Hailuo (海螺) is MiniMax's video generation family — Hailuo 02 Standard, 02 Pro and 2.3 Pro — known for smooth, physically plausible motion and particularly strong image-to-video. The Hailuo API (often searched as the MiniMax video API) generates short clips programmatically. This guide explains the family, its credit-based pricing, and how to run text-to-video on Kunavo today.
model field.The Hailuo model family
| Model | Strength | Reserved Kunavo rate |
|---|---|---|
| Hailuo 02 Standard | Cost-efficient text-to-video (768p) | $0.04 / second |
| Hailuo 02 Pro | Premium text-to-video, cinematic motion (1080p) | $0.07 / second |
| Hailuo 2.3 Pro | Image-to-video with smooth dynamics (1080p) | $0.07 / second |
These rates are reserved in the catalog and go live once MiniMax's USD pricing stabilizes — they are not billable today.
Hailuo API pricing
MiniMax bills Hailuo in credits, so the effective USD cost depends on which credit bundle you buy and which reseller you use — third-party quotes vary widely and aren't directly comparable. Kunavo publishes transparent per-clip USD pricing for its live video model instead of a credit abstraction:
| Model | Pricing basis | On Kunavo |
|---|---|---|
| Hailuo 02 / 2.3 (MiniMax) | MiniMax credits (no public USD/sec) | Roadmap — not enabled |
| Veo 3 (Google) | Per video, transparent USD | Live, from $0.16 / 8s 720p |
Text-to-video on Kunavo today
Kunavo exposes video generation through one OpenAI-style endpoint, POST /v1/video/generations. The live model is Veo 3 — cinematic clips with native audio, three price tiers. The request shape is identical to what a Hailuo call would be — only the model string differs:
import requests
# Live text-to-video on the same OpenAI-style endpoint. Swap the model
# string to Hailuo once it's enabled — the request shape is identical.
resp = requests.post(
"https://api.kunavo.com/v1/video/generations",
headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {API_KEY}"},
json={
"model": "veo-3", # live today; Hailuo on the roadmap
"prompt": "a surfer carving a wave at golden hour, drone shot",
"duration": 5,
"aspect_ratio": "16:9",
},
timeout=600,
)
print(resp.json()["data"][0]["url"])The live alternative: Veo 3
Google Veo 3 is the strongest generally available text-to-video model and the live one on Kunavo, with native audio and transparent per-video pricing (Lite from $0.16, Fast from $0.32, Quality from $1.92 per 8s 720p clip). For the full model landscape — Veo, Sora, Kling and Hailuo — see the text-to-video API guide, and for image-to-video and the async task lifecycle the video docs.
FAQ
What is the Hailuo API?
MiniMax's video generation family (Hailuo 02 Standard/Pro, 2.3 Pro), known for smooth motion and strong image-to-video, billed by MiniMax in credits.
Is Hailuo the same as MiniMax?
Hailuo is MiniMax's video product line — searches for "MiniMax video API" and "Hailuo API" refer to the same family.
Can I use Hailuo on Kunavo today?
Not yet — it's reserved in the catalog pending a stable public USD rate from MiniMax. Use Veo 3 on the same endpoint today.
How much does the Hailuo API cost?
MiniMax bills in credits with no public USD/sec rate; Kunavo's reserved rates are $0.04–0.07/second. The transparent, live option is Veo 3 from $0.16 per 8s 720p clip.