Pollo AI vs Elyumfor MiniMax H3
Elyum previews MiniMax H3 for free and charges only a keep, while Pollo AI bills the miss unless a 2026 paid unlimited promo applies.
MiniMax H3 is MiniMax's video model for 5 to 15 second clips from text, a still, or reference images and audio. On Elyum the same weights run from 480p through 4K. The useful job is a short optical beat: a face that holds from a reference still, one camera move, a 5 to 10 second shot you can drop into an edit. It will not carry a half-minute plot. If you already like the H3 look, you are not choosing a model. You are choosing who bills the take. The MiniMax H3 page lists text to video, image to video, and reference to video in one studio.
Price structure splits first. Elyum bills MiniMax H3 per second, only on keep: 25 credits ($0.25) for 5s at 480p, 90 credits ($0.90) at 4K. Pollo AI does not publish a MiniMax H3 credit price. Pollo AI's pricing page is the source for a 2026 promo that gives paid plans unlimited MiniMax H3 and MiniMax H3 Max for a limited window. An Elyum kill refunds in full. aireviewlab.io reviewers report Pollo AI still takes the credits when the output ignores the prompt. Elyum Free is up to 150 credits once (our algorithm may grant them), no card. Pollo AI free is about 20 signup credits with a watermark. Elyum states 5 to 15 seconds and 4K; Pollo AI's H3 resolution cap was not independently verified.
Pollo AI can be the cheaper desk for H3 volume if that 2026 unlimited window is still live on a paid plan. Elyum is cheaper when you iterate, because previews are free and kills refund. Elyum has no mobile app, no timeline editor, and no team seats. If those matter more than keep/kill, the Pollo AI alternative page is the honest map. Same-model writeups for other studios sit in the compare index.
MiniMax H3 on Pollo AI
MiniMax H3 and MiniMax H3 Max both run on Pollo AI. The per-clip credit price is not published. What the official pricing page states (and third-party fetches repeat) is a 2026 promotional unlimited-access window on those two models for paid subscribers. That window is time-limited, not a permanent plan line. Third-party reviews list Lite at $15/mo ($10/mo yearly), 300 credits, no watermark, two parallel tasks. Pro is listed at $29/mo ($14.5/mo yearly), 800 credits, three parallel tasks and a priority queue, though one source describes a more open Pro credit pool, so treat the Pro cap as uncertain.
A bad MiniMax H3 render on Pollo AI still costs the credits. aireviewlab.io reports outputs that ignore the prompt with a full deduction. A 2026 Trustpilot-based review on rainaiservices.com repeats the same charge-on-miss pattern, plus credits that vanished without explanation. Free-tier files are watermarked. Paid plans are not. Commercial-use terms were not documented. Pollo AI has a mobile app. The separate Pollo API (api.pollo.ai) uses its own credits, which do not interchange with app credits. Subscription credits do not roll over. Add-on packs do not expire.
MiniMax H3 on Elyum
On Elyum, MiniMax H3 is 5 to 15 seconds from text, a frame, or references, at 480p, 768p, 2K, and 4K. Per-second rates are 5 at 480p, 7 at 768p, 15 at 2K, and 18 at 4K. A 5s keep is 25 credits ($0.25), 35 credits ($0.35), 75 credits ($0.75), or 90 credits ($0.90). A 15s keep is 75 credits ($0.75) at 480p and 270 credits ($2.70) at 4K. Every render is a free preview. Credits move only when you keep. Kill refunds the rest in full. Failed generations are never charged.
Kept files download clean, no watermark, commercial use included. Kill refunds a take in full. Free-plan kills are one a month; paid plans kill freely. Elyum pricing is Free (up to 150 credits once (our algorithm may grant them), no card), Plus $9/mo, Pro $29/mo, Ultra $69/mo. 1 credit equals $0.01. The same balance runs from the web studio or from Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor via the MCP docs and the API docs. There is no timeline editor and no mobile app.
What a MiniMax H3 take costs
| Scenario | Pollo AI | Elyum |
|---|---|---|
| One 5s take you keep | Not published; 2026 paid promo may treat MiniMax H3 as unlimited | 25 credits ($0.25) |
| One 5s 4K keep | Not published; Pollo AI H3 resolution not verified | 90 credits ($0.90) |
| Ten takes, keep two | Ten billed if credits apply; unlimited if 2026 promo is live | 2 × 25 credits = 50 credits ($0.50) |
| A failed generation | Credits deducted; no refund reported by reviewers | Never charged |
| Monthly plan needed to access the model | Paid plan for 2026 unlimited window; Lite $15/mo, Pro $29/mo | Free up to 150 credits once (our algorithm may grant them), or Plus $9/mo |
| Watermark on the file | Yes on free tier; no on paid plans | No watermark on kept takes |
Elyum: 1 credit = $0.01, charged only when you keep a take. Pollo AI 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
Elyum charges per second, and only on keep. Pollo AI does not publish an H3 credit price. Paid Pollo AI plans had a 2026 promotional unlimited window for MiniMax H3 and MiniMax H3 Max, quoted from the official pricing page.
Kill on Elyum refunds in full. Failed generations are never charged. Free plan: one kill a month. aireviewlab.io and a 2026 Trustpilot roundup report that Pollo AI deducts credits even when the output ignores the prompt.
Elyum: 5 to 15 seconds, 480p through 4K, per-second rates. Pollo AI's maximum resolution and clip length for MiniMax H3 were not independently verified. Seedance 2.5 on Pollo AI is up to 30s; that figure is not an H3 figure.
Pollo AI has a web app and a mobile app. Elyum is a web studio plus MCP and REST. Elyum has no timeline editor, stock footage, talking-head avatars, team seats, or community feed.
Elyum MCP and REST share the studio credit balance. Pollo API credits and Pollo app credits are not interchangeable. Elyum kept takes include commercial use and no watermark. Pollo AI paid files have no watermark; commercial-use terms were not documented.
Pick Pollo AI when
- You already pay Pollo AI and the 2026 unlimited window for MiniMax H3 and H3 Max is still open.
- You want the MiniMax H3 Max SKU. Elyum lists MiniMax H3 only.
- You need Pollo AI's mobile app. Elyum has no mobile app.
- You hop many models on one Pollo AI sub and can live with unpublished H3 clip prices.
Pick Elyum when
- You iterate. Preview is free. Credits move only when you keep a take.
- You want published per-second prices from 480p to 4K, including 90 credits ($0.90) for a 5s 4K keep.
- A miss should not cost you. Kill refunds in full. Failed gens are never charged.
- Start on Free (up to 150 credits (our algorithm may grant them), no card) or Plus at $9/mo, then use the same balance via MCP or REST.
MiniMax H3 in three styles, rendered on Elyum
Getting the most out of MiniMax H3
- Write one shot. H3 is 5 to 15 seconds. Name shot size, lens mm, and a single camera move (static, slow dolly in, pan with subject). A second move in a 5s clip reads as jitter.
- Put subject action and camera action in two short clauses. 'Man crosses the street, 35mm, camera tracks left' holds. 'Cinematic epic walk' lets H3 invent a crane you did not want.
- Image to video: prompt only the motion. Say 'as in the reference' for face, age, and clothes. If the text redesigns the person, identity usually slips after a few seconds.
- Reference to video locks identity and wardrobe. It will also tug the set toward the stills. For a new room, use text to video, or accept the location compromise. Audio references help ambience and mouth motion more than framing.
- Fit the action to the duration you will keep. A pour or a glance is a 5s clip. A cross and a sit needs 10 to 15s. On Elyum you pay per second on keep, so do not keep 15s of hold for a 4s gesture.
- Avoid readable signs, tiny crowd hands, and lighting that changes mid-shot. One key direction. 16:9 for landscape, 9:16 for phone stories. Preview, then keep; a 5s 4K keep is 90 credits ($0.90).
Frequently asked questions
How much does a MiniMax H3 video cost on Elyum vs Pollo AI?
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?
Is MiniMax H3 unlimited on Pollo AI?
Does Pollo AI watermark MiniMax H3 downloads?
- Pollo AI Pricing Explained: Free Trial, Credits and Real Costs (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Pollo.ai Pricing (June 2026): Compare Plans & Find the Best One | SaaSworthy (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Pollo AI Pricing 2026: Free Credits vs. Pro Plan (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Pollo AI Review 2026: 100 Trustpilot Reviews Analyzed (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Seedance 2.5 Free: Create 30s HD AI Videos with Audio | Pollo AI (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Kling 3.0 AI Free: Try Kling 3.0 AI Video Generator Now | Pollo AI (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Veo 3.1 Free: Try Google Veo 3.1 AI Video Model Now | Pollo AI (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Gemini Omni Flash Free: Try Google's Multimodal Video Model | Pollo AI (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Google Nano Banana Pro Free | Pollo AI (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Pollo AI Launches Pollo API with Access to 300+ AI Video and Image Models (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Plans & Pricing | Pollo AI (official page, fetched via proxy) (accessed 2026-09-07)
Related comparisons
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.