CogVideoX

Open-source text-to-video model by Zhipu AI/Tsinghua with 2B and 5B variants.

Open SourceSelf HostedOffline CapableGPU Required (12GB+ VRAM)
0.0 (0)

About

CogVideoX is an open text-to-video model family from Zhipu AI and Tsinghua University, descended from the earlier CogVideo research project and related to the QingYing video generation service. The line uses a diffusion transformer with a 3D causal VAE and spans several checkpoints: CogVideoX-2B and 5B generate 6 second clips at 720x480, image-to-video variants animate a still frame, and CogVideoX1.5-5B extends output to 5 to 10 seconds at resolutions up to 1360x768. With the Diffusers integration and BF16, FP16, or INT8 precision options, the 2B model can run in about 4 GB of VRAM and the larger models in roughly 5 to 10 GB, which puts video generation within reach of consumer GPUs. CogVideoX-2B is released under Apache 2.0 while the 5B models carry a custom CogVideoX license, and the ecosystem includes ComfyUI and xDiT support. Researchers and technically minded creators use it as an openly available alternative to proprietary video generation APIs.

Should you use CogVideoX?

Pick it when

Pick CogVideoX when you want a well-integrated open text-to-video model on a consumer GPU: the 2B checkpoint is Apache-2.0 and runs in about 4 GB with quantization, and Diffusers, ComfyUI, and xDiT support make it easy to script.

Look elsewhere when

Skip it if 6-second clips at 720x480 are too small, or you want the 5B quality tier under permissive terms, since 5B uses a custom license. Wan 2.1 offers 720p under Apache-2.0, and LTX-Video is much faster per clip.

Alternatives to CogVideoX

  • CogVideo 1.5

    Same family at 5 to 10 seconds and up to 1360x768 with arbitrary-resolution image-to-video, but needs more VRAM and stays under the custom 5B license.

  • Wan 2.1

    Apache-2.0 across sizes, 720p from the 14B model, and legible in-video text, with the 1.3B model needing about 8 GB versus CogVideoX-2B's 4 GB.

  • LTX-Video

    Built for speed with 8-step distilled checkpoints and keyframe conditioning; pick it when iteration time matters more than a fully permissive license.

  • WanGP

    A GUI with queues that runs Wan, Hunyuan, and LTX on 6 GB cards, easier than scripting CogVideoX, but its license bars paid hosted resale.

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Details

Price
Free
Platform
Local/Desktop
Difficulty
Advanced (4/5)
License
Apache-2.0
Minimum VRAM
12 GB
Added
Apr 3, 2026

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