Updated 30 September 2026.
You want to know what a Seedance 2.5 clip costs before you commit a budget, and every page gives you a different per-second figure. The reason is simple: ByteDance does not sell Seedance 2.5 by the second. This page explains how the official API is billed, what actually drives the cost of a finished clip, and how to run Seedance 2.5 with the price shown before you generate.
Quick answer: ByteDance sells the Seedance 2.5 API through Volcano Engine Ark in China and BytePlus ModelArk internationally, on an official rate card that meters video generation in tokens, not seconds (as listed when we checked it on 22 September 2026: BytePlus ModelArk pricing). A per-second figure only holds for one resolution and duration, and third-party hosts add their own margin. In Imagera, Seedance 2.5 runs in the browser from 4 to 30 seconds at 480p or 720p, and the credit cost is on the Generate button before you run it.
1.What is Seedance 2.5?
ByteDance launched Seedance 2.5 on 31 July 2026. It generates a 30-second clip in a single run, supports multi-turn extension for longer sequences, and accepts up to 30 images, 10 videos and 10 audio clips as references in one input (TechNode, 31 July 2026). It first rolled out in Jimeng AI and Doubao Pro, with the developer API on Volcano Engine's Ark platform following.
For every Imagera setting and its credit cost, see the Seedance 2.5 model page.
2.How is the Seedance 2.5 API priced?
The official rate card bills in video tokens, not seconds. What you pay per clip changes with:
- Resolution. Higher output tiers use more tokens per second.
- Duration. A 30-second take costs roughly six times a 5-second take at the same settings.
- Failed takes. A take that misses the brief costs the same as one that lands.
Use the BytePlus ModelArk rate card for the current official rates, and the ModelArk Seedance documentation for supported resolutions and durations. Treat any third-party per-second price as that host's own rate, and check which modes and resolutions it actually exposes.
3.Where can you use Seedance 2.5, and what does each route need?
| Route | What it needs | How the price appears |
|---|---|---|
| Jimeng AI / Doubao Pro (China) | A ByteDance consumer account in China | In-app pricing |
| Volcano Engine Ark API | A Volcano Engine account | Official token rate card |
| BytePlus ModelArk API (international) | A BytePlus account and API integration | Official token rate card |
| Third-party API hosts | Their account and prepaid balance | Host's own per-second or per-clip rate |
| Imagera | An Imagera account with credits | Credits, shown on the Generate button before you run |
4.What does a finished 30-second clip really cost?
The render is only part of it. A deliverable usually needs several takes, an upscale for the delivery resolution, and cutdowns for vertical platforms. Two habits keep the bill down:
- Block the shot short. Prove the composition at 5 seconds and 480p before paying for a 30-second 720p take.
- Budget per finished clip, not per second. Count the takes you usually need, then add finishing.
5.How to run Seedance 2.5 on Imagera
Sample output: Seedance 2.5 (Reference) in Sandbox. A shepherd from a reference image walks clifftops at golden hour while his dog herds the flock.
- Open Seedance 2.5 in Sandbox, or Seedance 2.5 (Reference) to build from your own images, clips and audio (up to 50 files).
- Choose duration (4 to 30 seconds), resolution (480p or 720p) and aspect ratio (21:9 to 9:16).
- Read the credit cost on the Generate button, then run.
- Need 1080p or 4K delivery? Upscale the finished take with the Video Enhancer.
No regional account, API key or prepaid reseller balance is involved: the same credits pay for generation, upscaling and editing. Plans start at $19.99/mo for 300 credits a month on the Starter plan, and credit packs start at $39.99 for 350 credits (pricing).
