Veo 3.1 vs Seedance 2.0 API: Pricing and Which to Use

Veo 3.1 Lite Relaxed costs $0.075 per video. Seedance 2.0 Mini text-to-video costs $0.067 per second at 480p, or $0.268 for four seconds and $0.536 for eight. That makes Veo's lowest tier 72% cheaper at four seconds and 86% cheaper at eight seconds. Seedance 2.0 is still the better API for 9–15 second output, video or audio references, and square or 4:3 framing.

TL;DR: Choose Veo 3.1 for 4–8 second videos with predictable flat pricing, first/last-frame control, up to three image references, and a separate 1080p/4K upscale path. Choose Seedance 2.0 for 9–15 seconds, up to nine images plus three videos and three audio tracks, or aspect ratios beyond 16:9 and 9:16. Both generate native audio. If the brief fits both, Veo is the lower-cost starting point.

Veo 3.1 vs Seedance 2.0 at a glance

Which is better: Veo 3.1 or Seedance 2.0?

Pick Veo 3.1 when:

• Each scene is eight seconds or shorter.
• You want to test many prompts at a fixed $0.075 Lite Relaxed price.
• The workflow needs named character-image references or a specific first and last frame.
• You want to generate at 720p and upscale only the result that survives review.

Pick Seedance 2.0 when:

• One task must produce 9–15 seconds.
• The prompt depends on source video, audio, or more than three image references.
• The output needs 1:1, 3:4, 4:3, or 21:9 framing.
• You want 1080p or 4K through the Pro route without switching to a separate upscale model.

For a short text-to-video draft, Veo is usually cheaper. For a 12-second reference-heavy sequence, Seedance avoids an Extend task and supports input types Veo does not accept.

Strengths Showcase

We ran both models through the Unifically API on August 13, 2026 with the same prompt, four-second duration, 16:9 aspect ratio, 24 fps, native audio, and no reference media. Veo 3.1 Lite ran at its native 720p and cost $0.15. Seedance 2.0 Pro ran at 480p and cost $0.416. The images below are matched frames from 2.15 seconds; the review covers visible motion rather than resolution or audio quality.

Motion physics and prompt adherence

Test prompt	Veo 3.1 Lite output	Seedance 2.0 Pro output
"One continuous locked-off side view, no cuts: a clear glass marble rolls down a narrow wooden ramp, drops into a shallow ceramic bowl of water, creates one realistic splash and concentric ripples, then settles at the bottom. Soft daylight, neutral studio background, natural gravity and collision timing, physically plausible water motion, no slow motion, synchronized rolling and splash sound, no text."

Veo 3.1 Lite follows the requested roll, drop, and splash order and produces a clearer discrete splash, but the marble remains visible above the water instead of settling at the bottom. Seedance 2.0 Pro also completes the sequence, though its impact stretches into a glass-like shape and the marble remains too high in the bowl. Neither output fully passes the final settling instruction. This is one paired test, not a repeatability benchmark.

Veo 3.1 vs Seedance 2.0 API pricing

These prices were verified against Unifically's live customer rate card on August 14, 2026. Veo is billed once per generation; Seedance is billed for each output second.

Veo 3.1 flat prices

Veo generation pricing is flat for the selected model. Text-to-video supports 4, 6, or 8 seconds. Reference-image generation is fixed at eight seconds. An Extend call adds eight seconds and costs $0.075–$0.60 based on the selected base model.

Seedance 2.0 per-second prices

Seedance rates change when a reference video is present. Use the row matching the actual request instead of assuming that every Pro call has one rate.

Open the Veo 3.1 playground and choose the price tier that fits the task.

Veo 3.1 API limits

Veo's four generation models accept a prompt, 16:9 or 9:16 output, and 4, 6, or 8 seconds. A start image can stand alone or pair with an end image. Start/end-frame mode cannot be combined with reference mode.

Reference mode accepts up to three expanded image URLs across ordinary image references and character objects. Any reference locks duration to eight seconds. Quality accepts image references but not named reference_characters; Lite, Fast, and Lite Relaxed accept both.

Veo returns native 720p. Passing 1080p or 4K performs the upscale before the same generation task completes. You can instead generate at 720p and call google/veo-3.1-upscale later with the completed task ID.

Seedance 2.0 API limits

Seedance accepts any whole-second duration from 4 through 15. Mini and Fast support 480p or 720p; Pro adds 1080p and 4K. All three routes support six fixed aspect ratios plus adaptive framing.

Omni-reference accepts up to nine images, three videos, and three audio files. Video references can total 15.2 seconds; audio references can total 15 seconds and require at least one image or video. This input range is the main reason to choose Seedance over Veo.

How to call Veo 3.1

The Veo 3.1 API documentation defines the current combinations. This four-second Lite request costs $0.15.

curl -X POST https://api.unifically.com/v1/tasks \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $UNIFICALLY_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "google/veo-3.1-lite",
    "input": {
      "prompt": "A locked-off studio shot of a glass marble rolling down a wooden ramp into a bowl of water",
      "duration": 4,
      "resolution": "720p",
      "aspect_ratio": "16:9"
    }
  }'

How to call Seedance 2.0

This 12-second Mini request costs $1.80 at 720p.

curl -X POST https://api.unifically.com/v1/tasks \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $UNIFICALLY_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "bytedance/seedance-2.0-mini",
    "input": {
      "prompt": "A three-shot product story in a bright studio with synchronized room sound",
      "duration": 12,
      "resolution": "720p",
      "aspect_ratio": "16:9",
      "generate_audio": true
    }
  }'

Both responses return a task_id. Poll GET /v1/tasks/{task_id} until the task completes, then read the video URL from the output.

Common comparison mistakes

• Comparing Veo's flat generation price with Seedance's per-second rate without fixing a duration.
• Calling Veo 4K native output. Veo generates at 720p and upscales 1080p or 4K requests.
• Sending a Veo reference image with a four- or six-second duration. Reference mode is eight seconds only.
• Sending images or audio fields to Seedance. The live fields are image_urls, video_urls, and audio_urls.
• Assuming Seedance Fast is always the cheapest route. Mini has the lowest current text-to-video rates.

Frequently asked questions

Which is cheaper, Veo 3.1 or Seedance 2.0?

Veo 3.1 is cheaper for common short generations: Lite Relaxed costs $0.075 per video. Seedance 2.0 Mini starts at $0.067 per second, making a four-second 480p request $0.268.

Is Veo 3.1 better than Seedance 2.0?

Veo is better for short scenes, image/character references, and low-cost prompt testing. Seedance is better for videos up to 15 seconds, video/audio references, larger reference sets, and more aspect ratios.

Do both APIs support 4K?

Yes, through different paths. Veo generates at 720p and upscales a 4K request in-task or later through its upscale model. Seedance 2.0 Pro exposes 4K generation directly at a per-second rate.

Can both models generate audio?

Yes. Both return generated video with native audio. Seedance can also accept reference audio in omni-reference mode; Veo does not accept an audio file as a reference.

Which model supports longer videos?

Seedance 2.0 produces up to 15 seconds in one task. Veo produces up to eight seconds and can add another eight seconds through Extend.

Which model supports more references?

Seedance supports up to nine images, three videos, and three audio files. Veo supports up to three expanded image URLs across image and character references.

For short scenes with controlled pricing, run Veo 3.1. For longer or multimodal-reference work, open Seedance 2.0.

Related reading

• Veo 3.1 API guide: variants, parameters, and pricing.
• Seedance 2.0 API guide: Pro, Mini, and Fast details.
• Seedance 2.5 vs 2.0: compare the current Seedance generations.