On September 23, Google announced that anyone with a Google account can now use Google Vids, its browser-based video editor, for free. The company says users can generate 1080p HD video from text prompts, photos, audio, or existing clips without paying. The tool runs on Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash and includes scene extension controls, exact clip duration settings, and watermark detection.
On the very same day that OpenAI’s Sora API shuts down permanently, after Google had already reduced its own Veo 3.1 Lite API pricing to $0.05 per second, a free rollout arrives. The coincidence is hard to miss, but the offering itself holds up on its own merits: a free, web-based video editor that any person with a Google account can access by opening a browser tab.
Signing In and What Works
Sign into vids.new with a Google account, and you can begin making 1080p video right away. Our own testing found the generation process simple enough. However, we could only produce 720p resolution videos in both horizontal and vertical formats — the 1080p promise appears in the interface itself, but our own test sessions capped at lower quality.
Until now, most generation of new video footage sat behind a subscription. The tool changes that by taking text prompts, photos, audio, or existing clips as its starting point and producing new video from them.
The Editing Controls
A few editing controls that previously demanded a paid tool have now been added by Google. Scene extension enables users to extend a clip while preserving the lighting, characters, and setting, preventing the footage from abruptly altering midway. An exact scene duration can also be specified, allowing clips to match a script or voiceover precisely.
The tool also offers an upscaling feature for older, lower-resolution AI clips, letting you increase their resolution to 1080p rather than starting over from the beginning. Each video comes with SynthID, a Google DeepMind watermark that machines can read but the human eye cannot see, placed right into the video frames. A separate tool called Google’s SynthID Detector exists solely to check whether a clip was made with AI, catching any content passed off as real.
The speed is notable too. A short video was generated in under 30 seconds, which moves somewhat quicker than what we usually see with Google Flow.
Who Gets How Much
The amount of free generation available to an account is not fixed for everyone. Personal Google accounts receive a standard allowance, while Google’s paid AI plans offer a larger pool. Workspace Business and Enterprise subscribers enjoy even greater generation limits, along with admin tools for managing those limits across a team.
This launch represents the widest distribution of Gemini Omni technology to date. The model originally went live in May 2026, available only to subscribers of Google AI Plus, Pro, and Ultra on a paid basis, while free access was restricted to YouTube Shorts and YouTube Create.
The Race Against OpenAI
It stands out that the timing of this release happened at a particular moment. The consumer Sora 2 app and website were shut down all the way back in April 2026. Today, the developer API, which was the final part still active, has gone away entirely, on the very same day that Google’s free Vids rollout lands.
Google has been cutting prices on its own APIs while Chinese competitors keep pressure on price from the other side. It recently cut the API rate for its Veo 3.1 Lite model to $0.05 per second, undercutting developer-facing rivals while Chinese competitors like Kling and Hunyuan Video keep pressure on price from the other side.
| Feature | Google Vids Free Tier |
|---|---|
| Availability | Free to any Google account |
| Resolution | 1080p available, 720p generated in testing |
| Model | Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash |
| Watermark | SynthID, invisible to eye |
| Detection | Google SynthID Detector |
What This Changes
Adequate HD video once required purchasing software, securing an editor’s services, subscribing to stock footage, or possessing a powerful machine able to manage open source video models. Today, it arrives in a single free browser tab, and that shift alters who can afford to generate video content, whether for good or ill.
The drawback is the 720p limit we encountered during testing — the software promises 1080p, yet our sessions fell short of that mark.
The Bottom Line
The search giant has opened up its AI video creation service to all users holding a Google account, and it performs well within our own test boundaries of 720p. This free expansion represents a notable shift in strategy.
The company’s own record demonstrates a habit of underpricing rivals, and this launch keeps that practice going. The comparison table makes the difference plain: one API is being closed down, while another is being opened at no charge.
The bottom line for people who make content is plain: a large company has released a free tool that costs nothing to use. As for those who consume it, the real issue is whether they will even notice the SynthID watermark at all.
Google has now placed its stake in the ground for the future of AI video creation, which appears to be moving toward browser-based tools that don’t charge users anything.
See the video the story is built around at Decrypt.
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