Is Makernice a Good Kie API Alternative for Video and Image Jobs?
Competitor prices checked November 11, 2026 from Kie.ai's public pricing and docs; they change often.
Prices as of November 12, 2026 (price list v15).
As a Kie.ai alternative, Makernice fits teams that only need video and image models and want every run priced before it starts: each generation gets a quote locked for 12 minutes, the balance is plain US dollars, and failed runs aren't charged (an output blocked by output moderation still is). Kie.ai is the better fit if you also need music or chat models. Prices go both ways by model; the dated table below shows each row.
What is Kie.ai, and how is it different from Makernice?
Kie.ai presents itself as "One AI API for Video, Image, Music & Chat Models | Kie.ai". Its pages say: "One API for 200+ AI Models". Makernice is an API with 19 video and image models, prepaid in US dollars and priced per second of output.
Which models can you run on both Kie.ai and Makernice?
- Seedance 2.5:
"model": "seedance-2.5"on Makernice - Seedance 2.0:
"model": "seedance-2.0"on Makernice - Seedance 2.0 Fast:
"model": "seedance-2.0-fast"on Makernice - MiniMax H3:
"model": "minimax-h3"on Makernice - Wan 3.0:
"model": "wan-3.0"on Makernice - Wan 3.0 Prime:
"model": "wan-3.0-prime"on Makernice - Kling 4.0:
"model": "kling-4.0"on Makernice - Happy Horse 1.1:
"model": "happy-horse-1.1"on Makernice - Seedream 5.0 Pro:
"model": "seedream-5.0-pro"on Makernice - Qwen3 Image:
"model": "qwen3-image"on Makernice - Qwen3 Pro Image:
"model": "qwen3-pro-image"on Makernice - MiniMax H3-Image:
"model": "minimax-h3-image"on Makernice
How do Kie.ai and Makernice prices compare?
Prices go both ways: of the 24 model and resolution prices below, Makernice is lower on 13 and Kie.ai on 11. Makernice: price list v15 (as of November 12, 2026).
| Model · resolution | Makernice | Kie.ai | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seedance 2.5 · 480p | $0.1152/s | $0.14/s | |
| Seedance 2.5 · 720p | $0.2592/s | $0.315/s | |
| Seedance 2.5 · 1080p | $0.6415/s | $0.79/s | |
| Seedance 2.0 · 720p | $0.1704/s | $0.205/s | |
| Seedance 2.0 · 1080p | $0.4252/s | $0.51/s | |
| Seedance 2.0 Fast · 720p | $0.1027/s | $0.124/s | |
| MiniMax H3 · 768p | $0.072/s | $0.04/s | |
| MiniMax H3 · 2K | $0.156/s | $0.065/s | |
| Wan 3.0 · 480p | $0.0394/s | $0.04/s | |
| Wan 3.0 · 720p | $0.0789/s | $0.08/s | |
| Wan 3.0 · 1080p | $0.1578/s | $0.16/s | |
| Wan 3.0 Prime · 480p | $0.0617/s | $0.0612/s | |
| Wan 3.0 Prime · 720p | $0.1234/s | $0.126/s | |
| Wan 3.0 Prime · 1080p | $0.2468/s | $0.252/s | |
| Kling 4.0 · 720p | $0.168/s | $0.1425/s | their first/last-frame price |
| Kling 4.0 · 1080p | $0.252/s | $0.2125/s | their first/last-frame price |
| Happy Horse 1.1 · 720p | $0.168/s | $0.1125/s | |
| Happy Horse 1.1 · 1080p | $0.216/s | $0.145/s | |
| Seedream 5.0 Pro · 1K | $0.0351/image | $0.035/image | |
| Seedream 5.0 Pro · 2K | $0.0702/image | $0.07/image | |
| Qwen3 Image · 1K | $0.0236/image | $0.024/image | |
| Qwen3 Image · 2K | $0.0236/image | $0.024/image | |
| Qwen3 Pro Image · 1K | $0.0328/image | $0.032/image | |
| Qwen3 Pro Image · 2K | $0.0657/image | $0.06/image |
Rows with video input, input-image fees and from-prices are left out because they are billed differently.
Why do Kie's Seedance prices with video input look lower?
Kie.ai lists two Seedance 2.5 prices per resolution. Its pricing page explains the difference: without video input the cost is the unit price times the output duration; with video input it is the unit price times the input plus output duration. The lower per-second figure is billed on more seconds, so compare a whole job, not the unit price.
Makernice's Seedance models don't take a video input and bill only the seconds you request, so the table above compares against Kie's no-video-input rows.
Does Kie.ai's multi-modal catalog matter if you only run video and images?
Kie.ai covers video, image, music and chat models behind one key. Makernice covers 19 video and image models and nothing else, and every one of them goes through the same flow (quote, create, then poll or receive a webhook) with the same billing rules.
Using Kie.ai or Makernice from Claude Code and Cursor
Kie.ai publishes agent skills that Claude Code, Codex and Cursor can install. Makernice runs as an MCP server: connect it once and the agent can price a job with estimate_cost before it calls generate. Setup guides: Claude Code · Cursor.
Billing on Kie.ai vs Makernice
| Makernice | Kie.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing unit | Per second of output, by model and resolution (images per request) | "Each model is billed per image, per second, per video or per million tokens" |
| Price before the run | A quote for every generation, locked for 12 minutes; full list public at GET /v1/pricing | Not stated on Kie.ai's public pages (checked November 11, 2026) |
| Failed run | Not charged; the hold is released | "No. Failed tasks are not charged." |
| Cancel | Only queued jobs can be canceled; the held amount is released in full. A job that has started can't be canceled (409 not_cancelable) | Not stated on Kie.ai's public pages (checked November 11, 2026) |
| Output files | Each output shows its expiry (expiresAt); in the docs example it is 30 days after the run finishes | "Generated media files: stored for 14 days, then automatically deleted" |
| Balance or credits expire | Prepaid USD balance never expires | "No. KIE credits do not expire." |
| Subscription | No subscription; prepaid top-ups | "Pay as you go with credits" |
| Minimum purchase | $15 per top-up (up to $1,000) | Shown only after signing in (checked November 11, 2026) |
| Free tier | No free tier | "New users also receive 80 free credits for testing" |
Makernice rules with examples: No charge for failed generations.
When should you stay on Kie.ai?
- You need music or chat models. Makernice only serves video and image models.
- The rows you actually run come out in Kie.ai's favor. Read the table above for your own models and resolutions; the answer changes from row to row.
- You send source video to Seedance. Kie.ai prices Seedance with video input; Makernice's Seedance models don't accept one.
About Makernice
Makernice is an AI video and image generation API: one API key and one prepaid balance for 19 models from ByteDance, Kuaishou, MiniMax and Alibaba. Every run starts with a quote that locks the price for 12 minutes, through Makernice's own async REST API (quote, create, poll, cancel).
Frequently asked questions
Do Kie.ai credits expire?
Kie.ai's FAQ says "No. KIE credits do not expire." A Makernice balance is held in US dollars and doesn't expire either.
How long do Kie.ai and Makernice keep generated files?
Kie.ai says generated media files are "stored for 14 days, then automatically deleted". On Makernice each output shows its own expiry; in the docs example it is 30 days after the run finishes.
Can Makernice replace Kie.ai's pay-as-you-go credits for video and image models?
It replaces the video and image part of Kie.ai. Makernice is pay-as-you-go from a prepaid US dollar balance with no subscription, and it serves 19 video and image models. Kie.ai's music and chat models have no counterpart on Makernice.
Does Kie.ai give free credits, and does Makernice?
Kie.ai says "New users also receive 80 free credits for testing". Makernice has no free credits; estimate_cost returns a price without creating a job or charging your balance.
Is Makernice cheaper than Kie.ai?
Prices go both ways: of the 24 model and resolution prices below, Makernice is lower on 13 and Kie.ai on 11. Kie.ai prices checked November 11, 2026.
Does Kie.ai charge for failed generations?
Kie.ai's public pages say: "No. Failed tasks are not charged." (checked November 11, 2026). On Makernice, failed runs aren't charged and the hold is released.
Related
- Seedance 2.5 · Seedance 2.0 · Seedance 2.0 Fast · MiniMax H3 · Wan 3.0 · Wan 3.0 Prime
- Billing: No charge for failed generations
- More: All AI video API alternatives · AI video cost calculator
Product and company names on this page are trademarks of their respective owners. Makernice is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by them.
Price your Kie.ai workload on Makernice.
Prepaid in US dollars by card (including Apple Pay and Google Pay) or crypto, $15 to $1,000 per top-up; the balance never expires. Failed runs aren't charged. Note: if a finished output is blocked by output moderation for a policy violation, the run is still charged. You can contact support for a manual review. No top-up fee from Makernice; sales tax/VAT may apply at checkout depending on your location.