Lumen5 vs Steve AI (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Lumen5 and Steve AI share a 2.0 GPA, both have a free plan and they start at the same price, so the choice depends on which platforms you need.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Lumen5
Turn blog posts, scripts and ideas into videos with AI
Steve AI
Prompt-to-video maker for animated, stock and generative clips
Which one is for you
Pick Lumen5 if
- Fits if you turn blog posts into short social videos
- Works for one person who wants AI voices over stock clips
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you can't have a Lumen5 outro, as free videos carry one
- Tight if you make longer videos, since free stops at 2 minutes
- Pricey if you want 1080p, which starts at Starter, $59
- Watch out: animation and AI voice minutes are yearly, and extra animation minutes are an add-on
- Not for you if you need approvals or SSO, which are Team plan only
Pick Steve AI if
- Fits if you make short explainer or social videos from text with no filming
- Works for people who want an iPhone app alongside the web editor
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free: downloads are limited
- Watch out: the pricing page shows different figures in different views, so the billing basis is unclear
- Pricey if you want generative video, with the Generative AI plan at $99 a month
- Watch out: higher resolutions than 2K need Enterprise, and extra generative credits cost more
How we grade them
| 2.0GPALumen5Fair | 2.0GPASteve AIFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$19 a month billed yearly for Basic ($29 monthly), above the category's $12.99 middle but under $20. Starter is $59 and Pro $149. | CStarter is $19 a month and Pro $39, though the billing basis isn't confirmed. That is inside the middle of the category. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free plan with 5 videos a month, up to 2 minutes each, with a Lumen5 branded outro. | CFree plan: 1,200 seconds of AI video and 200 credits, with limited downloads. |
| Features | CLink and script to video, AI voices, animation minutes, stock media and brand kits. The listing shows gaps: animation and voice minutes are yearly allowances, and approvals and SSO need Team. | CPrompt, script, audio and image inputs, AI voices, motion effects and an editor. Generative credits are limited on each paid plan and sold as add-ons. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record, and the work is building and editing the video. | CNo store rating on record. A prompt box gets you a draft, but fixing scenes means using the editor. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, with no integrations on record. | CWeb plus an iOS app. No desktop app and no integrations listed. |
| Best for | turning blog posts into videos | quick AI videos from a prompt or script |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Lumen5 and Steve AI. How we grade
Price against what you get
Lumen5 starts at $19 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Steve AI starts at $19 a month and scores 2.0.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other screen recording and video tools on the chart, 55 score higher than Lumen5 for less, and 55 score higher than Steve AI for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Lumen5 also covers templates and voice cloning.
At a glance
| Lumen5 | Steve AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $19 per month, billed yearly ($29 billed monthly) | $19 per month (billing basis not confirmed) |
| Free plan | 5 videos per month, each up to 2 minutes long, with a Lumen5 branded outro. | 1,200 seconds of AI video and 200 credits for AI and stock media generation, with limited downloads. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Lumen5 | Steve AI |
| Price read from | lumen5.com | steve.ai |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Lumen5
- The Free plan caps videos at 2 minutes, 5 a month, and adds a Lumen5 outro.
- Animation and AI voice minutes are yearly allowances, not monthly, and differ by plan.
- Extra animation minutes are sold as an add-on beyond the plan allowance.
- Video approval, SSO and translations need the custom-priced Team plan.
Steve AI
- The pricing page loads prices with scripts and shows different figures in different views, so the billing basis is unclear.
- The homepage toggle advertises 30% off annual billing, but the monthly and yearly prices are not both visible.
- Generative credits are limited on every paid plan, and extra ones are bought as add-ons.
- Higher resolutions than 2K need the Enterprise plan.
Key features
Lumen5
- Link, script and document to video
- Start from a blog post URL, a script or a document and let AI assemble a first cut that can then be edited.
- AI voices and clones
- 1,000+ AI voices come with the paid plans; Starter includes 1 voice clone and Pro includes 3.
- Animation and AI clips
- Paid plans include a yearly allowance of animation minutes for AI-generated clips and explainer-style videos.
- Stock media
- Stock photos and video clips are built in, and Pro adds Shutterstock editorial media.
- Brand kits
- Brand kits and video blueprints keep logos, colors and fonts consistent; Pro adds custom watermarks and fonts.
- Recording tools
- The feature menu lists in-app recording, screen recording and talking-head videos.
Steve AI
- Several ways to start a video
- Make a video from a prompt, a script, an audio file or an image, in animated, live-footage or generative styles.
- AI voices and multi-voice scenes
- Voiceovers use AI voices, and several voices can be combined in one script. The share of human-like voices rises on Pro.
- Motion effects and clips
- Add zooms, camera movement and kinetic text, or turn a tweet, image or blog post into a short clip.
- FlexiCredits and power-ups
- Plans can be topped up with extra generative credits and power-ups, which add more AI media and video minutes.
- iOS app
- A mobile app lets you create and edit videos on a phone.
Plans
Lumen5
Free$0
5 videos a month, up to 2 minutes each, with a Lumen5 branded outro.
Basic$19
per month, billed yearly ($29 billed monthly)
Unlimited videos, no Lumen5 branding, custom colors, 12 animation minutes and 240 AI voice minutes a year.
Starter$59
per month, billed yearly ($79 billed monthly)
1080p, 50M+ stock photos and videos, brand kit, 24 animation minutes, 720 voice minutes, 1 voice clone.
Pro$149
per month, billed yearly ($199 billed monthly)
Shutterstock editorial media, custom watermarks and fonts, multiple workspaces, 60 animation minutes, 3 voice clones.
TeamCustom
Collaboration, video approval, SSO, translations and a customer success manager. Billed yearly, sold through sales.
Steve AI
Free$0
1,200 seconds of AI video and 200 credits for AI and stock media generation.
Starter$19
per month, billing basis not shown
100 minutes of AI video a month, 800 AI images and stock items, 1080p, no watermark, 120 seconds of generative credits.
Pro$39
per month, billing basis not shown
300 minutes of AI video a month, 2,400 AI images and stock items, 2K resolution, no watermark.
Generative AI$99
per month, billing basis not shown
400 minutes of AI video a month, 3,200 AI images and stock items, 2K, 15 minutes of generative credits.
EnterpriseCustom
Contact sales; no published price.
Ways to pay less
Lumen5
- Annual discount
Save 25% with yearly billing
Lumen5's pricing page labels the yearly option as saving 25% against monthly billing.
Steve AI
- Annual discount
Annual billing discount
The homepage pricing toggle labels annual billing as 30% off compared with monthly.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Lumen5 or Steve AI?
As of Nov 13, 2026, they start at the same price. Lumen5 starts at $19 per month, billed yearly ($29 billed monthly), and Steve AI starts at $19 per month (billing basis not confirmed).
Which has a free plan, Lumen5 or Steve AI?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Lumen5 and Steve AI have a free plan.
Which platforms do Lumen5 and Steve AI run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Steve AI lists an iOS app. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.