How it scores

Usefulness
3/5

Marc Andrews: real 1080p clips from the free plan (marcandrews.com); makes new AI clips rather than editing real footage, so a hobby job more than an everyday one

Ease of use
3/5

Phone apps and web, 4.62 from 3,929 UK App Store ratings, but credit queues and prompt trial and error (user thread) take learning

Value for money
2/5

Standard £10 a month in line with peers, but the free tier is one short clip and user reviews reports expiring credits, pay-to-skip queues and charges after cancelling

Privacy and trust
2/5

Policy vague on model training with no opt-out or retention period, Chinese parent, 13+ age limit for a face-animating tool, prompt censorship found by TechCrunch (ppg.kwai-pro.com privacy policy, techcrunch.com)

Momentum in 2026
5/5

No. 1 free Graphics & Design app in the UK App Store on 10 Oct 2026; a16z web #49 and revenue #26; Kuaishou says Q1 2026 Kling revenue topped RMB650 million, up over 300% (kuaishou.gcs-web.com); Kling 4.0 shown Sep 2026

Verdict

Kling makes some of the most realistic AI clips available to the public, and it was the number one free Graphics & Design app in the UK on 10 October 2026. The free allowance buys very little, and user reviews is full of complaints about credits that expire, paid credits stuck in queues and charges after cancelling. It is owned by Kuaishou of Beijing, stores data in Singapore and blocks politically sensitive Chinese topics.

Privacy note. Policy vague on model training with no opt-out or retention period, Chinese parent, 13+ age limit for a face-animating tool, prompt censorship found by TechCrunch (ppg.kwai-pro.com privacy policy, techcrunch.com)

Best for

Hobbyists wanting realistic AI clips from a photo

Skip if

Anyone wary of Chinese ownership or credit subscriptions

Key facts

Made by
Kuaishou Technology (app published by KLING AI PTE. LTD., Singapore)
Based in
China
Launched
2024
Works on
iPhone, Android, Web
In the UK
Yes
Price from
£10.0 a month
Free plan
Free Basic use with a small credit allowance; a 2026 hands-on test found 66 free credits buys one five-second clip and free output is not for commercial use

Pricing

PlanPriceBilled
Standard£10month
Pro£39month
Premier£99month

source

What it does

  • turns text and images into videos up to 15 seconds in 1080p or 4K
  • extends videos up to 3 minutes
  • generates images from text or reference images in 4K
  • turns still images into video
  • plans scripts and storyboards with an agent in Canvas
  • copies a community image or video idea to try with Clone & Try

Ratings

What people say

Creators praise Kling's realistic motion, and the Kling 4.0 preview in late September 2026 drew excited posts, though many on X were sponsored. user threads from August to October 2026 are dominated by billing anger over expiring credits, pay-to-skip queues and charges after cancellation, a sharp gap from the 4.43 Google Play and 4.62 UK App Store ratings.

“Most AI video still looks like a tech demo. Kling 4.0 just dropped a full cinematic wingsuit sequence that feels like it was shot on a real production with a professional camera crew.”

Post on X, 29 September 2026 · source

“I just pay for the subscription because its the best deal so ive never had a problem.”

Individual user review, 22 September 2026 · source

“Kling AI has been using dark patterns and all kinds of BS since last Fall. I ended up charging back close to $2k and banning that site.”

Individual user review, 22 September 2026 · source

“Good luck trying to cancel your Kling AI subscription after crappy output. They keep charging me after canceling and deleting account.”

Individual user review, 28 September 2026 · source

“Insane that you lose your credits within 30 days.”

Individual user review, 11 August 2026 · source

Press reviews

  • Marc Andrews (independent tested review) 2026-06-19

    Tested first-hand; 'the only free plan tested here that both generates a real 1080p video and hands you the file', but '66 free credits buy exactly one five second clip a month and the free licence forbids commercial use'.

  • TechCrunch 2024-07-24

    At global launch Kling worked 'about as well as' Runway Gen-3 and Sora, but refused prompts such as 'Tiananmen Square protests' and 'Democracy in China'.

Privacy

Trains on your data
Unclear. The app's privacy policy (effective 10 Dec 2024) says Kling will 'inspect and analyze usage information and statistics to maintain and improve KLING AI and the relevant algorithms' and does not say whether prompts, uploads or outputs train models
Opt-out
No opt-out described in the privacy policy
Retention
No set period; the policy says retention 'will depend on a number of factors'
Incidents
July 2024: TechCrunch found Kling refused politically sensitive Chinese prompts (Xi Jinping, Tiananmen) but would animate a portrait of Xi if he was not named. Policy says data is stored on servers in Singapore with transfers to teams 'located around the world'; parent Kuaishou is based in Beijing. Policy says it does not collect face data but also maps facial 'feature points' on portraits. Sep 2026 individual reviewers report charges after cancellation and chargebacks. No fine, breach or lawsuit found in web searches of news for Kling AI.
Age limit
13+ under the privacy policy (UK App Store rating 13+)

Official videos

FAQ

Is Kling AI free?

There is a free plan, but a June 2026 test found its 66 credits make one five-second clip and the free licence bars commercial use. Paid plans start at £10 a month in the UK App Store.

Is Kling AI Chinese?

Yes. Kling is made by Kuaishou, a Beijing company, and the app is published by its Singapore arm. Its privacy policy says user data is stored on servers in Singapore.

Is Kling AI safe to use?

The privacy policy does not say whether uploads train its models and offers no opt-out. individual reviewers in 2026 report trouble cancelling and charges after cancellation, so paying by a method that is easy to dispute is sensible.

Does Kling AI work in the UK?

Yes. The app is in the UK App Store, where it was the top free Graphics & Design app on 10 October 2026, and on Google Play in Britain.

Why are my Kling credits gone?

Subscription credits expire at the end of each billing cycle, and individual reviewers complain they lose credits within 30 days. Buying credits without a subscription can also leave jobs waiting in a slower queue.

Scores are based on published evidence, not lab tests. How we score.