Short answer: neither model leads everywhere. Veo 3.1 is the better pick for short, polished shots driven by a well-written prompt — up to 8 seconds, in 16:9 or 9:16, up to 4K, with sound. Kling 3.0 is the better pick when you want a longer clip (up to 15 seconds), several shots inside one generation, or hands-on control of how a character moves, using Kling's Motion Control and Elements tools.
This comparison uses Kling 3.0, the current Kling generation, released in February 2026 alongside Kling 3.0 Omni, a variant Kling positions for reference-driven work with video elements and element voice control. Specs were checked on September 28, 2026, against Google's Gemini API Veo documentation and Kling's own Video 3.0 and Motion Control user guides.
Veo 3.1 vs Kling 3.0 at a glance
| Veo 3.1 (Google DeepMind) | Kling 3.0 (Kuaishou) | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | October 2025, updated January 2026 | February 2026 |
| Clip length | 4, 6 or 8 seconds | 3 to 15 seconds |
| Resolution | 720p, 1080p, 4K | 720p and 1080p in Kling's model guide; Kling's product page advertises native 4K |
| Aspect ratios | 16:9, 9:16 | Not listed in Kling's model guide |
| Native audio | Yes, always on | Yes, with lip-sync; speech in Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean and Spanish |
| Multiple shots in one clip | No dedicated mode; cuts can be requested in the prompt | Multi-Shot and Custom Multi-Shot modes |
| References | Start image, optional end image, up to 3 reference images | Multi-image or video references as "Elements," including characters bound to a voice |
| Motion transfer from a video | No | Motion Control (a separate tool) |
| Longer sequences | Extension: +7 s per step, up to about 148 s at 720p | Up to 15 s per generation |
Two notes. Google describes Veo 3.1's 1080p and 4K options as "state-of-the-art upscaling," so compare 4K output on your own footage rather than on the label. Kling's resolution information differs between its pages: the Video 3.0 model guide lists 720p and 1080p, while the Video 3.0 feature page promotes "native 4K" — check which mode and plan offers 4K before you rely on it.
Clip length and multi-shot storytelling
Kling's clearest advantage is structure. A single Kling 3.0 generation can run up to 15 seconds, and its Multi-Shot modes let you describe several camera setups — shot size, angle, action, camera move — that the model cuts between in one clip. For a short narrative beat or an ad with a setup and a payoff, that saves you from stitching separate generations and hoping they match.
Veo 3.1 works in shorter units. Each generation is up to 8 seconds; you can ask for cuts inside it, but you get less room for them. For longer pieces, you generate shot by shot and edit them together, or use extension in Google's own tools. The upside of short units is control: if one shot fails, you regenerate that shot, not the whole sequence.
Character consistency and motion control
Both models give you ways to keep a person or product the same across clips, but they approach it differently.
Veo 3.1 relies on images. Start from a still so the first frame is fixed, add an end frame to decide where the shot lands, or give up to three reference images of a character, object or setting.
Kling 3.0 adds two tools for people who want to direct performance:
- Elements — reusable characters or objects built from several images or a video, which can carry a matching voice; Kling's guide says Video 3.0 handles scenes where three or more characters speak, matching each line to the right character.
- Motion Control — upload a video of someone moving (3 to 30 seconds) and a character image, and Kling transfers the movement and expressions onto that character. The output matches the reference video's length.
If you need a character to perform a specific dance, gesture or blocking, Kling's Motion Control is the more direct route. If you mainly need the same face or product to look right across a handful of shots, Veo 3.1's reference images are simpler to use.
Audio and dialogue
Both generate the soundtrack with the picture. Google says Veo 3.1 produces sound effects, ambient noise and dialogue natively. Kling 3.0 adds character-level lip-sync and lists five speech languages. If you need dialogue in Japanese, Korean or Spanish, Kling documents that support explicitly; Google says Veo prompts work best in English and other languages have not been fully evaluated.
For either model, write the sound in the prompt: the room tone or ambience, the key effect, and each spoken line in quotes. Keep dialogue short enough to fit the clip.
Resolution and delivery
If you need 4K from a documented option today, Veo 3.1 offers it on the Veo 3.1 and Veo 3.1 Fast tiers (not Veo 3.1 Lite, per Google). Kling's 4K depends on which page you trust, so confirm it in your plan. Veo 3.1 supports 16:9 and 9:16 — enough for YouTube, Shorts, Reels and TikTok.
Which should you choose?
| Your job | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A single polished hero shot or ad insert | Veo 3.1 | Strong prompt adherence and 1080p/4K delivery in 8 seconds |
| A 10–15 second beat with several cuts | Kling 3.0 | Longer clips and built-in Multi-Shot |
| A character copying real movement | Kling 3.0 | Motion Control transfers movement from a reference video |
| The same product or face across a few shots | Either | Veo 3.1 reference images or Kling Elements |
| Dialogue in Chinese, Japanese, Korean or Spanish | Kling 3.0 | Those languages are documented |
| Vertical social clips | Either | Both generate 9:16 |
A practical workflow is to plan the video as shots, then assign each shot to the model that suits it rather than forcing everything through one tool.
Trying Veo 3.1 here
Veo Video runs Veo 3.1, Veo 3.1 Fast and Veo 3.1 Lite. Every generation is an 8-second clip with sound, in 16:9 or 9:16, at 720p, 1080p or 4K, from text or from an image with an optional end frame. Veo 3.1 Fast also accepts up to three reference images in the full generator, and all three tiers offer 4K here. Extension and shorter lengths are not available here, and Kling is not offered on this site.
New accounts get 30 credits — enough for one Veo 3.1 Lite clip at 720p, which is a cheap way to test your prompt before moving to Veo 3.1. If your scene needs one continuous take longer than 8 seconds, the AI video generator also runs MiniMax H3 Max for longer clips in a single pass.
More comparisons: Veo 3.1 vs Grok Imagine and HappyHorse 1.0 vs Veo 3.1.