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How to choose
- 1
Draft cheaply
Try the idea at 720p, or with Seedance 2.0 Fast (12 credits for 5 s at 720p). Most prompt problems show up at any resolution.
- 2
Final at 1080p for social
Reels, Shorts and TikTok play at phone size; 1080p looks sharp there and costs less than 4K.
- 3
4K for big screens and edits
Choose 4K for TVs, cinema screens, or when you plan to crop, stabilise or re-frame the clip in an editor.
- 4
Re-render the winner, not every take
Generate several cheap takes, pick the one you like, then render that prompt again at the final resolution. Each render is a new take, so keep the prompt identical and expect small differences.
Seedance 2.0 credits for a 5-second clip
Same numbers the studio charges. Longer clips cost more; the studio shows the exact cost before you generate.
| Resolution | Credits (5 s) |
|---|---|
| 720p | 15 |
| 1080p | 30 |
| 4K | 70 |
Credits for a 5-second clip, every model
Each model's resolutions as the studio offers them. A dash means the model does not render at that resolution.
| Model | 720p | 1080p | 4K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seedance 2.0 | 15 | 30 | 70 |
| Seedance 2 Fast | 12 | 20 | - |
| Seedance 2.0 Mini | 9 | 17 | - |
| Seedance 2.5 | 24 | 50 | 120 |
The studio shows the exact cost of every clip before you generate.
Seedance price per second on KreatorFlow
Seedance 2.0 and 2.5 at 720p and above: price per second on each plan (monthly and annual), credits per 5-second clip, and clips per plan.
| Model · resolution | Credits | Per second | USD per second (monthly) | USD per second (annual) | Creator · 525 credits/mo | Pro · 1,050 credits/mo | Max · 2,500 credits/mo | Business (2 seats) · 4,500 credits/mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seedance 2.0 · 720p | 15/5s | 3/s | $0.119–0.145/s | $0.099–0.121/s | 35 | 70 | 166 | 300 |
| Seedance 2.0 · 1080p | 30/5s | 6/s | $0.238–0.289/s | $0.198–0.241/s | 17 | 35 | 83 | 150 |
| Seedance 2.0 · 4K | 70/5s | 14/s | $0.554–0.675/s | $0.462–0.563/s | Pro and up | 15 | 35 | 64 |
| Seedance 2.5 · 720p | 24/5s | 4.8/s | $0.190–0.231/s | $0.158–0.193/s | 21 | 43 | 104 | 187 |
| Seedance 2.5 · 1080p | 50/5s | 10/s | $0.396–0.482/s | $0.330–0.402/s | 10 | 21 | 50 | 90 |
| Seedance 2.5 · 4K | 120/5s | 24/s | $0.950–1.157/s | $0.792–0.964/s | Pro and up | 8 | 20 | 37 |
Seedance 2.0 and 2.5, 720p and above. Plan columns: 5-second clips a month on the plan's full monthly credits. Longer clips cost the same per second, so a 10-second clip uses twice the credits. Generated audio is included. USD per second: each plan's price over its full monthly credits, lowest to highest plan; monthly is the regular monthly price, annual is the yearly price divided by 12.
What actually changes between 720p, 1080p and 4K
Resolution is the number of pixels in each frame. 720p is 1280 by 720, 1080p (Full HD) is 1920 by 1080, and 4K (Ultra HD) is 3840 by 2160, four times the pixels of 1080p. More pixels hold finer detail: individual strands of hair, fabric weave, small text on a sign, the texture of skin and stone.
What resolution does not change is the shot itself. The composition, the motion, the acting and the camera move come from your prompt and references. A weak prompt at 4K is still a weak shot, just a sharper one. That is why the cheapest way to a good final is to get the shot right at a low resolution first.
Which resolution for which platform
A practical guide, based on where the clip will be watched:
- TikTok, Reels and Shorts: 1080p. Phones show the clip at a size where 1080p is sharp, and the platforms compress every upload.
- YouTube videos: 1080p for most channels; 4K if your channel already uploads 4K or the clip is a showcase of detail.
- Ads on social platforms: 1080p, unless the brief asks for a 4K master.
- Websites and landing pages: 1080p for hero videos, since file size affects page speed.
- TVs, projectors, event screens and cinema: 4K.
- Footage you will crop, punch in on, stabilise or re-frame: 4K, so the cropped area still has enough detail.
- Quick tests, storyboards and client previews: 720p.
Resolution and aspect ratio work together
Resolution names the short side of the frame, so the shape matters too. A 1080p clip in 16:9 is 1920 pixels wide and 1080 tall; the same 1080p in 9:16 is 1080 wide and 1920 tall, the standard size for TikTok, Reels and Shorts. Picking the right shape before you generate means the platform shows every pixel you paid for, with no black bars and no cropping.
Seedance 2.0 supports 16:9, 4:3, 1:1, 3:4, 9:16, 21:9. Choose 9:16 for vertical social, 16:9 for YouTube and websites, 1:1 or 4:3 for feeds, and 21:9 for a cinematic widescreen look. If one clip has to serve both vertical and horizontal posts, a 4K render in 16:9 leaves enough pixels to crop a vertical version from the middle.
Common resolution mistakes
These cost the most credits for the least benefit:
- Drafting at 4K: you pay the top price for takes you throw away.
- 4K for phone-only content: the platform compresses it and viewers cannot see the difference.
- The wrong aspect ratio: a 16:9 clip cropped to 9:16 loses most of the frame, at any resolution.
- Expecting resolution to fix a weak shot: blur from fast motion, odd hands or a confusing action come from the prompt, not the pixel count.
- Mixing resolutions in one edit without planning: export the edit at the resolution most of your clips share.
A cost-saving workflow
Most of a video budget goes on takes you throw away, so make those takes cheap. Draft at 720p with Seedance 2.0 or with Fast (12 credits for 5 seconds at 720p) until the shot works: framing, action, camera and timing. Only then render the final at 1080p, or 4K if the use calls for it.
For example, five drafts at 720p plus one final at 1080p costs 105 credits on Seedance 2.0, while rendering all six at 1080p costs 180. The more takes a shot needs, the bigger the saving.
Which plans include 1080p and 4K
Creator renders video up to 1080p. Pro, Max and Business can also render 4K. Compare credits and prices on the pricing page.
Seedance API price comparison
Building on the API? See what Seedance costs per provider
On the KreatorFlow API a 5-second Seedance 2.0 clip at 1080p costs $1.20 ($0.240 per second); the next lowest listed price is $1.88 on Segmind. The comparison shows every setting, read on each provider's own page and dated.
Templates for this guide
Each template has its own page with a preview, the credit cost and a link to the studio.
- Earth Super ZoomOne continuous zoom from space, through the clouds and a city, down to a single subject in close-up.
- FPV DroneAn aggressive FPV dive down the side of a building, banking through a gap and pulling up into a low glide.
- Crane Down Sky RevealThe camera descends from high above, through a layer of cloud or canopy, to reveal your subject at ground level.
- Product RevealA short cinematic reveal with a smooth camera move and premium lighting for ads and storefronts.
Frequently asked questions
Is 4K worth it for TikTok?
Rarely. Phones show short videos at a size where 1080p already looks sharp, and platforms compress uploads. Spend the difference on more takes.
Does resolution change how the video looks, or only its size?
Higher resolutions keep finer detail such as hair, text and textures. Composition and motion come from the prompt, so draft at a lower resolution and render the prompt you like again at a higher one. Each render is a new take, so expect small differences.
Is 1080p good enough for YouTube?
For most videos, yes. 1080p is Full HD and looks sharp on phones, laptops and most monitors. Choose 4K for showcase footage or if you plan to crop into the shot.
How much more does 4K cost than 1080p?
On Seedance 2.0, a 5-second clip costs 30 credits at 1080p and 70 at 4K. The table above shows every model and resolution.
Can I render a 720p clip again in 4K later?
You can render the same prompt again at 4K, but it is a new take, not the same clip made sharper. Keep the prompt and references identical to get as close as possible.
Which plan do I need for 4K AI video?
Pro, Max and Business include 4K. Creator renders up to 1080p.
What is the best resolution for vertical AI video?
1080p in 9:16, which is 1080 by 1920 pixels, the size TikTok, Reels and Shorts are built for. Pick 9:16 before you generate rather than cropping a horizontal clip.
