Best AI Video Generation APIs

HiAPI provides one API surface for text-to-video and image-to-video APIs. Use this page to compare video generation models, get an API key, estimate pricing drivers, and decide which model should handle product clips, social videos, storyboards, ads, or still-image animation.

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Quick comparison

Model	Best for	Endpoint	Notes
Veo 3.1 Text to Video API	Flagship cinematic text-to-video with native audio	`/v1/tasks`	720p–4K, 4/6/8s, billed per second; top-quality tier of the Veo 3.1 family
Veo 3.1 Image to Video API	Animating stills into cinematic clips with native audio	`/v1/tasks`	`image_url` input, aspect ratio can follow the source image, 720p–4K, 4/6/8s
Veo 3.1 Fast API	Sound-on short videos with native audio, up to 4K	`/v1/tasks`	720p–4K, 4/6/8s, billed per second; `generate_audio` toggles audio
Veo 3.1 Fast Image to Video API	Fast, cost-efficient image animation at scale	`/v1/tasks`	Same parameters as `veo-3.1/image-to-video` at a lower per-second price
Seedance 2.0 API	Cinematic text-to-video, image-to-video, and reference-driven video	`/v1/tasks`	Supports reference images, video, audio, and optional synchronized audio
Seedance 2.0 Mini API	Cost-efficient text-to-video and image-to-video at scale	`/v1/tasks`	480p/720p, 4–15s, billed per second tiered by resolution and audio; native audio + multimodal references
Seedance 2.0 Fast API	High-speed text-to-video, image-to-video, and multimodal reference-to-video	`/v1/tasks`	480p/720p, 4–15s, billed per second tiered by resolution; native audio + image/video/audio references
Wan 2.7 Image-to-Video API	Animating a first-frame image	`/v1/tasks`	Uses `input.media[]` for first frame, last frame, audio, or first clip
Wan 2.7 Text-to-Video	General text-to-video generation	`/v1/tasks`	Uses `resolution` plus `ratio`
HappyHorse 1.0	Low-cost short video drafts	`/v1/tasks`	Good for prompt validation and short social clips
HappyHorse 1.1 T2V API	Text-to-video with native audio	`/v1/tasks`	720p/1080p, 3–15s, billed per second; nine aspect ratios
HappyHorse 1.1 I2V API	Animating a single first-frame image	`/v1/tasks`	Uses `image_urls` (1 image); 720p/1080p, 3–15s, native audio
HappyHorse 1.1 R2V API	Up to 9 reference images for subject/style control	`/v1/tasks`	Reference images via `[Image N]` in the prompt; 720p/1080p, 3–15s
Kling 3.0 Omni T2V API	Cinematic text-to-video with native audio and 4K	`/v1/tasks`	720p/1080p/4K, 3–15s, billed per second; `sound` toggles native audio
Kling 3.0 Omni I2V API	First-frame (or first/last frame) driven video with audio	`/v1/tasks`	Uses `image_urls` (1–2 images); 720p/1080p/4K, 3–15s
Grok Imagine 1.5 Image to Video API (Preview)	Upgraded motion quality with flexible 1-15s duration	`/v1/tasks`	Single input image; 480p/720p billed per second at the same rates as grok-imagine 1.0

Which video API should I choose?

Choose Seedance 2.0 when you want a broad AI video API for cinematic prompts, image-to-video workflows, reference media, and optional audio. Choose Wan 2.7 Image-to-Video when your source image should define the final clip. Choose Wan 2.7 Text-to-Video for prompt-only video generation. Choose HappyHorse 1.0 when you want a fast short-video draft before moving to a higher-cost model.

The practical workflow is to test short clips first, compare output quality, then increase duration or resolution only after the prompt is stable.

Text-to-video vs image-to-video APIs

Text-to-video APIs start from a written prompt. They work well for storyboards, concept clips, atmospheric scenes, and early creative exploration.

Image-to-video APIs start from one or more images. They work better when the subject, product, character, or first frame must stay close to a source asset.

If you are building a production app, support both modes:

Use text-to-video for ideation and creative variation.
Use image-to-video when the user uploads a product image, poster, character, or first frame.
Use callbacks for terminal task status because video jobs usually take longer than image generation.

Image-to-video API

An image-to-video API turns a still image into a short clip while keeping your source frame intact. Use it to animate product photos, posters, characters, or any first frame that should stay close to the original asset.

Several HiAPI models handle image-to-video:

Wan 2.7 Image-to-Video is dedicated to image-to-video. Pass images through input.media[], where each entry has a type of first_frame, last_frame, driving_audio, or first_clip. Use first_frame alone for first-frame animation, or first_frame plus last_frame for a controlled start-to-end transition.
Seedance 2.0 supports image-to-video as one mode of a broader model. Pass first_frame_url (and optionally last_frame_url) for image-to-video, or omit them for text-to-video. The same seedance-2-0 model covers both.
HappyHorse 1.1 I2V animates a single first-frame image with native audio. Pass one image via image_urls; outputs 720p or 1080p, 3–15s.

Media URLs must be publicly reachable. Avoid hotlink protection or complex redirects, or the upstream task can fail.

API key setup

All video generation APIs on HiAPI use the same API key and task endpoint. Create one key in API Keys, then pass it with each request:

Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY

Keep the API key on your server. For browser apps, send the user prompt or uploaded asset to your backend first, then create the HiAPI task from there.

Pricing and cost

Current pricing is maintained on HiAPI Pricing. Video pricing usually depends on model, duration, resolution, and volume.

For cost control:

Start with shorter durations while testing prompts.
Use lower resolution for debugging.
Move to higher resolution only for final clips.
Prefer callbacks over aggressive polling.
Track failed jobs separately so invalid requests do not become hidden retry cost.

fal.ai alternative for video APIs

If you are comparing HiAPI with fal.ai for image-to-video or text-to-video APIs, focus on operational fit: authentication, model coverage, pricing visibility, async task handling, callback support, and how easily your team can switch models.

HiAPI is designed around one API key and one task model across video, image, and other generation APIs. That makes it useful when your product wants to test Seedance, Wan, HappyHorse, and image models without rebuilding provider-specific billing or request routing.

Example requests

Text-to-video (Seedance 2.0):

curl -X POST https://api.hiapi.ai/v1/tasks \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "seedance-2-0",
    "input": {
      "prompt": "A cinematic product video of a smart speaker rotating on a clean white surface",
      "aspect_ratio": "16:9",
      "duration": 4,
      "resolution": "480p",
      "generate_audio": false
    }
  }'

Image-to-video (Wan 2.7, first frame):

curl -X POST https://api.hiapi.ai/v1/tasks \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "wan2.7-video/image-to-video",
    "input": {
      "prompt": "Make the image gently move with subtle camera motion.",
      "media": [{ "type": "first_frame", "url": "https://example.com/first-frame.jpg" }],
      "resolution": "720P",
      "duration": 2
    }
  }'

FAQ

What is an AI video API?

An AI video API lets your application create video clips from prompts, images, or reference media. HiAPI exposes video models through POST /v1/tasks, then returns a task id for polling or callback-based completion.

How do I get an AI video API key?

Create a HiAPI account and generate a key in API Keys. The same key works for Seedance 2.0, Wan 2.7, HappyHorse, and other HiAPI task models.

How much does an AI video API cost?

Video API cost depends on model, duration, resolution, and request volume. Use HiAPI Pricing for current pricing, and test with short low-resolution clips before final generation.

Which video API should I use for image-to-video?

Use Wan 2.7 Image-to-Video when you have a source image that should define the clip. Use Seedance 2.0 when you also need broader reference media controls or optional audio.

How do I keep the first frame exactly as my input image?

Use Wan 2.7 Image-to-Video with a first_frame entry in input.media[]. The model treats that image as the opening frame, so the clip starts from your exact source. Add a last_frame entry when you also need to fix the final frame.