Every AI video render comes with the same two choices: how good should the model be, and how sharp should the picture be? Both raise the price. The useful question is which upgrades people will actually notice in a short video on a phone, and which ones you are paying for without seeing.
This guide uses the tiers and resolutions on Memevibe as the worked example. The reasoning applies to AI video generally.
Two separate choices
Resolution is the size of the picture: 480p, 720p or 1080p. Higher means sharper edges and more detail.
Tier is the model quality: Fast, Standard or Ultra. A higher tier is better at the hard parts of a body swap, such as keeping the likeness steady, handling quick movement and holding small details together.
They solve different problems. If a video looks soft, that is resolution. If the person looks slightly different from frame to frame or the hands go wrong during a spin, that is tier.
What each one costs
Credits per video at the time of writing. The exact number is always shown on the button before you render, and the pricing page has the current table.
Tier | 480p | 720p | 1080p |
|---|---|---|---|
Fast | 8 | 17 | not available |
Standard | 10 | 20 | 50 |
Ultra | 17 | 37 | 93 |
Two patterns stand out. Going from 480p to 720p roughly doubles the price in every tier. Going from 720p to 1080p more than doubles it again.
Where the video will be watched
Match the resolution to the screen, not to the biggest number.
Group chats and messaging apps. These compress video heavily and show it small. 480p is enough, and extra resolution is mostly thrown away.
TikTok, Reels and Shorts. Vertical video viewed full-screen on a phone. 720p is the practical sweet spot: clearly sharper than 480p on a modern phone, at half the price of 1080p or less. Platforms also re-compress uploads, which narrows the visible gap between 720p and 1080p.
Big screens, edits and reposts you care about. If the clip will be shown on a TV at a party, cut into a longer edit, or zoomed in, 1080p earns its price.
When a higher tier is worth it
Tier matters more than resolution when the clip is difficult:
Fast choreography, spins and jumps
Two or three people, especially when they cross in front of each other
Close-ups where the face fills the frame and likeness is the whole point
For a simple, mostly front-facing routine, Standard is the sensible default. Fast suits a first test or a joke for a small audience. Ultra is for the clip you plan to post publicly and want to hold up to a second look.
Clip length changes the math
Ready-made trends have a fixed length and a fixed price, shown on each trend page. Your own clips work differently:
Credits are quoted per 12 seconds of video, and shorter or longer clips pay their share by the second. A 6-second clip costs about half the table price.
Clips over 15 seconds run on the Ultra tier.
That second rule is worth planning around. A 15-second clip on Standard at 480p comes to about 12.5 credits. A 16-second clip moves to Ultra and comes to roughly 23. If the extra second is not essential, trimming to 15 seconds or less nearly halves the cost.
A simple way to decide
Your situation | Suggested choice |
|---|---|
First try, or a joke for the group chat | Fast or Standard, 480p |
Posting to TikTok, Reels or Shorts | Standard, 720p |
Fast dance or several people, posting publicly | Ultra, 720p |
Big screen, editing, or a clip you want to keep | Standard or Ultra, 1080p |
If you are unsure, start one step lower than you think you need. Credits do not expire, so nothing is lost by testing a trend at 480p and re-rendering the keeper at 720p.
Protect the render before you pay for it
No tier can fix a weak source photo, and there is no preview before a render is charged. Before spending on Ultra or 1080p, make sure the photo is doing its job: our guide on how to pick the right photo for an AI body swap video covers lighting, framing and outfit. If you are still getting familiar with the technique, what AI body swap is and how it differs from face swap explains what the model keeps and what it changes.
Then pick a clip from this week's trends and render.
FAQ
Is 480p good enough for TikTok? It will upload and play, but it looks soft next to native phone footage when viewed full-screen. For public posts, 720p is the better fit. For chats and stories that disappear, 480p is fine.
Why is there no Fast tier at 1080p? The Fast tier is offered at 480p and 720p only. For 1080p, choose Standard or Ultra.
Does a higher resolution improve the likeness? Not by much. Resolution adds sharpness. Likeness and stable motion depend more on the tier and on the photo you upload.
How many videos do I get from a credit pack? It depends on what you pick. A standard video at 480p is 10 credits, so a 35-credit pack covers three of those, or one 720p Standard render with credits left over. The price is shown on the button before each render.
What happens to my credits if a render fails? A render that fails, or that is stopped by the model's safety check, returns its credits automatically.