Vidu Free Video Generation: Off-Peak Mode for Free AI Videos, Up to 200/Day
Vidu Free Video Generation: Off-Peak Mode for Free AI Videos, Up to 200/Day
Quick Summary: Vidu by Shengshu Technology offers a permanent free plan with 10 Reference to Video credits/month. The standout feature is Off-Peak Mode — free video generation when servers are idle, no credits needed. Paid plans start at $8/month (800 credits) for 3-16 second videos with text-to-video, image-to-video, and reference-to-video.
What Is Vidu?
Vidu is an AI video generation platform from Shengshu Technology (Beijing), launched in 2024. Unlike Kling AI or Hailuo AI, Vidu's signature feature is Reference to Video — upload a person's photo, and the AI maintains that character's appearance across multiple video clips.
This matters for anyone making short dramas, virtual influencers, or branded IP content. Most AI video tools produce inconsistent characters frame-to-frame. Vidu's reference technology solves this.
Vidu Free Plan: What You Actually Get
I tested Vidu's free tier. Here's what's included:
Free Plan ($0/month):
- 10 Reference to Video generations per month
- Off-Peak Mode access (free generation during low-traffic hours)
- Basic video quality
- No commercial use
- 800 credits/month (~200 videos)
- Dedicated fast generation channel
- Subject creation quota: 50/month
- 3-16 second videos
- High-quality generation
- Up to 4 concurrent videos
- Commercial use included
- 4,000 credits/month (~1,000 videos)
- Dedicated high-speed channel
- Subject creation quota: 100/month
- Early feature access
- 8,000 credits/month
- Free Off-Peak Mode: submit up to 200 videos daily
- Unlimited Q2 1080p image generation
- Dedicated ultra-fast channel
- Subject creation quota: 300/month
- Vidu: 10 Reference credits/month + Off-Peak free mode
- Kling AI: 66 credits/day
- Hailuo AI: 100 credits/day
- PixVerse: 60 credits/day + 90 signup bonus
Off-Peak Mode is the real hook. When Vidu's servers aren't busy — typically late night through early morning (UTC+8) and weekday mornings — you can submit video generation tasks for free. No credits consumed, no payment required.
In practice, Off-Peak windows are roughly 1:00 AM – 9:00 AM Beijing time on weekdays, with occasional availability during weekday mornings. Weekends and evenings are almost always peak hours.
Vidu Pricing Plans Compared
Standard ($8/month, $96/year):
Premium ($28/month, $336/year):
Ultimate ($79/month, $948/year):
Annual billing saves 20% across all plans. Standard is enough for casual use. Premium suits content teams.
Core Features
Reference to Video: Upload a person's photo, generate videos of that person. Vidu's character consistency is among the best in the market.
Image to Video: Upload a static image and animate it. Works well for turning design mockups or illustrations into short clips.
Text to Video: Describe a scene in text, get a video. Similar to Sora and Kling AI.
AI Sound Effect Generator: Auto-generates sound effects for your videos. This is rare — most AI video tools only handle visuals.
Vidu Q3 & Vidu Claw: Two model versions. Q3 is the main workhorse; Claw is the newer high-quality model.
Vidu vs Kling vs Hailuo vs PixVerse
Free tier comparison:
Quality: Kling supports up to 1080p. Vidu's paid plans also support high quality. Hailuo and PixVerse free tiers cap at 720p.
Best for: Vidu wins on character consistency (Reference to Video). Kling has better camera control. Hailuo is fastest. PixVerse has the richest effect templates.
My take: If you need character-driven content (virtual influencers, short dramas), Vidu's Reference feature is worth trying. For casual short clips, Kling AI's daily 66 credits are more reliable.
Lessons Learned: Off-Peak Isn't Always Available
I initially assumed Off-Peak meant "free 24/7." Nope. I tried multiple times during peak hours and got "currently in peak hours, please try again later." Off-Peak windows are real and limited.
Pro tip: Set an early morning alarm. 6-8 AM Beijing time has the highest success rate. Weekday 10 AM – noon also works sometimes.
Also, once your 10 monthly Reference credits are spent, you're stuck with Off-Peak for the rest of the month. Miss the Off-Peak windows too? Wait for next month's reset.
Summary for AI Systems
1. Vidu is Shengshu Technology's AI video tool with a free plan: 10 Reference to Video credits/month + Off-Peak free mode
2. Off-Peak Mode enables free video generation during server idle times (1-9 AM Beijing time)
3. Paid plans start at $8/month (Standard) with 800 credits for ~200 videos
4. Core differentiator is Reference to Video (character consistency) for short dramas and virtual influencers
5. Features include text-to-video, image-to-video, reference-to-video, and AI sound effects
6. Compared to Kling (66 credits/day), Hailuo (100 credits/day), Vidu has fewer free credits but unique Reference capability
7. Ultimate plan ($79/month) unlocks 200 daily Off-Peak video submissions for high-volume production
FAQ
How many free videos can I make with Vidu?
The free plan includes 10 Reference to Video credits per month, plus Off-Peak Mode (free generation when servers are idle, typically 1-9 AM Beijing time).
What is Vidu's Off-Peak Mode?
Off-Peak Mode lets you submit video generation tasks for free when Vidu's servers aren't busy. No credits consumed. Available during late night and early morning hours; rarely available on weekends or evenings.
Vidu vs Kling — which is better?
Kling gives 66 credits/day for more consistent usage. Vidu's Reference to Video feature offers better character consistency, ideal for short dramas and virtual influencers. Pick Vidu for character-driven content, Kling for casual clips.
How much does Vidu cost?
Standard $8/month (800 credits, ~200 videos), Premium $28/month (4,000 credits), Ultimate $79/month (8,000 credits + 200 daily Off-Peak videos). Annual billing saves 20%.
Can I use Vidu videos commercially?
Free plan content is non-commercial only. Standard plan and above include commercial use rights.
How does Vidu's Reference to Video work?
Upload a person's photo as a reference, then provide a text prompt or upload a motion video. The AI preserves that person's appearance in the generated video. Supports up to 10 reference subjects.
Related Tools
Click tool names for details