Arcads alternativeElyum, pay only for keeps
Arcads bills about $11 per talking-actor video on Starter; you preview every Elyum render free, then KEEP it or KILL it for a full refund.
Arcads is a French-run AI UGC ad generator aimed at performance marketers, D2C brands and agencies. You feed it a script and it returns talking-actor video ads from a library of 1,000+ preset AI actors, plus custom avatar creation. Auto captions, B-roll, music and localization across 30+ languages sit on that pipeline. Through 2025-2026 Arcads also layered third-party video and image models (Sora 2, Veo 3.1, Kling 3.0, Seedance 2.5, GPT Image, Nano Banana, Seedream) behind one credit system. That script-to-ad workflow is what Arcads is actually good at.
The thing that sends people looking is the bill, and the fact you cannot see it before signup. Arcads has no public pricing page (the /pricing URL 404s as of mid-2026); tiers appear after you create an account. Third-party guides put Starter at $110/mo for about 10 talking-actor videos (~$11; 800 credits/min) and Creator at $220/mo for about 20, with a 30% promo at $77 and $154. Reviews say a winning ad often costs far more because you regenerate hook variants (about $44+ after about 4 scripts). A Trustpilot reviewer wrote that 39 seconds of content was unusable due to inconsistent character, background and clothing. Failed-generation policy is not published. Trustpilot is 2.7/5 from 170 reviews.
Elyum is one studio and one credit balance across 50+ video, image and audio models. 1 credit equals $0.01. Plans are Free (up to 150 credits once (our algorithm may grant them), no card), Plus $9/mo, Pro $29/mo and Ultra $69/mo; credits can also be topped up. Every render comes back as a free preview (a take). You KEEP the takes you want, which is the only moment credits are charged, or KILL the rest for an automatic full refund. A failed generation is never charged. Kills are metered lightly on Free (one kill a month); paid plans kill freely. Kept takes download full quality, no watermark, commercial use included. A 5s 480p take on the Seedance 2.5 page is 40 credits ($0.40) if you KEEP it.
This is not a talking-head factory. Elyum does not have a timeline editor, stock footage, its own avatars or talking heads, a mobile app, team seats or a community feed. If the 1,000+ actor library and 30+ language ad localization are the product you bought, stay on Arcads.
Why people switch from Arcads
- Starter is $110 before you render
Third-party guides put Arcads Starter at $110/mo (about 10 talking-actor videos) and Creator at $220/mo. Elyum starts on the pricing page at Free (up to 150 credits once (our algorithm may grant them), no card) or Plus at $9/mo. That is the monthly floor before any render quality debate.
- No public price list
Arcads /pricing 404s as of mid-2026. You create an account to see tiers. Elyum publishes plans and per-model rates on the models catalog before you pay.
- KEEP or KILL, not hope
Arcads does not publish a failed-generation policy. Trustpilot reviews describe unusable lip-sync and character drift on paid output. On Elyum a failed generation is never charged, and a KILL refunds a take in full (one kill a month on Free; paid plans kill freely).
- Variants are the real bill
Arcads talking-actor video is about $11 on Starter at face value. Testers who run about 4 script or hook variants put a winning ad at about $44+. On Elyum you preview every take free and only KEEP the ones that work.
- Credits reported not to roll over
Third-party pricing guides report Arcads credits do not roll over month to month (not confirmed on an official Arcads page). Elyum lets you top up the same balance. Paid plans also KILL unused takes instead of eating the charge.
- Same Seedance 2.5, listed keep price
Arcads pushed Seedance 2.5 as its flagship in mid-2026. Elyum offers it too, billed only when you KEEP a take. Line items sit on the Seedance 2.5 comparison. Agents can use the same balance through the MCP docs.
Where Arcads still wins
- 1,000+ AI UGC actors
Arcads is built around a library of 1,000+ ready AI actors plus custom avatar creation, Omnihuman 1.5 and its own Arcads 1.0 talking-actor model. Elyum has no avatar or talking-head product of its own.
- Ads workflow, not a raw studio
Captions, B-roll, music, emotion control and 30+ language localization are native on Arcads. Elyum will not assemble a finished UGC ad for you. There is no timeline editor and no stock footage.
- Free images up to 100/day
The Arcads platform guide states free image generation up to 100 per day. Elyum Free is up to 150 credits once (our algorithm may grant them); fair-use unlimited images on selected models start at Pro ($29/mo) and Ultra ($69/mo).
- Sora 2 and talking-actor models
Arcads lists Sora 2 and Sora 2 Pro (being wound down by OpenAI in 2026) alongside Seedance 1.5, Kling 2.6 and Omnihuman 1.5. Those talking-actor and Sora SKUs are not an Elyum product.
Arcads vs Elyum, side by side
| What matters | Arcads | Elyum |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Starter $110/mo (promo seen at $77). Creator $220/mo (promo $154). Pro contact-sales (about 60 videos; promo seen at $385 from $550). | Free up to 150 credits once (our algorithm may grant them), no card. Plus $9/mo. Pro $29/mo. Ultra $69/mo. 1 credit = $0.01. Top-ups available. |
| Free tier | None. No free trial. Pricing tiers only after account creation. No public /pricing page as of mid-2026. | Free plan, up to 150 credits once (our algorithm may grant them), no card. One kill per month on Free. |
| Bad or failed render | Not published | Failed generation never charged. KILL refunds a take in full. One kill/month on Free; paid kills freely. |
| Watermark on paid | Not published | No watermark on kept takes |
| Shared models | Seedance 2.5 and 2.0, Nano Banana 2 and Pro, Kling 3.0, Veo 3.1, Grok Video, Seedream 4.5/5 Lite, GPT Image 2. Seedream 5 Pro and Grok 1.5 not confirmed. | Seedance 2.5 and 2.0, Nano Banana 2 and Pro, Kling 3.0, Veo 3.1, Grok Imagine 1.5, Seedream 5 Pro, GPT Image 2. |
| Commercial use | Not published | Commercial use included on kept takes |
| API or agent access | Not published | REST API plus MCP for Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor. |
| AI UGC actors | 1,000+ preset actors, custom avatars, Omnihuman 1.5, Arcads 1.0 | None. No avatars or talking heads of its own. |
| Credit expiry | Third-party guides: no month-to-month rollover. Not confirmed on an official page. | Top-ups available. No expiry claim published here. |
| Captions and localization | 30+ languages, auto captions, B-roll, music, emotion control | No built-in captions, B-roll, music or localization suite |
Arcads facts from its own pricing and help pages plus independent reviews, verified 2026-09-07 (sources at the end). Elyum numbers are computed from the live rate card.
What it actually costs
Arcads does not publish a pricing page. Third-party guides (citing user-reported screens and the help center) list Starter at $110/mo for about 10 talking-actor videos, Creator at $220/mo for about 20 (marked popular) and Pro as custom/contact-sales, with one source putting a promo at $385/mo from $550 for about 60 videos. Face value on Starter is about $11 per 30-60s single-actor talking video with captions. Talking-actor video is billed at 800 credits per minute. A 30% off window priced Starter at $77 and Creator at $154. Mid-2026 also had a time-limited 7-day unlimited-generation promo for new Seedance 2.5 subscribers, not a standing unlimited plan.
Elyum plans are public: Free (up to 150 credits once (our algorithm may grant them)), Plus $9/mo, Pro $29/mo, Ultra $69/mo, at 1 credit = $0.01, with optional top-ups. Pro and Ultra include fair-use unlimited image generation on selected image models. Listed rates already sit about 20% under comparable Higgsfield, OpenArt and Runway anchors. You are not buying a bundle of 10 talking-actor slots. You are buying a credit balance you spend only on KEEPs.
Worked example. Four 5s 480p Seedance 2.5 previews on Elyum cost nothing to inspect. KEEP one and you pay 40 credits ($0.40). KEEP two and that is 2 × 40 credits = 80 credits ($0.80). KILL the other two and those refund. On Arcads Starter, four talking-actor variants toward one winning ad sit around $44+ before you know which hook works.
| Arcads plan | Monthly | Yearly (per month) | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $110 | n/a | ~10 talking-actor videos/mo (800 credits/min) |
| Creator | $220 | n/a | ~20 talking-actor videos/mo |
| Elyum Plus / Pro / Ultra | $9 / $29 / $69 | n/a | One balance, all 50+ models, previews free |
Same models, priced on Elyum
Models Arcads also offers, with Elyum's live price for the shortest common take. Each one has a head-to-head page.
What the models look like on Elyum
Why generate with Elyum?
- Pay only for what you keep. Kill a take and every credit comes back.
- 50+ video, image and audio models on one balance.
- Rates about 20% under comparable platforms, and the cut is already in the price.
- Kept files download clean and full quality, no watermark, commercial use included.
- Works from the studio, or from Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor via MCP.
- Free plan, our algorithm may grant you 150 credits, no card required.
Moving from Arcads
- Export every ad, actor preset, caption file and brand kit you still own from Arcads. Reviewers report credits lost when a subscription lapsed, so download first.
- Create an Elyum Free account (up to 150 credits once (our algorithm may grant them), no card) and open the web studio. Do not cut over a live ad account until you have kept one clean take.
- Open the model you already used on Arcads when Elyum lists it. Start from the Kling 3.0 page or the Veo 3.1 page if those were in your stack.
- Generate a preview. Watch the take. KEEP it only if you would ship it. KILL anything you would have regenerated on Arcads. Failed jobs are not charged.
- Rebuild captions, B-roll and localization outside Elyum. We do not ship that suite. Keep Arcads if talking-actor UGC is still the ad format.
Frequently asked questions
Is Elyum cheaper than Arcads?
Does Elyum have the same models as Arcads?
What happens to a bad render on Elyum vs Arcads?
Can I use Arcads and Elyum together?
Does Elyum have AI UGC actors like Arcads?
Does Arcads have a free trial?
Do Arcads credits roll over each month?
- Arcads — Create winning ads with AI (homepage) (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Arcads AI pricing in 2026: plans, credits, and the real cost | eesel AI (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Arcads Pricing in 2026: Real Costs, Credits, and What Each Video Actually Costs | Wireflow Blog (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Arcads AI Review 2026: 8 Honest Pros & Cons (Worth $110?) (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Arcads Reviews | Trustpilot (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Everything You Can Do on Arcads — Complete Platform Guide | Arcads Help Center (accessed 2026-09-07)
- AI Video Models Comparison 2026: Seedance, Veo, Sora | opencreator.io (accessed 2026-09-07)
Other alternatives people compare
Create everything. Keep the best.
The models you use on Arcads, plus the ones it doesn't have, on one balance. Every render is a free preview.