The same Seedance clip can be quoted at $0.475/s, $0.79/s, or $10 per 1M tokens. The gap is not only markup; it is a different billing unit: output seconds, input-plus-output seconds, or tokens.
This report fixes the model version, output resolution, duration, 16:9 aspect ratio, 24fps and input type, then ranks per-second channels and token-billed channels separately. Cross-unit rows are limited to a like-for-like per-clip estimate, never a merged $/s and $/1M table.
The short version: Kie and SeeAPI are essentially tied within the per-second group; Volcano Ark is the lowest in the token group. For the same 5-second 1080p text-only clip, the per-second group is about $3.95, while the token group is about $2.64–3.38.
Prices reflect public pages on 2026-11-02; CNY is converted at 1 USD = 7.1 CNY. Verify against the actual invoice before topping up.
Strict like-for-like comparison · Data as of 2026-11-02 · Per-second and token billing ranked separately
Conclusion: group by billing unit first
Per-second channels are compared only with per-second channels; token-billed channels are compared only with token-billed channels. Cross-unit rows are limited to a like-for-like per-clip estimate with the formula shown, and are never merged into one ranking.
| Scenario | Per-second pick | Token pick | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 · 1080p · text-only | Kie / SeeAPI | Volcano Ark | Per-second $0.790/s; token $10.85/1M, about $2.64 per 5s clip |
| 2.5 · 1080p · 5s ref + 5s out | Kie / SeeAPI | Volcano / 302 | Per-second $4.75/clip; token $3.06–3.19/clip |
| International card only | Kie | BytePlus | BytePlus $11.70/1M, about $2.84 per 5s clip; Kie wins on payment and onboarding |
| Many reference images | Kie / SeeAPI | Volcano / BytePlus | The token formula only bills input video; 302 gives the first five images free |
| 4K required | — | Volcano Ark 2.0 | 2.5 tops out at 1080p; 2.0 4K is ¥26/1M tokens |
"Like-for-like" means the same model version, output resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio, 24fps, duration and input type. Rows that cannot meet all six are reference only and do not enter the group ranking.
Protocols and billing units
Every comparison uses one of the requests below. Per-second channels bill output seconds or input-plus-output seconds; token channels bill per million tokens. The two groups are not merged.
| Protocol | Model | Input | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| A · Text-only | Seedance 2.5 | Text, 0 reference images, 0 reference video | 1080p / 5s / 16:9 / 24fps / audio on |
| B · Image-to-video | Seedance 2.5 | 1 reference image, 0 reference video | 1080p / 5s / 16:9 / 24fps / audio on |
| C · Reference video | Seedance 2.5 | 5s reference video | 1080p / 5s / 16:9 / 24fps / audio on |
| D · 2.0 | Seedance 2.0 | Text, 0 references | 1080p / 15s / 16:9 / 24fps; plus 4K / 5s |
Token formula: tokens = (input video seconds + output seconds) × output width × output height × frame rate / 1024. At 16:9 and 24fps, one output second consumes about 9,607.5 tokens at 480p, 21,600 at 720p and 48,600 at 1080p. A 5s 1080p clip is about 243,000 tokens; a 5s reference plus 5s output is about 486,000 tokens.
Protocols A and B usually cost the same: the official token formula only bills input video, and reference images add no billable seconds; 302 gives the first five images free. Protocol C's per-second channels bill input plus output seconds, while token channels bill total tokens.
Protocol A: 2.5 · 1080p · 5s · text-only
Per-second group
Per-second channels are compared directly on the output second. Kie and SeeAPI publish prices that cover 1080p output seconds; Segmind, Atlas and EvoLink also publish per-second prices but do not disclose frame rate or aspect ratio, so they are listed as near-spec.
| Channel | Per second | 5s total | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kie.ai | $0.790 | $3.95 | Direct per-second price, 1080p, no video input |
| SeeAPI | $0.7906 | $3.95 | Direct per-second price, 1080p, no video input |
| Segmind | $0.5876 | $2.94 | Near-spec; frame rate/aspect not disclosed |
| Atlas Cloud | $0.590 | $2.95 | Near-spec; frame rate/aspect not disclosed |
| EvoLink | $0.739 | $3.70 | Near-spec; returned 403 in this check |
Within the per-second group: by raw value, Segmind $0.5876 < Atlas $0.590 < EvoLink $0.739 < Kie $0.790 ≈ SeeAPI $0.7906. Segmind, Atlas and EvoLink do not disclose the full spec, so they cannot be ranked directly against Kie and SeeAPI; the strictly comparable pair is Kie and SeeAPI, which are essentially tied.
Token group
Token channels are compared per million tokens. The 5s 1080p column uses 243,000 tokens as a like-for-like bridge; it does not enter the per-second ranking.
| Channel | 1080p token rate | 5s usage | 5s total | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 302.AI | $10.00 / 1M | 243k | $2.43 (about $2.55 with fee) | 10 PTC/1M; 1080p rate needs invoice confirmation |
| Volcano Ark | ¥77 ≈ $10.85 / 1M | 243k | $2.64 | Official 1080p token rate |
| APIMart | $11.00 / 1M | 243k | $2.67 | Gold member; mainland support ends 12/31 |
| BytePlus | $11.70 / 1M | 243k | $2.84 | Official 1080p token rate |
| AIMLAPI | $13.91 / 1M | 243k | $3.38 | Published token rate |
| fal.ai | $21.40 / 1M | 243k | $5.20 | Official formula; third-party quote $3.41, conflict |
| OpenRouter | $10.70 / 1M | 243k | — | 2.5 does not offer 1080p |
| Replicate | $10.70 / 1M | 243k | — | 2.5 does not offer 1080p |
Within the token group: 302 $10/1M < Volcano Ark $10.85/1M < APIMart $11/1M < BytePlus $11.70/1M < AIMLAPI $13.91/1M < fal $21.40/1M. 302's $10/1M rate needs invoice confirmation at 1080p; excluding that uncertainty, Volcano Ark is the lowest.
Cross-unit bridge: for the same 5s / 1080p / 16:9 / 24fps text-only clip, the per-second group is about $3.95 (Kie / SeeAPI), while the token group is $2.64 (Volcano), $2.67 (APIMart), $2.84 (BytePlus) and $3.38 (AIMLAPI). This bridge estimates one clip's invoice; it does not alter either group's ranking.
Protocol B: 2.5 · 1080p · one reference image
Change the input to one reference image and keep the output at 1080p / 5s / 16:9 / 24fps. The official token formula only bills input video, and reference images add no billable seconds; 302 gives the first five images free. The rankings from Protocol A therefore do not change: per-second Kie / SeeAPI about $0.790/s; token 302 $10/1M, Volcano $10.85/1M, APIMart $11/1M, BytePlus $11.70/1M.
What changes the bill is the number of images. 302 charges $0.0285 per image after the fifth; 30 images add $0.71 per clip. Volcano and BytePlus do not bill images separately under the published formula; Kie's documentation also says reference images add no billable seconds. Confirm SeeAPI's rule on its model page.
Protocol C: 2.5 · 1080p · 5s reference + 5s output
Per-second group
Per-second channels bill input plus output seconds, so 5s reference + 5s output is 10 billable seconds. Kie's $0.475/s and SeeAPI's $0.4759/s apply to each total second, not each output second.
| Channel | Billable rate | Billable seconds | Clip total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kie.ai | $0.475 / total second | 10s | $4.75 |
| SeeAPI | $0.4759 / total second | 10s | $4.76 |
Token group
Token channels bill total tokens: 5s reference + 5s output = 10s × 48,600 = 486,000 tokens.
| Channel | With-video token rate | Usage | Clip total | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 302.AI | $6.00 / 1M | 486k | $2.92 ($3.06 with fee) | 6 PTC/1M + 5% top-up fee |
| AIMLAPI | $6.40 / 1M | 486k | $3.11 | Published with-video token rate |
| Volcano Ark | ¥46 ≈ $6.48 / 1M | 486k | $3.15 | Official with-video token rate |
| APIMart | $6.568 / 1M | 486k | $3.19 | Gold member |
Within the token group: 302 $6/1M < AIMLAPI $6.4/1M < Volcano $6.48/1M < APIMart $6.568/1M. Per clip, 302 ($3.06 with fee) < AIMLAPI $3.11 < Volcano $3.15 < APIMart $3.19.
Cross-unit bridge: for the same spec, the per-second group is $4.75–4.76 per clip, while the token group is $3.06–3.19; the per-second group is about 50% higher. This compares each group's invoice, not a merged $/s and $/1M ranking.
Protocol D: 2.0 · 1080p · 15s and 4K · 5s
Token group
2.0 1080p and 4K are priced only in tokens, so they are compared only with token channels. 1080p / 15s uses 729,000 tokens; 4K / 5s uses 972,000 tokens.
| Channel | 2.0 1080p token rate | 15s total | 4K token rate | 4K 5s total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volcano Ark | ¥51 ≈ $7.18 / 1M | $5.24 | ¥26 ≈ $3.66 / 1M | $3.56 |
| BytePlus / OpenRouter | $7.70 / 1M | $5.61 | $4.00 / 1M | $3.89 |
| 302.AI | $7.884 / 1M | $5.75 ($6.03 with fee) | Confirm | Confirm |
Within the token group: Volcano $7.18/1M < BytePlus / OpenRouter $7.70/1M < 302 $7.884/1M. Per clip at 1080p 15s: Volcano $5.24 < BytePlus $5.61 < 302 $6.03 (including the 5% fee).
2.0 versus 2.5 at the same spec: 1080p / 15s / 16:9 / 24fps / no video input. Volcano 2.5 is ¥77/1M and 2.0 is ¥51/1M; token usage is identical, so 2.0 is about 34% cheaper. Per clip: 2.5 $7.91, 2.0 $5.24.
Cost model: the same clip, same unit
2.5 · 1080p · per-second billing
| Duration | Kie.ai | SeeAPI |
|---|---|---|
| 5s | $3.95 | $3.95 |
| 15s | $11.85 | $11.86 |
| 30s | $23.70 | $23.72 |
2.5 · 1080p · token billing
| Duration | Volcano Ark | BytePlus | APIMart | AIMLAPI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5s | $2.64 | $2.84 | $2.67 | $3.38 |
| 15s | $7.91 | $8.53 | $8.01 | $10.13 |
| 30s | $15.81 | $17.06 | $16.01 | $20.27 |
A 30-second 1080p clip costs $15.81 on Volcano, $16.01 on APIMart, $17.06 on BytePlus and $20.27 on AIMLAPI in the token group; the per-second group costs $23.70 on Kie and $23.72 on SeeAPI. The per-second group is about 50% above the lowest token bill.
How to choose: constraints first
1. China account, volume will grow
Use the token group and Volcano Ark: 2.5 1080p ¥77/1M, 2.0 1080p ¥51/1M, 2.0 4K ¥26/1M. Keep a per-second channel as a backup, not the primary route.
2. International card, needs 1080p
Use BytePlus in the token group: 2.5 1080p $11.70/1M, about $2.84 per 5s clip. Use Kie or SeeAPI in the per-second group at $0.790/s, about $3.95 per 5s clip. BytePlus is cheaper; Kie wins on international payment, English documentation and a unified endpoint.
3. Five-second reference video
Check the billing unit first. The per-second group bills input plus output seconds: Kie and SeeAPI are $4.75/clip. The token group bills 486,000 tokens: 302, AIMLAPI, Volcano and APIMart are $3.06–3.19/clip. The two groups are not ranked together, but the like-for-like bills differ by about 50%.
4. Many reference images
Volcano and BytePlus do not bill images separately under the published formula; Kie's documentation also says images add no billable seconds. 302 gives the first five free, then charges $0.0285 each; 30 images add $0.71 per clip. Confirm SeeAPI's rule on its model page.
5. 4K required
Only the 2.0 token group applies. Volcano is $3.66/1M tokens (about $3.56 per 5s clip); BytePlus and OpenRouter are $4.00/1M (about $3.89). 2.5 has no 4K. A third-party "4K upscale" is post-processing, not native output.
Like-for-like verification checklist
A public price table filters out obviously unsuitable channels; a settleable conclusion requires one controlled run:
- 01Fix the same model version, prompt, reference image or 5s reference video.
- 02Fix output at 16:9, 24fps, 5s, 1080p and audio on; never compare different resolutions or durations.
- 03Record the actual charge (usage.cost or invoice); check billable seconds for per-second channels and token counts for token channels.
- 04With a reference video, confirm whether billing uses input + output total seconds/tokens or output only.
- 05With many reference images, confirm whether the sixth image is charged and whether the fee is per image or per job.
- 06Check output resolution, frame rate, duration, audio and watermark; confirm there is no tier downgrade or post-processed upscale.
- 07Submit one job that should fail; confirm whether it is refunded and where the credit returns.
- 08Confirm request and asset retention; do not send sensitive prompts through a channel you cannot audit.
Data scope and limitations
Prices reflect public pages accessible on 2026-11-02. CNY is converted at 1 USD = 7.1 CNY. Token usage is estimated from the Volcano Ark formula: at 16:9 and 24fps, one output second is about 9,607.5 tokens at 480p, 21,600 at 720p and 48,600 at 1080p. Actual usage should be read from each platform's usage field.
Per-second and token channels are ranked separately and never merged. Segmind, Atlas and EvoLink are near-spec because they do not disclose frame rate or aspect ratio; 302's 1080p token rate and fal's 1080p quote have unit uncertainty and are marked in the tables. All prices exclude tax, top-up fees, failed retries and storage. 302's 5% top-up fee is included using its published historical rate; confirm the current page.
- Volcano Ark · Model pricingSeedance 2.5 / 2.0 official CNY rates and five-second examples
- Kie.ai · Seedance 2.5480p / 720p / 1080p credit rates and with-video billing rules
- SeeAPI · PricingSeedance 2.5 / 2.0 tiers and reference-video rates
- 302.AI · Seedance 2.510 PTC / 6 PTC per 1M tokens
- APIMart · Seedance 2.5 pricing480p / 720p / 1080p and membership discounts
- OpenRouter · Seedance 2.5Token billing and 480p / 720p limits
- AIMLAPI · Seedance 2.5$13.91 per 1M tokens
- fal.ai · Seedance 2.5Token billing and 720p / 480p estimates
- Cellcog · Multi-channel price comparisonCross-check for Replicate, Segmind, EvoLink and Kie 1080p rates