Focal

Focal is a web-based AI video creation tool that can turn a prompt into a narrated slideshow. It suits creators who want to shape a presentation with generated visuals, audio, and reusable characters, rather than build every slide from scratch. But its announced shutdown makes it a short-term choice, not a dependable tool for new ongoing work.

Overview

Focal’s slideshow maker builds a structured presentation from a topic or idea, combining text, visuals, layouts, narration, and transitions. You can then swap images, revise copy, adjust the tone, or regenerate the slideshow by changing the prompt. That gives marketers, educators, and independent creators room to steer a draft without assembling each element themselves, though prompt-driven regeneration is not a substitute for precise manual control.

Exports support landscape, portrait, and square formats, and paid-plan output can be used commercially. Focal also supports AI script-to-video creation. Its product is being wound down: new projects will be disabled after subscriptions expire, and the website is scheduled to go offline on September 1, 2026. That makes its near-term availability the defining drawback, especially for teams planning a lasting workflow.

Key features

Prompt-led slideshows and sound

Focal combines generated text and visuals with layouts and transitions, then adds AI voiceovers, background music, or ambient sound. This is a useful combination for creators who need a narrated presentation in several aspect ratios; anyone seeking transcription or a summary of an existing YouTube video should look elsewhere, as Focal does not provide either feature.

Models and continuity

Focal says it supports Veo, Seedance, Kling, and Hailuo for video; GPT Image, Nano Banana Pro, Z-Image, Flux Klein, and Seedream for images; and ElevenLabs, InWorld, and OpenAI for voices. It also lets users generate and reuse consistent characters and locations across projects, which can help maintain continuity between related pieces. Focal says a text-to-video API is in development, but it is not a current integration option.

Exports and account safeguards

Exporting all projects runs in the browser and requires a Chromium-based browser such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. Focal’s privacy policy describes technical, organizational, and physical safeguards for personal information, while cautioning that absolute security cannot be guaranteed. Support is available through the in-product Support button or by email at [email protected].

Pricing

Focal uses a freemium model, with paid plans starting at $10 a month. The Free plan starts with 0 credits and includes no monthly or daily credits, basic image and video models, slower generations, and personal use only. It is a narrow way to access the product, not a recurring free generation allowance.

• Starter: $10 a month for 1,000 monthly credits, 50 daily credits, Veo and Seedance models, up to 1,000 seconds of video per month, and commercial use. It is the entry paid option for modest production needs.
• Standard: $30 a month for 3,900 monthly credits, 50 daily credits, Veo and Seedance models, up to 3,900 seconds of video per month, and commercial use. It raises the monthly allowance for creators producing more output.
• Pro: $100 a month for 15,000 monthly credits, 50 daily credits, Veo and Seedance models, up to 15,000 seconds of video per month, and commercial use. It fits heavier use, but the same 50 daily credits remain across all three paid tiers.

The free tier gives up commercial rights and has no recurring credits; every paid tier includes commercial use and the two named models. The product wind-down is a more important purchasing consideration than the differences in quotas: a monthly plan is difficult to recommend for work that must continue beyond the scheduled site closure.

Platforms

Focal is available on the web. Bulk project export requires a Chromium-based browser, so users relying on another browser will need Chrome or Edge for that task.

Who it's for

Focal is best suited to marketers, educators, content creators, and indie creators who need a prompt-generated, narrated slideshow and can finish or export their work before the service closes. Paid use makes more sense than Free for commercial projects, but only when its limited remaining availability fits the project timeline. It is a poor choice for a long-term team workflow or for anyone who needs YouTube summarization or video transcription.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Turns a topic into slides with text, visuals, narration, and transitions, reducing the work of assembling a first draft.
• Pros: Supports landscape, portrait, and square exports, plus voiceovers, music, and ambient sound for different presentation formats.
• Pros: Paid plans permit commercial use and include Veo and Seedance, while reusable characters and locations can support continuity across projects.
• Cons: The announced wind-down, disabled new project creation after subscriptions expire, and September 1, 2026 website closure make it unsuitable for a durable workflow.
• Cons: Free has no monthly or daily credits and restricts use to personal projects; the paid tiers share a 50-credit daily allowance.
• Cons: All-project export requires Chrome or Edge, and the product lacks video-to-text transcription and YouTube-video summarization.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison, browse AI Slideshow Makers. Consider Versely if you want an option spanning Android, iOS, web, and API access, with annual Standard and Pro plans billed by the year. Fliki is another freemium option; its free plan limits exports to one minute at 720p and three credits per month. For a web-based slideshow tool with a free tier, Cinematic Slideshow Studio offers three watermarked 720p exports per month, unlimited projects, and 1 GB of cloud storage on Free.

InVideo AI is a freemium option available as a browser extension and on the web. SlideLabs AI offers a free allowance of five slideshows per month with downloads as images, and a Growth plan with 150 monthly slideshows. Steve AI is a freemium option for iOS and web. Lumen5 is a web-based freemium option whose free plan includes two AI voiceover minutes. Ambience AI is a freemium web and API option with a free tier described as 100 credits, one seat, and a seven-day trial.

Verdict

Choose Focal if you need a prompt-built slideshow with narration, reusable characters, and commercial use, and can complete your work before the service closes. Its mix of generated slides and audio is appealing for quick presentations, but the shutdown outweighs those strengths for anyone starting a workflow that needs to last.