Hailuo AI is MiniMax’s video generation platform for making short AI videos. Start with a scene description or a photo, then choose a model and submit the job in your browser. With H3 selected, the same request can also include video and audio references, and the finished clip can reach 15 seconds and 2K with native stereo sound.
Hailuo AI no longer gives free accounts a daily video allowance. Creating a new account includes a one-time pack of trial credits that expires after three days, and videos downloaded during the trial carry a watermark. Once those credits are gone, the least expensive subscription is the current Standard promotion at $7.99 per month for 1,000 credits.
What you can create with Hailuo AI
- Describe a scene in text and generate a complete short video.
- Upload a photo and add movement to the subject, background, or camera.
- Use reference images to keep a subject recognizable across new shots.
- Guide supported models with video or audio references when motion and sound need closer control.
- Start from an effect or template when you already know the visual treatment you want.
- Save completed generations to your account and download the versions you want to edit or publish.
Hailuo AI, Minimax H3, and more
When you open a creation screen, you choose the model that will make the clip. That choice determines which references and output settings appear. Your Hailuo account separately handles credits, queued jobs, saved media, and downloads.
| Name | What it is | What it handles |
|---|---|---|
| Hailuo AI | Online creation platform | Account access, generation, credits, and downloads |
| MiniMax H3 | Multimodal generation model | Mixed references, video, image, editing, and native audio |
| Hailuo 2.3 | Video generation model | Short videos created from text or images |
| Hailuo 2.3 Fast | Faster video model | Quicker drafts and repeated iterations |
| Video Agent | Guided creation mode | Requests that need more planning than a single prompt |
How to use Hailuo AI
- Open Hailuo AI and sign in. A new account receives one pack of trial credits.
- Choose text-to-video, image-to-video, an effect, or Video Agent. The available choices depend on the creation screen you open.
- Select a model and check its credit cost, duration, resolution, and reference options before submitting the request.
- Write the prompt around the action you want to see. Add the setting, camera movement, and visual details after the main action is clear.
- Add a source image or other reference media when the selected model accepts it. Tell Hailuo what each reference should control.
- Generate the clip and watch it from beginning to end. Revise the instruction that caused the most visible problem before paying for another attempt.
- Download the result. Videos made with trial credits include a watermark; paid memberships provide watermark-free downloads.
How to write a clearer prompt
Begin with the subject and the movement that must appear on screen. Once that action is clear, add the location, lighting, camera behavior, and style. If the action looks right and the camera move does not, you only need to rewrite the camera instruction.
For example, “The dog looks toward the window as the camera slowly moves closer” identifies one subject action and one camera movement. If the next result needs a darker room or stronger rain outside, keep the scene and add that missing detail.
What MiniMax H3 adds
When a text prompt does not provide enough control, H3 can pull guidance from a character image, a motion clip, and an audio reference. Explain the role of each file in the prompt, and H3 uses them together to build the new scene.
That same request can produce a multi-shot sequence with stereo sound. H3 reaches 15 seconds, 2K resolution, and 24 FPS. For a longer piece, generate several clips and join them in a video editor.
| H3 capability | Limit | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Reference input | Text, image, video, and audio | Several source materials can guide one request |
| Video length | Up to 15 seconds | Short scenes can contain more than one shot |
| Resolution | Up to 2K | Finished clips can retain more visible detail |
| Frame rate | 24 FPS | Motion is delivered at a standard film frame rate |
| Audio | Native stereo | Sound can be generated with the scene |
Is Hailuo AI free?
Hailuo limits the welcome offer to one credit pack per person. The pack expires three days after it is granted, and the account receives no daily video credits after that. When the balance reaches zero, the trial is over.
Use the trial credits to test a prompt or animate a photo before choosing a plan. Downloads made during the trial carry a watermark and use the slower queue. Continued generation requires a membership or a separate credit purchase.
Hailuo AI pricing
Hailuo AI currently sells five monthly memberships. Standard, Pro, and Master are discounted for a limited time, then renew at their regular prices. Ultra and Max cost more because they combine monthly fast-track credits with unlimited access to specific Hailuo models after those credits run out.
| Plan | Monthly price | Credits and generation access |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $7.99 promotion; $14.99 regular | 1,000 credits, 6-second 1080p, five queued jobs processed one at a time |
| Pro | $24.99 promotion; $54.99 regular | 4,500 credits, 10-second 1080p, five queued jobs with two running together |
| Master | $63.99 promotion; $94.99 regular | 10,000 credits, 10-second 1080p, five queued jobs with two running together |
| Ultra | $124.99 | 12,000 Hailuo 02 credits and unlimited Hailuo 01 access |
| Max | $199.99 | 20,000 credits for Hailuo 01, Hailuo 02, and Agent, plus unlimited Hailuo 01 and 02 access |
How credits and queues work
Video cost changes with the model, resolution, and duration. Hailuo estimates that the 1,000 credits in Standard can produce about 40 six-second 768p videos, 20 ten-second 768p videos, or 12 six-second 1080p videos. The generation screen shows the actual charge before you submit a job.
Standard can hold five jobs in its queue, but it processes them one at a time. Pro, Master, Ultra, and Max can run two of those jobs together. Buying credits separately does not add subscription benefits such as watermark removal or priority processing, and purchased credits expire after one year.
On Ultra and Max, “unlimited” refers to eligible Hailuo 01 or 02 generations after the monthly fast-track balance reaches zero. Those requests move to a slower processing mode. Other models and Agent jobs continue to use the credits listed for the plan.
Limits
- H3 clips stop at 15 seconds, and Hailuo 01 or 02 plan estimates use six-second and ten-second videos.
- Long scenes need several generations and an external video editor.
- Each retry consumes more credits unless the job fails or the content does not pass review.
- Reference media improves control, but exact identity, readable text, and motion continuity can drift.
- Trial-credit downloads include a watermark and wait behind paid fast-track jobs.
- Commercial work should follow Hailuo’s content rules and intellectual property terms.
Pros
- Text and image generation share one account.
- H3 accepts four reference formats.
- H3 generates stereo sound with video.
- Paid downloads remove the watermark.
Cons
- Daily free video credits are gone.
- Trial credits expire after three days.
- Long videos require external editing.
Alternatives and Related Resources
FAQs
Q: What happens when a Hailuo AI generation fails?
A: Hailuo automatically returns the credits when a video fails to generate or does not pass the content review.
Q: Do membership credits roll over?
A: Membership credits expire at the end of each billing period. Unused credits do not move into the next month.
Q: Can I cancel a Hailuo AI subscription?
A: You can stop recurring billing at any time. The payment is nonrefundable, and access continues until that billing period ends.
Q: Is MiniMax H3 the same as Hailuo AI?
A: H3 is the generation model. Hailuo AI is the online platform that provides the account, creation screens, credits, and downloads.
Q: Can I use paid Hailuo AI videos commercially?
A: The paying account holder owns paid content under Hailuo’s terms. Your project must also comply with applicable laws, content rules, and third-party rights.
Changelog:
July 31, 2026
- Updated MiniMax H3 capabilities, subscription prices, and the one-time three-day trial credit policy.
