Hailuo AI (MiniMax) Review: Features, Pricing & Alternatives

What is Hailuo AI (MiniMax)?

Hailuo AI is the consumer video and image generation app from MiniMax, a Shanghai AI company founded in 2021. The Hailuo brand launched in March 2024 and added its first text-to-video model, Video-01, in September 2024. It became popular for expressive character motion and fun templates, and later versions such as Hailuo 02 and Hailuo 2.3 improved resolution and physics.

MiniMax listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on 9 January 2026. In summer 2026 it released MiniMax H3, the third generation of the Hailuo video line, which the Hailuo site now presents as its flagship. H3 generates 4 to 15-second clips in native 2K at 24 frames per second with synchronised dialogue, effects and ambience, and MiniMax said it would release the model’s weights under a community licence.

Hailuo differs from many rivals by pairing a frontier model with a playful, template-led app. Alongside open text-to-video and image-to-video, it offers ready-made effects, an audio section and a Hailuo Agent for guided creation. Its developer API through the MiniMax platform is priced aggressively, which has made Hailuo models common inside third-party video studios and aggregators.

Key features of Hailuo AI (MiniMax)

• MiniMax H3 modelThe newest Hailuo generation, producing native 2K clips of up to 15 seconds with synchronised audio and strong prompt following.
• Text and image to videoCreate clips from a prompt or animate a still image, with support for vertical and widescreen aspect ratios.
• Reference-based generationUse reference images to keep subjects consistent across shots, plus legible on-screen text rendering.
• Templates and effectsReady-made templates for pets, memes, style transfer, ASMR and cinematic looks make quick social content easy.
• Hailuo AgentA guided assistant that helps plan and produce video and image projects from a short brief.
• Image and audio toolsGenerate still images and audio in the same app to build complete short pieces.

Who is Hailuo AI (MiniMax) best for?

• Social creators who want eye-catching, expressive clips and trending templates without a steep learning curve.
• Budget-conscious users looking for strong video quality at a lower cost than many Western rivals.
• Developers who want an inexpensive video API or the option to run open model weights privately.
• Marketers testing short product and promo videos with native sound.

Popular ways to use Hailuo AI (MiniMax)

• Meme and trend videos: Apply a template to a photo for a quick shareable clip.
• Short ads: Generate 2K product clips with sound for social campaigns.
• Character animation: Bring an illustrated or photographed character to life with expressive motion.
• Text in video: Create titles or signage inside a scene thanks to improved text rendering.
• App features: Add video generation to a product through the MiniMax API.

Hailuo AI (MiniMax) pricing (October 2026)

Hailuo uses credits that are consumed at different rates depending on model, resolution and duration. Published third-party figures for each plan conflict, so check the official subscribe page for current prices in your region before buying.

Hailuo AI (MiniMax) pros and cons

How to get started with Hailuo AI (MiniMax)

1. Visit hailuoai.video or download the Hailuo AI app and sign up.
2. Use the free daily credits to try a template or a simple text prompt.
3. Select MiniMax H3 for the highest quality and set duration and aspect ratio.
4. Upload a reference image if you need a consistent subject.
5. Upgrade to a paid plan for watermark-free downloads and more credits.

Tips to get better results from Hailuo AI (MiniMax)

• Keep prompts focused on one action per clip for the most reliable motion.
• Use shorter durations while testing to save credits.
• Try templates first to learn what the model does well before writing custom prompts.
• Check that commercial use is covered by your plan before publishing ads.

Hailuo AI (MiniMax) vs alternatives

Hailuo competes most directly with Kling AI, another Chinese generator known for realistic motion and a mature API, and with Google Flow (Veo). Compared with them, Hailuo is lighter and more template-driven, with H3 giving it high-resolution output and audio.

For more professional editing, Runway offers deeper controls, while Pika focuses on playful effects similar to Hailuo’s templates. If you want Hailuo models alongside others in one workspace, Higgsfield and Hedra include them. See all best AI video tools.

Our verdict: is Hailuo AI (MiniMax) worth it?

Hailuo AI (MiniMax) FAQs

Pricing and features change often. Details on this page were last reviewed in October 2026. Always confirm current plans on the official Hailuo AI (MiniMax) website.