Pika is a creative studio for clips, effects, images and sound from a prompt, on the web and on iPhone. ScreenWeaver starts from a real screenplay, free to write, and builds the storyboard and the footage from it. Your script stays the source of truth.
Both get you to moving pictures. The difference is what holds the film together from the first shot to the last.
Prompt-first · Pika
Start from a prompt
1Describe the clip in a prompt, or start from an image, a video or a community template.
2Pick a model: Pika 2.5, Pikaframes, Seedance 2.5, MiniMax H3 and more, all on every plan.
3Video Studio makes clips up to a 30-second multi-shot piece, and Character Studio reuses a character.
4Add music, speech and sound effects, or extend, swap and recolor the clip in the app.
Fast for playful clips, effects and social videos, when the idea is a moment rather than a screenplay.
Script-first · ScreenWeaver
Write the screenplay first
1Write in a real screenwriting editor: industry formatting, outline and beats. Free.
2The shot breakdown and storyboard are generated from your scenes. You control each shot.
3Characters, locations and references carry from shot to shot.
4Each shot becomes a video node in the same project. Seedance 2.5, Veo 3.1, Kling 3.0 and more in one menu.
Built for writers and directors of films and series, who rewrite the script while the boards take shape.
What stays in your hands
The script leads. The AI follows.
The screenplay is the reference
Every storyboard frame is linked to its scene and beat. Rewrite a scene and you know which shots it touches.
Manual control of each shot
Framing, angle, movement and duration: you set them, shot by shot.
Continuity from shot to shot
Characters, locations and references carry from one shot to the next.
Several models, one project
Seedance 2.5 by default, with Seedance 2.0, Veo 3.1, Kling 3.0, MiniMax H3 and Grok Imagine Video 1.5 on the same video node.
The pipeline
Write. Board. Produce.
01The screenplay, enriched
An industry-standard screenplay editor, and more: a visual outline and beat editor, your writing inspirations (notes, photos, audio) kept next to the page, and an AI researcher to support your writing, not replace it.
02The storyboard, made easy
Shot breakdown generated from your screenplay, manual control over every shot (frame, angle, movement, duration), and generative AI previsualization in one click.
03AI production, with finesse
Footage generation pipelines connected to your screenplay and storyboard. Optimized out of the box, fully editable workflow.
Demo project · The Yellow Umbrella · Episode 1
Where things stand
What you can use today.
Pika and ScreenWeaver both generate video today. Here is exactly what each ScreenWeaver plan includes.
Available
Screenwriter
$0does not expire
Unlimited projects and pages, industry formatting, outline and beats, PDF and Final Draft (.fdx) export.
Available
Auteur
$39.99a month, 6,000 credits
The storyboard generated from your screenplay, then AI video from the same shots, with the latest models.
Available
Studio
$149.99a month, 25,000 credits
Everything in Auteur, plus real-time collaboration, unlimited seats and Owner, Editor and Viewer permissions.
Side by side
ScreenWeaver vs Pika
Plans and features as each company lists them. Pika prices are monthly, with the yearly price per month in brackets.
ScreenWeaver
Pika
Starting point
Your screenplay
A prompt, an image or a video
Writing the script
Screenwriting editor, industry formatting
No script editor listed
Script files
Export to PDF and Final Draft (.fdx)
No screenplay files listed
Storyboard from the script
Auteur plan, $39.99/mo
No storyboard tool listed; multi-shot clips up to 30 s
Shot control
Framing, angle, movement, duration
Prompt, keyframes (Pikaframes) and model settings
Consistency
Characters, locations, references tied to the script
Character Studio: a reusable character
Video generation today
Yes, in the Auteur plan
Video models
Seedance 2.5 and 2.0, Veo 3.1, Kling 3.0, MiniMax H3, Grok Imagine Video 1.5
Pika 2.5, Pikaframes, Seedance 2.5, MiniMax H3, Wan 3.0, Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash
Free plan
Writing free, no expiry
Free plan with credit packs, no commercial license
Paid plans
Auteur $39.99/mo (6,000 credits), Studio $149.99/mo (25,000 credits)
Starter $10, Creator $35, Fancy from $95 a month ($8, $28, $76 billed yearly)
Collaboration
Real-time, Studio plan
Not listed on its pricing page
Beyond video
Script, storyboard and production in one project
Images, music, speech, sound effects, MCP and API
On a phone
Any browser on phone, tablet or computer, installable like an app, no app store needed
Web, plus a Pika app for iPhone
Competitor information as of October 2026, from pika.art, pika.art/pricing and the Pika listing on the App Store. Prices in US dollars. Credits each month: 900 on Starter, 3,150 on Creator and from 8,550 on Fancy. Check their site for the latest.
Fair is fair
What Pika does well
Pika is a playful, fast creative studio: video, images and sound side by side, with its own models and the best partner models on every plan.
Many models on every plan: Pika 2.5 and Pikaframes, plus Seedance 2.5, MiniMax H3, Wan 3.0 and Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash
Effects apps: swap, add, transfer motion and grade color on a clip
Sound built in: music, speech, sound effects and a soundtrack for each clip
Open to assistants: a Pika MCP server, a ChatGPT app and an API
Pika is still a good fit if you make short, playful clips and effects from a prompt, and you want sound and images in the same app more than a screenplay.
Our verdict
If your film starts from a script, start here.
Pika is a fun, fast studio for clips, effects and sound from a prompt. If your film starts from a script, ScreenWeaver keeps the screenplay as the source of truth: free professional writing, a storyboard generated from your scenes, and video from the same shots.
Professional writing, free and unlimited, with PDF and Final Draft export
A storyboard generated from your screenplay, shot by shot
Video from the same shots, characters kept consistent
Prices in US dollars, list prices as published on each vendor's site in September 2026 (Katalist, Runway, Kling, invideo, PixVerse, Hailuo AI, Pika, Luma, Previs Pro, Dreamina and Vidu in October 2026). Check their sites for the latest.
Yes, for filmmakers who start from a screenplay. Pika starts from a prompt, an image or a video and generates clips, effects and sound. ScreenWeaver starts with a free screenwriting editor, then generates the shot breakdown, the storyboard and the footage from your script.
Does ScreenWeaver generate video today?
Yes. Video generation is available in the Auteur plan, at $39.99 a month. Each storyboard shot becomes a video node, so the footage stays tied to the scene you wrote.
How much does Pika cost in 2026?
As of October 2026, pika.art lists a Free plan (credit packs only, no commercial license), Starter at $10 a month (900 credits), Creator at $35 (3,150 credits) and Fancy from $95 (from 8,550 credits). Billed yearly, they come to $8, $28 and from $76 a month. Check their site for current prices.
Can I write a screenplay in Pika?
No. Pika works from prompts, images and videos, and lists no script editor and no screenplay files. ScreenWeaver is a screenwriting editor with industry formatting, outline and beats, and PDF and Final Draft (.fdx) export, for free.
Can Pika make a storyboard from a script?
Pika does not list a storyboard tool: Video Studio makes multi-shot clips of up to 30 seconds from a prompt. In ScreenWeaver the storyboard is generated from the scenes you wrote, and each frame stays linked to its scene and beat while you rewrite.
How does ScreenWeaver keep characters consistent?
Characters, locations and references carry from shot to shot, tied to the same script. Their sheets are wired into each shot's video node as references, which is what keeps a face the same from one shot to the next.
Which video models does ScreenWeaver use?
Seedance 2.5 is the default. Seedance 2.0, Veo 3.1, Kling 3.0, MiniMax H3 and Grok Imagine Video 1.5 are in the same menu, so you can try another model on the same shot without leaving the project.
Is ScreenWeaver free?
Writing is. The Screenwriter plan costs $0 and does not expire: unlimited projects and pages, PDF and Final Draft export. The Auteur plan costs $39.99 a month for 6,000 credits, and the Studio plan $149.99 a month for 25,000 credits.
What is the best software like Pika?
For playful clips and effects, Pika, PixVerse and Hailuo AI are built for speed, on the web and on phones. For a film or a series you write yourself, ScreenWeaver keeps the script, the storyboard and the footage in one project. Each tool is compared on its own page, linked above.
Pika is a trademark of its respective owner. ScreenWeaver is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Pika. Product names are used only to identify the products compared.
Write the film first. Then shoot it.
Start with a free screenplay editor. The storyboard is built from your pages, and the video from your storyboard.
