Arcads is a serious tool built for teams. It is also priced after you sign up. If you are one person shipping an app, here is what the same job costs with a price you can read first.
Free credits. No card.
Ida, made with ClipUGC in about 4 minutes
Most people searching for an Arcads alternative are not unhappy with Arcads. They hit the sign-up wall in front of the price, did the maths on how often they would actually use it, and went looking for something sized for one app.
Pick Arcads if
Pick ClipUGC if
Only what Arcads publishes itself. Their prices are not on their site, so that cell stays honest instead of guessed.
| Feature | Arcads | ClipUGC |
|---|---|---|
| Price on the website | Not published. There is no pricing page on arcads.ai | $14.99 a month |
| Entry plan | Starter, 8,000 monthly credits, price shown after signup | Professional, 150 credits, $14.99 |
| Free to try | A free trial, per their homepage. Connecting their MCP starts 3 days (checked 12 October 2026) | Free credits, no card |
| Unused credits | Reset each cycle on Starter and Creator. Only the higher plans roll over (help center, checked 3 October 2026) | Monthly credits, cancel any time |
| What one video costs | Varies by model and length | 7 credits for 5 seconds, 13 for 10 |
Prices checked on on arcads.ai. Their promotions change often, so check again before you decide.
| Feature | Arcads | ClipUGC |
|---|---|---|
| AI actors | 1,000+ library, plus your own avatar | Make your own, she keeps the same face |
| Your app footage in the video | You handle it | Built in, and free |
| API | ||
| Command line | npm i -g clipugc | |
| Claude connector | ||
| Claude connector on the free plan | No. Their MCP page says it needs a subscription, after a 3-day trial (checked 12 October 2026) | Yes, the hosted MCP works on the free plan |
| Phone app | None listed | iPhone and Android |
| Made for | Agencies and marketing teams | Indie developers and small apps |
A command line, a Claude Code plugin and an MCP server, all on the $14.99 plan. Your coding agent can make the videos.
CLI docs on GitHub$ npm install -g clipugc
$ clipugc auth login
$ clipugc characters create --description "..."
$ clipugc videos create --image <lookId> --duration 5
A photo is 2 credits. A 10-second video is 13. Adding your app footage is always free.
50% off your first 2 months on monthly plans, until Nov 15
$0
free credits to start, no card
$7.49 / month
Regular price $14.99
50% off your first 2 months, then $14.99 a month. Offer ends Nov 15.
150 credits every month
Business is $24.99 a month for your first 2 months, then $49.99. It has 600 credits a month, story episodes and front-of-queue rendering. See the full plan comparison
Arcads does not publish prices. There is no pricing page on arcads.ai, checked September 2026, so you sign up to see numbers. Their help centre lists Starter with 8,000 monthly credits, Creator with 16,000, and a custom PRO plan. ClipUGC is $14.99 a month for 150 credits, readable without an account.
Different job. Arcads has a bigger actor library and more rendering models. ClipUGC makes one consistent influencer and a finished vertical video with your app footage in it, for about 70 cents a video. Try one free and judge it yourself.
Yes. The hosted MCP server works on the free plan, and the CLI and Claude Code plugin come with the $14.99 plan. Arcads also connects to Claude, and its MCP page says that needs a subscription.
No. Describe a character, upload your app recording, and the first video is a few minutes away.
Everything else is answered on the main FAQ.
Free credits, no card. If it is not for you, you have spent nothing.