Pika Review — Consumer-First AI Video With Pikaframes, Pikaffects, and a Feature Cadence Built for Creators

Pika (Pika Labs, November 2023) is a closed-source commercial text-to-video and image-to-video platform founded by two Stanford PhD dropouts and backed by $135M in venture funding. Known for Pikaframes (start/end keyframe control), Pikaffects (physics-based transformations), and one of the most accessible entry points in commercial AI video at $8/month. Trails Runway and Kling on raw realism and resolution, leads on creative effects and ease of use. Rating: 3.5/5.