Image to video AI: animate a photo in the browser or by API

Makernice image to video turns one still into a video clip, in the browser console without code or through the API. 12 of its 13 video models can animate an image. Every run is quoted before it starts, the quote locks the price for 12 minutes, and video is billed per second of the duration you request.

Makernice Team · Updated November 2, 2026

How do you turn an image into a video on Makernice?

Use the web console for a few clips without code, or the API for apps and batches. Both use the same models, the same prices and the same prepaid balance.

In the browser (no code)

Sign in and top up your prepaid balance (from $15; it never expires).
Open Create → Video, pick a model and choose Image to video. Upload a JPEG, PNG or WebP image (up to 10 MB) and describe the motion.
The price appears before you press Generate. Download the clip when it's ready; finished files are kept for about 30 days.

Open the video console

With the API

Quote: POST /v1/generations/quote returns the exact amount, holds nothing and locks the price for 12 minutes.
Create: POST /v1/generations with the quote_id, the same input and an Idempotency-Key header. The quoted amount is held from your balance.
Poll GET /v1/generations/{id} until status is succeeded, or add a top-level callback_url to get a webhook. Then download outputs[0].url.

Quickstart · Webhooks · No charge for failed generations

curl https://api.makernice.com/v1/generations/quote \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $MAKERNICE_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"model":"wan-3.0","mode":"i2v","prompt":"The camera slowly pushes in as the lantern flame flickers and the paper blinds sway","image_url":"https://example.com/lantern.jpg","duration":5,"resolution":"720p"}'

curl https://api.makernice.com/v1/generations \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $MAKERNICE_API_KEY" \
  -H "Idempotency-Key: 7c1e9a2b-order-1842" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"quote_id":"qt_…","input":{"model":"wan-3.0","mode":"i2v","prompt":"The camera slowly pushes in as the lantern flame flickers and the paper blinds sway","image_url":"https://example.com/lantern.jpg","duration":5,"resolution":"720p"}}'

curl https://api.makernice.com/v1/generations/gen_… \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $MAKERNICE_API_KEY"

Which Makernice video models support image to video?

12 of the 13 video models on Makernice animate a still image: every video model except Kling 3.0 4K, which does text to video only. 11 of them also take a last frame (first and last frame mode); Happy Horse 1.1 does not. Only Seedance 2.5, Seedance 2.0 and Seedance 2.0 Fast accept aspect_ratio in image to video; on the others the clip follows your image.

Catalog facts from GET /v1/models, which also shows which images each mode needs. Full specs and audio: Models.
Model	Duration	Resolutions	First and last frame	aspect_ratio in i2v
Seedance 2.5	4–30 s	480p, 720p, 1080p, 4K	Yes	8 values
Seedance 2.0	4–15 s	720p, 1080p	Yes	6 values
Seedance 2.0 Fast	4–15 s	720p (fixed)	Yes	6 values
MiniMax H3	5–15 s	480p, 768p, 2K, 4K	Yes	Follows the image
MiniMax H3 Max	5–15 s	480p, 768p, 1080p	Yes	Follows the image
MiniMax H3 Max Turbo	5–15 s	480p, 768p, 1080p	Yes	Follows the image
Wan 3.0	2–30 s	480p, 720p, 1080p	Yes	Follows the image
Wan 3.0 Prime	2–30 s	480p, 720p, 1080p	Yes	Follows the image
Kling 3.0 Pro	3–15 s	1080p (fixed)	Yes	Follows the image
Kling 3.0 Standard	3–15 s	720p (fixed)	Yes	Follows the image
Kling 4.0	3–30 s	720p, 1080p	Yes	Follows the image
Happy Horse 1.1	3–15 s	720p, 1080p	No	Follows the image

Catalog facts from GET /v1/models, which also shows which images each mode needs. Full specs and audio: Models.

How much does a 5- or 10-second image to video clip cost on Makernice?

A 10-second image-to-video clip at each model's default resolution costs from $0.48 on MiniMax H3 Max Turbo to $2.59 on Seedance 2.5 (price list v12, November 2, 2026). On every model in this table, image to video costs the same per second as text to video at the same resolution.

From GET /v1/pricing, at each model's default resolution. Totals are rounded to the cent; your quote shows the exact amount before you run anything. Live rates: Pricing. MiniMax H3: 480p, 768p native · 2K, 4K upscaled from 768p.
Model	Resolution	Per second	5 s clip	10 s clip
Seedance 2.5	720p	$0.2592/s	$1.30	$2.59
Seedance 2.0	720p	$0.1704/s	$0.85	$1.70
Seedance 2.0 Fast	720p	$0.1027/s	$0.51	$1.03
MiniMax H3	2K	$0.156/s	$0.78	$1.56
MiniMax H3 Max	768p	$0.0685/s	$0.34	$0.69
MiniMax H3 Max Turbo	768p	$0.048/s	$0.24	$0.48
Wan 3.0	720p	$0.0789/s	$0.39	$0.79
Wan 3.0 Prime	720p	$0.1234/s	$0.62	$1.23
Kling 3.0 Pro	1080p	$0.1612/s	$0.81	$1.61
Kling 3.0 Standard	720p	$0.1209/s	$0.60	$1.21
Kling 4.0	720p	$0.168/s	$0.84	$1.68
Happy Horse 1.1	720p	$0.168/s	$0.84	$1.68

From GET /v1/pricing, at each model's default resolution. Totals are rounded to the cent; your quote shows the exact amount before you run anything. Live rates: Pricing. MiniMax H3: 480p, 768p native · 2K, 4K upscaled from 768p.

Prices as of November 2, 2026 (price list v12).

When should you use first and last frame instead of image to video on Makernice?

Image to video (mode i2v) uses your image as the first frame and generates the motion that follows. First and last frame (mode flf) also takes last_image_url and generates the motion between the two pictures, so the ending is yours too. To keep a character or product consistent without fixing any frame, use reference to video (mode r2v) with several images.

Image-to-video and first-last frame fields · Reference-to-video guide

What image and prompt work best for Makernice image to video?

Describe the motion, not the picture: what moves, in which direction, and how the camera travels. The image already shows what is there.
Through the API, host the image at a stable public https URL for the whole generation; the model fetches it itself.
Quote with the same image fields you will create with; changing the model, mode, resolution or duration needs a new quote.
Only upload images you own or have permission to use, and don't upload photos of other people without their consent.

Frequently asked questions

Can I see the price before an image to video clip runs on Makernice?

Yes. A quote shows the exact amount before anything runs, holds nothing and locks the price for 12 minutes, and the generation is charged exactly what it was quoted. In the console the price appears before you press Generate; through the API, call POST /v1/generations/quote.

Does Makernice charge for a failed image to video generation?

No. Creating a run holds the quoted amount. If the generation fails, times out or is canceled while queued, the hold is released in full. Quality is not a failure condition: a delivered video is charged, whatever you think of it. 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.

Can I upload a photo from my computer to Makernice image to video?

In the console, yes: upload a JPEG, PNG or WebP image of up to 10 MB. Through the API, image_url must be a public https URL of up to 2,048 characters, because the API has no upload endpoint.

How long can a Makernice image to video clip be?

From 2 to 30 seconds, depending on the model. Seedance 2.5, Wan 3.0, Wan 3.0 Prime and Kling 4.0 go up to 30 seconds; the other image to video models stop at 15. Wan 3.0 and Wan 3.0 Prime start at 2 seconds, and you are billed per second of the duration you request.

Is image to video priced differently from text to video on Makernice?

No. On every Makernice model that does both, image to video costs the same per second as text to video at the same resolution. The rate depends on the model and resolution, and video is billed per second of the duration you request.

AI video generator · All models · Pricing · No charge for failed generations · API docs