Seedance 2.5 vs MiniMax H3: 2026 AI Video Comparison

Key Takeaways

• Both models are live on Siray's API today. Seedance 2.5 bills on pixel volume — $0.134/s at 480p, $0.29/s at 720p — while MiniMax H3 is flat $0.26/s at 2K. At 720p, Seedance 2.5 costs more per second than H3 does at 2K.
• The tradeoff is duration against resolution. Seedance 2.5 does 30-second clips but caps at 720p; MiniMax H3 caps at 15 seconds but every call is 2K.
• Two widely repeated Seedance 2.5 claims don't survive a look at the endpoint: native 4K is not available (size accepts 720p or 480p), and the "50 reference inputs" figure is actually 30 images plus 10 videos.

Both Live, Two Different Shapes

Seedance 2.5 shipped on July 31, 2026 and is now callable on Siray as bytedance/seedance-2.5-t2v, -i2v, and -ref2v. MiniMax H3 has been live since the same week. So the question is no longer which one you can reach — it's which one fits the shot.

That question has a cleaner answer than most model comparisons, because the two endpoints barely overlap. Seedance 2.5 is the long-clip, many-references model. MiniMax H3 is the short-clip, high-resolution model. Neither is a cheaper version of the other.

One note on sourcing before the table: the specs below come from Siray's documented endpoint schemas, not from launch announcements. That matters here because two of Seedance 2.5's most-quoted numbers don't match what the API actually accepts.

Spec Comparison

Where Each Model Wins

Seedance 2.5 wins on length and on breadth of visual reference. Thirty seconds in a single call is double what MiniMax H3's duration enum allows, and it matters for anything that needs one continuous take rather than stitched cuts. On the Siray endpoint there is no extend or retake operation for either model, so a 30-second requirement is a straight filter: Seedance 2.5 can do it in one call and MiniMax H3 cannot. The ref2v variant also accepts 30 reference images, more than three times H3's 9.

MiniMax H3 wins on resolution, and wins it absolutely rather than by degree. Its size parameter accepts exactly one value, 2k. Seedance 2.5's accepts 720p or 480p and nothing higher. There is no configuration in which Seedance 2.5 matches H3's output resolution, and no configuration in which H3 drops to a cheaper, lower-resolution tier. H3 also takes reference audio and video at 9 each against Seedance 2.5's 10 videos and no audio array, so it's the better fit when voice or an existing clip has to be matched.

Two corrections worth making explicitly, because both numbers circulate widely. Seedance 2.5 does not do native 4K on this endpoint — the launch materials said 4K, the size enum says 720p or 480p. And the "up to 50 reference inputs" figure doesn't hold either: ref2v documents images at a maximum of 30 and videos at a maximum of 10, with no audio array at all. Budget against 40 visual inputs, not 50, and against 720p, not 4K.

Running Both

Because the two models barely overlap, the practical answer for most projects isn't picking one. Both sit behind the same Siray API key with normalized request and response shapes, so routing long single takes to Seedance 2.5 and 2K hero shots to MiniMax H3 is a model-name change, not a second integration.

That routing is about capability, not savings. A 30-second establishing shot on Seedance 2.5 costs $4.02 at 480p or $8.70 at 720p, and the same 30 seconds is not available on MiniMax H3 at any price — that's the reason to route it there. But a 10-second 2K hero shot on H3 costs $2.60, where Seedance 2.5's 10 seconds costs $2.90 and comes back at 720p. Routing away from H3 to save money only works if you drop to 480p.

For the model-by-model background, MiniMax H3 covers multi-reference locking, native audio, and instruction-guided edits in depth. The three-way rate comparison including LTX 2.3 is in the Siray video model pricing guide.

FAQ

Can I call Seedance 2.5 from an API?

Yes. It's live on Siray as bytedance/seedance-2.5-t2v, -i2v, and -ref2v, from $0.134 per second at 480p, reachable with the same API key as every other Siray model.

Does Seedance 2.5 output 4K?

Not on this endpoint. The launch materials mentioned 4K, but the documented size parameter accepts 720p or 480p only. If you need output above 1080p today, MiniMax H3's fixed 2k is the option on Siray.

Can Seedance 2.5 and MiniMax H3 be used together?

Yes, and it's usually the right call. Same API key, so they can split work by strength: Seedance 2.5 for takes longer than 15 seconds or wide reference stacks, MiniMax H3 for anything that has to land at 2K or needs reference audio.

Which one is cheaper?

Only at 480p. Seedance 2.5 bills on pixel volume, so it runs $0.134/s at 480p but $0.29/s at 720p — above MiniMax H3's flat $0.26/s at 2K. And since it can't produce 2K while H3 can't produce 30 seconds, most jobs only have one real option anyway, which makes the rate a secondary question.

Summary

Both models are live on Siray, and they answer different questions. Seedance 2.5 does 30-second clips and takes 30 reference images, capped at 720p, billing $0.134/s at 480p or $0.29/s at 720p. MiniMax H3 does 5 to 15 seconds, always at 2K, takes reference audio, and bills a flat $0.26/s. Pick on the shot, not the price — the cheaper model depends entirely on which resolution you ask for, and if you saw 4K or 50 reference inputs quoted for Seedance 2.5, the endpoint says otherwise.

Create a free Siray account and call both from the same key.