Live: MiniMax H3 (“Hailuo 3”), launched July 31, 2026; Hailuo 2.3 is legacy.
Hailuo AI alternative: compare MiniMax H3 with pay-as-you-go models
Hailuo’s new H3 model adds native stereo audio, up to 2K and 15-second clips, and its weights are open. If you want H3 specifically, use Hailuo or MiniMax’s API. VideoCreate doesn’t run H3; it fits if you want Seedance 2 mini, Kling 3.0 and Grok Imagine on one balance with no subscription.
Hailuo AI and VideoCreate, side by side
Hailuo AI column: from the vendor’s own pages (numbers in brackets link to sources). VideoCreate column: what we run today.
- Latest model
- Hailuo AIMiniMax H3, launched July 31, 2026; open weights August 3, 2026.[1][2]
- VideoCreateGrok Imagine, Seedance 2 mini, Kling 3.0 (start/end frames, reference images, multi-shot).
- Plans
- Hailuo AIFree one-time trial credits; paid plans from $14.99/mo (annual billing from $8.40/mo).[4]
- VideoCreateNo plan — credit packs from $4.99.
- API price
- Hailuo AIH3 $0.08/s (768p), $0.13/s (2K).[3]
- VideoCreateCredit packs from $4.99 (50 credits). A 6-second Grok Imagine clip is 6 credits and a 5-second Seedance 2 mini clip is 8 (≈ $0.45 and $0.60 at Pro-pack rates).
- Clip length
- Hailuo AI4–15 s.[2]
- VideoCreate5, 10 or 15 s (Grok Imagine: 6, 10 or 15 s); Kling 3.0 multi-shot up to 15 s in up to 5 shots.
- Resolution
- Hailuo AIUp to 2K (default 768p).[2]
- VideoCreate720p; 480p on the free lane. Landscape, vertical (9:16) or square.
- Audio
- Hailuo AINative stereo audio.[2]
- VideoCreateSound included with Grok Imagine, optional at no extra cost on Seedance 2 mini, optional on Kling 3.0 (19 instead of 14 credits for 5 s).
- Free tier
- Hailuo AIOne-time trial credits.[4]
- VideoCreateOne 6-second 480p clip a day (Grok Imagine) through a free queue, for personal use.
The same shot, written for each model
We haven’t tested MiniMax H3, so instead of guessing at an H3 prompt, here is the same scene for two models you can run here: Kling 3.0 and Seedance.
Written for Kling 3.0 (runs on VideoCreate)
Slow push-in from a wide shot of a ramen stall at the end of a rain-soaked alley, then a medium close-up of an older cook in a navy work jacket lifting noodles from a steaming pot, ending on an extreme macro close-up of chopsticks lifting glossy noodles in slow motion. Red lanterns, warm bulb light, cool blue shadows, wet night reflections. Cinematic 35mm film grain.
Our Video→Prompt tool’s Kling adaptation: camera move first, one continuous description.
Generate with Kling 3.0Written for Seedance (tested on VideoCreate’s sample clip)
Shot 1 (0–4.5s): wide shot, slow push-in down a rain-soaked alley toward a small ramen stall, red paper lanterns, rain and wet reflections at night. Shot 2 (4.5–6.3s): medium close-up, gentle handheld: an older cook in a navy work jacket lifts noodles from a steaming pot, warm bulb light from the left, cool blue shadows. Shot 3 (6.3–10s): extreme close-up, macro, slow motion: chopsticks lift glossy noodles, broth dripping. Style: cinematic 35mm film look, subtle grain, warm and cool contrast.
We haven’t run MiniMax H3, so we don’t show an H3 prompt or make quality claims about it.
Generate with Seedance 2 miniWhen Hailuo AI is the better choice
- You want MiniMax H3 itself or its 2K output.
- You want to self-host: H3’s weights are open under MiniMax’s community license.
Questions
What is the latest Hailuo model?
MiniMax H3, launched July 31, 2026, with open weights released August 3, 2026.
Does VideoCreate run Hailuo or H3?
No. We run Grok Imagine, Seedance 2 mini and Kling 3.0.
Is there a free option?
Hailuo gives one-time trial credits; VideoCreate gives one free 480p clip every day.