Correction, 2026-10-02: the page compared Hailuo H3 only with Veo 3.1 Standard (448 credits), although the Veo node opens on Veo 3.1 Fast (168), and did not say that Kling v3 needs a start image while Hailuo H3 also runs from text. It also implied that Hailuo H3 clips have no sound: there is no sound setting on 8frame, but MiniMax describes H3 as generating video with native stereo audio, and we have not checked 8frame's H3 files for a soundtrack. It left out the two other H3 Max modes on 8frame, Camera Controls and Lip Sync, and MiniMax's release of the H3 weights under its own licence.
Correction, 2026-10-01: the page still priced Hailuo at $0.25 to $0.35 per 5-second clip, called the current version 2.3, said clips run up to 10 seconds in three shapes with a motion-intensity setting, and described example results we have not measured. On 8frame, Hailuo H3 is 88 credits for 5 seconds at 2K, and H3 Max Turbo is 17, 27 or 54 at 480p, 768p or 1080p; clips run 5 to 15 seconds in six shapes from text, with no motion setting. The examples now say what to check instead of what the model does.
Correction, 2026-09-30: We said Kling v3 runs up to three minutes at native 4K; on 8frame it runs 3 to 15 seconds and no video model outputs 4K. An example quoted $0.30 for a 5-second Hailuo clip and described its result; Hailuo H3 is 88 credits for 5 seconds on 8frame, and we cannot reproduce the result.
Hailuo is a video generation model built by MiniMax. On 8frame it runs as Hailuo H3 (MiniMax's Hailuo-03), from text or from a start image, at 2K.
On price it sits in the middle of the 8frame lineup: 88 credits (about $0.88) for 5 seconds at 2K, about the same as Kling v3 Standard with audio (86, and Kling v3 needs a start image) and under Veo 3.1 Fast, the tier the Veo node opens on (168 for 8 seconds with audio). For drafts, the H3 Max Turbo tier costs 17, 27 or 54 credits for 5 seconds at 480p, 768p or 1080p.
How Hailuo works
Hailuo is MiniMax's video model; 8frame runs the H3 generation through fal. You provide a text prompt or a start image, choose clip length and shape, and the model synthesizes the video. On 8frame the mode is picked for you: text-to-video from a prompt alone, image-to-video when a start frame is connected. Key settings:
- Clip length. 5 to 15 seconds, default 5: 88 credits for 5 seconds, 176 for 10, 264 for 15.
- Aspect ratio. From text, six shapes: 21:9, 16:9, 4:3, 1:1, 3:4 and 9:16; the node opens at 16:9. From a start image, the clip follows the image's shape.
- Resolution. Base H3 always renders at 2K. H3 Max Turbo offers 480p, 768p (its default) or 1080p, at 17, 27 or 54 credits for 5 seconds.
- Image-to-video. Accepts a start image as the first frame, which makes it a useful downstream step after any image generation pass.
- Sound. There is no sound setting on 8frame. MiniMax's model card says H3 generates video "with native stereo audio"; we have not checked 8frame's H3 files for a soundtrack, so play a test clip before you plan the audio around it.
There is no motion-intensity setting. If a prompt should produce movement, name it: what moves, in which direction and how fast. Then check a 5-second test before you pay for longer takes.
The four Hailuo variants on 8frame
The Hailuo node opens on H3; the other three are in the same picker.
| Variant | What goes in | Resolution | Price for 5 s |
|---|---|---|---|
| H3 (default) | A prompt, or a prompt and a start image | 2K | 88 |
| H3 Max Turbo | A prompt, or a prompt and a start image | 480p, 768p (default), 1080p | 17, 27, 54 |
| H3 Max Camera Controls | A start image and a prompt; the camera moves around the still | 480p (default), 768p, 1080p | 34, 54, 108 |
| H3 Max Lip Sync | A still image and an audio track, no prompt | 480p, 768p (default), 1080p, 2K | 34, 54, 108, 216 for a 5-second track |
H3, Turbo and Camera Controls run 5 to 15 seconds. Lip Sync has no length setting: the clip runs as long as the audio track, billed per second with a 5-second minimum, and audio past about 15 seconds is cut off.
When you use Hailuo
Hailuo H3 fits when you want 2K output at a mid-range price, or cheap drafts on H3 Max Turbo. Camera Controls is for a slow move around a still you already have, and Lip Sync for a still that speaks to a voice track.
Cases to try it on:
- Social content with people. Lifestyle prompts with people moving (walking, reacting, handling products). Describe the action concretely and check hands and faces through the clip.
- Nature and environment shots. Water, foliage, weather. Name the motion you want so the scene does not sit still, and check that it keeps moving to the last frame.
- High-volume iteration. 20 drafts of a scene on H3 Max Turbo at 480p cost 340 credits (17 each); 20 base H3 clips at 2K cost 1,760 (88 each). Draft cheap, then rerun the keepers at 2K.
- Mixed content briefs. If a brief spans product shots, lifestyle and narrative, one model keeps prompts and settings comparable. Test one shot of each type before you commit the batch, and move individual shots to another model where the test falls short.
You'd reach for Kling v3 when you want a sound setting you control in the same pass (Hailuo H3 has none on 8frame); Kling v3 needs a start image, and both run up to 15 seconds. You'd reach for Veo 3.1 for Google's model with sound: the Veo node opens on Veo 3.1 Fast at 168 credits for 8 seconds, and Veo 3.1 Standard is 448. Hailuo H3 costs about the same as Kling v3 with audio (88 against 86 for 5 seconds) and delivers 2K, where Kling v3 Standard returns 720p. See Hailuo vs Wan: budget video generation compared for a direct cost comparison.
Examples
Lifestyle, 5s clip: "Woman laughing at her phone in a coffee shop, natural light from a window, handheld camera feel, 9:16." On Hailuo H3 that is 88 credits for 5 seconds, about $0.88.
Nature, 10s clip: "Rain falling on a dense forest canopy, wide shot, overcast light, 16:9." On Hailuo H3 that is 176 credits for 10 seconds. Rain and wind-moved foliage are two overlapping motions: check that both keep moving through the whole clip before you scale up.
Product in context, 5s clip: "Glass candle on a wooden table, flame flickering, slow zoom in, 1:1." The flame motion is the test: check it for loops or freezes across the clip. 88 credits at 2K, or 27 on H3 Max Turbo at 768p for a draft.
Is Hailuo open source?
MiniMax published the H3 weights on Hugging Face (the repository was created on 2026-07-28) under the MiniMax H3 Community License Agreement, dated 2026-08-02. That is open weights with conditions, not a standard open-source licence:
- Territory. The licence covers the world except the European Union, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Korea and the United States. MiniMax invites anyone there who wants to deploy the model to contact it about a separate licence.
- Large companies. Commercial products and services with more than $20 million in yearly revenue need prior written authorization from MiniMax.
- Attribution. A commercial product or service that uses the model must prominently display "MiniMax H3" in its user interface.
The release has two checkpoints, H3 Base FL2VA and H3 Base Ref2VA, which generate at 768p; MiniMax says the step that regenerates a result at 2K "is not yet open-sourced" and offers it through its API. The H3 Max variants are not part of the release. These terms cover running the weights yourself; on 8frame, Hailuo H3 runs through fal.
Related concepts
- For a direct comparison of Hailuo against another budget-tier model, see Hailuo vs Wan: budget video generation compared.
- For context on where Hailuo fits in the broader AI video model landscape, see best AI video generator 2026.
- Text-to-video AI is the category Hailuo belongs to. If you're new to how these models work under the hood, what is text-to-video AI covers the architecture.
- Image-to-video is the generation mode where a still frame is the starting input. Hailuo H3 supports both text-only and image-anchored generation.
FAQ
How much does Hailuo cost on 8frame?
Hailuo H3 is 88 credits for 5 seconds at 2K, 176 for 10 and 264 for 15. H3 Max Turbo is 17, 27 or 54 credits for 5 seconds at 480p, 768p or 1080p, and H3 Max Camera Controls is 34, 54 or 108. H3 Max Lip Sync is 54 for a 5-second track at 768p. A credit is about $0.01 at pack rate.
Does Hailuo H3 generate sound on 8frame?
There is no sound setting for Hailuo H3 on 8frame, and we have not checked whether its clips carry a soundtrack, although MiniMax's model card says H3 generates video "with native stereo audio". Play a 5-second test before you plan the audio around it. If you want sound you switch on yourself, Kling v3 Standard is 86 credits for 5 seconds with audio, from a start image.
Can Hailuo H3 start from an image?
Yes. Connect a start frame and it runs image-to-video, following the image's shape; without one it runs text-to-video in one of six shapes. Camera Controls and Lip Sync always need a still image.
Is Hailuo open source?
MiniMax released the H3 weights under its own community licence, which excludes the European Union, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Korea and the United States and requires written authorization above $20 million in yearly revenue. The 2K step and the H3 Max variants are not in the release. On 8frame, Hailuo H3 runs through fal.
Sources
- Hailuo H3, H3 Max Turbo, H3 Max Camera Controls and H3 Max Lip Sync prices, lengths, shapes, resolutions, node defaults and modes: 8frame tool registry (calculateHailuoH3Cost, calculateHailuoH3TurboCost, calculateHailuoH3CameraControlsCost, calculateHailuoH3LipSyncCost) and front tool settings, read 2026-10-02
- Kling v3 Standard and Veo 3.1 prices, the Veo and Kling node defaults, and Kling v3's start-image requirement: 8frame tool registry, read 2026-10-02
- MiniMax H3 model card (repository created 2026-07-28; "native stereo audio"; two checkpoints at 768p; 2K regeneration "not yet open-sourced"): huggingface.co/MiniMaxAI/MiniMax-H3, checked 2026-10-02
- MiniMax H3 Community License Agreement (dated 2026-08-02; excluded territories; $20 million authorization; "MiniMax H3" display): huggingface.co/MiniMaxAI/MiniMax-H3/blob/main/LICENSE, checked 2026-10-02
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