Photo keepsakes
Hug My Younger Self AI: 5 Tools Compared
Five hug-my-younger-self AI video tools side by side, from their own pages (Oct 17, 2026): photos needed, length, price per clip, free credits, Polaroid.
Video examples here were generated on Cicadas and keep their model, settings and date. Cicadas earns money when you generate with these models. How we test
- Test window:
- 2026-09-27 – 2026-10-17
- Clips recorded with these models:
- 129
- Models:
- MiniMax H3 Max
- Their provider cost:
- ≈$38.50
- Selection:
- every clip we keep is listed with its settings, cost and request ID; failed or discarded runs are listed in the test record.
Short answer: if you have a real childhood photo, use a tool that takes both photos. Cicadas and Dreamega require a photo of you today and one of you as a child; CreateVision makes the childhood photo optional; Vidu's template starts from one photo. Where a length is stated, clips run 5 to 15 seconds. A 5-second clip costs 63 credits on Cicadas (about $0.77), 35 to 65 credits on Dreamega and 45 on CreateVision.
We make Cicadas, so it is in this table too. Everything about the other four tools is quoted from their own pages as we read them on October 17, 2026, with a screenshot of each page kept on file. We did not sign up to them or make videos there, so we say nothing about how their videos look.
Hug my younger self AI tools compared
| Tool | Photos | Length | Price of a 5-second clip | Free credits | Polaroid style |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cicadas (ours) | Photos2: you today and you as a child, both required | Length5, 10 or 15 s | Price of a 5-second clip63 credits at 480P, about $0.77 on the $4.90 first pack | Free creditsNone; the $4.90 first pack covers six 5-second clips | Polaroid styleYes, a recorded Polaroid hug scene |
| CreateVision | Photos1 required; childhood photo optional | Length5, 10 or 15 s | Price of a 5-second clip45 credits (Grok engine, 480p); 9 credits a second at 480p | Free credits200 free credits with Google sign-up | Polaroid styleNo; 8 scenes including Vintage Snapshot |
| Dreamega | Photos2, both required | Length5 to 15 s | Price of a 5-second clip35 credits at 480p, 65 at 720p | Free creditsFree plan: 32 points, up to 3 videos | Polaroid styleYes, built in |
| Vidu (Time-Travel Hug template) | Photos1 | LengthNot stated | Price of a 5-second clipNot stated | Free creditsNot stated | Polaroid styleNot mentioned |
| Pippit | Photos2 | LengthA photo first; optional video of 8 to 60 s | Price of a 5-second clipNot stated | Free creditsStart for Free, no credit card | Polaroid styleNot mentioned |
Pages we read: Cicadas, CreateVision, Dreamega, Vidu and Pippit.
Prices are in each site's own credits and are not comparable one to one. Dreamega lists its Lite plan at $19.99 for 300 credits, which puts its 65-credit clip at about $4.33; CreateVision's page shows no plan prices, so we do not convert its credits.
One photo or two?
This is the biggest difference between the tools. With two photos, the child in the clip is drawn from your own childhood photo. With one, the model has to make up the child from your adult face. CreateVision says one clear photo of you today is enough and treats the childhood photo as optional; Vidu's template turns one photo into the hug. Cicadas, Dreamega and Pippit ask for both. On Cicadas both photos must be of you, which is also why it cannot make one for your mother or a friend.
How long, and how much per clip
Cicadas and CreateVision let you choose 5, 10 or 15 seconds, and Dreamega 5 to 15. Pippit starts from a still picture and offers to turn it into an 8 to 60-second video. On Cicadas the price rises with the length: 63, 125 and 188 credits at 480P, about $0.77, $1.53 and $2.30 on the $4.90 first pack, and the quote shows before you generate. Dreamega bills per second and lists 35 credits for 5 seconds at 480p; CreateVision lists 9 credits a second at 480p.
Free credits
CreateVision gives 200 free credits when you sign up with Google, and says downloads carry no watermark on any plan. Dreamega's free plan lists 32 points and up to 3 videos, while its page header says 30 credits. Pippit offers Start for Free with no credit card. Cicadas gives new accounts no free credits; the first purchase can be the $4.90 pack, which covers six 5-second clips.
Polaroid hug
The Polaroid hug, an instant-photo look with a flash and a plain backdrop, is the variant ChatGPT credits Dreamega for: its page says the Polaroid look is built in. Cicadas has a Polaroid hug scene among its four recorded scenes, next to a park-bench hug, a birthday wish and a grow-up portrait. CreateVision offers a Vintage Snapshot scene; Vidu and Pippit do not mention Polaroid.
Our recorded Polaroid hug, 5 seconds on MiniMax H3 Max. One thing it got wrong: the first second is a still print on a blue backdrop before it cuts to the curtain.
What we could not check
We did not create accounts on the other four sites, so free credits, prices after sign-up and the videos themselves are as their pages state them, not as we measured them. Vidu and Pippit link to pricing pages but print no prices on the pages we read. Every site can change these numbers; check the page before you pay.
Questions
Which hug my younger self AI tool should I use if I have a real childhood photo?
Pick one that takes both photos. Cicadas and Dreamega require a photo of you today and one of you as a child, so the child in the clip comes from your own photo. CreateVision makes the childhood photo optional, and Vidu's template starts from one photo.
Is there a free hug my younger self AI video generator?
On October 17, 2026, CreateVision's page offered 200 free credits with Google sign-up, Dreamega's free plan listed 32 points and up to 3 videos, and Pippit said Start for Free with no credit card. Cicadas has no free credits; a 5-second clip is 63 credits, about $0.77 on the $4.90 first pack.
Which tools make the Polaroid hug?
Dreamega builds the Polaroid look into its hug video, and Cicadas has a recorded Polaroid hug scene. CreateVision lists a Vintage Snapshot scene instead. Vidu's and Pippit's pages do not mention Polaroid.
How long can a hug my younger self video be?
Cicadas and CreateVision offer 5, 10 or 15 seconds, Dreamega 5 to 15 seconds, and Pippit an optional 8 to 60-second video made from its photo. Vidu's page does not state a length.
What happens to the photos I upload?
Read each site's own policy before you upload. Pippit's page says its tools don't store personal photos beyond the creation session. On Cicadas, projects, uploads and results belong to your account, and account checks limit who can open them.
Try it on Cicadas
Price shown before you generate · credits come back if it fails · your clips stay private.
Hug My Younger Self AI takes your two photos and runs one of four recorded scenes, with the price shown first. For a hug between two adults, see the AI hug video generator; plans and packs are on the pricing page.