Magic Hour vs Elyumfor MiniMax H3
Elyum previews MiniMax H3 for free and charges only a keep. Magic Hour bills credits up front and does not publish the clip price.
MiniMax H3 is MiniMax's video model for 5 to 15 second clips from text, a still, or reference images and audio, at up to 4K. Practitioners use it when they need one look across text to video, image to video, and reference to video, with native audio on the take. A 5s 4K keep on Elyum is 90 credits ($0.90). Duration is billed per second.
The model is the same vendor weights. The bill and the limits are not. Magic Hour's pricing page sells Free, Creator ($19/mo, 144,000 credits/year, 1024px), Pro ($39/mo, 300,000 credits/year, 1472px), and Business ($99/mo, 840,000 credits/year, 4K). It does not publish a MiniMax H3 per-clip price. Elyum uses 1 credit = $0.01, a free preview, and keep/kill. Listed keeps start at 25 credits ($0.25) for 5s at 480p on the MiniMax H3 page.
Magic Hour is the larger kit: 100+ tools, face swap, lip sync, character replacement, and a public REST API. Elyum is one studio and one credit balance across 50+ models. Elyum does not have a timeline editor, stock footage, talking-head avatars, a mobile app, team seats, or a community feed. For the broader Magic Hour stack see the Magic Hour alternative. Same model on another host: Higgsfield vs Elyum for MiniMax H3.
MiniMax H3 on Magic Hour
Magic Hour lists MiniMax H3 as reference-driven video with native audio on its AI info page. All plans include every tool. Creator is $19/mo ($12/mo yearly), 144,000 credits/year, 1024px, watermark-free. Pro is $39/mo ($25/mo yearly), 300,000 credits/year, 1472px. Business is $99/mo ($66/mo yearly), 840,000 credits/year, 4K. Magic Hour does not publish MiniMax H3's credit burn.
What a bad take costs on Magic Hour is unknown. A dedicated refund page exists, but the specific terms were not in the research, so this page does not invent a refund. Free video and audio outputs may include a watermark (stated on Magic Hour's pricing page). Paid subscribers may use outputs commercially. Paid-plan credits are allocated annually. Extra packs are $10/4,000 through $160/64,000 credits at $1 = 400 credits.
MiniMax H3 on Elyum
On Elyum, MiniMax H3 is 5 to 15 seconds at 480p, 768p, 2K, and 4K. Per-second rates are 5, 7, 15, and 18. Five-second keeps: 25 credits ($0.25), 35 credits ($0.35), 75 credits ($0.75), 90 credits ($0.90). Fifteen-second keeps: 75 credits ($0.75), 105 credits ($1.05), 225 credits ($2.25), 270 credits ($2.70). Full table on plans and top-ups.
Each render comes back as a free preview (a take). Credits move only when you keep it. Kill refunds the rest in full. A failed generation is never charged. Free is up to 150 credits once (our algorithm may grant them), no card, one kill a month. Plus $9/mo, Pro $29/mo, and Ultra $69/mo kill freely. Kept takes download clean, no watermark, commercial use included. Same studio from Claude, ChatGPT, or Cursor via the MCP server and the REST API.
What a MiniMax H3 take costs
| Scenario | Magic Hour | Elyum |
|---|---|---|
| One 5s take you keep | Not published | 25 credits ($0.25) (480p); 90 credits ($0.90) (4K) |
| Ten takes, keep two (5s, 480p) | Not published | 2 × 25 credits = 50 credits ($0.50) |
| A failed generation | Not published | Never charged |
| Plan needed to run the model | All tools on every plan; 4K export needs Business at $99/mo | Free plan, up to 150 credits once (our algorithm may grant them), no card |
| Watermark on the file | Free video/audio may include a watermark; paid is clean | None on kept takes |
| Credit unit and top-ups | 0.25 cents/credit; packs at $1 = 400 credits | 1 credit = $0.01; packs listed with plans |
Elyum: 1 credit = $0.01, charged only when you keep a take. Magic Hour figures from its own pricing pages and independent reviews, verified 2026-09-07; sources at the end. Full rate card on the MiniMax H3 page.
Where the two differ
Magic Hour credits cost 0.25 cents each, with annual pools and $1 = 400 credit packs. Elyum is 1 credit = $0.01 on monthly plans (Plus $9, Pro $29, Ultra $69) plus top-ups. Magic Hour does not list MiniMax H3 burn.
Elyum previews for free, charges only a keep, and refunds a kill in full. Failed gens are never billed. Free plan: one kill a month. Magic Hour's refund terms were not extracted, so a bad MiniMax H3 take has no stated cost here.
Elyum runs MiniMax H3 from 480p through 4K, 5 to 15 seconds, billed per second. Magic Hour gates export quality by plan (1024px Creator, 1472px Pro, 4K Business). MiniMax H3 clip length on Magic Hour is not published.
Magic Hour wraps MiniMax H3 in 100+ tools (face swap, lip sync, character replacement) and does not feature-gate tools by plan. Elyum is a multi-model studio only. No timeline, stock, avatars, or mobile app.
Magic Hour ships a REST API for async media jobs, billed separately from the web subscription, with official SDKs. Elyum exposes the same studio through a REST API and MCP for Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor.
Elyum kept takes have no watermark and include commercial use. Magic Hour: free video/audio may be watermarked; paid exports are watermark-free; paid subscribers may use outputs commercially. Free-tier commercial terms on Magic Hour are not fully specified.
Pick Magic Hour when
- You want MiniMax H3 next to face swap, lip sync, and character replacement in one Magic Hour account.
- Every Magic Hour plan includes every tool. You pay for credits, resolution, and queue, not a locked feature list.
- You already buy Magic Hour credit packs or need their REST API and the 99.9% API uptime they report.
Pick Elyum when
- You iterate. Preview is free. Credits move only on a keep. A kill refunds the rest in full.
- You want listed MiniMax H3 prices, including 4K, without Magic Hour's $99/mo Business gate.
- You want one balance across 50+ models, plus MCP, starting at up to 150 credits (our algorithm may grant them).
- Kept files download without a watermark, full quality, commercial use included.
MiniMax H3 in three styles, rendered on Elyum
Getting the most out of MiniMax H3
- Write one beat per 5 seconds: subject, action, camera. MiniMax H3 smears when a 5s prompt asks for a dolly-in, a whip pan, and a wardrobe change together.
- Image to video: the still is frame 0. Prompt only the motion that leaves that frame (head turn, fabric, push-in). Do not re-describe clothes, lens, or location.
- Reference to video: use 1 to 3 stills of the same face or product under similar light. Mixed wardrobes or mixed ages in the refs cause identity drift on longer clips.
- Native audio is part of MiniMax H3. Put dialogue in quotes and name one room tone or one SFX. Two scores or overlapping voices will fight.
- At 4K, keep backgrounds simple. Small type, distant crowds, and fast handheld over 10 to 15 seconds are where temporal flicker shows first.
- Use 5s for a single insert or product turn. Write 10 to 15s only with a start, a hold, and an exit. Do not ask MiniMax H3 for a scene change or a plot.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a MiniMax H3 video cost on Elyum vs Magic Hour?
Is MiniMax H3 the same model on both?
What happens to a bad MiniMax H3 take?
Do I need a subscription to use MiniMax H3 on Elyum?
Does Magic Hour watermark MiniMax H3?
Can I export MiniMax H3 in 4K on both?
- Magic Hour Pricing (accessed 2026-09-07)
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- Magic Hour AI: Official Facts, Tools & Sources (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Magic Hour Review – Cost, Use Cases & Alternatives [2026] (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Magic Hour AI Review 2026: Features, Pricing, Pros & Cons - Ai Resource (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Magic Hour Reviews (2026) | Product Hunt (accessed 2026-09-07)
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Create everything. Keep the best.
MiniMax H3 is a AI video generator you can preview free on Elyum. Keep the takes you love, kill the rest for a full refund.