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Video Generation🟢No Code
H

Hailuo AI

Text-to-video and image-to-video from MiniMax (Hailuo 02) — cinematic camera moves, multi-character consistency via Subject Reference, web app plus MiniMax platform API.

Starting at$0
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💡

In Plain English

Text-to-video and image-to-video from MiniMax (Hailuo 02) — cinematic camera moves, multi-character consistency via Subject Reference, web app plus MiniMax platform API.

OverviewFeaturesPricingUse CasesLimitationsFAQAlternatives

Overview

Hailuo AI is MiniMax's flagship video generation product and one of the strongest non-Western video models alongside Kling. The current Hailuo 02 family generates 6–10 second clips from text or image prompts with cinematic-quality motion, accurate physics, and notably good handling of camera movement (dolly, push, orbit, crane) when these are specified in the prompt. The web product includes a Subject Reference mode that locks a face or character across generations, an Image-to-Video mode that animates a single still while honoring text guidance, and an Extend mode that continues a clip. The Hailuo API is exposed through the MiniMax open platform with usage-based credit pricing and is integrated into multi-model creator suites like Replicate, Fal, Higgsfield, and Krea. Free generation is offered with daily credits and watermarks; paid plans expand monthly credits and remove watermarks.

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Key Features

Start Frame and End Frame Control+

Users can upload both an opening and a closing image, and Hailuo AI generates seamless motion between them. This unlocks precise narrative shaping, transition effects, and multi-shot continuity that purely text-driven generators cannot match. It is particularly valuable for creators stitching longer sequences from short clips.

Hailuo AI Agent+

A unified creative agent that handles multi-step prompts across video, image, and audio generation in one workspace. Instead of switching tools, users describe a higher-level creative goal and the agent expands prompts, generates assets, and coordinates outputs. This positions Hailuo as an end-to-end creative platform rather than a single-modality tool.

Trending Template Library+

Built-in templates including CineScope, ASMR, Morph, StyleSwitch, PetPal, BabyForm, SnapMorph, and FunSnap let users apply viral-style effects with a single click. Each template is tuned to a popular short-form trend and accelerates content creation for social media. This reduces prompt engineering effort for non-expert creators.

Light Studio Relighting+

Available under the new Tools tab, Light Studio enables creators to relight existing footage or generated clips, changing mood, time of day, or directional lighting without re-shooting. It powers the active $1,000 Relighting Challenge and demonstrates Hailuo's expansion beyond pure generation into post-production workflows.

Cinematic Motion and 1080p Output+

Hailuo's underlying MiniMax video model is widely benchmarked for strong motion physics, camera dynamics, and human anatomy, with output resolution up to 1080p HD. Independent creator comparisons frequently rank it among the top open-access video generators alongside Runway Gen-3 and Kling. This makes it suitable for client-grade short-form deliverables.

Pricing Plans

Free

$0

    Paid creator plans

    Monthly credit bundles

      API (via MiniMax platform)

      Usage-based credits

        See Full Pricing →Free vs Paid →Is it worth it? →

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        Best Use Cases

        🎯

        Short-form social video and ad creative variants

        ⚡

        Music videos and animated lyric clips

        🔧

        Storyboards and animatics for pre-production

        🚀

        Product motion shots from a single still reference

        Limitations & What It Can't Do

        We believe in transparent reviews. Here's what Hailuo AI doesn't handle well:

        • ⚠Single-generation clip length capped at roughly 6–10 seconds, requiring external editing for long videos
        • ⚠Free tier applies watermarks and limits daily generation credits
        • ⚠Content policy restricts certain stylized, political, or likeness-based prompts
        • ⚠Generation latency can spike during peak hours, especially on lower-tier plans
        • ⚠Limited fine-grained editing controls compared to Runway's timeline and inpainting tools

        Pros & Cons

        ✓ Pros

        • ✓Best-in-class prompt-driven camera control for dolly, orbit, push, and crane shots
        • ✓Subject Reference produces multi-shot sequences with consistent characters
        • ✓Cheaper per credit than most Western video models when consumed via aggregator APIs

        ✗ Cons

        • ✗Clip length tops out around 10 seconds — longer work requires Extend plus an editor stitch
        • ✗Pricing page is JS-rendered and dollar amounts vary by region, so total cost is hard to forecast
        • ✗No official MCP server, so agentic stacks need a custom adapter to call Hailuo

        Frequently Asked Questions

        Is Hailuo AI free to use?+

        Yes, Hailuo AI offers a freemium model with a free tier that includes daily generation credits for text-to-video and image-to-video tasks. Paid plans start at approximately $9.99/month and unlock faster generation, higher resolution, removal of watermarks, and priority queue access. This makes it one of the more accessible video generation tools compared to Runway Gen-3 or Sora, which require paid subscriptions for meaningful usage. Users can test the platform without a credit card before committing.

        How does Hailuo AI compare to Runway and Kling?+

        Hailuo AI competes directly with Runway Gen-3 and Kling AI in the cinematic video generation category. Independent creator comparisons frequently rate Hailuo highly for motion realism, prompt adherence, and human anatomy, while Runway leads in editing tools and ecosystem integrations and Kling excels at long-form clips. Hailuo's freemium pricing and start/end frame control give it an edge for hobbyists, while Runway remains the choice for production studios. Compared to the other video generation tools in our directory, Hailuo offers the best free-tier value for cinematic output.

        What is the Hailuo AI Agent?+

        The Hailuo AI Agent is a recently launched creative assistant that orchestrates multi-step generation tasks across video, image, and audio in a single unified workspace. Instead of manually crafting individual prompts for each asset, users describe a higher-level goal and the agent handles prompt expansion, asset generation, and stitching. This positions Hailuo closer to an end-to-end creative platform rather than a single-purpose generator. It is included on the platform and accessible from the main creation interface.

        What video lengths and resolutions does Hailuo AI support?+

        Hailuo AI generates clips of approximately 6 to 10 seconds per single generation at up to 1080p HD resolution. Longer videos must be assembled by chaining multiple generations using the start frame and end frame feature, which lets the model continue motion seamlessly between clips. This is comparable to Kling and Runway Gen-3 limits but shorter than Sora's 20-second cap. For longer narratives, users typically generate sequential shots and edit them together externally.

        Can I monetize content created with Hailuo AI?+

        Yes. Hailuo AI runs an official Creator Partnership Program (CPP) that lets approved creators monetize their work, including a current $1,000 Relighting Challenge. Standard paid users also retain commercial rights to their generated videos under the platform's terms, though free-tier outputs typically carry a watermark and may have restricted commercial use. Creators should review the most recent terms before deploying generations in paid client work, especially for likeness-sensitive or template-based content.
        🦞

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        What's New in 2026

        Recent platform updates include the launch of the Hailuo AI Agent for unified multi-modal creation, a new Tools tab featuring Light Studio for relighting, the unified AI creative space combining video/image/audio, the Creator Partnership Program (CPP), and an active $1,000 Relighting Challenge for community creators.

        Alternatives to Hailuo AI

        Runway

        AI Video Generation

        Runway is a pro-grade AI video generation and editing platform with Gen-4 models, ACT-Two character animation, and the Aleph in-context video editor.

        Kling AI

        Video Generation

        Frontier text-to-video and image-to-video from Kuaishou's KwaiVGI lab — clips up to ~2 minutes, Motion Brush, Lip Sync, Elements compositing, and a Standard/Pro/Master quality ladder.

        Pika Labs

        Video Generation

        Pika Labs is a playful AI video generation tool for creating short-form videos from prompts, images, and effects.

        Luma Dream Machine

        Video Generation

        Luma Dream Machine is Luma AI's generative video and 3D platform built on the Ray model family with consistent characters across shots.

        Sora

        AI Video

        OpenAI's flagship text-to-video model and standalone product for generating cinematic, consistent AI video from prompts.

        View All Alternatives & Detailed Comparison →

        User Reviews

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        Quick Info

        Category

        Video Generation

        Website

        hailuoai.video/
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