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Model comparisons

MiniMax H3 Max vs Seedance 2.5

MiniMax H3 Max: Softened. Seedance 2.5: Uncensored. Seedance 2.5 renders up to 30 seconds per request; MiniMax H3 Max stops at 15.

MiniMax H3 Max

MiniMax H3 Max image-to-video animates an opening frame, with an optional closing frame, from a prompt describing the motion between them. Clips run 5 to 15 seconds at 480p or 768p, with ambience, foley and music generated alongside the picture.

View model details →View sample outputs →

Seedance 2.5

ByteDance's Seedance 2.5 image-to-video starts the clip on a still you supply and animates it, with sound in the same pass. Clips run 4 to 30 seconds at 480p, 720p or 1080p, and an optional closing still makes the shot arrive on a set frame.

View model details →View sample outputs →

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The short answer

Start with the input you have, the result you want and your budget. These are the differences that affect that choice.

  • MiniMax H3 Max is listed as Softened; Seedance 2.5 as Uncensored. Compare the examples and content-test details on each model page for the scenes you want to create.
  • The two bill on different tiers, so there is no like-for-like row: MiniMax H3 Max starts at $0.05 / output seconds and Seedance 2.5 at $0.123 / output seconds.
  • Seedance 2.5 runs to 30 seconds in one request; MiniMax H3 Max stops at 15, so anything longer has to be stitched together.

Compare the published examples, then try the same input on both models with matching settings.

Test scores side by side

The Spicy Index and Freedom Score for both models, from the same daily calculation as the leaderboards.

Test scores side by side
MeasureMiniMax H3 MaxSeedance 2.5
Spicy Index76.281.4
Freedom Score69.283.6
EvidenceTested 6 of 6 probe types · 37 runsTested 5 of 6 probe types · 46 runs
Range if the rest pass69.2–69.283.6–98.9
Price$0.40 per 5-second clip$1.39 per 5-second clip
ReviewsRead the MiniMax H3 Max reviewRead the Seedance 2.5 review
See both on the leaderboard →

Current price

Price at the same setting

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.

These two bill on different tiers, so there is no row to line up. Each one's own published tiers are listed here instead.

MiniMax H3 Max: 480p $0.05 / output seconds · 768p $0.08 / output seconds

Seedance 2.5: no audio · 480p $0.123 / output seconds · with audio · 480p $0.123 / output seconds · no audio · 720p $0.277 / output seconds · with audio · 720p $0.277 / output seconds · no audio · 1080p $0.682 / output seconds · with audio · 1080p $0.682 / output seconds

What one ordinary job costs

  • MiniMax H3 Max: $0.4 for a five-second clip at 768p.
  • Seedance 2.5: $1.39 for a five-second clip at with audio · 720p.

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

Controls and limits

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.

MiniMax H3 Max vs Seedance 2.5
Controls and limitsMiniMax H3 MaxSeedance 2.5
Supported tasksimage-to-videoimage-to-video
Clip length5–15 seconds4–30 seconds
Resolution tiers480p · 768p480p · 720p · 1080p
Aspect ratiosNot offeredadaptive
Audio outputYesYes
SeedNoYes
ExecutionSubmit, then poll or take the callbackSubmit, then poll or take the callback
Request timeout90 minutes180 minutes
AvailabilityLiveLive

Do low-filter models allow every request?

Content policy, side by side

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.

MiniMax H3 Max

Softened

This model returns a result instead of an error, but requests beyond its own limits come back toned down. The call still succeeds and is still billed, so check the output rather than the status code.

Seedance 2.5

Uncensored

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 Use consenting adults and licensed material only. No minors, no non-consensual intimate imagery, no deceptive impersonation of real people.

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?

Request body, field by field

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.

  • 5 fields appear in both request bodies under the same names. duration_seconds, image_url, last_image_url, prompt, resolution
  • Only MiniMax H3 Max accepts: enable_prompt_expansion.
  • Only Seedance 2.5 accepts: aspect_ratio, enable_web_search, generate_audio, output_format, return_last_frame, seed, watermark.
  • MiniMax H3 Max requires image_url, prompt.
  • Seedance 2.5 requires image_url.
  • Both reject unknown fields outright, so a parameter left over from the other model comes back as a validation error instead of being quietly ignored.

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Moving from one to the other

The model identifiers are minimax/h3-max/image-to-video and bytedance/seedance-2.5/image-to-video, 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

Which is cheaper, MiniMax H3 Max or Seedance 2.5?

Which is cheaper, MiniMax H3 Max or Seedance 2.5?

The two bill on different tiers, so there is no like-for-like row: MiniMax H3 Max starts at $0.05 / output seconds and Seedance 2.5 at $0.123 / output seconds. Prices may change; check the estimate shown for your actual settings before submitting.

How long can a single request run?

MiniMax H3 Max allows 90 minutes per task and Seedance 2.5 allows 180. 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.

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