AI video models · compared
Veo 3.1 vs Seedance 2.5
Veo 3.1 and Seedance 2.5 are both AI video models that run on one varg API key. This page puts what the varg catalog states about each side by side: the price, how it is billed, the limits of the input, what it takes and the typical time. It ranks neither on quality.
- Veo 3.1
- From $0.80 per run from $0.20/s
- Seedance 2.5
- From $0.43 per run from $0.1075/s
Every model is billed at its provider's price with no markup, from one credit balance: 1 credit is $0.01.
Veo 3.1 vs Seedance 2.5: side by side
Every row is read from the varg catalog and each model's input schema. A "from" price is the cheapest request the catalog states for that model, at its own cheapest settings. For the exact price of a request, send its body to POST https://api.varg.ai/v2/estimate.
| Fact | Veo 3.1 | Seedance 2.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | ByteDance | |
| Takes and makes | Text to video, Image to video | Text to video, Image to video, Video to video |
| Price | From $0.80 per run | From $0.43 per run |
| Rates on the cheapest route | Resolution 4k: $0.60/s; Audio off: $0.20/s; Other: $0.40/s; Minimum charge: $0.80 | Resolution 480p: $0.1075/s; Resolution 1080p: $0.5723/s; Other: $0.2326/s; Minimum charge: $0.43 |
| Billed | per second | per second |
| Clip length | 4, 6 or 8 s | 4 to 30 s |
| Resolutions you can set | 720p, 1080p, 4k | 480p, 720p, 1080p |
| Audio switch | Yes: "audio": true asks for a native audio track | Yes: "audio": true asks for a native audio track |
| Typical time | ~2 min | ~3 min |
| Routes | 3 on fal | 7 on piapi, byteplus and fal |
| Model id | veo_3_1 | seedance_2_5 |
Which to pick
Each line is a difference between two rows of the table. None of it says which model's output looks better: that depends on the prompt.
Pick Veo 3.1 when
- you need 4k: the tiers Seedance 2.5's input lists stop at 1080p.
- you want the shorter typical wait: ~2 min, against ~3 min, by the catalog's estimates.
Pick Seedance 2.5 when
- you want the lower starting price: from $0.43 per run, against from $0.80 per run, each at the model's own cheapest settings.
- you want the lower starting rate: from $0.1075/s, against from $0.20/s; the table gives each model's rate by setting.
- you need a clip longer than 8 seconds: it takes up to 30 in one request.
- you need video to video: the catalog lists a route for it on Seedance 2.5, none on Veo 3.1.
Call Veo 3.1 and Seedance 2.5
One endpoint and one API key for both: POST https://api.varg.ai/v2/tools/video/call with Authorization: Bearer $VARG_API_KEY. It answers 202 with a job right away; poll GET /v2/jobs/{id} until its status is completed.
Veo 3.1
curl -X POST https://api.varg.ai/v2/tools/video/call \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $VARG_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"model": "veo_3_1",
"prompt": "A lighthouse keeper climbs the spiral stairs at dusk, waves crashing outside.",
"aspect_ratio": "16:9",
"resolution": "720p"
}'vargai call_tool --tool video '{"model":"veo_3_1","prompt":"A lighthouse keeper climbs the spiral stairs at dusk, waves crashing outside.","aspect_ratio":"16:9","resolution":"720p"}'Seedance 2.5
curl -X POST https://api.varg.ai/v2/tools/video/call \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $VARG_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"model": "seedance_2_5",
"prompt": "A cyberpunk city street at night, neon signs reflecting in puddles. A heavy-set woman in a worn military uniform stands breathing hard, out of shape. She begins military calisthenics — push-ups, burpees, mountain climbers — her body transforming in real-time: fat melting away, muscles defining, posture straightening. Holographic HUD overlays track her progress with glowing stats. Rain falls around her as she powers through the workout, her uniform tightening as she becomes lean and athletic. The transformation completes — she stands as a fit soldier-athlete, rain-soaked, neon-lit, triumphant. Cinematic, dramatic lighting, cyberpunk aesthetic.",
"aspect_ratio": "16:9",
"resolution": "720p",
"duration": 5
}'vargai call_tool --tool video '{"model":"seedance_2_5","prompt":"A cyberpunk city street at night, neon signs reflecting in puddles. A heavy-set woman in a worn military uniform stands breathing hard, out of shape. She begins military calisthenics — push-ups, burpees, mountain climbers — her body transforming in real-time: fat melting away, muscles defining, posture straightening. Holographic HUD overlays track her progress with glowing stats. Rain falls around her as she powers through the workout, her uniform tightening as she becomes lean and athletic. The transformation completes — she stands as a fit soldier-athlete, rain-soaked, neon-lit, triumphant. Cinematic, dramatic lighting, cyberpunk aesthetic.","aspect_ratio":"16:9","resolution":"720p","duration":5}'How billing works
Every model is billed at its provider's price with no markup, from one credit balance: 1 credit is $0.01. varg's fee is on the top-up, not on the run: 5.5% of the credits you buy ($0.80 at the least), or 8% for a team workspace. Pricing
Veo 3.1 vs Seedance 2.5: questions
- Which is cheaper, Veo 3.1 or Seedance 2.5?
- Seedance 2.5 starts lower: from $0.43 per run, against from $0.80 per run for Veo 3.1. By starting rate, Seedance 2.5 is lower: Veo 3.1 from $0.20/s, Seedance 2.5 from $0.1075/s. Those are each model's cheapest settings, and the price of a request depends on what it asks for: the table lists each model's rates. For the exact price of a request before you run it, send the same body to POST https://api.varg.ai/v2/estimate.
- Which makes longer clips, Veo 3.1 or Seedance 2.5?
- Seedance 2.5: up to 30 seconds in one request, against 8 for Veo 3.1, by their input schemas.
- Which resolutions can I set on Veo 3.1 and Seedance 2.5?
- Veo 3.1: 720p, 1080p, 4k. Seedance 2.5: 480p, 720p, 1080p. These are the tiers the "resolution" field of each model's input schema lists; a model can also have a default size that is not one of them.
- Can I use Veo 3.1 and Seedance 2.5 with one API key?
- Yes. Both run on varg behind POST https://api.varg.ai/v2/tools/video/call with one API key and one credit balance: send "model": "veo_3_1" or "model": "seedance_2_5". Every model is billed at its provider's price with no markup, from one credit balance: 1 credit is $0.01.