China Is Powering the AI Video Revolution

In 2025, China’s AI ecosystem has exploded with world-class, free, and open-source AI video tools. These models are powering everything from cinematic video generation to social-media content creation—often rivaling or even outperforming global counterparts.

Whether you’re a creator, researcher, developer, or business owner, these tools give you full access, including:

• Open-source code
• Downloadable weights
• Free APIs
• Community-backed documentation
• Multimodal support (text, image, audio, reference video)

This article breaks down the top Chinese free/open-source AI video tools you should use in 2025—along with what makes each one special.

🔥 Top Chinese Free & Open-Source AI Video Tools (2025 Edition)

Below is a curated list of the most powerful and widely used Chinese AI video models today.

1. Wan 2.1 / Wan2.1-VACE (Alibaba)

Best For: All-in-one video creation, editing & motion control
Open Source: ✔ Yes
Access: Hugging Face, GitHub, ModelScope

Why It Stands Out
Wan 2.1 is one of the most complete AI video models available today.
You can generate, edit, and extend videos using:

• Text prompts
• Image prompts
• Reference videos
• Spatiotemporal editing
• Consistent character control

This model is extremely popular because Alibaba released full model weights, allowing developers to build custom tools and workflows.

2. HunyuanVideo (Tencent)

Best For: High-quality text-to-video, film-grade outputs
Open Source: ✔ Yes
Access: GitHub

HunyuanVideo is Tencent’s flagship open-source video model known for its SOTA-level output quality.
It excels at:

• Long-duration videos
• Cinematic motion
• Stable character consistency
• Creative storytelling

Many researchers compare it with top Western models like Sora and Pika Labs.

3. Qwen Video (Alibaba Qwen Series)

Best For: Multimodal video creation
Open Source: ✔ Yes
Access: Hugging Face, ModelScope

Qwen Video is part of the popular Qwen family, offering:

• Text-to-video
• Image-to-video
• Audio + image combined input
• Great consistency and motion

Its multilingual support (including strong English prompts) makes it ideal for global creators.

4. Kreado AI

Best For: Video creators, marketers, educators
Open Source: ✔ Model available
Access: KreadoAI.com

Kreado AI focuses on script-to-video automation with features like:

• AI avatars
• 140+ language voiceovers
• Face-to-video customization
• Multimodal editing

A great choice for creators who want fast, automated video production.

5. CogVideoX

Best For: Fast & efficient video generation
Open Source: ✔ Yes
Access: ModelScope, GitHub

CogVideoX is known for being lightweight and fast while still offering solid quality.
Ideal for:

• Social media content
• Quick concept videos
• Rapid prototyping

6. Mochi 1

Best For: Creative & artistic video creation
Open Source: ✔ Yes
Access: GitHub, ModelScope

Mochi 1 specializes in stylized, artistic, and social-friendly videos.
If you love anime, motion graphics, or creative visuals, this model is a gem.

7. SkyReels V1

Best For: Human-centric ads and cinematic videos
Open Source: ✔ Yes
Access: GitHub, ModelScope

SkyReels is designed for:

• Video ads
• Fashion clips
• Dynamic human movement
• Creative brand storytelling

Its human-focused generation makes it highly usable for marketing teams.

8. StepVideo

Best For: Frame-based video generation
Open Source: ✔ Yes
Access: GitHub, ModelScope

StepVideo allows you to generate complete videos using:

• Start frame
• End frame
• Sketch cues

Perfect for storyboarding, animation, and experiment-heavy creative workflows.

9. LTXVideo

Best For: Social video prototyping
Open Source: ✔ Yes
Access: Hugging Face, GitHub

LTXVideo is optimized for fast, short-form video generation—great for platforms like TikTok, Reels, and Shorts.

🔍 Why These Chinese Tools Are Dominating AI Video

Here’s why these models are taking over the global AI scene:

✔ Fully open-source or partially open models

Most offer downloadable weights—rare in Western models.

✔ Multimodal capabilities

Text, image, audio, and reference video inputs.

✔ High-quality generation

Many outputs rival Sora, Runway, Pika, and Luma.

✔ Free tiers for creators

Accessible for students, solo creators, and researchers.

✔ Active open-source communities

Backed by Alibaba, Tencent, ByteDance, and top Chinese universities.

📌 Summary Table — Chinese Free/Open-Source AI Video Tools

💬 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Are these AI video tools completely free?

Yes, all tools listed offer free tiers, open-source code, or downloadable model weights.

2. Can I use these models for commercial videos?

Most allow commercial use but check each model’s license (MIT, Apache, or custom).

3. Do they support English prompts?

Yes — almost all support multilingual prompts including English.

4. What do I need to run these models?

A GPU is recommended, but many also offer cloud inference via Hugging Face or ModelScope.

🎯 Final Thoughts

China is leading a new wave in open-source AI video innovation. With tools like Wan 2.1, HunyuanVideo, and Qwen Video, creators now have powerful ways to produce stunning videos without expensive subscriptions.

If you’re building an AI workflow, video agency, or creator business—these tools are absolute game-changers.