---
title: "Best AI model for each job: images, video, voice & music | Kuro"
description: "The best, middle and cheapest AI model for 24 jobs — photoreal people, anime, product photos, talking heads, voice-over and more — with what each costs in credits."
canonical_url: "https://meetkuro.com/benchmarks/"
updated: 2026-10-28
locale: "en"
---

# The right model for each job

For every job, three picks: the best result, a strong middle, and the cheapest that still does it well.

Reviewed October 28, 2026 · Ranked by Kuro’s editors from hands-on use · Credits are per reference request.

Kuro’s agents choose from this same list: a picture starts on the best pick, and a clip on the tier you choose.

## Images

Credits for one image at the model’s default setting.

| Job | Best | Middle | Cheapest |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Photorealistic people and selfies | [GPT Image 2.5 Flare](https://meetkuro.com/models/gpt-image-2.5-flare.md) · 11 credits | [Seedream 5 Pro](https://meetkuro.com/models/seedream-5-pro.md) · 4 credits | [Soul 2](https://meetkuro.com/models/soul-2.md) · 0.5 credits — From a prompt alone: it cannot match a real face. |
| The same person across many pictures | [GPT Image 2.5 Flare](https://meetkuro.com/models/gpt-image-2.5-flare.md) · 11 credits | [Nano Banana 2.1](https://meetkuro.com/models/nano-banana-2.1.md) · 3 credits | [FLUX.2 Pro](https://meetkuro.com/models/flux-2-pro.md) · 2.5 credits |
| Product photos | [Seedream 5 Pro](https://meetkuro.com/models/seedream-5-pro.md) · 4 credits — When the label's words must read, use GPT Image 2.5 Flare. | [Seedream 5 Lite](https://meetkuro.com/models/seedream-5-lite.md) · 3 credits | [FLUX.2 Pro](https://meetkuro.com/models/flux-2-pro.md) · 2.5 credits |
| Anime and manga | [GPT Image 2.5 Flare](https://meetkuro.com/models/gpt-image-2.5-flare.md) · 11 credits | [Nano Banana 2.1](https://meetkuro.com/models/nano-banana-2.1.md) · 3 credits | [Grok Imagine Image](https://meetkuro.com/models/grok-imagine-image.md) · 2 credits |
| Illustration and painterly art | [FLUX.2 Max](https://meetkuro.com/models/flux-2-max.md) · 6 credits | [FLUX.2 Pro](https://meetkuro.com/models/flux-2-pro.md) · 2.5 credits | [FLUX Schnell](https://meetkuro.com/models/flux-schnell.md) · 0.5 credits |
| Posters, text and lettering | [GPT Image 2.5 Flare](https://meetkuro.com/models/gpt-image-2.5-flare.md) · 11 credits | [Qwen Image 3 Pro](https://meetkuro.com/models/qwen-image-3-pro.md) · 3.5 credits | [Nano Banana 2.1](https://meetkuro.com/models/nano-banana-2.1.md) · 3 credits |
| Logos and icons (vector) | [Recraft V4.1 Pro SVG](https://meetkuro.com/models/recraft-v4.1-pro-svg.md) · 21 credits | [Recraft V4.1 SVG](https://meetkuro.com/models/recraft-v4.1-svg.md) · 3.5 credits | [Recraft V4.1 SVG](https://meetkuro.com/models/recraft-v4.1-svg.md) · 3.5 credits |
| Editing a photo you already have | [Krea 3](https://meetkuro.com/models/krea-3.md) · 5 credits | [Nano Banana 2.1](https://meetkuro.com/models/nano-banana-2.1.md) · 3 credits | [Grok Imagine Image](https://meetkuro.com/models/grok-imagine-image.md) · 2 credits |
| Combining several pictures into one | [Nano Banana 2.1](https://meetkuro.com/models/nano-banana-2.1.md) · 3 credits | [Seedream 5 Lite](https://meetkuro.com/models/seedream-5-lite.md) · 3 credits | [FLUX.2 Pro](https://meetkuro.com/models/flux-2-pro.md) · 2.5 credits |
| Quick drafts and ideas in volume | [Seedream 5 Lite](https://meetkuro.com/models/seedream-5-lite.md) · 3 credits | [P-Image](https://meetkuro.com/models/p-image.md) · 0.5 credits | [FLUX Schnell](https://meetkuro.com/models/flux-schnell.md) · 0.5 credits |

- **Photorealistic people and selfies** · Style: GPT Image 2.5 keeps skin, hands, eyes and light believable and follows the brief literally; Seedream 5 Pro is close for a third of the price; Soul 2 is tuned for fashion photography but takes no reference picture.
- **The same person across many pictures** · Common problem: Seat the person as a Subject or a reference photo. GPT Image 2.5 holds a face from seven references best; Nano Banana 2.1 holds identity well from up to fourteen; FLUX.2 Pro is the cheapest model that takes references at all.
- **Product photos** · Job: Seedream renders packaging, materials and studio light with the most detail from a product reference; Lite is the everyday default; FLUX.2 Pro is dependable for less.
- **Anime and manga** · Style: GPT Image 2.5 draws clean line art and consistent characters from a description; Nano Banana 2.1 is strong with a character reference; Grok Imagine is quick and inexpensive.
- **Illustration and painterly art** · Style: FLUX.2 has the richest painterly and stylised texture, Max at full fidelity and Pro at a flat rate; FLUX Schnell sketches ideas for almost nothing.
- **Posters, text and lettering** · Common problem: GPT Image 2.5 spells exact words where you place them, even dense small type; Qwen Image 3 Pro handles page layouts and long text; Nano Banana 2.1 writes short headlines sharply.
- **Logos and icons (vector)** · Job: Recraft is the only family that draws real, editable SVG; Pro gives cleaner paths for brand assets. A logo you already have goes through vectorize_image instead.
- **Editing a photo you already have** · Job: Krea 3 follows a plain instruction and changes what you asked for while keeping the rest of the picture; Nano Banana 2.1 takes conversational edits well; Grok Imagine edits one picture cheaply.
- **Combining several pictures into one** · Common problem: Nano Banana 2.1 fuses up to fourteen references (a face, a product, a set) without losing any; Seedream 5 Lite and FLUX.2 Pro take seven.
- **Quick drafts and ideas in volume** · Job: To find a composition before paying for polish: Seedream 5 Lite still takes references, P-Image and FLUX Schnell cost a fraction of a credit from a prompt alone.

## Clips

Credits for a 5-second clip at 720p.

| Job | Best | Middle | Cheapest |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| A clip from a description | [Seedance 2.5](https://meetkuro.com/models/seedance-2.5.md) · 96.5 credits | [Wan 3.0](https://meetkuro.com/models/wan-3.md) · 42 credits | [P-Video 2](https://meetkuro.com/models/p-video-2.md) · 12.5 credits |
| Bringing a picture to life | [Seedance 2.5](https://meetkuro.com/models/seedance-2.5.md) · 96.5 credits | [HappyHorse 1.0](https://meetkuro.com/models/happyhorse-1.0.md) · 58.5 credits | [P-Video 2](https://meetkuro.com/models/p-video-2.md) · 12.5 credits |
| The same character across clips | [Seedance 2.5](https://meetkuro.com/models/seedance-2.5.md) · 96.5 credits | [Kling v3 Omni](https://meetkuro.com/models/kling-v3-omni-video.md) · 70 credits | [Seedance 2.0 Mini](https://meetkuro.com/models/seedance-2.0-mini.md) · 37.5 credits |
| A person speaking to camera | [OmniHuman 1.5](https://meetkuro.com/models/omni-human-1.5.md) · 67 credits | [Kling Avatar v2](https://meetkuro.com/models/kling-avatar-v2.md) · 22 credits | [P-Video Avatar](https://meetkuro.com/models/p-video-avatar.md) · 10.5 credits |
| Dialogue and sound inside the clip | [Veo 3.1](https://meetkuro.com/models/veo-3.1.md) · 83.5 credits | [Veo 3.1 Fast](https://meetkuro.com/models/veo-3.1-fast.md) · 42 credits | [Veo 3.1 Lite](https://meetkuro.com/models/veo-3.1-lite.md) · 21 credits |
| Cinematic camera moves | [Seedance 2.5](https://meetkuro.com/models/seedance-2.5.md) · 96.5 credits | [Runway Gen-4.5](https://meetkuro.com/models/gen-4.5.md) · 50 credits | [Veo 3.1 Lite](https://meetkuro.com/models/veo-3.1-lite.md) · 21 credits |
| Long takes (15 to 30 seconds) | [Seedance 2.5](https://meetkuro.com/models/seedance-2.5.md) · 96.5 credits | [Wan 3.0](https://meetkuro.com/models/wan-3.md) · 42 credits | [P-Video 2](https://meetkuro.com/models/p-video-2.md) · 12.5 credits |
| Copying a dance or movement from a video | [Genjutsu Motion Transfer](https://meetkuro.com/models/genjutsu-motion-transfer.md) · 284 credits | [Kling Motion Control](https://meetkuro.com/models/kling-v3-motion-control.md) · 29.5 credits | [P-Video Animate](https://meetkuro.com/models/p-video-animate.md) · 12.5 credits |
| New words on footage you already have | [Sync Lipsync 2](https://meetkuro.com/models/sync-lipsync-2.md) · 21 credits | [Kling Lip Sync](https://meetkuro.com/models/kling-lip-sync.md) · 6 credits | [Kling Lip Sync](https://meetkuro.com/models/kling-lip-sync.md) · 6 credits |

- **A clip from a description** · Job: Seedance 2.5 has the most convincing motion and physics with native sound; Wan 3.0 renders up to thirty seconds at 1080p for less than half; P-Video 2 is a capable draft with native speech.
- **Bringing a picture to life** · Job: Seedance 2.5 animates a first frame without drifting from it; HappyHorse is smooth and affordable from one frame; P-Video 2 also takes a last frame to land on.
- **The same character across clips** · Common problem: Seedance 2.5 holds a character from up to thirty reference pictures; Kling v3 Omni takes reference pictures and a reference clip; Seedance 2.0 Mini keeps the reference channels at the lowest price.
- **A person speaking to camera** · Job: From a portrait and a voice-over. OmniHuman 1.5 moves face, hands and camera with the meaning of the words; Kling Avatar v2 also animates cartoons and animals; P-Video Avatar is the volume option.
- **Dialogue and sound inside the clip** · Common problem: Veo 3.1 generates speech, effects and ambience in sync with the picture; Fast and Lite keep the sound at lower fidelity and price.
- **Cinematic camera moves** · Style: Seedance 2.5 executes complex moves and cuts on request; Runway Gen-4.5 is built for consistent cinematic motion; Veo 3.1 Lite is a cheap way to rehearse a move.
- **Long takes (15 to 30 seconds)** · Common problem: Seedance 2.5 and Wan 3.0 both reach thirty seconds in one pass, Seedance with stronger motion; P-Video 2 reaches twenty.
- **Copying a dance or movement from a video** · Job: Genjutsu Motion Transfer takes up to eight views of your character, so it holds through turns, and is billed per second of source; Kling Motion Control holds identity and scene for a tenth of the price; P-Video Animate is built for many cheap UGC variations.
- **New words on footage you already have** · Job: Sync Lipsync 2 re-syncs the mouth over long takes; Kling Lip Sync does two to ten seconds for a fraction.

## Voice

Credits for 1,000 characters of speech.

| Job | Best | Middle | Cheapest |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Voice-over and narration | [Eleven v4](https://meetkuro.com/models/eleven-v4.md) · 7 credits | [MiniMax Speech 2.8 HD](https://meetkuro.com/models/minimax-speech-2.8-hd.md) · 4.5 credits | [Kokoro 82M](https://meetkuro.com/models/kokoro-82m.md) · 0.5 credits — English only. |
| Acted, emotional delivery | [Eleven v4](https://meetkuro.com/models/eleven-v4.md) · 7 credits | [MiniMax Speech 2.8 HD](https://meetkuro.com/models/minimax-speech-2.8-hd.md) · 4.5 credits | [Inworld TTS 2.0](https://meetkuro.com/models/inworld-tts-2.md) · 2.5 credits |
| Languages other than English | [Gemini 3.1 Flash TTS](https://meetkuro.com/models/gemini-3.1-flash-tts.md) · 11 credits | [Eleven v4](https://meetkuro.com/models/eleven-v4.md) · 7 credits | [MiniMax Speech 2.8 HD](https://meetkuro.com/models/minimax-speech-2.8-hd.md) · 4.5 credits |

- **Voice-over and narration** · Job: Eleven v4 sounds the most human and takes direction; MiniMax Speech 2.8 HD is clear with an emotion and speed control; Kokoro reads English cleanly for almost nothing.
- **Acted, emotional delivery** · Style: Eleven v4 turns a performance mid-line from inline tags; MiniMax Speech 2.8 HD has a set emotion per line; Inworld TTS 2.0 is expressive for less.
- **Languages other than English** · Common problem: Gemini 3.1 Flash TTS has the widest language list with natural accents; Eleven v4 and MiniMax Speech 2.8 HD cover the major languages well.

## Music

Credits for one track.

| Job | Best | Middle | Cheapest |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Songs with lyrics | [MiniMax Music 2.6](https://meetkuro.com/models/minimax-music-2.6.md) · 12.5 credits | [MiniMax Music 2.6](https://meetkuro.com/models/minimax-music-2.6.md) · 12.5 credits | [MiniMax Music 2.6](https://meetkuro.com/models/minimax-music-2.6.md) · 12.5 credits |
| Instrumental background music | [Eleven Music](https://meetkuro.com/models/eleven-music.md) · 12.5 credits | [Eleven Music](https://meetkuro.com/models/eleven-music.md) · 12.5 credits | [MiniMax Music 2.6](https://meetkuro.com/models/minimax-music-2.6.md) · 12.5 credits |

- **Songs with lyrics** · Job: MiniMax Music 2.6 is the model here that sings your lyrics, at any length.
- **Instrumental background music** · Job: Eleven Music makes the cleanest instrumental bed; MiniMax Music 2.6 is the alternative when the length must differ from one minute.

## How this is ranked

- An editorial call, not an automated score: Kuro’s editors rank each job from using the models, the model guides and the arena’s published matchups.
- Every credit figure is read from the catalog the app charges against and recomputed on every release. A model’s own page lists every setting’s price.
- A model in two tiers means nothing else is worth naming there.

- [Side-by-side results](https://meetkuro.com/arena/)
- [Every model’s price](https://meetkuro.com/ai-pricing/)
- [Every model’s specs](https://meetkuro.com/models/)

---

## About Kuro

Kuro is an AI picture studio: prompt-driven images, clips, voice-overs and music, and storyboard-backed films with consistent characters across every scene.

Agents connect over MCP and can generate directly:

```
claude mcp add kuro https://api.meetkuro.com/mcp --transport http
```

The app is at https://app.meetkuro.com and requires an account.

Each guide, model page, comparison and free tool page on this site (not a tool's variants, and not the index pages) has a Markdown twin at its own URL plus `.md`, and so do /benchmarks/, the English /agents/ page (as /agents.md) and the MCP tool reference. Models: https://meetkuro.com/models/