Seedance vs Seedream: what is the difference, and which do you need?

Seedance and Seedream are two ByteDance model families that do different jobs. Seedance turns text, images or references into video with audio; Seedream turns text or reference images into a still image. On Makernice both sit behind the same API key and the same request shape, so a common pattern is to make a still with Seedream and animate it with Seedance. This page lists the catalog facts and prices for each and does not compare output quality.

What is the difference between Seedance and Seedream?

Seedance and Seedream differ in output type: Seedance returns video and Seedream returns still images. Seedance 2.5 and Seedance 2.0 are video models with four video modes: text-to-video (t2v), image-to-video (i2v), first and last frame (flf) and reference-to-video (r2v). Seedream 5.5, Seedream 5.0 Pro and Seedream 5.0 are image models with two modes: text-to-image (t2i) and image-to-image editing (i2i). The names differ by two letters, which is why search results often mix them up.

How do the current Seedance and Seedream models line up?

Seedance 2.5 and Seedance 2.0 are billed per second of video, while Seedream 5.5, Seedream 5.0 Pro and Seedream 5.0 are billed per image. The table lists each catalog field for the five models.

Prompt-only ratios are the aspect_ratio values accepted without an input image (t2v for Seedance, t2i for Seedream). Model pages: Seedance 2.5, Seedance 2.0, Seedream 5.5, Seedream 5.0 Pro and Seedream 5.0.

Can Seedream make video, or Seedance make a still image?

No, neither model family crosses over: Seedream only makes images and Seedance only makes video. Seedream has no duration field and no video modes, and Seedance has no t2i or i2i mode, so a request that names a mode the model lacks is rejected. Seedance also does not take video as input: its inputs are a prompt plus images, either one frame, two frames or a set of references.

How do you turn a Seedream image into a Seedance clip?

Generate the still with Seedream first, then send it to Seedance image-to-video. Pick an aspect ratio that Seedance also accepts, so the frame shape carries through:

{
  "model": "seedream-5.5",
  "mode": "t2i",
  "prompt": "A ceramic teapot on a sunlit kitchen windowsill, steam curling from the spout, shallow depth of field",
  "resolution": "1k",
  "aspect_ratio": "16:9"
}

When the image job succeeds, download the output and host it at your own public https URL. Don't pass the output URL itself: it needs your API key and answers with a 302 redirect, and image_url must serve the image directly because redirects are not followed. Then send your URL as image_url in a Seedance image-to-video request:

{
  "model": "seedance-2.5",
  "mode": "i2v",
  "prompt": "Steam rises and drifts toward the window as the camera slowly pushes in",
  "image_url": "https://your-cdn.example.com/teapot-still.png",
  "duration": 5,
  "resolution": "720p",
  "aspect_ratio": "16:9"
}

For a start and an end state, make two Seedream stills and send them to Seedance as image_url and last_image_url in first and last frame mode. For a character or product seen from several angles, send several stills as reference_images in reference-to-video, up to 16 on Seedance 2.5 and 9 on Seedance 2.0. Every image sent to Seedance must have sides from 300 to 6000 pixels, a width-to-height ratio between 2:5 and 5:2, and be a JPEG, PNG or WebP file.

Which aspect ratios carry over from Seedream to Seedance?

Seedream 5.5 and Seedream 5.0 accept 1:1, 4:3, 3:4, 16:9, 9:16, 2:3, 3:2 and 21:9. Of those, 1:1, 4:3, 3:4, 16:9, 9:16 and 21:9 also appear in Seedance 2.5 and Seedance 2.0 image-to-video. Seedream 5.0 Pro has the same list without 21:9. Seedream's 2:3 and 3:2 have no Seedance equivalent, and Seedance's 9:21 has no Seedream equivalent.

What does a Seedream image plus a Seedance clip cost?

Seedream prices are per text-to-image image and Seedance prices are per second, the same in every mode, on price list v15 (November 12, 2026). A Seedream 5.5 1k still followed by a 5 second Seedance 2.5 clip at 720p costs $0.0156 for the image plus $1.30 for the clip.

Image-to-image on Seedream 5.5 adds $0.00624 for each reference image; the quote itemizes it. For other video tiers and the Seedream editing prices, see the model pages or the Pricing page.

Which should I choose, Seedance or Seedream?

Choose by the output you need: Seedance for a video clip with audio (4 to 30 seconds on Seedance 2.5, 4 to 15 on Seedance 2.0), and Seedream for a still image or an image edit. Use both when a Seedream still should become the first frame, or the references, of a Seedance clip.