Hailuo (MiniMax)
AI video generator from MiniMax creating 1080p videos up to 10 seconds from text or images, with strong character motion and fast generation speeds
Overview
Hailuo AI is an AI video generation platform developed by MiniMax, a Shanghai-based AI company backed by Alibaba and Tencent. The platform converts text prompts and images into short video clips up to 10 seconds in 1080p resolution. Hailuo 2.3 features Director Mode for cinematic camera control, subject reference for character consistency across clips, start/end frame conditioning, and enhanced support for anime, illustration, and stylized art like ink wash painting. The model ranks #1 for physics simulation on WorldModelBench and generates videos in 30-90 seconds, making it one of the fastest in its category. MiniMax went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in January 2026 at a $4 billion valuation.
The Verdict
Who Should Use Hailuo AI?
Best For
- Social media creators needing fast, affordable video content
- Character-focused videos with natural facial expressions
- Anime, illustration, and stylized art video generation
- Rapid iteration and testing video concepts
- E-commerce product videos with controlled object motion
- Budget-conscious creators prioritizing volume over polish
Not Ideal For
- Professional filmmaking requiring cinematic polish
- Complex physics-driven or athletic motion scenes
- Videos longer than 10 seconds without editing
- 4K output requirements (max 1080p currently)
- Projects with strict copyright/training data concerns
What's Great
- Fast generation speeds (30-90 seconds per clip)
- Strong character animation and facial expressions
- Excellent prompt adherence for straightforward scenes
- Affordable pricing (~$0.28 per video)
- Director Mode for cinematic camera control
- Subject reference for character consistency across clips
- Enhanced stylization: anime, illustration, ink wash, game CG
- Cross-platform access (web, iOS, Android, Windows, Mac)
- #1 physics simulation on WorldModelBench
Watch Out For
- No 4K resolution support (max 1080p at 6s, 768p at 10s)
- Temporal stability issues with dynamic/complex motion
- Hands and facial features can morph unnaturally
- Steep pricing cliff between Standard ($7.99) and Pro ($24.99)
- Trustpilot rating of 1.4/5 due to billing complaints
- Training data concerns and ongoing Disney/Universal lawsuit
- Limited cinematic polish compared to Runway or Sora
- No advanced video editing or model selection options
Pricing
View all features & details
Video Generation
- Text-to-video generation
- Image-to-video conversion
- Start/end frame conditioning
- Up to 10 seconds at 768p
- Up to 6 seconds at 1080p
- 24-30 FPS output
- 30-90 second generation time
Creative Controls
- Director Mode (camera control)
- Subject reference (character consistency)
- Style transfer capabilities
- Multilingual prompt support
- Keyframe support
- Motion tracking
Style Support
- Photorealistic video
- Anime and illustration
- Ink wash painting style
- Game CG aesthetic
- Cinematic lighting
- E-commerce product videos
Platform & API
- Web application
- iOS and Android apps
- Windows and Mac clients
- Open Platform API access
- Hailuo 01, 02, and 2.3 models
- Hailuo 2.3 Fast (50% cost reduction)
How It Compares
| Feature | Hailuo (MiniMax) | Runway Gen-4 | Kling 3.0 | Sora |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Resolution | 1080p | 4K | 4K Native | 1080p |
| Max Duration | 10s | 10s | 10s | 60s |
| Audio Generation | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Free Tier | Yes | Trial | Yes (monthly) | No |
| Starting Price | $7.99/mo | $15/mo | $6.60/mo | $20/mo |
| Generation Speed | 30-90s | 2-5 min | 1-3 min | 5-10 min |
| Character Motion | Excellent | Good | Excellent | Good |
| Camera Control | Director Mode | Motion Brush | Multi-Shot | Basic |
| Best For | Budget creators | Pro control | Fast iteration | Cinematic |
| Status | Active | Active | Active | Sunsetting Apr 2026 |