Is Artlist Free? What You Get Without Paying
Is Artlist free? No, but a free account gives you 1 video and 2 images. Here's what you get without paying, which models work, and the catches.
TL;DR — Artlist isn't free in the way its homepage wording suggests. When you open a free account, you get a one-time allowance of one video clip, two images, three voiceovers, and two songs. Newer models like Seedance 2.5 aren't part of that free generation balance at all.
Artlist's AI Toolkit page greets you with the line "Start now with free generations." But when you actually try to make a clip, the offer is much narrower than it sounds. We opened the toolkit on 24 August 2026, walked through the sign-up process ourselves, and wrote down what happened.
What happens when you press Generate without an account
When you visit the Artlist image and video generator while logged out, the page looks ready to create. You get a working prompt box, a model picker, and an active Generate button.
By default, the tool picks Seedance 2.0 Mini at 16:9, 480p, and 4 seconds, marked with an Unlimited badge.
If you type a prompt and press Generate, it doesn't make your clip right away. Instead, a panel opens titled "Create your free account".
It gives you options to continue with Google, or enter your name, email, and password.
You also see a Cloudflare "Verify you are human" checkbox and a button that says "Start Free Now". Artlist doesn't ask you for a payment card at this step.
Press Generate without an account and this is what you get. Read 24 August 2026.
What a free Artlist account actually gives you
Once you sign in to your new free account, the main button changes to read "Generate Free".
When you look at your credits panel, Artlist spells out your exact starter allowance:
- 2 free images
- 1 free video
- 3 free voiceovers
- 2 free songs
That free video uses Seedance 2.0 Mini at 480p for 4 seconds.
Once you make that single clip, the panel tells you to subscribe to keep creating.
Artlist's own credits panel on a free account, 24 August 2026.
Which models you can use for free
Artlist's toolkit lists 47 video models and 34 image models in total.
You can't test most of those options on the free tier. Artlist's model API marks only three video models as having a free generation:
- Seedance 2.0 Mini
- Kling 1.6
- Kling 2.5 Turbo Pro
For images, the free allowance flags six options: Grok Imagine 2.0, Kling 3.0, Kling O3, Grok Imagine, Wan 2.7 Pro, and Wan 2.6 Image.
Seedance 2.5 isn't on the free generation list. Its card is marked as having no free generation.
What free doesn't cover: unlimited models
You might see "Unlimited" badges on some model cards, but free accounts don't get unlimited generations.
According to Artlist's AI Toolkit help article, all model generations need credits on monthly plans and smaller yearly plans. If your yearly plan has fewer than 40,000 credits, there are no unlimited models.
You only get unlimited video generations on higher yearly plans, and they're restricted to older models. On a yearly plan with 40,000 credits, the only unlimited video model is Seedance 2.0 Mini at 480p and 5 seconds.
On yearly plans with 80,000 to 240,000 credits, the unlimited list includes:
- Kling 1.6 at 720p
- Kling 2.1 at 720p
- Kling 2.5 Turbo Pro at 1080p
- LTX 2.3 Pro at 1080p
- Seedance 1.0 Fast Pro at 1080p
- Seedance 2.0 Mini at 480p
- Veo 3.1 Lite at 720p
Every model here is capped at 5 seconds, except LTX 2.3 Pro at 6 seconds and Veo 3.1 Lite at 4 seconds. Seedance 2.5 isn't in any unlimited list.
Free trial, free tier, refund: three different things
The free tier
Artlist's free tier gives you a fixed allowance of one video clip and two images. You don't need a card to sign up, but your starter credits don't refresh once you spend them.
The 14-day refund window
Artlist doesn't offer a traditional free trial for its paid plans. Under Artlist's refund policy, you can only get a refund within 14 days of payment if you haven't downloaded, generated, or used any files in a project.
What cancelling does to your licence
Artlist's policy states that once you cancel, your licence won't cover downloaded stock footage or music in new projects after your plan expires. Keep in mind that this specific rule speaks about downloaded stock assets, not AI-generated clips.
Free ways to make a video clip instead
If you want to make a short clip without committing to a paid subscription, you have a few clear choices:
- Use Artlist's free account tier to make one test clip with Seedance 2.0 Mini or Kling.
- Open the Seedance 2.5 AI Video Generator to get free starter credits without entering a card.
- If you need more credits later, check Seedance 2.5 pricing or buy a $9.9 credit pack that needs no subscription and stays valid for 12 months.
- Generate clips with the Seedance 2.5 generator if you want 480p, 720p, or 1080p video, lengths from 5 to 30 seconds, and audio on by default.
Starter credits on any platform are meant to give you a quick sample. They're enough to see what a model does, but they aren't a continuous supply for finished projects.
Generated with Seedance 2.5 on Seadanse.
What we couldn't check
Our automated browser couldn't finish a generation on Artlist during our test on 24 August 2026. Because of that, we can't tell you what Artlist's free video output looks like. We can only tell you what the account gives you and what the limits are.
FAQ
Does Artlist have a free trial?
No, Artlist doesn't offer a timed free trial for its paid tiers. It gives you a free starter account with one video clip and two images instead. If you want to pay, Artlist's AI Suite plans start at $11.99 a month billed yearly, or $19.99 month to month, for 16,500 credits. The 7,500-credit AI Starter tier covers voiceover only.
Can you use Artlist videos commercially on a free account?
Artlist's published AI Suite documentation shows that its paid plans include a Pro licence covering commercial work, ads, and client projects. We didn't find a published licence statement for free-account generations. Ask Artlist directly before you use a free-tier clip in client work.
Is there a free way to use Seedance 2.5?
Seedance 2.5 isn't on Artlist's free generation list or in any of its unlimited tiers. If you want to test the model without paying upfront, you can try Seedance 2.5 on Seadanse with our free starter credits.
Written by Nathan Cole. I opened Artlist's Toolkit on 24 August 2026, logged out and logged in, and wrote down what it did. Last checked 24 August 2026.
Related articles
- What Is the Artlist AI Toolkit? — the models, the credits and the limits.
- Artlist vs Seadanse for Seedance 2.5 — the same model, two ways of paying for it.
- 9 Best Artlist Alternatives in 2026 — music, stock and AI options.
