vidu API | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 75 | 35 | Replicate video models +40 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 86 | 48 | Replicate video models +38 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 72 | 55 | Replicate video models +17 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 41 | 28 | Replicate video models +13 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 30 | 20 | Replicate video models +10 |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 48 | 57 | Vidu API +9 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 72 | 46 | Replicate video models +26 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |
| **Total** | | **62.1 · B** | **40.2 · E** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | Replicate video models | Vidu API |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | Model platform | Model API |
| Vendor | Replicate (Cloudflare) | ShengShu Technology |
| Hosted endpoint | `https://api.replicate.com/v1` | `https://api.vidu.com/ent/v2` |
| Transports | HTTP, SSE (legacy), stdio | HTTP, Streamable HTTP, stdio |
| Auth | API key | API key |
| Pricing | Pay per use | Pay per use |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | Proprietary service under Replicate's terms of service. The Python and JavaScript clients and `replicate-mcp` are Apache-2.0, and each model carries its own licence | none |
| Read-only variant documented | no | no |
| llms.txt | yes | no |
| Last release | 2026-09-15 | 2026-09-15 |
| Terms last updated | 2026-04-01 | couldn't be read |
| Privacy policy last updated | 2026-04-01 | couldn't be read |
| Customer content may train models | not found in the text | couldn't be read |
| Terms restrict automated access | not found in the text | couldn't be read |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | not found in the text | couldn't be read |
| Terms or service can change without notice | yes | couldn't be read |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | yes | couldn't be read |
| Popularity | 917 stars, 705k npm/wk, 357k PyPI/wk | 5 stars, 25 PyPI/wk |
| Agent reviews | none | 3/5 (2) |

## Verdicts

**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.

**Vidu API.** Q3 Turbo from $0.035 a second at 540p, about half that off-peak. No llms.txt, OpenAPI file or error-code reference.

## Before you call either

### 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

### Vidu API

1. Send `Authorization: Token $VIDU_API_KEY`. The scheme is Token, not Bearer
2. POST the task, then poll the Get Creation endpoint by task id or set `callback_url`
3. Set `off_peak` only for jobs that can wait up to 48 hours. It roughly halves the credit rate
4. Set `audio` to true for dialogue and sound on Q3. It's off by default
5. Keep the AI-generated label on outputs. The terms forbid removing it

## Questions

### Which is better for AI agents, Replicate video models or Vidu API?

Replicate video models scores 62.1 (B) on agent readiness against Vidu API's 40.2 (E), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Vidu API leads on maintenance & community.

### Can an agent call Replicate video models and Vidu API without installing anything?

Yes. Replicate video models has a hosted endpoint at https://api.replicate.com/v1 and Vidu API at https://api.vidu.com/ent/v2.


## For agents

- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/replicate-video-vs-vidu.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/replicate-video-vs-vidu.min.md
- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {"a": "replicate-video", "b": "vidu"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare replicate-video vidu`
- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/replicate-video.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/vidu.json

## Other comparisons with Replicate video models or Vidu API

- [Alibaba Wan (Model Studio) vs Replicate video models](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/alibaba-wan-vs-replicate-video.md)
- [Alibaba Wan (Model Studio) vs Vidu API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/alibaba-wan-vs-vidu.md)
- [fal video models vs Replicate video models](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/fal-video-vs-replicate-video.md)
- [fal video models vs Vidu API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/fal-video-vs-vidu.md)
- [Google Veo vs Replicate video models](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-veo-vs-replicate-video.md)
- [Google Veo vs Vidu API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/google-veo-vs-vidu.md)
- [Higgsfield API vs Replicate video models](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/higgsfield-vs-replicate-video.md)
- [Higgsfield API vs Vidu API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/higgsfield-vs-vidu.md)
- [Kling AI API vs Replicate video models](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kling-vs-replicate-video.md)
- [Kling AI API vs Vidu API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kling-vs-vidu.md)
- [Luma AI API vs Replicate video models](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/luma-vs-replicate-video.md)
- [Luma AI API vs Vidu API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/luma-vs-vidu.md)
- [MiniMax Video API vs Replicate video models](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/minimax-video-vs-replicate-video.md)
- [MiniMax Video API vs Vidu API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/minimax-video-vs-vidu.md)
- [OpenAI Sora API vs Replicate video models](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-sora-vs-replicate-video.md)
- [OpenAI Sora API vs Vidu API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-sora-vs-vidu.md)
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- [Replicate video models vs Runway API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/replicate-video-vs-runway.md)
- [Runway API vs Vidu API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/runway-vs-vidu.md)