Seedance 2 vs Seedance 2 Fast: How Video Token Pricing Actually Works
Seedance 2 uses a token-based pricing model that scales with the complexity of what you're creating.
ByteDance's Seedance 2 is one of the most capable video generation models available today, supporting text-to-video, image-to-video, and multimodal references with cinematic output. But unlike image models where you pay per generation, Seedance 2 uses a token-based pricing model that scales with the complexity of what you're creating.
Understanding how this works upfront can save you a lot of money, especially when generating at scale.
The Two Variants: Fast vs. Pro
Seedance 2 comes in two flavors:
Seedance 2.0 (Pro) is the full-featured model. It supports multimodal references - meaning you can feed it images, videos, and audio to guide generation. It produces richer, more detailed outputs and is the right choice when quality is the top priority.
Seedance 2.0 Fast is optimized for speed and cost. It's half the price of Pro and significantly faster to generate. The tradeoff: it doesn't support real human face generation, making it best suited for stylized content, product videos, landscapes, and abstract visual storytelling.
Both models support 480p and 720p output, run at 24 fps, and work across a wide range of aspect ratios: 16:9, 9:16, 21:9, 4:3, 1:1, and 3:4.
How Token-Based Pricing Works
Instead of a flat per-video price, Seedance 2 bills you based on how much visual information you're generating. The formula is:
Tokens = (Width × Height × Frame Rate × Duration in seconds) / 1024 × Number of Videos
Then your cost is:
Cost = Tokens / 1,000,000 × Price per million tokens
Segmind's rates are:
- Seedance 2.0 Fast: $1.50 per million tokens
- Seedance 2.0 Pro: $3.00 per million tokens
This model makes intuitive sense: a longer video at higher resolution costs more because it contains more frames of pixel data. A 5-second short-form clip is a fraction of the cost of a 15-second cinematic sequence — and you pay only for what you generate.
A Real Example: 15-Second, 21:9, 720p Video
Let's walk through a concrete calculation:
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Width | 1470 px |
| Height | 630 px |
| Frame rate | 24 fps |
| Duration | 15 seconds |
| Video count | 1 |
Token calculation:
(1470 × 630 × 24 × 15) / 1024 × 1 = 325,582 tokens
Cost:
- Seedance 2.0 Fast: 325,582 / 1,000,000 × $1.50 = $0.49
- Seedance 2.0 Pro: 325,582 / 1,000,000 × $3.00 = $0.98
A 15-second widescreen video for under $1. And since it scales linearly, a batch of 10 such videos costs $4.90 (Fast) or $9.77 (Pro) — with no volume surprises.
Cost at a Glance: Common Resolutions and Durations
Here's how costs break down across common use cases (1 video, 24 fps):
| Resolution | Aspect | Duration | Tokens | Fast ($1.5/M) | Pro ($3/M) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1280 × 720 | 16:9 | 5s | ~108,000 | ~$0.16 | ~$0.32 |
| 1280 × 720 | 16:9 | 10s | ~216,000 | ~$0.32 | ~$0.65 |
| 1280 × 720 | 16:9 | 15s | ~324,000 | ~$0.49 | ~$0.97 |
| 854 × 480 | 16:9 | 5s | ~48,000 | ~$0.07 | ~$0.14 |
| 854 × 480 | 16:9 | 10s | ~96,000 | ~$0.14 | ~$0.29 |
| 854 × 480 | 16:9 | 15s | ~144,000 | ~$0.22 | ~$0.43 |
| 720 × 1280 | 9:16 | 15s | ~324,000 | ~$0.49 | ~$0.97 |
720p consumes roughly 2.25x more tokens than 480p for the same duration, because both width and height scale up together. So if you're running high-volume batches, 480p can dramatically cut costs for drafts or previews before committing to a 720p final render.
When to Use Fast vs. Pro
Choose Seedance 2 Fast when:
- You need high-volume generation (batch workflows, A/B testing creatives)
- The content is stylized, abstract, product-focused, or landscape-based
- Speed matters — rapid prototyping, iteration, or real-time pipelines
- You're cost-optimizing at scale
Choose Seedance 2 Pro when:
- Your prompt requires complex multimodal inputs (combining image + video + audio references)
- You're producing premium deliverables where every detail counts
- You need richer motion and scene fidelity for cinematic outputs
Why Token Pricing Is Better Than Flat Rate
Flat per-video pricing sounds simple but hides significant variance — a 3-second 480p clip and a 15-second 720p sequence are orders of magnitude apart in compute cost. Token pricing means you're charged for exactly what you generate.
It also makes batching predictable. Once you know your target resolution and duration, you can calculate your cost before running a single generation. For teams building production pipelines at scale, this turns video generation from a variable expense into something you can plan around.
Try Seedance 2 on Segmind
Both Seedance 2 and Seedance 2 Fast are available via the Segmind API. You can test generations on the Segmind playground, inspect token usage in real time, and integrate via API with a few lines of code.
If you're evaluating video generation for your workflow, Seedance 2 Fast is a great starting point — half the price of Pro, faster turnaround, and near-identical quality for most non-face use cases.
Have questions about which model fits your use case? Reach out at contact@segmind.com.