Model comparisons
Seedream 4.0 lists a 14% lower unit price than Qwen Image 2. Tier prices, request fields and limits side by side.
Qwen Image 2 image editing from Alibaba takes exactly one reference image and an 800-character instruction. You pick the output's aspect ratio from eight shapes (default 1:1), as it does not follow the source's proportions.
View model details →View sample outputs →Seedream 4.0 image editing takes one to ten reference images plus an instruction and returns one image. Pick the output from sixteen width*height presets up to 4096*2304, so a restyled character keeps identical dimensions. Uncensored.
View model details →View sample outputs →Compare
Start with the input you have, the result you want and your budget. These are the differences that affect that choice.
Compare the published examples, then try the same input on both models with matching settings.
The Spicy Index and Freedom Score for both models, from the same daily calculation as the leaderboards.
| Measure | Qwen Image 2 | Seedream 4.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Spicy Index | 67.2 | 66.5 |
| Freedom Score | 96.7 | 76.7 |
| Evidence | Tested 6 of 6 probe types · 36 runs | Tested 4 of 6 probe types · 26 runs |
| Range if the rest pass | 96.7–96.7 | 76.7–96.7 |
| Price | $0.035 per image | $0.03 per image |
| Reviews | Read the Qwen Image 2 review | Read the Seedream 4.0 review |
Current price
A start price answers a different question than the one you have. These are the tiers both models publish, matched setting for setting, in US dollars per billed unit with no conversion step in between.
Swipe horizontally to compare all fields.
| Tier | Qwen Image 2 | Seedream 4.0 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current price | $0.035 / output images | $0.03 / output images | Seedream 4.0 −14% |
Arithmetic on the published rates at each model's own default setting, not a quote. The console prices your actual settings before a request is accepted.
About this comparison
Every row here is read from the JSON Schema the endpoint validates against, so it matches what the API will really accept rather than a feature list written by hand.
Swipe horizontally to compare all fields.
| Controls and limits | Qwen Image 2 | Seedream 4.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Supported tasks | image-to-image | image-to-image |
| Aspect ratios | 1:1 · 4:3 · 3:4 · 16:9 · 9:16 · 3:2 · 2:3 · 21:9 | Not offered |
| Reference material | Up to 1 files | Up to 10 files |
| High-resolution tier | No | Yes |
| Seed | Yes | No |
| Execution | Submit, then poll or take the callback | Submit, then poll or take the callback |
| Request timeout | 30 minutes | 30 minutes |
| Availability | Live | Live |
Do low-filter models allow every request?
Two separate facts sit behind these labels. The first is what we do, which is nothing: no platform content filter, and no maturity flag to set on a request. The second is what each model does on its own, and that is the only part that varies between these two.
Qwen Image 2
This model declares no content filter. SpicyAPI forwards the request without adding a platform content scan; legal and consent duties remain with the customer.
Seedream 4.0
This model declares no content filter. SpicyAPI forwards the request without adding a platform content scan; legal and consent duties remain with the customer.
Usage note Do not submit material involving minors, non-consensual intimate imagery, or deceptive impersonation of real people. This statement is a usage boundary, not a claim that every request is automatically screened.
Use these content labels to shortlist models, then open each model page for available examples and content-test details.
The label never changes your obligations. Age, consent, real-person likeness and the law where you operate stay with you, and SpicyAPI does not inspect each request.
Can I swap the model ID without changing the request body?
The task lifecycle is shared; the body is not. Each endpoint publishes its own JSON Schema and the API validates against that, so this is the list to reconcile before a switch.
How to choose
Seedream 4.0 supports a high-resolution option.
Compare
The model identifiers are alibaba/qwen-image-2/edit and bytedance/seedream-4.0/edit, and both go in the same field of the same request.
Both run the same way: submit the task, then poll it or take the callback. Queueing and retry logic carry over unchanged.
Both use the same submit-and-track flow, but their required inputs may differ. Check each model page before switching.
One key, one balance, one set of spend caps. Both bill to the same account in US dollars, and the per-key daily, monthly and lifetime limits apply to whichever one you call.
Questions developers ask
Seedream 4.0 has the lower listed unit price by 14%. Prices may change; check the estimate shown for your actual settings before submitting.
Qwen Image 2 allows 30 minutes per task and Seedream 4.0 allows 30. Those are ceilings rather than typical times — most requests finish far sooner — but they are what your own client timeout has to survive.
Prices and capabilities shown here come from the current public model catalogue. Check each model page for its latest inputs and examples.