How do I calculate the cost per edited video?

Add subscription payments, extra usage, add-ons and the value of review time for the project, then divide by the videos that meet your delivery requirements. Count revisions in usage and review time, rather than treating every attempted output as an accepted video.

Is an annual AI video editor plan cheaper for a short project?

A lower monthly equivalent does not always mean a smaller project payment. With the illustrative defaults here, three months at $20 per month cost $60 in subscription payments, while a prepaid $180 annual plan still requires $180. Including $150 of review time gives budgets of $210 and $330 respectively for 60 accepted videos.

Does this calculator use live Valmera or competitor prices?

No. All starting numbers are illustrative. Enter actual quotes from the provider, including the full annual bill and the number of paid seats. The calculator does not choose a plan, predict credits or estimate how many videos a subscription can produce.

Can I compare an annual contract paid monthly?

This calculator compares cancellable monthly billing with a full year paid upfront. An annual commitment paid in monthly installments has different payment and cancellation terms and is not modeled here. Use the actual contract to establish its total commitment.

Are review hours a cash charge?

Not necessarily. The calculator shows software payments separately from the value you assign to review and revision time. Set the hourly value to zero for a software-only budget. Include paid freelance review here only when it is part of the workload you entered.

Is the video editing cost calculator free?

Yes. It runs in your browser without an account, and you can download your inputs and results as a CSV. Currency selection only changes labels; it does not convert prices. Valmera's AI editor is a separate subscription product.

AI Video Editing Cost Calculator

Budget for the videos you actually finish. Compare monthly subscription payments with an annual upfront bill, include review and revision time, and download the cost per accepted video. Free, with no account required.

Build your editing budget

Start with the illustrative numbers below, then replace them with your quotes and workload. Calculations stay in your browser. View budget ↓

Currency

Changes labels only. Enter every price in the same currency; no exchange conversion is performed.

1. Your workload

Count videos that meet your brief after review. Use the same workload for both plans.

Project length (months)Paid seatsAccepted videos per month

2. Your subscription quotes

Enter prices in the selected currency. Annual means the full prepaid year, not the advertised monthly equivalent. These inputs are examples, not Valmera prices.

Monthly price per seatFull annual price per seat

3. Additional software charges

Enter combined monthly totals for all seats, including expected retries and revisions. Exclude usage already covered by the subscription.

Add-ons per month, all seatsExtra usage per month, all seats

4. Your time

Include checking exports, correcting captions and revising edits. This values your time; it is not necessarily a cash payment. Enter a zero hourly value for software-only budgeting.

Review and revision hours per monthValue of one review hour

Your 3-month project budget

60 accepted videos · 1 paid seat · before taxes and one-time costs

Monthly subscription

USD 210.00

USD 3.50 per accepted video, including review time

Annual prepaid subscription

USD 330.00

USD 5.50 per accepted video, including review time

Where the budget goes (USD)
Cost	Monthly plan	Annual plan
Subscription payments	USD 60.00	USD 180.00
Add-ons and extra usage	USD 0.00	USD 0.00
Software payments subtotal	USD 60.00	USD 180.00
Review time value	USD 150.00	USD 150.00
Total project budget	USD 210.00	USD 330.00

Annual billing purchases 12 months of coverage for this 3-month project. 9 months fall outside the project. The calculation assumes no refund for unused coverage.

What if I allocate the annual bill across its coverage?

Allocating only the project months gives an annual-plan budget of USD 195.00, including the same usage and review time. This is a planning allocation; it does not reduce the subscription payment. The full amount due is included in the totals above.

The formula: a finished video costs more than its first attempt

Project budget = subscription payments + add-ons + extra usage + review time value. Divide that total by the accepted videos delivered during the project. Use one currency throughout.

Monthly subscription payments = price per seat × paid seats × project months.
Annual subscription payments = full annual price per seat × paid seats × years purchased. Round partial years up because this scenario assumes full-year prepayment.
Review time value = monthly review and revision hours × hourly value × project months.
Accepted videos = videos meeting the brief per month × project months.

The calculator assumes constant seats, output, extra usage and review hours across the project. Both plans use the same workload and additional costs. If their allowances differ, adjust the usage estimate and save a separate CSV for each scenario. Taxes, hardware, one-time purchases, discounts, refunds and financing are excluded.

Example: 60 finished videos over three months

With one seat at an illustrative $20 per month, the subscription payments total $60. A $180 prepaid annual quote costs $180 even for a three-month project. Two review hours per month valued at $25 per hour add $150 to either budget.

The monthly-plan budget is $210, or $3.50 per accepted video. The annual-plan budget is $330, or $5.50 per accepted video. Allocating only three months of the annual fee gives a different planning figure, but does not change what must be paid. These are arithmetic examples, not provider prices or measured editing results.

Get a realistic usage estimate from one representative edit

Choose footage typical of your work: a podcast, tutorial, product demo or creator video.
Write one brief with the target length, framing, captions and required final file. Use the same brief when comparing tools.
Record usage across the first edit, revisions and export. Time the human review as well.
Check the downloaded file. Count it only when the story, captions, audio and delivery format meet your requirements.

Do not convert one provider’s credits into another provider’s minutes. The pricing comparison links dated plan observations to official sources. Confirm current quotes and allowance rules there before entering them.

To try this with Valmera, prepare your first edit and carry the request into Studio. Creating an account and uploading footage are free; AI editing requires a subscription.