Key takeaways
Runway is the best AI tool for turning videos into anime overall: Aleph 2.0 restyles clips of up to 30 seconds at 1080p to match a single frame you've edited.
Melius is the best for comparing results, because its agent can run the same clip through several restyle models on one canvas, and every step stays editable.
DomoAI is the easiest dedicated converter, with ready-made anime styles, though clips over 10 seconds need its top plan.
Kling and Luma both document keeping the original soundtrack, and EbSynth keeps a person's face and motion best by re-texturing your real footage from one keyframe.
Restyle one frame first, describe a look rather than a studio's name and get consent before restyling anyone recognizable.
How we ranked
Turning images into anime is a single-frame job. Video is harder: the anime look has to hold across hundreds of frames without flickering, and the person should still move and look like themselves. We ranked tools on the quality and range of the anime look, temporal consistency, how well they preserve the person's identity and motion, maximum clip length and resolution, whether they keep the audio, ease of use and commercial rights. For still images, see our guide to the best AI tools for turning images into anime style. Prices come from each vendor's site as of October 15, 2026. We haven't tested the tools ourselves.
The eight tools compared
Tool | Best for | Longest clip | Starting price |
|---|---|---|---|
Runway | Best overall: long, frame-guided restyles | 30 seconds | Standard $15/mo ($12/mo billed yearly) |
Melius | Comparing restyle models on one canvas | Up to 15 seconds per edit | Creator $17/mo billed yearly |
DomoAI | One-click anime styles | 10 seconds (30 on Pro) | Basic $13/mo ($9/mo billed yearly) |
Kling | High-resolution edits that keep the audio | 15 seconds | Standard $10/mo |
Luma | Choosing how far the restyle goes | 20 seconds (at 24fps) | Plus $30/mo ($25/mo billed yearly) |
EbSynth | Keeping a real face and motion | No stated limit | Free; Pro $20/mo |
Wan | Budget and open-source restyling | Up to 10 seconds | Pro $10/mo ($5/mo billed yearly) |
Adobe Firefly | Quick restyles inside Firefly | 20 seconds | Standard $9.99/mo |
1. Runway - Best overall for long, frame-guided restyles
Runway is an AI video platform, and Aleph 2.0 is its video editing model, used in its Edit Studio.
What works: Give Aleph 2.0 one frame edited into the anime look you want, preview it as an image, and it restyles the whole clip to match, up to 30 seconds at 1080p. In clips with several cuts, it applies the edit across the relevant shots, and Runway says it changes only what you ask for. Standard costs $15 a month, or $12 billed yearly.
What doesn't: At 28 credits a second, Standard covers only about 22 seconds of Aleph 2.0 a month, and Runway's terms let it train on your inputs and outputs.
Best for: Creators restyling longer clips who want the result to follow a reference frame closely.
2. Melius - Best for comparing restyle models on one canvas
Melius is the AI-native operating system for creatives, with AI agents for creative work that set up and run each job on an editable canvas.
What works: Attach a clip and brief Mel, the Melius agent, and it builds the job, running the footage through video-to-video models such as Kling 3.0 Omni and Gemini Omni Flash 1.1 so you can compare the takes side by side. For a tighter look, restyle one frame with an image model and wire it into the video node as a reference image. Each node stays editable, so you can change one prompt or swap one model and rerun just that step.
What doesn't: Each restyle takes a short clip, 15 seconds at most on Kling 3.0 Omni, so longer clips are split and stitched.
Best for: Creators who want to try several restyle models on the same footage and keep the best.
3. DomoAI - Best for one-click anime styles
DomoAI is a creator video app with a dedicated video-to-video tool.
What works: Upload a clip and pick from more than 14 anime styles, plus realistic and artistic filters, or set your own with a reference image or a text prompt, and DomoAI keeps the original motion and composition. Relax mode on Standard and above generates without using credits, just more slowly. Basic costs $13 a month, or $9 billed yearly.
What doesn't: Clips are capped at 10 seconds below the Pro plan ($99 a month billed yearly), and DomoAI doesn't document any frame-level control over the result.
Best for: Creators who want a quick anime version of a short clip without setting anything up.
4. Kling - Best for high-resolution edits that keep the audio
Kling is Kuaishou's AI video platform, and its Kling 3.0 Omni model edits existing video from a prompt.
What works: It takes clips of three to about 15 seconds and outputs at up to 4K, and its API can keep the source video's original sound. Standard costs $10 a month.
What doesn't: There are no anime presets or guides, so the look comes from your prompt, output is fixed at 24 frames per second and prices change often with promotions.
Best for: Short clips where resolution and the original soundtrack matter.
5. Luma - Best for choosing how far the restyle goes
Luma is an AI video platform, and Modify Video restyles existing clips on its Ray3.2 model.
What works: Its settings control how far the change goes, from closely following the source's shapes to a loose reinvention, and it tracks pose and facial expression so the performance carries through. It keeps the original audio, and Luma has a dedicated anime page with looks such as Shōnen Action and Slice of Life. Plus costs $30 a month, or $25 billed yearly.
What doesn't: At 1080p it uses 144 credits a second, so Plus covers a little over a minute a month, and its terms require you to disclose AI output that resembles a person.
Best for: Creators who want to dial in how much of the original look survives.
6. EbSynth - Best for keeping a real face and motion
EbSynth is browser-based software for stylizing and retouching video by editing single frames.
What works: You paint or generate one anime keyframe, and EbSynth carries it across your real footage with a texture-synthesis method that doesn't regenerate the video. Because it re-textures your footage rather than redrawing it, the person's face and motion stay intact. The free plan exports MP4 at 720p, and Pro costs $20 a month for 1080p and 4K.
What doesn't: You have to make a good keyframe yourself, and fast motion or a turning head needs extra keyframes to avoid smearing.
Best for: Creators who care most about likeness and have an image tool for the keyframe.
7. Wan - Best for budget and open-source restyling
Wan is Alibaba's family of video models, with a consumer site and open-weight releases.
What works: Its online video editing restyles clips from a prompt or a reference image, and Pro costs $10 a month or $5 billed yearly. The open-weight Wan VACE model, released under the Apache 2.0 license, does video-to-video editing on your own graphics card through tools such as ComfyUI.
What doesn't: Online edits take short clips, free downloads are watermarked and running it locally is a setup project.
Best for: Budget-minded creators and anyone who wants to run restyling on their own hardware.
8. Adobe Firefly - Best for quick restyles inside Firefly
Adobe Firefly is Adobe's generative AI app, with a video-to-video feature.
What works: You upload an MP4 or MOV clip of five to 20 seconds and describe the look you want, with output at up to 1080p. It fits teams already paying for Adobe tools. Firefly Standard costs $9.99 a month.
What doesn't: Adobe doesn't say which model powers the restyle, so its commercial-safety claim may not apply, and it lists no anime presets, so you describe the style in a prompt.
Best for: Adobe users who want a quick restyle without another subscription.
How to turn a video into anime with AI
Pick a clip with a clear subject, steady framing and smooth motion. Heavy shake and fast cuts make the style drift.
Trim it to the tool's limit, and split longer videos into shots you restyle with the same reference.
Restyle one frame first and check it before you spend credits on the whole clip.
Describe the look, such as "cel-shaded, flat colors, clean line art," rather than naming a studio.
Tell the tool what to keep, such as the face shape, hairstyle and exact motion.
Reuse the same style reference across every clip so a series matches.
Put the original audio back in an editor if the tool drops it.
Get permission before restyling anyone recognizable.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best AI tool for turning a video into anime?
Runway is the best overall, because Aleph 2.0 restyles clips of up to 30 seconds to match a frame you've edited. Melius is the best for comparing several restyle models on the same clip, and DomoAI is the easiest one-click option.
Which tool keeps the person's face?
EbSynth, because it re-textures your real footage from a keyframe instead of regenerating it. Luma's tighter structure settings and Runway's targeted edits also hold faces well, while prompt-only restyles can drift toward a generic anime face.
Why does my anime video flicker?
Fine details such as hair, eyes and jewelry are redrawn slightly differently in each frame. Steadier footage, fewer cuts and a single style reference reduce it.
Can I make anime in a famous studio's style?
A general style usually isn't protected, but using a studio's name or its characters in published work carries legal risk, and Japanese studios and publishers, including Studio Ghibli, have formally asked OpenAI to stop training on their work. Describe the look you want instead.
Can I use AI anime videos commercially?
Usually, on paid plans. Melius says: "You own the content you create on Melius and can use, publish, and distribute it commercially, subject to the underlying model providers' terms. Melius doesn't claim ownership of your work and doesn't use it to train AI models." Runway doesn't restrict commercial use but may train on your content, and Luma requires paid plans for commercial use.
Is there a free way to turn a video into anime?
Yes. EbSynth's free plan exports at 720p with no functional limits, and Wan's free plan gives daily credits with watermarked downloads.