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# Is Makernice a good Pollo AI alternative for video models by API?

Pollo AI sells a credit studio and a separate Pollo API. Compare the API side with Makernice's quote-first prepaid balance, and see when to stay on Pollo.

[Price your workload](https://makernice.com/tools/ai-video-cost-calculator/)[Read the quickstart →](https://makernice.com/docs/#quickstart)

*Competitor prices checked November 11, 2026 from Pollo AI's public pricing and docs; they change often.*

Prices as of November 12, 2026 (price list v15).

Summary

Makernice is a Pollo AI alternative for the API side of Pollo, not for its studio: Pollo AI is two products under one name, a credit-based studio and a separate Pollo API with prepaid top-ups. If you only run models from code, the API side is the fair comparison. Makernice fits when you want 19 video and image models behind one key, a quote locked for 12 minutes before each run, and a plain US dollar balance. Stay on Pollo for its studio tools or its much larger model list.

Ask an AI assistant about this page[Ask ChatGPT](https://chatgpt.com/?q=Read+https%3A%2F%2Fmakernice.com%2Falternatives%2Fpollo%2F+and+summarize+what+it+says+about+Pollo+AI+alternative.+Quote+the+page+for+prices+and+limits.)[Ask Claude](https://claude.ai/new?q=Read+https%3A%2F%2Fmakernice.com%2Falternatives%2Fpollo%2F+and+summarize+what+it+says+about+Pollo+AI+alternative.+Quote+the+page+for+prices+and+limits.)[Ask Perplexity](https://www.perplexity.ai/search?q=Read+https%3A%2F%2Fmakernice.com%2Falternatives%2Fpollo%2F+and+summarize+what+it+says+about+Pollo+AI+alternative.+Quote+the+page+for+prices+and+limits.)

## What is Pollo AI, and how is it different from Makernice?

Pollo AI presents itself as "Pollo AI: The Ultimate AI-Native Creative Suite". Its pages say: "One API platform for 300+ leading AI image and video 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 Pollo AI and Makernice?

-   [MiniMax H3](https://makernice.com/models/minimax-h3/): `"model": "minimax-h3"` on Makernice
-   [MiniMax H3 Max](https://makernice.com/models/minimax-h3-max/): `"model": "minimax-h3-max"` on Makernice
-   [Wan 3.0](https://makernice.com/models/wan-3-0/): `"model": "wan-3.0"` on Makernice
-   [Wan 3.0 Prime](https://makernice.com/models/wan-3-0-prime/): `"model": "wan-3.0-prime"` on Makernice
-   [Kling 4.0](https://makernice.com/models/kling-4-0/): `"model": "kling-4.0"` on Makernice

## How do Pollo AI and Makernice prices compare?

Pollo AI plans and credit packs, as listed on Pollo AI's pricing page (checked November 11, 2026).

| Plan | Price as listed | Credits |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pollo API Top Up $80 | $80 ≈ 800 images ≈ 700 videos | —   |
| Pollo API Top Up $140 | $140 ≈ 1,400 images ≈ 1,200 videos | —   |
| Pollo API Top Up $350 | $350 ≈ 3,600 images ≈ 2,900 videos | —   |
| Pollo API Top Up $1,200 | $1,200 ≈ 12,300 images ≈ 10,000 videos | —   |

[Price your workload](https://makernice.com/tools/ai-video-cost-calculator/)[Read the quickstart →](https://makernice.com/docs/#quickstart)

## Can Makernice's pay-as-you-go API replace the Pollo API side?

Makernice can replace the Pollo API for the models both sell, because both are prepaid and priced per second; Makernice can't replace Pollo's studio. The Pollo API is sold at api.pollo.ai as prepaid top-ups. Pollo describes it as "One API platform for 300+ leading AI image and video models", and its public pricing page shows five models by name with a per-second "from" price: MiniMax H3, MiniMax H3 Max, Wan 3.0, Wan 3.0 Prime and Kling 4.0.

Those are starting prices without a resolution, so they sit in the table above as from-prices and aren't treated as like-for-like. Top-ups are listed as four fixed amounts, each with Pollo's own estimate of how many images and videos it buys; the estimates depend on the model, so we don't convert them into a per-run price.

Pollo's Studio is a different product: it spends credits that depend on "the tools and models you choose, the duration of videos, the quantity of outputs, and the resolution". When we checked, the Studio plan cards on its pricing page didn't render, so the tables here compare only the API side.

## How do new users pay on Pollo AI and on Makernice?

Pollo AI starts new users on limited free credits for the Seedance 2.5 model, without stating how many, while Makernice starts with a prepaid top-up because there are no free credits. After that, its FAQ says "No, unused subscription credits do not carry over to the next billing cycle", although add-on credits don't expire. Credit packs are limited to Pro 2000, Pro 3000 or Ultra subscribers.

Makernice is not a free alternative to Pollo AI. The MCP tool `estimate_cost` returns a price without creating a job or charging your balance, and failed or timed-out runs aren't charged; a finished output blocked by output moderation is still charged. Which video APIs give starter credits, and on what terms, is tabled in [AI video APIs with a free tier](https://makernice.com/blog/free-ai-video-generation-api/).

## Pre-run price certainty and hidden fees on Pollo

Pollo's pricing FAQ includes the question of why credits used for a generated video differ from what the model page showed, and the model-page credit figures need a login. Its FAQ also says "the price you see is the price you pay" for the plan you select, with no additional charges.

On Makernice the price is quoted first, and over REST the quote is locked for 12 minutes, so a run that starts inside that window uses the quoted amount. Pollo's FAQ doesn't directly say whether a failed Pollo generation is charged; it points you to the credit usage history.

## Billing on Pollo AI vs Makernice

Billing compared. Pollo AI column quotes Pollo AI's public pages, checked November 11, 2026.

|     | Makernice | Pollo AI |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Billing unit | Per second of output, by model and resolution (images per request) | "Your credits are used up based on a few factors including the tools and models you choose, the duration of videos, the quantity of outputs, and the resolution" |
| Price before the run | A quote for every generation, locked for 12 minutes; full list public at `GET /v1/pricing` | Shown only after signing in (checked November 11, 2026) |
| Failed run | Not charged; the hold is released | Not stated on Pollo AI's public pages (checked November 11, 2026) |
| 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`) | "Cancellation requests must be submitted before the next billing date." |
| Output files | Each output shows its expiry (`expiresAt`); in the docs example it is 30 days after the run finishes | Not stated on Pollo AI's public pages (checked November 11, 2026) |
| Balance or credits expire | Prepaid USD balance never expires | "No, unused subscription credits do not carry over to the next billing cycle." |
| Subscription | No subscription; prepaid top-ups | "Credit packs are only available on the web for users with a Pro 2000 / 3000 or Ultra plan." |
| Minimum purchase | $15 per top-up (up to $1,000) | "Credit packs are only available on the web for users with a Pro 2000 / 3000 or Ultra plan." |
| Free tier | No free tier | "Pollo AI provides new users with limited free credits to generate videos using the Seedance 2.5 model." |

Makernice rules with examples: [No charge for failed generations](https://makernice.com/pricing/failed-generations/).

## When should you stay on Pollo AI?

-   **You need Pollo's studio tools.** Its Studio, with free credits for new users on Seedance 2.5, is built for editing and iterating in a browser; Makernice has no editor and no free tier.
-   **You need a catalog beyond video and image models.** Pollo claims 300+ models on its API platform. Makernice covers video and image models only.
-   **You want an MCP server from the same vendor as your studio.** Pollo lists its own Pollo MCP in its platform links; Makernice has an MCP server too, but no studio behind it.

## 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

#### Is Pollo AI free, and is a free Pollo AI alternative realistic?

Pollo AI is free only to start: new users get limited free credits for the Seedance 2.5 model, with no number stated. Makernice has no free credits; estimate\_cost returns a price without creating a job or charging your balance.

#### Do unused Pollo AI credits roll over?

Pollo's FAQ answers "No, unused subscription credits do not carry over to the next billing cycle", and adds that add-on credits don't expire. A Makernice balance has no monthly allowance to reset.

#### Can I get a refund on Pollo AI subscription credits?

Pollo says you can request a refund for subscription credits within 3 days of your first purchase if you meet its eligibility criteria.

## Related

-   [MiniMax H3](https://makernice.com/models/minimax-h3/) · [MiniMax H3 Max](https://makernice.com/models/minimax-h3-max/) · [Wan 3.0](https://makernice.com/models/wan-3-0/) · [Wan 3.0 Prime](https://makernice.com/models/wan-3-0-prime/) · [Kling 4.0](https://makernice.com/models/kling-4-0/)
-   Billing: [No charge for failed generations](https://makernice.com/pricing/failed-generations/)
-   More: [All AI video API alternatives](https://makernice.com/alternatives/) · [AI video cost calculator](https://makernice.com/tools/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 Pollo AI workload on Makernice.

[Price your workload](https://makernice.com/tools/ai-video-cost-calculator/)[Read the quickstart](https://makernice.com/docs/#quickstart)

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.