Seedance 2.5 vs Wan 3.0 vs MiniMax H3: one clip, three models
Given the same pictures and the same prompt, all three made a usable 15-second clip of the same scene, at 480p. They differ less in quality than in what they take: how long a clip can be, how many pictures and voice samples you can send, what sharpness you can ask for, and the price per second. Pick by what your episode needs, then judge the clips with your own eyes.
29 October 2026 5 min read
ShowMaker lets you pick any of the three for every episode. To show the difference, we shot one clip on each, the same day, with nothing changed but the model.
The test
The scene is from our test show Silicon Couple: Isaac shows Dana the new smart fridge, and it has ordered forty jars of pickles. Each model got the same four pictures: the kitchen, Isaac, Dana and the pickle jar.
Each got the same prompt, word for word, with only the picture names in each model's own form: "@Image1" for Seedance, "Image 1" for Wan and "<Picture 1>" for H3. No model got a voice sample, so all three made up the voices. Each clip was shot once: 15 seconds, 9:16, 480p.
Stylized 3D animated feature film, cinematic CGI with soft volumetric morning light and rich detail. Isaac and Dana's sunny, lived-in kitchen; Isaac shows off the new smart fridge, and it has ordered forty pickle jars. Staging: Isaac stands at the fridge end of the island, right beside the fridge door, facing the camera side. Dana stands at the near corner of the island, nearer the lens, turned three-quarter toward him, a mug in her hand. Both stay in the kitchen the whole clip; nobody leaves or enters. 0-6 seconds: Over-the-shoulder from behind Dana onto Isaac at the fridge, both in frame. Isaac, proud as a game-show host, pats the fridge door twice: "It orders groceries. By itself." Dana, amused and curious: "Ooh. What'd it get?" End state: Isaac with his palm on the shut fridge door, Dana holding her mug. 6-11 seconds: Close on the fridge touchscreen, Dana in profile in front of it and Isaac at the edge of frame. Dana taps the screen; it lights up "PICKLES x40". Dana, suspicious: "...Forty?" Isaac, hands on hips, proud: "It learns our habits." End state: the screen reads "PICKLES x40", Dana squinting at it, Isaac beside her. 11-15 seconds: Medium across the island, camera pushing in slowly, both in frame. Dana sets her mug on the island and yanks the fridge door open: every shelf is packed with pickle jars. Dana is stunned; Isaac's proud grin freezes. End state: fridge wide open, Dana at the near corner, Isaac at the fridge end. @Image1 is the kitchen from this shot's camera; keep its viewpoint, its set dressing and its light. @Image2 is the character design for Isaac (grey hoodie over a white t-shirt, jeans). @Image3 is the character design for Dana (fluffy lavender bathrobe over striped pajamas, messy bun). @Image4 is the pickle jar. Do not copy the reference pictures' poses or framing. Sound: quiet sunlit kitchen, the fridge humming. Music: bouncy pizzicato strings and light marimba. Voices: English. No subtitles.
The three clips
In the frames, all three look like they kept the kitchen from the picture, both characters in their clothes, the three beats in order and a fridge full of jars at the end. Watch them yourself: the voices, the timing and the acting are where they differ most, and frames can't show those. The one difference you can see in the frames is the fridge screen:
- Seedance put what looks like Dana's face on the screen behind the words, the same kind of slip as a person appearing twice (more on that).
- Wan wrote plain text on white.
- H3 made it look most like an app, with icons in the corners.
Pitfall
Don't pick a model from one clip. The same request can come back quite different on a second try; in another test of ours, a character who vanished in one take was there all along in the next. Shoot the scene that matters most to your show on each model, more than once, before you decide.
What each one takes
| Seedance 2.5 | Wan 3.0 | MiniMax H3 Max | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clip length | 4 to 30 seconds | 2 to 30 seconds | 5 to 15 seconds |
| Sharpness | 480p and 720p | 480p, 720p and 1080p | 480p and 720p |
| Pictures per clip | up to 30 | up to 10 | up to 9 |
| Voice samples per clip | up to 10 | up to 5 | up to 3 |
| Previous clip as a video | up to 10 | up to 5, 15 seconds in all | up to 3, 15 seconds in all |
| List price at 480p | about 10 cents a second | 5 cents a second | 5 cents a second |
Seedance is priced by the size of the video rather than per second; at 480p and 9:16 our 15-second clip came to about 10 cents a second. All three can also work from a start and an end frame, but we don't use them; here is why.
How to choose
- Long scenes. Seedance and Wan go to 30 seconds a clip; H3 stops at 15.
- Many characters who talk. Seedance takes the most pictures and voice samples per clip. H3 takes three voices at most.
- Sharpest picture straight from the model. Wan goes to 1080p on its own.
- Lowest price. Wan and H3 cost about half what Seedance does at 480p.
For how to write for each, read our Seedance 2.5 prompt guide and Wan 3.0 prompt guide.
In ShowMaker
You pick the model when you start an episode, and can try another on the next one. ShowMaker writes each clip's prompt and sends the right pictures and voices with it.