MiniMax H3-Image vs Seedream 5.5: Ratios, References and Price

Choose Seedream 5.5 for a transparent background, or to pick the aspect ratio, including 21:9, when editing. Choose MiniMax H3-Image for ratios like 4:5 and 9:21, or for edits with 11 to 16 reference images. With few references, compare the 1k edit base prices, $0.0156 on Seedream 5.5 and $0.036 on MiniMax H3-Image, plus a per-reference rate.

Seedream 5.5 is from ByteDance. MiniMax H3-Image is MiniMax's image model. MiniMax H3-Image is a separate model from the MiniMax H3 video model. The MiniMax H3-Image model id is minimax-h3-image, not minimax-h3. Seedream 5.5 and MiniMax H3-Image both support text-to-image and image-to-image on Makernice. Both models run at 1k (the default) or 2k. This comparison covers catalog facts and prices only and does not judge image quality.

How do MiniMax H3-Image and Seedream 5.5 compare side by side?

Source: GET /v1/models and GET /v1/pricing (price list v14, November 11, 2026). In the mode row, t2i is text-to-image and i2i is image-to-image. Catalog facts only, no quality ranking.

How do Seedream 5.5 and MiniMax H3-Image price image-to-image?

On both models, image-to-image costs a base price plus a per-reference price for each reference image. The first reference image counts too. Text-to-image is one price per image. An edit with one reference therefore costs less than an edit with ten.

• Seedream 5.5, 3 references at 1k: $0.0156 + 3 × $0.00624.
• MiniMax H3-Image, 3 references at 1k: $0.036 + 3 × $0.0096.
• Exact total: POST /v1/generations/quote returns the amount for the number of reference_images you send. Quoting is free. Failed generations, timeouts and cancels while queued release the hold in full. 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.

Neither model has a comparable official per-image price (as of November 11, 2026): MiniMax prices H3-Image by token, and BytePlus does not list Seedream 5.5. This page therefore shows Makernice prices only, without a savings comparison. Live prices: Pricing or GET https://api.makernice.com/v1/pricing (no key needed).

Which aspect ratios and reference limits do Seedream 5.5 and MiniMax H3-Image accept?

For text-to-image, MiniMax H3-Image lists 13 ratios and Seedream 5.5 lists 8. The 8 Seedream ratios are all in the MiniMax list, so 4:5, 5:4, 1:2, 2:1 and 9:21 are the formats only MiniMax H3-Image offers. In image-to-image the gap reverses: Seedream 5.5 still takes aspect_ratio from its 8 ratios, while MiniMax H3-Image does not accept it and frames the result from your reference images. Pass references in reference_images as https URLs, up to 10 on Seedream 5.5 and 16 on MiniMax H3-Image.

What does an API request look like for Seedream 5.5 and MiniMax H3-Image?

The first request quotes a 1k Seedream 5.5 image with a transparent background. The second quotes a 2k MiniMax H3-Image edit with 16 reference images and no aspect_ratio. Transparent-background requests can quote above the table price; the quote shows the exact amount.

curl https://api.makernice.com/v1/generations/quote \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $MAKERNICE_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "seedream-5.5",
    "mode": "t2i",
    "prompt": "A ceramic coffee mug with a speckled glaze, studio product shot, soft shadow",
    "resolution": "1k",
    "aspect_ratio": "1:1",
    "background": "transparent"
  }'

curl https://api.makernice.com/v1/generations/quote \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $MAKERNICE_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "minimax-h3-image",
    "mode": "i2i",
    "prompt": "Arrange the products from the reference images into one editorial flat lay on warm oak",
    "resolution": "2k",
    "reference_images": [
      "https://example.com/refs/01.jpg",
      "https://example.com/refs/02.jpg",
      "https://example.com/refs/03.jpg",
      "https://example.com/refs/04.jpg",
      "https://example.com/refs/05.jpg",
      "https://example.com/refs/06.jpg",
      "https://example.com/refs/07.jpg",
      "https://example.com/refs/08.jpg",
      "https://example.com/refs/09.jpg",
      "https://example.com/refs/10.jpg",
      "https://example.com/refs/11.jpg",
      "https://example.com/refs/12.jpg",
      "https://example.com/refs/13.jpg",
      "https://example.com/refs/14.jpg",
      "https://example.com/refs/15.jpg",
      "https://example.com/refs/16.jpg"
    ]
  }'

To generate, create with the quote_id and an Idempotency-Key, then poll (quickstart). Each quote is locked for 12 minutes.

What changes when moving a request between Seedream 5.5 and MiniMax H3-Image?

• Change model: MiniMax H3-Image is minimax-h3-image; minimax-h3 is the video model.
• Remove background when moving to MiniMax H3-Image, which has no background option and returns 400 invalid_request when one is sent.
• Remove aspect_ratio from image-to-image requests for MiniMax H3-Image; the output follows the references.
• Check the ratio when moving text-to-image to Seedream 5.5: 4:5, 5:4, 1:2, 2:1 and 9:21 are not in the Seedream 5.5 list.
• Count references when moving to Seedream 5.5: Seedream 5.5 stops at 10, while MiniMax H3-Image takes up to 16.

Should you choose MiniMax H3-Image or Seedream 5.5?

• Choose Seedream 5.5 for product cutouts, stickers or layered assets that need a transparent PNG.
• Choose Seedream 5.5 when an edit must come out at a set ratio, such as 21:9 or 9:16.
• Choose MiniMax H3-Image for 4:5 feed posts, 5:4, 1:2, 2:1 or 9:21 formats in text-to-image.
• Choose MiniMax H3-Image when one edit needs 11 to 16 reference images.

Next: Seedream 5.0 vs Qwen3 Image compares the other image models, the image generation pricing guide explains how image prices are quoted, and the Seedream 5.5 and MiniMax H3-Image model pages list every field.