Correction, 2026-10-02: this guide did not say which shapes Wan 3.0 makes: from text, 16:9, 9:16 or 1:1 (the node opens on 9:16), and with a start image the clip follows the image's shape. It called the 1080p default the single most common way people overspend on the canvas, which we have not measured, and stated as fact that 480p is right for background plates and that viewers never see a 30-second plate repeat; those are now advice. It called base Wan 3.0 at 480p the cheapest 30-second single take without saying what it was compared with: of the text- and image-to-video models on the canvas, only Wan 3.0 and Seedance 2.5 run to 30 seconds, and base Wan 3.0 is the cheaper of the two. It called Wan 3.0 one of the cheapest video models on the canvas, though several cost less for 5 seconds, and base at 95 the cheapest 1080p in the Wan family, though Wan 2.7 VideoEdit, which edits a clip you already have, bills 68 for 5 seconds at 1080p; 95 is the cheapest Wan clip at 1080p made from text or an image. And it quoted fal's per-second rates for Prime and reference-to-video without a source: they are unchanged, and the fal pages are now in the sources.
Correction, 2026-10-01: this guide presented base Wan 3.0 reference-to-video (34 / 68 / 135 credits for 5 seconds) as a canvas option for carrying a design forward. On the canvas, base Wan 3.0 takes text or one start image and no reference images; its reference-to-video mode is available only through the 8frame MCP connector and starts from a reference clip. On the canvas, Wan 3.0 Prime is the Wan that takes a reference clip. We also called Wan 3.0 silent. Base Wan 3.0 has no audio setting on 8frame, so we make no claim either way about its sound, and Prime generates sound by default. And we removed the per-second provider rate we quoted for base Wan 3.0, which was out of date. We also called Kling v3 Standard more directable and sent physics-critical shots to Seedance 2.5 without having measured either, and we called Wan 3.0 the cheapest draft and the only route to a long take, though Pruna p-video Draft is cheaper (4 credits for 5 seconds at 720p) and Seedance 2.5 also runs to 30 seconds.
Correction, 2026-09-30: we called Wan 3.0 Prime the premium tier and suggested it when base output is not good enough. Alibaba describes Prime as the high-speed version of Wan 3.0 with the same capabilities, so the difference you pay double for is speed (and, on 8frame, sound by default), not quality.
Wan 3.0 is cheap at 480p, 24 credits for 5 seconds, but its node opens at 1080p, its most expensive tier, so it can bill you about four times what you expected. Understanding the ladder is most of what there is to know.
Correction, 2026-09-28: when first published on 2026-09-24, this guide said Wan 3.0 Prime was a flat 34 credits at any resolution and recommended it as the cheap route to 1080p. That was wrong: Prime is resolution-tiered and costs about twice the base model at every resolution. The guide below is corrected.
TL;DR
- Base Wan 3.0: 24 / 48 / 95 credits for 5 seconds at 480p / 720p / 1080p
- The node opens at 1080p. Submit without changing it and you pay 95 rather than 24
- Wan 3.0 Prime: 46 / 95 / 189. About double base at every resolution
- Shapes: from text, 16:9, 9:16 or 1:1 (the node opens on 9:16); with a start image, the clip follows the image
- Reference-to-video on base (34 / 68 / 135 for 5 seconds) is MCP-connector only and starts from a clip. On the canvas, base takes text or one start image; Prime takes a reference clip
- Durations 2 to 30 seconds. The cheapest 30-second Wan take is base at 480p, 142 credits
- No audio setting on base. Budget a separate audio pass; Prime generates sound by default
The pricing ladder
Canon 8frame prices, a credit is $0.01 at pack rate:
| Tier | 5s at 480p | 5s at 720p | 5s at 1080p | 30s at 480p | 30s at 1080p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base (text or image to video) | 24 | 48 | 95 | 142 | 567 |
| Base reference-to-video (MCP connector only, from a clip) | 34 | 68 | 135 | ||
| Prime | 46 | 95 | 189 | 276 | 1,134 |
All three rows bill per second of output. Prime and base reference-to-video run on fal, which lists $0.068 / $0.14 / $0.28 and $0.05 / $0.10 / $0.20 per second at 480p / 720p / 1080p.
Read the Prime row next to the base row. Prime at each resolution costs roughly what base costs one resolution higher. There is no resolution at which Prime is the cheaper option.
The default trap
The Wan tool opens on Wan 3.0 at 1080p, the most expensive of its three resolutions. The consequence for you: the model you picked because it was cheap costs 95 credits per 5 seconds unless you set the resolution, and 189 if you switch to Prime and leave it there.
Set it deliberately on every node: draft at 480p for 24 credits, and move up only for the take you will deliver.
When Prime is worth double
Prime is not a quality step up. Alibaba describes it as the high-speed version of Wan 3.0, "with capabilities aligned with the Wan3.0-Video standard version" and faster end to end. On 8frame it also generates sound by default, which base Wan 3.0 has no setting for. So you pay about twice as much for the speed Alibaba describes and for sound.
The disciplined way: block and iterate on base at 480p for 24 credits until the composition and motion are right. Move to Prime only when a deadline makes speed worth double or you want the model's own sound. Paying Prime rates while you are still finding the shot is the expensive mistake.
The 30-second single take
Wan 3.0 generates 2 to 30 seconds in one pass. Of the text- and image-to-video models on the canvas, only Seedance 2.5 also runs to 30 seconds, at 417 credits for 30 seconds at 480p. The cheapest continuous 30 seconds on Wan is base at 480p, 142 credits, about $1.42; 284 at 720p, 567 at 1080p.
What a long take is good for:
- A long background plate behind titles or a voiceover, with no cut inside those 30 seconds
- A slow continuous move that would otherwise need cuts between shorter clips
- Fewer loop points. If a plate has to repeat behind text, a 30-second source repeats less often than a 5- or 10-second one; watch the join before you deliver
The catch: one 30-second generation is one roll of the dice. If second 22 is wrong, you regenerate all thirty. Draft short first.
How to use it
- Open a canvas and add the Wan tool. It opens on Wan 3.0 at 1080p, 5 seconds, 9:16.
- Choose the tier. Base for almost everything. Prime only when you need faster turnaround or its sound.
- Set the resolution explicitly. This is the step that costs money when skipped.
- Set the duration. 2 to 30 seconds.
- Pick the shape. From text: 16:9, 9:16 or 1:1. With a start image, the clip follows the image's shape, so crop the still to the frame you want first.
- Write the prompt. One camera move, named light, concrete specifics.
- Plan the audio separately. Base Wan 3.0 has no audio setting on 8frame, so budget ElevenLabs SFX at 1 to 6 credits by length or a music bed at 13 for 30 seconds on Lyria 2.
Where Wan 3.0 fits
Blocking and drafting. 24 credits at 480p is the cheapest Wan 3.0 look at whether a composition works. Several video models cost less for 5 seconds, from Pruna p-video Draft at 4 credits at 720p.
B-roll and cutaways at volume. Twelve cutaways at 480p is 288 credits, about $2.88.
Background plates. If the plate sits blurred or under titles, 480p may be enough; check it at your delivery size before you commit.
Delivery at 1080p. Base at 95 is the cheapest Wan clip at 1080p made from text or an image, under Wan 2.5 at 102. (Wan 2.7 VideoEdit, which edits a clip you already have, bills 68 for 5 seconds at 1080p.)
Long takes. Base at 480p, 142 credits for 30 seconds, against 417 on Seedance 2.5 at 480p.
Carrying a design forward from an approved still used as the start image, from 24 credits at 480p. Wan 3.0 takes no reference images on the canvas; for those, Grok Imagine's reference mode starts at 35 credits for 5 seconds at 480p.
Where it does not fit
Audio in the same pass on base. Base Wan 3.0 has no sound setting. Prime generates sound (46 / 95 / 189 for 5 seconds), and Veo 3.1 Lite includes it at 54 credits for 8 seconds.
A dedicated camera-move mode. Wan 3.0 takes the camera move from your prompt; its node has no camera setting. Hailuo H3 Max Camera Controls is a mode built for a camera move around a still (it needs a start image), from 34 credits for 5 seconds at 480p. We have not compared how closely either follows a move, so test both at 5 seconds on your shot.
A subject held from several reference images. Wan 3.0 takes none on the canvas. Seedance 2.5 takes up to 9 (157 credits for 5 seconds at 720p, 70 at 480p); limits for every model are in reference image limits by model.
Anything you planned to upscale afterwards. There is no video upscaler on the canvas, so generate at delivery resolution.
Can you download Wan 3.0?
No. Wan 3.0 has no published weights: you use it through hosted services such as Alibaba Cloud Model Studio or, here, the 8frame canvas. Wan 2.5 has no published weights either. The newest Wan version with downloadable weights is the 2.2 line, under Apache 2.0. More in whether Wan 3.0 has open weights.
FAQ
How much does Wan 3.0 cost? Base: 24 credits for 5 seconds at 480p, 48 at 720p, 95 at 1080p. Prime: 46, 95 and 189.
Why did my clip cost 95 credits? The node opens at 1080p. Set the resolution.
Is Prime cheaper than base? No. About twice the price at every resolution.
What is the longest clip, and the cheapest way to get it? 30 seconds in one generation. On Wan, base at 480p, 142 credits.
What shapes can Wan 3.0 make? From text, 16:9, 9:16 or 1:1; the node opens on 9:16. With a start image, the clip follows the image's shape.
Does Wan 3.0 generate audio? Base Wan 3.0 has no audio setting on 8frame, so budget a separate pass. Prime generates sound by default, at the same price as without.
Does Wan 3.0 take reference images? Not on the canvas. Base takes text or one start image, and Prime's reference mode takes a reference clip. Base reference-to-video (34 / 68 / 135) is available only through the 8frame MCP connector, also from a clip.
Sources
- Wan 3.0 Prime described as "the high-speed version of the Wan3.0 video generation model, with capabilities aligned with the Wan3.0-Video standard version" with "significantly improved end-to-end speed": Alibaba Cloud Model Studio, newly released models, checked 2026-10-02
- Wan 3.0 Prime per-second prices on fal: fal, alibaba/wan-3.0-prime/text-to-video, checked 2026-10-02; base Wan 3.0 reference-to-video: fal, alibaba/wan-3.0/reference-to-video, checked 2026-10-02
- Wan weights: the newest uploads in Wan-AI's Hugging Face listing are the Wan 2.2 line, with no Wan 2.5 or 3.0 weights: Wan-AI on Hugging Face, checked 2026-10-02; Apache 2.0 licence: Wan2.2-TI2V-5B model card, checked 2026-10-02
- 8frame prices (Wan 3.0 base, Prime and reference-to-video, Wan 2.5, Wan 2.7 VideoEdit, Seedance 2.5 at 5 and 30 seconds, Pruna p-video Draft, Grok Imagine reference mode, Hailuo H3 Max Camera Controls, Veo 3.1 Lite, ElevenLabs SFX, Lyria 2): the 8frame app, checked 2026-10-02
- Wan node starting settings (Wan 3.0, 1080p, 5 seconds, 9:16), the shapes it offers from text, the start image setting the shape, and durations of the other video models: the 8frame app, checked 2026-10-02
- Wan 3.0 node inputs (no camera setting) and Seedance reference limits: the 8frame app, checked 2026-10-01
- Wan 3.0 inputs on the canvas and reference-to-video through the MCP connector: the 8frame app, checked 2026-10-01
Use base, set the resolution yourself, and pay for Prime only when speed or sound is worth double.
Try it without signing up: the 8frame canvas opens on a real board. The canvas is free and unlimited; generation is paid from $19/month.