Kling API vs Pika API (Kling Effects vs Pikaffects)

Hi developers,On January 21st 2025, Kling released their Kling Elements (or magical elements as some call it!) feature which many of you are already familiar with, and for those who aren't we have previously written a blog explaining and testing it.

While the Kling Magic Elements update was the primary focus of the update, Kling also introduced Kling Effects, which, although not the main highlight, represents a significant advancement in AI video generation. And both Kling Elements and Kling Effects are both available for our users through our Kling API.

So what is the Kling Effects feature? Basically, you insert an image into Kling API and pick an effect such as inflating it or squishing it, then Kling API will generate the output video with the chosen effect. This is very similar to the pikaffects feature from pika art which which our Crush it Melt it blog covered where we compared Kling API, Luma API, and Pika API to see which AI API performed the best. Now that Kling API has introduced its own effects feature, we decided to compare Pika API and Kling API once more to see which performs better.

For this comparison, we'll revisit the examples from our Crush It Melt It blog using Pika Art API, and input the same images and effects to Kling API for a direct comparison.

Kling's MochiMochi vs Pika Art's Squish It

For our first example, we are going to use the alien plou plush like last time. Below is an image of the alien plou plush, which we’ll use alongside the MochiMochi Kling Effect or the Squish It (Or squishy maker as some call it!) Pikaffect as input for the two AI models we are going to compare.

We will see how Kling API's MochiMochi compares to Pika artificial intelligence API's Squish it. Below are the output videos of Kling Effects' MochiMochi and Pika Art AI's Squish It.

Pika

Pika did really good in squishing the figurine but as we said before, the fingers on the hands are quite messed up. As we said in our previous blog the issue isn’t with how the plush is being squished, but with the hands that does the squishing. When they first appear, it looks like two thumbs are pressing down, which is unnatural since a human’s fingers couldn’t start in that position. Another problem is the fingers pressing on the eyes seem to phase through the plush. Lastly, the pinky fingers look deformed with noticeable bulges.

Kling

Kling actually did really well, in both the figurine being squished and the finger movements as well. Kling Effects API actually animated the fingers a lot better than Pika API as you can see from the ways the hands and fingers squished the plush. Another thing it did better is the squishing effect itself, it looks like the plush is squishier than the one generated by Pika API.

Kling's BoomBoom vs Pika Art's Inflate It

For the second example, we are going to use a Squid Game plush.Below is an image of the squid game plush, which we’ll use alongside the MochiMochi Kling Effect or the Squish It Pikaffect as input for the two AI models we are going to compare.

We will see how Kling API's BoomBoom compares to Pika API's Inflate it. Below are the output videos of Kling Effects' BoomBoom and Pika Art's Inflate It.

Pika

Pika did a great job with its video output. We can see the Squid Game plush inflating like a balloon and floating away until it vanishes. Another cool detail is how the plush’s shadow follows it as it flies upwards. But one thing of note is that only the head inflates, instead of the whole body.

Kling

Kling also did an impressive job. We can see the entire Squid Game Plush inflating and rising like a balloon. Notably, the outer layer of the plush, once inflated, takes on a rubbery texture, resembling an actual balloon.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Kling and Pika are quite similar in terms of quality, with Kling edging out in the 'Squish It' category, particularly when it comes to animating hands. However, it's important to note that Kling Effects currently offers only two options, which we used as examples in this blog. In contrast, Pika Art provides a much broader selection, with a total of 31 different Pikaffects to choose from. But we can definitely say that Kling can be counted as one of the top tools like pika.

As always, we are excited as to where Kling and Pika are headed with these fun effects and are looking forward to what new effects both Pika and Kling will choose to do.

And if you are interested, check out our collection of generative AI APIs from PiAPI!