Hailuo AI alternativeElyum, pay only for keeps
Hailuo AI still bills failed clips; a take here is free until you KEEP it.
Hailuo AI is MiniMax's consumer video and image app, built around the Hailuo line and, since July 31, 2026, MiniMax H3. H3 is why people stay. Omni-modal clips up to 15 seconds at 2K, with native stereo audio from text, image, or audio input. Third-party reviewers call out motion and physics as a specific strength versus other video models. If you want MiniMax's own stack the day it ships, Hailuo AI is the first-party door.
The search usually starts with the bill. Hailuo AI Standard is $9.99 a month for 1,000 credits. A 6-second 1080p clip on the native Hailuo model costs 80 credits, about $0.80 at that plan's $0.01-per-credit rate. Credits reset each billing month and do not roll over, per Mobbi.ai and AI Video Bootcamp. AI Video Bootcamp reports that failed or moderation-rejected generations still consume credits, and no official refund guarantee was found. The same writeup cited Trustpilot reviewers on unauthorized charges and hard cancellations (not checked against Trustpilot in this research). Cybernews reported 15-30 minute queues at peak, especially on the free tier.
We run a different meter. Every render comes back as a free preview (a take). KEEP the ones you want; that is the only moment credits move. KILL the rest and the refund is automatic. A failed generation is never charged. Paid plans kill freely. Free is up to 150 credits once (our algorithm may grant them), no card, with one kill a month. Plans are Plus $9/mo, Pro $29/mo, Ultra $69/mo, at 1 credit = $0.01, plus top-ups. MiniMax H3 sits in the same studio as Seedance, Kling, Veo, and 50+ other models.
Skip this page if you need Hailuo 2.3, Hailuo 02, T2V-01-Director, or I2V-01-Live as first-party tools, or if you want Master/Ultra/Max agency rungs up to $199.99/mo. Third-party sources describe unlimited Relax mode on Max; we have no equivalent. We also do not ship a timeline editor, stock footage, talking-head avatars, a mobile app, team seats, or a community feed.
Why people switch from Hailuo AI
- Failed clips still cost money there
AI Video Bootcamp reports Hailuo AI still deducts credits when a generation fails or moderation rejects it, and no official refund guarantee was found. We never charge a failed generation. On paid plans you can KILL a take you dislike and get a full automatic refund.
- Monthly credits expire unused
Hailuo AI credits reset each billing month and do not roll over, per third-party pricing writeups. A 6-second 1080p native clip is 80 credits you cannot bank. Our charge happens at KEEP, so a preview you reject does not sit on the meter.
- H3 plus models Hailuo AI lacks
Hailuo AI lists Seedance 2.0, Nano Banana 2, and MiniMax H3 in its workspace. Kling 3 is not offered there, and Veo 3.1 is unverified. We run those three plus Seedance 2.5, Wan 3.0, Kling 3.0, and Veo 3.1 on one credit balance.
- Entry plan is $9, not $9.99
Hailuo AI Standard is $9.99/mo for 1,000 credits at $0.01 each. Plus is $9/mo at the same 1 credit = $0.01. Full rungs are on pricing (Pro $29/mo, Ultra $69/mo). Pro and Ultra add fair-use unlimited images on selected image models.
- Free output you can actually ship
Hailuo AI's free tier watermarks output, caps at 768p and about 6 seconds, and grants no commercial rights. Free here is up to 150 credits once (our algorithm may grant them), no card. Kept takes download full quality, no watermark, commercial use included.
- Agents share the studio balance
MiniMax's developer API on platform.minimax.io is a separate bill from Hailuo AI app credits. Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor can call the same Elyum balance through the MCP server and the REST API.
Where Hailuo AI still wins
- Hailuo 2.3 is first-party only
Hailuo AI is MiniMax's own consumer app. Hailuo 2.3, Hailuo 2.3-Fast, Hailuo 02, Hailuo 02-Fast, I2V-01-Live, and T2V-01-Director live there. We carry MiniMax H3. We do not carry that older Hailuo family.
- H3 audio on MiniMax's clock
MiniMax H3 native stereo dialogue and SFX ships inside Hailuo AI the day MiniMax ships it. You are not waiting on a third-party studio to wire the model. If same-week H3 access is the product, stay.
- Agency rungs to $199.99/mo
Master is $79.99/mo (10,000 credits), Ultra $124.99/mo (12,000), Max $199.99/mo (20,000), positioned for small teams and agencies. Third-party sources describe unlimited Relax mode on Max. We have no team seats and no Relax uncapped tier.
Hailuo AI vs Elyum, side by side
| What matters | Hailuo AI | Elyum |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $9.99/mo Standard, 1,000 credits (third-party; official table not confirmed) | Plus $9/mo; Free up to 150 credits once (our algorithm may grant them), no card |
| Free tier | Trial pool ~4-8 short clips; 768p; ~6s; lowest queue; watermark; no commercial rights | up to 150 credits once (our algorithm may grant them), no card; one kill/month; kept takes are clean |
| Failed or bad render cost | Credits still consumed (third-party reviews); no official refund guarantee found | Failed generation never charged; KILL refunds a rejected take |
| Watermark on paid plans | Removed on Standard and above | No watermark on kept takes |
| Seedance 2.0 | Offered in the creative workspace (Hailuo AI blog) | Offered; 5s 1080p 120 credits ($1.20) |
| Nano Banana 2 | Offered for image generation | Offered; 1K 3 credits ($0.03); fair-use unlimited on Ultra |
| MiniMax H3 | First-party; up to 15s, 2K, native stereo audio (July 31, 2026) | Offered; 5s 768p 35 credits ($0.35); 5-15s, 2k and 4k listed |
| Commercial use | Free: no. Paid Standard+: yes (third-party pricing pages) | Commercial use included on kept takes |
| API or agent access | Separate MiniMax API on platform.minimax.io; not app credits | MCP and REST API on the studio credit balance |
| Hailuo 2.x first-party models | Hailuo 2.3, 2.3-Fast, 02, 02-Fast, I2V-01-Live, T2V-01-Director | Not offered |
Hailuo AI facts from its own pricing and help pages plus independent reviews, verified 2026-09-07 (sources at the end). Elyum numbers are computed from the live rate card.
What it actually costs
Hailuo AI's ladder in third-party writeups is Standard $9.99/mo (1,000 credits), Pro $34.99/mo (4,500), Master $79.99/mo (10,000), Ultra $124.99/mo (12,000), and Max $199.99/mo (20,000). Native 6s 768p is 25 credits (~$0.25 on Standard). Native 6s 1080p is 80 credits (~$0.80). The Hailuo paid vs free blog is MiniMax's own framing; the live official price table did not load in research, and 2026 writeups show promo drift on Standard. Credits do not roll over. No official pay-as-you-go top-up was confirmed.
Listed Elyum plans are Free (up to 150 credits once (our algorithm may grant them)), Plus $9/mo, Pro $29/mo, and Ultra $69/mo, at 1 credit = $0.01, with optional top-ups. Pro and Ultra include fair-use unlimited image generation on selected image models, including Nano Banana 2. Kept downloads have no watermark. The cut versus Higgsfield, OpenArt, and Runway anchors is about 20 percent and is already in the listed price.
Same workspace models Hailuo AI actually lists. A 5-second Seedance 2.0 take at 1080p is 120 credits ($1.20) if you KEEP it. Two previews you keep would be 2 × 120 credits = 240 credits ($2.40). Hailuo AI's native 6s 1080p clip is 80 credits, about $0.80 on Standard, billed whether you ship it or not. Model-level split: Hailuo AI vs Elyum for Seedance 2.0.
| Hailuo AI plan | Monthly | Yearly (per month) | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | Small one-time/trial pool, reported as roughly enough for 4-8 short clips; some sources report a discontinued daily login bonus (~100 credits) that no longer applies · watermarked |
| Standard | $9.99 | n/a | 1,000/month |
| Pro | $34.99 | n/a | 4,500/month |
| Master | $79.99 | n/a | 10,000/month |
| Ultra | $124.99 | n/a | 12,000/month |
| Max | $199.99 | n/a | 20,000/month |
| Elyum Plus / Pro / Ultra | $9 / $29 / $69 | n/a | One balance, all 50+ models, previews free |
Same models, priced on Elyum
Models Hailuo AI also offers, with Elyum's live price for the shortest common take. Each one has a head-to-head page.
What the models look like on Elyum
Why generate with Elyum?
- Pay only for what you keep. Kill a take and every credit comes back.
- 50+ video, image and audio models on one balance.
- Rates about 20% under comparable platforms, and the cut is already in the price.
- Kept files download clean and full quality, no watermark, commercial use included.
- Works from the studio, or from Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor via MCP.
- Free plan, our algorithm may grant you 150 credits, no card required.
Moving from Hailuo AI
- Download every Hailuo AI clip you already paid for. Paid-tier files are the ones with the watermark off and commercial rights attached.
- Open a Free account (up to 150 credits (our algorithm may grant them), no card). Do not expect unused Hailuo AI monthly credits to move over. Those reset and are not a transferable balance.
- If MiniMax H3 is why you used Hailuo AI, start on that model page. If you were already on Seedance 2.0 or Nano Banana 2 in Hailuo's workspace, use those same slugs here.
- Run a preview. KEEP only takes you will download. KILL the rest. Free allows one kill a month; Plus, Pro, and Ultra kill freely.
- MiniMax's developer API stays on platform.minimax.io and is not Hailuo app credits. For Claude, ChatGPT, or Cursor, use the REST API (MCP is documented separately).
Frequently asked questions
Is Elyum cheaper than Hailuo AI?
Does Elyum have the same models as Hailuo AI?
What happens to a bad render on Elyum vs Hailuo AI?
Can I use Hailuo AI and Elyum together?
Does Hailuo AI allow commercial use on the free tier?
How long can Hailuo AI clips be?
Do Hailuo AI monthly credits roll over?
- Hailuo AI Video & Image Generator (homepage) (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Hailuo AI: Free vs Paid AI Video Generators (official blog) (accessed 2026-09-07)
- MiniMax Releases MiniMax H3: An Omni-Modal Video Model - MarkTechPost (accessed 2026-09-07)
- MiniMax Hailuo 2.3: A New Level of Complex Video Performance - MiniMax News (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Hailuo AI: Pricing, Prompts and Honest Review (2026) - AI Video Bootcamp (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Hailuo AI Pricing Explained — MiniMax Video Plans and Costs (2026) - Mobbi.ai (accessed 2026-09-07)
- MiniMax Pricing 2026: Hailuo, API & Plans Explained - Felloai (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Hailuo AI Video Review 2026: My Experience After Testing It - Cybernews (accessed 2026-09-07)
Other alternatives people compare
Create everything. Keep the best.
The models you use on Hailuo AI, plus the ones it doesn't have, on one balance. Every render is a free preview.