Hailuo AI

Hailuo AI is a video and image creation platform from MiniMax that lets users turn text prompts, images, and references into generated video. The platform now goes beyond a single model: its current video generator brings together Hailuo models alongside other available video models, with options varying by model and plan.

For creators, marketers, social media teams, and visual storytellers, the appeal is straightforward. Instead of starting with cameras, actors, locations, and a traditional editing timeline, you can begin with a description or source image and generate a short video.

The Hailuo model family remains an important part of that experience. Hailuo 2.3 supports text-to-video and image-to-video, while Hailuo 2.3-Fast is designed specifically for faster image-to-video iteration. The current Hailuo AI generator also exposes other models, including Veo 3.1, Sora 2, Seedance, and MiniMax H3, depending on availability.

Hailuo AI Is More Than a Single Video Model

Hailuo AI is operated by MiniMax, a global AI company whose products include Hailuo AI and other multimodal AI systems. MiniMax identifies Hailuo 2.3 among its proprietary models and describes Hailuo AI as one of its AI-native products.

That distinction matters when researching Hailuo AI in 2026.

A search for “Hailuo AI” can refer to the overall platform, the Hailuo video model family, or a specific model such as Hailuo 2.3. These are related, but they are not exactly the same thing.

The broader Hailuo AI video generator currently supports three main input approaches:

• Text-to-video: describe the scene and let the model generate the footage.
• Image-to-video: provide a still image and generate movement from it.
• Reference-to-video: use reference media to carry subjects, motion, voices, or visual characteristics into a new scene.

The current generator page also lists more than 12 video models and supports different resolutions and workflows depending on the model selected.

This makes Hailuo AI more flexible than a simple prompt-to-video website. A creator can choose a model based on the requirements of a particular shot instead of necessarily using the same model for every generation.

Hailuo 2.3 Brings More Control to Short AI Video

Hailuo 2.3 is one of the main models behind the platform.

According to MiniMax, Hailuo 2.3 was introduced as an improvement over Hailuo 02, with stronger physical movement, stylization, character micro-expressions, and response to motion commands. MiniMax specifically highlights improvements for complex body movement, dynamic camera movement, anime and illustration styles, and realistic facial details.

The current Hailuo 2.3 model page lists both text-to-video and image-to-video generation. It supports 768p and 1080p output, with 6-second and 10-second options depending on the selected configuration.

One useful distinction is between Hailuo 2.3 and Hailuo 2.3-Fast.

Hailuo 2.3 handles both text-to-video and image-to-video. Hailuo 2.3-Fast is focused on image-to-video and is designed for quicker, lower-cost iteration. That makes the Fast variant more suitable when the goal is to generate several variations from a still image rather than spend more time on a single high-quality generation.

The model page gives example configurations including 768p at 6 seconds for 25 credits, 768p at 10 seconds for 50 credits, and 1080p at 6 seconds for 50 credits. Hailuo also states that exact availability and pricing can vary by plan.

That credit structure is important. A creator who wants to experiment with many versions needs to think about both the monthly subscription and the cost of each generation.

From a Prompt to a Finished Video

The basic Hailuo workflow is intentionally simple.

For text-to-video, the prompt carries almost all of the creative direction. Hailuo’s own guidance recommends describing the subject, action, camera, setting, lighting or mood, and sound when the selected model supports audio.

For example, instead of writing:

“A hiker in the mountains.”

a more specific prompt can describe the person’s movement, camera position, environment, lighting, and atmosphere.

This approach matters because an underspecified prompt leaves more decisions to the model. The more concrete the visual requirements are, the clearer the intended shot becomes.

Image-to-video works differently because the source image already establishes much of the visual information. The model’s task becomes interpreting how the subject should move, how the camera should behave, and how the scene should develop.

Reference-based generation adds another layer. Hailuo describes reference-to-video as a way to carry characters, motion, voices, or style references into new scenes. This can be useful for workflows where visual continuity matters more than creating completely unrelated clips.

The platform’s current generator also provides different models for different requirements. For example, MiniMax H3 supports multimodal video generation with native audio, while Hailuo 2.3 focuses on its own text-to-video and image-to-video workflows.

Where Hailuo AI Makes Sense for Creators

Hailuo’s strongest practical use is short-form visual production.

A social media creator can use image-to-video to animate an existing artwork or photograph. A marketer can turn a product concept into a short visual advertisement. An animator can experiment with movement before committing to a longer production.

The platform also supports vertical, square, and landscape formats, making it relevant to social platforms and conventional video placements.

Product and ecommerce content is another important area. Hailuo’s current model materials specifically describe improvements for product motion and commercial scenes in Hailuo 2.3.

That does not mean every product generation will be accurate enough for a final advertisement. Logos, small text, product geometry, colors, and other brand-specific details still need human review.

The same applies to characters. Hailuo 2.3 is designed to improve facial expression and body movement, but generated video remains probabilistic. If a project depends on exact character identity across multiple clips, references and repeated visual anchors become important.

The current platform also supports creative styles such as anime, illustration, and game-oriented visuals. MiniMax specifically highlights stronger stylization in Hailuo 2.3.

For creators working with stylized content, this can make Hailuo more interesting than a workflow designed only around photorealistic footage.

The Bigger Hailuo AI Platform Changes the Comparison

One of the most important changes in the current Hailuo AI experience is that users are no longer limited to thinking about Hailuo as one model.

The current AI Video Generator page lists more than 12 models, including Hailuo 2.3, Hailuo 2.3-Fast, MiniMax H3, Seedance variants, Veo 3.1, Sora 2, and other available models.

That creates a different buying proposition.

Instead of asking only, “Is Hailuo 2.3 good enough?”, users can ask, “Does Hailuo AI give me the model options I need for my workflow?”

For example, a creator might use Hailuo 2.3 for a particular text-to-video concept, then select another available model when native audio or a different resolution is more important.

The platform also supports a browser-based workflow. Users can upload images, videos, or audio and combine characters, scenes, actions, and music in the creation interface.

That makes the platform useful for people who want generation and creative experimentation in one place rather than managing a separate application for every model.

There is also an API path for developers and product teams. Hailuo’s platform provides API documentation, while MiniMax separately offers developer-facing AI infrastructure.

Pricing Requires a Careful Look

Hailuo AI uses a credit-based subscription model, but pricing information can vary between official pages, promotional material, and older subscription terms.

A current Hailuo AI article lists the Standard plan at $9.99 per month, Pro at $34.99, and Master at $79.99.

However, Hailuo’s subscription terms document lists different contractual prices: Standard at $14.99, Pro at $54.99, Master at $119.99, Ultra at $124.99, and Max at $199.99. The same terms explain that promotions may be offered and that older plans can have different conditions.

Because these official sources are not perfectly aligned, readers should treat the live checkout and current plan page as the final price reference before subscribing.

The credit system is equally important. Hailuo’s current model information shows that different resolutions and durations consume different amounts of credits. For Hailuo 2.3, the published examples include 25 credits for 768p/6s, 50 credits for 768p/10s, and 50 credits for 1080p/6s.

Free access is available, but free users face restrictions such as watermarked downloads and lower access compared with paid plans. Hailuo’s subscription terms explicitly describe free users as having basic access and watermarked downloads, while paid users receive additional credits, priority generation, and watermark-free downloads.

For anyone generating regularly, the subscription price alone does not tell the full story. The real cost depends on resolution, duration, model, number of attempts, and how efficiently the available credits are used.

Commercial Use and Output Rights Need Attention

Commercial use is an area where users should avoid making assumptions.

Hailuo’s current product materials state that commercial use follows the user’s plan and the Hailuo AI Terms of Use.

The current Terms of Use were modified on August 19, 2026. They place responsibility on users for evaluating the legality and suitability of generated content and for obtaining rights, permissions, consents, and releases connected to third-party intellectual property, privacy, publicity, image, voice, and personal data.

That matters for client work.

If you upload a recognizable person’s photograph, use a branded product, reproduce a protected character, or create an advertisement involving third-party materials, the subscription itself does not automatically give you every right required for publication.

Creators should therefore separate two questions:

Can Hailuo generate the content?

and

Do I have the rights required to publish or commercialize the resulting content?

For personal experiments, the distinction may not create much friction. For advertising, ecommerce, client deliverables, or public campaigns, it becomes part of the production checklist.