Kling 4.0: announced, not released
Kuaishou announced Kling 4.0 on 28 September 2026 and said it would launch in October. It has not given a date. This page keeps the three things people actually need separate: what the company has stated on its own pages, what is still only being reported, and what you can generate with today — because those are not the same answer, and most pages writing about Kling 4.0 are quietly blending them together.
Where Kling 4.0 actually stands
Three facts, in the order they matter:
- The full model is not out. Kuaishou announced Kling 4.0 on 28 September 2026 — some outlets date the announcement a day earlier, which is a time-zone artefact — stating the complete version would follow in October. No launch date has been published. As of the first week of October, Kling's own app still carried a "coming soon" banner for it.
- Only Flash is live, and only for one tier. Kling 4.0 Flash opened the same day as a limited early access for Ultra annual subscribers. A monthly Standard or Pro plan does not unlock it, and neither does buying credits on their own. That distinction is easy to miss because the marketing around the announcement ran on the full model's numbers.
- The API is behind too. Kling's developer documentation lists the Kling 4.0 API as coming soon, and the API currently stops at Kling 3.0.
What has been announced — and what is still only reported
This is where most coverage gets loose. Kling's own developer page describes 4.0 in a single line: dynamic motion, Omni reference, native 30-second generation and multiple keyframes. Everything else below splits into what the company states publicly and what has been reported by others without Kling confirming it.
| Specification | Status |
|---|---|
| 30-second single generation | Stated by Kuaishou |
| Multiple keyframes | Stated by Kuaishou; reported as up to 10 |
| Omni reference | Stated by Kuaishou; reported as up to 15 assets in one prompt — images, video clips, saved elements and voice |
| 3 to 30 seconds per clip | Reported, not published as a range by Kuaishou |
| Two-channel stereo audio with lip-sync across nine languages | Reported; the language list cited is Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French and Hindi |
| Prompts up to 8,000 tokens | Reported |
| 21:9 cinematic ratio added | Reported |
| 4K and 10-bit HDR | Announced as coming soon, not available at launch |
| Kling 4.0 Flash | Limited early access since 28 September 2026; reported at 720p, 3 to 20 seconds, 8-bit SDR, without first-and-last-frame or multi-keyframe control |
The pattern is worth noticing: the capability most people are waiting for — 30 seconds in one generation — is the one Kuaishou does state. The numbers that make for good comparison tables are mostly second-hand. Wait for the launch specification before you compare Kling 4.0 against anything on paper.
Kling 4.0 against Kling 3.0
Kling 3.0 launched on 5 February 2026 and remains the model most subscribers actually use. The upgrade is not a quality bump so much as a control bump:
| Kling 3.0 | Kling 4.0 (as announced) | |
|---|---|---|
| Single generation | Up to 15 seconds | Up to 30 seconds |
| Framing control | First and last frame | Up to 10 keyframes |
| References | Character and motion references | Omni Reference — mixed images, video, elements and voice in one prompt |
| Audio | Generated with picture | Two-channel stereo, nine languages |
| Prompt length | Shorter | Up to 8,000 tokens |
| Ratios | 16:9, 1:1, 9:16 | Adds 21:9 |
Ten keyframes is the more interesting change than the extra fifteen seconds, and it is the one being under-discussed. First-and-last-frame control made it hard to direct anything in the middle of a shot; you set the endpoints and hoped. Being able to pin several moments means a shot can hit specific beats — a product turning at a particular second, a performer arriving on a particular line — instead of being re-rolled until it happens to cooperate. That is a workflow change, not a resolution change, and it is the reason to care.
What you can actually use today
If you want Kling output this week, this is the honest menu:
- Kling 3.0 and 3.0 Omni — available on any paid plan, and the model behind essentially every Kling comparison you have read in 2026. This is what you get.
- Kling 4.0 Flash — 720p, up to 20 seconds, and scoped to Ultra annual subscribers. Useful if you already hold that plan; not a reason to buy one, because it is a lighter model rather than a preview of the flagship.
- Aggregators — platforms that carry multiple vendors' models, including Kling, behind one subscription. Convenient if you are still choosing between models; you pay a margin, and the version available to you is whatever the aggregator has wired up. See what that costs in practice.
- Independent sites using the Kling name — there is a growing set of third-party sites presenting themselves as Kling-related. Some are legitimate and label which model they actually run; others borrow the name. Check that you are on Kuaishou's own domain before entering payment details.
What Kling costs
Kling sells credits, and every generation spends them. These are the published subscription tiers as listed on Kling's own subscription page in early October 2026:
| Plan | First month | Monthly after | Billed annually | Credits / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Free | Free | — | Limited free credits, amount not published |
| Standard | $6.99 | $8.80 | $79.20 | 660 |
| Pro | $25.99 | $32.56 | $293.04 | 3,000 |
| Premier | $64.99 | $80.96 | $728.64 | 8,000 |
| Ultra | $127.99 | $159.99 | $1,429.99 | 26,000 |
Four things about this table matter more than the headline prices:
- The first-month discount is a one-off. It runs roughly 29–30% and applies once. Budget from the "monthly after" column — that is the number you will actually pay in month two.
- Plans differ mainly in price per credit. On annual billing, 100 credits work out near $1.00 on Standard against roughly $0.46 on Ultra. The same clip therefore costs well over twice as much depending on which tier you bought, which is why "Kling costs $8.80 a month" is not a useful statement.
- Credits expire. Subscription credits last about 31 days and do not roll over. Separately purchased packs last much longer, but buying credits alone unlocks nothing — 1080p, 4K, watermark removal and clip extension all require an active subscription.
- Resolution is the expensive lever. On published Kling 3.0 rates, a 5-second 720p clip without sound runs around 20 credits, while 4K is about 30 credits per second — roughly 150 credits for five seconds. Draft at 720p, finish the keeper at high resolution.
The API is priced separately from the subscription, and on Kling 3.0 rates it sits at about $0.084 per second at 720p, $0.112 at 1080p and $0.42 at 4K. Note that the API does not currently offer 4.0 or 4.0 Flash, so any "Kling 4.0 API pricing" figure circulating today is either a projection or refers to a different model.
Commercial use, watermarks and labels
Three terms decide whether Kling output is usable in paid work, and the first one catches people out regularly.
- The free plan is not licensed for commercial use. Kuaishou's terms state the company claims no ownership of what you generate, but that commercial use is prohibited by default without written permission — and that permission is a paid-membership benefit attached to the named paid tiers. An ad produced on a free account and published for a client breaches the terms of service.
- Watermark removal is a paid benefit. Non-members must keep Kling's mark on their files, and where a clip comes out unmarked for technical reasons the terms require the output to be labelled as generated by Kling AI.
- The guidelines explicitly protect AI labels. The community guidelines in force since 8 September 2026 prohibit removing or concealing AI-generated content labels, and prohibit fabricating brand partnerships or imitating official brand materials. Those rules bind you even when the tool would let you do otherwise.
Frequently asked questions
When is Kling 4.0 coming out?
Kuaishou said October 2026 and has not published a date. The announcement on 28 September stated the full model would launch in October and opened Kling 4.0 Flash to top-tier annual subscribers immediately. As of the first week of October the Kling app still showed it as coming soon. Any specific date you read elsewhere is a prediction, not a plan.
Can I use Kling 4.0 today?
Not the full model. What has been available since 28 September 2026 is Kling 4.0 Flash, scoped to Ultra annual subscribers — a monthly Standard or Pro plan does not unlock it. Everyone else generates on Kling 3.0 and 3.0 Omni, which are capable models but cap at 15 seconds per generation. Current alternatives that already ship 30 seconds are covered on the Seedance 2.5 page.
How much does Kling 4.0 cost?
Not published. Kuaishou sells consumer access in credits rather than in model-specific prices, so the cost per clip depends on the rates set at launch. Kling 3.0 rates are public: roughly 20 credits for a 5-second 720p clip without sound, and about 30 credits per second at 4K. Budget from credit rates rather than the monthly plan price — the table on this page explains why.
What is Kling 4.0 Flash?
The lighter model in the same lineup, opened as limited early access on 28 September 2026. Reported specifications put it at 720p, 3 to 20 seconds, 8-bit SDR, without first-and-last-frame or multi-keyframe control — it trades resolution and control for speed and cost. It is a different, smaller model, not a preview of the flagship.
Is Kling 4.0 available in the API?
No. Kling's developer documentation lists the Kling 4.0 API as coming soon, and the API still tops out at Kling 3.0 — about $0.084 per second at 720p, $0.112 at 1080p and $0.42 at 4K. If you are building a pipeline, plan against 3.0 rates and re-price at launch rather than assuming the API and subscription rates move together.
What is the difference between Kling 3.0 and Kling 4.0?
Length, control and references. Single generations go from 15 seconds to 30; framing control expands from first-and-last-frame to up to 10 keyframes; Omni Reference accepts up to 15 mixed assets in one prompt; audio becomes two-channel stereo with lip-sync across nine languages; prompts support up to 8,000 tokens; and a 21:9 ratio is added. 4K and 10-bit HDR are listed as coming soon rather than available at launch.
Can I use Kling videos commercially?
Not on the free plan. Commercial use is prohibited by default without written permission, and that permission is a paid-membership benefit. Watermark removal is members-only, and the community guidelines in force since 8 September 2026 prohibit removing or concealing AI-generated labels. If the output is going into paid work, budget for a paid tier on the licence, not only for the credits.
Do Kling credits expire?
Yes, and the two kinds differ. Subscription credits expire about 31 days after issue and do not roll over, so an unused allowance cannot fund next month. Separately purchased credit packs last considerably longer. Buying credits on their own also unlocks no features — 1080p, 4K, watermark removal and clip extension all need an active subscription.
How much does a Kling video cost?
It depends on the model, the resolution and whether audio is generated, because everything is billed in credits. On published 3.0 rates a 5-second 720p clip without sound is roughly 20 credits, and 4K runs about 30 credits per second — roughly 150 credits for five seconds. Because plans differ mainly in price per credit, the same clip can cost more than twice as much depending on the tier you bought.
Also on this site
- Seedance 2.5 — the ByteDance model that already ships 30-second single generations and 50 reference assets, with the full price-by-route breakdown and the copyright settlement behind it.
- Higgsfield AI review — the aggregator route: what each plan grants, why credits vanish faster than the allowance suggests, and the four surfaces that always bill.
- Hotel Lobby AI — the trend format most people are using these models to generate, with the walkthrough, the prompts and the permission rules.