Compare equivalent seconds carefully
AI video cost per second is useful for comparing a budget, but it is not a quality score. SeaDance's seven video models do not all have the same output tier or input options. A lower-cost second can be suitable for exploring an action, while a different model may be needed for the final input plan or resolution. Keep those requirements visible beside the price instead of ranking models by cost alone.
This guide compares the charged credits divided by the actual selected duration. It does not treat an underlying calculation rate as a retail cash price. Because SeaDance rounds a complete request upward to an integer credit, the effective cost of a second depends slightly on the clip length. Calculate from the whole request first, then divide. Multiplying a rounded short-clip rate can give the wrong total for a longer request.
Background is not a retail price list
According to ByteDance Seed, Seedance 2.0 uses a unified audio-video generation architecture. According to fal, H3 Max is a post-trained H3 variant. These descriptions give context for the model families; they do not determine SeaDance's credit charges. The figures below use the sold SeaDance settings and include generated sound. There is no assumption that a vendor's standalone billing terms are the same as a SeaDance account purchase.
The comparison covers base requests: Text to Video, Image to Video, and Reference mode within any included-image allowance. Additional H3 reference images can change the charge. Treat a reference-heavy project separately from a text-only cost estimate. Review the quote with the exact uploads you will use instead of assuming that every request for the same model and duration has the same total.
Prices checked November 4, 2026. Every dollar estimate uses the Basic monthly plan: $29.90 for 149 credits, or about $0.20 per credit. Dollar amounts allocate a prepaid balance; they are not individual checkout prices. Whole-request credit charges are rounded upward before conversion to dollars. New accounts start with 0 credits and require a paid plan or credit pack to generate.
Effective cost at every available duration
Each cell lists the complete clip charge and the resulting effective cost per second. Per-second values are rounded for display; complete-clip credits remain the authoritative charge. All outputs are 16:9 and include sound. The output column prevents a cheaper low-resolution option from being mistaken for the same deliverable as a different model's output tier.
| Model | Output | 5s: clip and per-second cost | 10s: clip and per-second cost | 15s: clip and per-second cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seedance 2.5 | 480p | 11 credits / $2.21; 2.2 credits/s / $0.44/s | 21 credits / $4.21; 2.1 credits/s / $0.42/s | 31 credits / $6.22; 2.07 credits/s / $0.41/s |
| Seedance 2.0 | 480p | 7 credits / $1.40; 1.4 credits/s / $0.28/s | 14 credits / $2.81; 1.4 credits/s / $0.28/s | 21 credits / $4.21; 1.4 credits/s / $0.28/s |
| Seedance 2.0 Fast | 480p | 6 credits / $1.20; 1.2 credits/s / $0.24/s | 12 credits / $2.41; 1.2 credits/s / $0.24/s | 18 credits / $3.61; 1.2 credits/s / $0.24/s |
| Seedance 2.0 Mini | 480p | 4 credits / $0.80; 0.8 credits/s / $0.16/s | 7 credits / $1.40; 0.7 credits/s / $0.14/s | 11 credits / $2.21; 0.73 credits/s / $0.15/s |
| Kling 3.0 | 720p | 13 credits / $2.61; 2.6 credits/s / $0.52/s | 26 credits / $5.22; 2.6 credits/s / $0.52/s | 38 credits / $7.63; 2.53 credits/s / $0.51/s |
| MiniMax H3 | 768P | 9 credits / $1.81; 1.8 credits/s / $0.36/s | 17 credits / $3.41; 1.7 credits/s / $0.34/s | 25 credits / $5.02; 1.67 credits/s / $0.33/s |
| MiniMax H3 Max | 768P | 9 credits / $1.81; 1.8 credits/s / $0.36/s | 17 credits / $3.41; 1.7 credits/s / $0.34/s | 25 credits / $5.02; 1.67 credits/s / $0.33/s |
Read the rounding before choosing a duration
Mini's middle duration has a lower effective per-second rate than its shortest option, while the longest option does not continue that pattern. This follows from whole-request integer rounding, not a special discount.
The same principle explains why multiplying the short Seedance 2.5 charge does not reproduce every longer-clip charge. Use the full-duration quote for budgeting. The duration and resolution guide is useful when the decision is about how much time an action needs. Here the purpose is different: compare the balance consumed by complete requests across the available model families.
Use a cheaper draft to answer a specific question
Seedance 2.0 Mini at 480p is suitable for exploring a prompt's main action before allocating a larger budget to a final model. A draft can answer whether the action is described clearly, whether the source composition leaves room for movement, or whether several instructions conflict. Choose one of those questions before generating. Otherwise a low-cost experiment can become an unstructured series of paid attempts.
Treat the draft as preparation, not proof of transfer. A successful Mini take does not guarantee that Kling, H3 or Seedance 2.5 will interpret the same prompt identically. Preserve the successful action description, then adapt the input plan to the final model's controls. If the final model uses a different frame limit or Reference mode, check that the instructions still match the uploaded images.
Budget experiments and the final take together
For a concrete example, a 5-second Mini draft uses 4 credits and a 5-second Seedance 2.5 request uses 11 credits. Together they use 15 credits, approximately $3.01 at the stated Basic rate. Two separate 5-second Seedance 2.5 requests use 22 credits, approximately $4.41. This arithmetic illustrates a possible spending plan; it does not promise that the draft will eliminate a final-model retry.
Limit spending on each creative question. Correct an ambiguous source photo or contradictory action before trying another variation. Keep the prompt and settings so each attempt contributes useful information.
Watch reference counts and output requirements
H3 and H3 Max share their base duration prices, but their Reference-mode allowances differ. If a project needs many still references, the lower base per-second figure may not describe its actual charge. Remove unnecessary images and recalculate using the actual set. See H3 vs H3 Max for worked totals that include reference counts instead of comparing a hypothetical empty request.
A required output tier can also narrow the choice. Seedance options are 480p here, Kling is 720p, and the H3 options are 768P. These are model-specific outputs rather than interchangeable upgrades. If your brief requires one of those tiers, use its real cost in the final budget. A cheap test at another tier is useful preparation, but it does not replace the required deliverable.
Measure value against the finished shot
Define the required subject, motion and sound before paying, then evaluate those criteria after generation. Lower-cost footage is useful when it answers the brief or helps improve the next attempt.
This cross-model comparison complements the Seedance 2.0 pricing explanation, which covers that family's account and purchase context in more detail. Use the video generator for the actual quote after setting the model, duration and images. Keep the quoted total as the spending decision and use the per-second figure as supporting context.
Frequently asked questions
How is the per-second figure calculated?
Take the charged whole-clip credits and divide by the selected duration. Convert those credits using the stated Basic monthly purchase rate for the dollar estimate.
Does the cheapest model have the same output size?
No. The Seedance models use 480p, Kling uses 720p, and H3 models use 768P. Price comparisons must keep those differences visible.
Will a Mini draft guarantee a good final take?
No. It can help clarify the action and source composition, but another model can interpret the same prompt differently and may still need revision.
Can I save by disabling sound?
The live SeaDance video workflow includes sound. This comparison uses those sound-on requests and does not advertise a separate silent-price option.
Is buying more seconds always economical?
Only when the shot needs those seconds. Rounding may lower the effective per-second amount, but the total charge rises and unused screen time adds no value.
Sources
External background checked November 4, 2026. SeaDance settings and credit quotes are described separately above.