IndieRadar Logo
IndieRadar
Back to video-generation

Mochi 1 (Open-Source)

Free (local) / $0.30-0.50/video (cloud)
4.7/5

Free, open-source AI video generation model runnable locally or via cloud APIs

Visit Website

Why founders use Mochi 1 (Open-Source)

Text-to-video generation
Image-to-video synthesis
Local or cloud-based inference
API access possible
Commercial use allowed
Customizable parameters

The Good

Completely free and open-source
Run locally on own hardware
No vendor lock-in
Apache 2.0 license
State-of-the-art quality
Unlimited generation

The Bad

Requires technical setup (GPU/cloud)
Slower than cloud SaaS platforms
Steeper learning curve
No UI—requires command line or third-party tools

The Verdict

Mochi 1 represents the indie hacker's ultimate solution for video generation without vendor lock-in. Released under Apache 2.0 license by Genmo, this 10-billion-parameter diffusion model rivals closed-source competitors in quality while costing zero dollars to run locally.\n\nFor developers with GPU access (12GB VRAM minimum on RTX 3090), Mochi 1 enables unlimited free generation via ComfyUI or SwarmUI interfaces. For those without local GPU, cloud providers like RunPod offer accessible compute (~$0.30-0.50 per 5-second video). This hybrid model eliminates recurring fees entirely, making Mochi 1 the lowest-cost path to production-grade video generation for indie teams at scale.

Daily Newsletter

Join 10,000+ indie hackers building in public

We curate the top launches, revenue milestones, and growth tactics — so you don't have to scroll for hours.

Trusted by indie hackers shipping real products.