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Hailuo AI vs Kling AI: MiniMax H3 against Kling 3.0

Most Hailuo vs Kling comparisons still quote daily free credits and a 1080p ceiling. Both have moved. Hailuo AI now runs MiniMax H3, launched on 31 July 2026, which makes clips of up to 15 seconds at 2K with sound. Kling AI runs Kling VIDEO 3.0, 3.0 Omni and 3.0 Turbo, has a native 4K mode, and has announced Kling 4.0 for October 2026. This page compares what each one gives away, charges and allows today.

Reviewed against 21 sources. Prices, models, policies and terms change, so check the linked pages before you buy, build, publish or trade.

The short answer

For short clips with sound, Hailuo costs less per clip: 5 seconds is $0.63 at 2K on Hailuo Standard and $0.80 at 1080p on Kling Standard. Kling is the pick for 4K, for the lowest monthly bill, and for heavy users on its Ultra plan. Neither free plan gives daily credits, a clean download or a commercial-use grant, so budget for a paid plan before you publish.

Choose Hailuo if

  • You want the lowest cost per clip with sound. 60 credits buys 5 seconds at 2K, which is $0.63 on Standard ($10.50 for 1,000 credits).
  • You want to test at full resolution before paying. The Free plan lists MiniMax H3 at 768p and 2K; Kling reserves 1080p and 4K for subscribers.
  • You may want to run the model yourself later. MiniMax released the H3 weights on 3 August 2026.

Choose Kling if

  • You need 4K. Kling VIDEO 3.0 has a native 4K mode at 30 credits a second; Hailuo stops at 2K.
  • You want the lowest monthly bill: Standard is $8.80 a month ($6.99 for the first) against $10.50.
  • You generate at volume. Ultra is $159.99 for 26,000 credits, $0.62 per 100, against $0.80 per 100 on Hailuo Max.

The facts, side by side

Each row shows the date it was checked and numbered links to the pages it was read from.

marks the side the facts favour on that row. Rows without one are a draw or a matter of fit.

Swipe the table sideways to see Kling.

Hailuo and Kling compared, fact by fact
ComparedHailuoMiniMaxKlingKling AI
Current video models17101112MiniMax H3 and MiniMax H3 Max, with the older Hailuo 2.3, 2.0 and 1.0 still offered. Paid plans add Veo 3.1 and Sora 2.Kling VIDEO 3.0, 3.0 Omni and 3.0 Turbo. Kling 4.0 is announced for October 2026; Kling 4.0 Flash is in early access.
Free credits1239No daily credits. New accounts get a one-time grant, shown as 150 credits at sign-up, that expires 3 days after it is granted. The Free plan lists 0 monthly credits.No daily credits on the free Basic plan. Non-subscribers claim monthly free credits at login, valid for 31 days. Amount: Not published.
Longest single clip17141215 seconds. MiniMax H3 runs 4 to 15 seconds and H3 Max 5 to 15 seconds, on every plan including Free.15 seconds on Kling VIDEO 3.0 (3 to 15 seconds). Kling 4.0 is specified at 3 to 30 seconds and 4.0 Flash at 3 to 20 seconds.
Highest resolution11392K on MiniMax H3. H3 Max outputs 480p or 768p. Hailuo 2.3 reaches 1080p for 6-second clips on paid plans.Advantage: 4K on the Kling VIDEO 3.0 series. 1080p and 4K generation are subscriber benefits.
Resolution on the free plan1199Advantage: 768p or 2K on MiniMax H3720p
Sound5110MiniMax H3 generates video with native stereo sound. The plan cards quote one rate per resolution.Kling VIDEO 3.0 has Native Audio and No Native Audio modes. Audio costs 12 credits a second at 1080p; silent costs 8.
Watermark on free output31209Yes. Free users download with a watermark. Standard and higher download without one.Yes. Free generations include a watermark. Every membership removes it.
Commercial use on the free plan3915Not published. The commercial-use clause covers content generated and downloaded on a paid plan.Not allowed. The plan table lists commercial use as a member benefit, and the Terms of Service bar commercial use of output without written permission.
Commercial use on paid plans3169Allowed. Hailuo claims no ownership, and you keep the right to use the content commercially. You grant Hailuo a licence to use it to operate and promote the service.Allowed for any commercial purpose except developing or offering products that compete with Kling.
Tasks at once19Free: 4 queued, 1 running. Standard: 8 queued, 1 running. Pro: 8 queued, 2 running. Master and Max: 12 queued, 2 running.Basic: 1 video per generation. Members: up to 4 videos per generation and unlimited queued tasks.
When credits expire13917Plan credits expire monthly with no rollover. Purchased credits last 1 year according to the plans page.Monthly credits last 31 days. Purchased credits last 2 years. Daily bonus credits for subscribers expire the same day.
Open weights611Advantage: MiniMax H3 weights released on 3 August 2026 under the MiniMax H3 Community License AgreementNone listed

Where each one is stronger

Hailuo MiniMax

  • Cheaper per second with sound

    MiniMax H3 costs 12 credits a second at 2K, sound included, which is $0.126 a second on Standard. Kling VIDEO 3.0 with native audio costs 12 credits a second at 1080p, which is $0.16 on its Standard plan ($8.80 for 660 credits). 12109

  • 2K on the free plan

    The plan comparison lists MiniMax H3 at 4 to 15 seconds in 768p or 2K on Free, the same as on paid plans. Free limits the credits, adds a watermark and runs one task at a time. 19

  • Open weights

    MiniMax published the H3 weights on 3 August 2026 under its MiniMax H3 Community License Agreement. Kling lists no downloadable model. 611

Kling Kling AI

  • Native 4K

    Kling added a 4K mode to the VIDEO 3.0 series on 23 April 2026 at 30 credits a second, so a 5-second 4K clip is 150 credits, $2.00 on Standard. The top output on Hailuo is 2K. 131191

  • Lower entry price and a renewing free allowance

    Kling Standard is $8.80 a month or $79.20 a year, against $10.50 and $100.80 on Hailuo. Non-subscribers can claim monthly free credits at login; Hailuo gives new accounts one grant that expires after 3 days. 913

  • Silent clips cost a third less

    Kling VIDEO 3.0 has a No Native Audio mode at 8 credits a second in 1080p and 6 in 720p, against 12 and 9 with audio. Hailuo quotes one MiniMax H3 rate per resolution. 101

Which to pick, by job

  • Trying both before paying anything

    Pick Hailuo

    The 150 credits shown at sign-up cover two 5-second MiniMax H3 clips at 2K (120 credits) or four at 768p (140 credits), and the terms give you 3 days to use them. The free tier on Kling renews monthly but generates in 720p. 23919

  • Short social clips with sound, every week, on the cheapest plan

    Pick Hailuo

    Hailuo Standard is $10.50 for 1,000 credits, enough for 16 five-second clips at 2K (960 credits). Kling Standard is $8.80 for 660 credits, enough for 11 five-second clips at 1080p with native audio. 12910

  • A client deliverable in 4K

    Pick Kling

    Kling VIDEO 3.0 has a native 4K mode at 30 credits a second, and members may use the output commercially. Five seconds is 150 credits, so the 660 credits on Standard cover four such clips a month. Hailuo stops at 2K. 139161

  • Hundreds of clips a month

    Pick Kling

    At the top tier the order flips. Kling Ultra is $159.99 for 26,000 credits, so a 60-credit clip costs $0.37. Hailuo Max is $216.00 for 27,000 credits, so the same 60 credits cost $0.48. 91

  • Adding video generation to your own app

    Pick Hailuo

    MiniMax bills H3 per second with no package to buy first: $0.13 at 2K, so 5 seconds is $0.65. Kling sells prepaid units from $700 for 5,000. At the $0.14 list unit price, 5 seconds at 1080p with native audio is $0.84. 818

What it costs

Prices are the dollar amounts each vendor showed on 13 October 2026, before tax, at monthly billing unless a row says yearly. Both sites were showing discounts against a higher list price. A price per clip is the plan price divided by its monthly credits, multiplied by the credits the clip costs. Neither vendor charges credits for a failed generation.

marks the side the facts favour on that row. Rows without one are a draw or a matter of fit.

Swipe the table sideways to see Kling.

Hailuo and Kling prices
ComparedHailuoMiniMaxKlingKling AI
Free plan19Free: $0. One-time trial credits, 0 monthly credits, Hailuo models only.Basic: $0. Monthly free credits claimed at login. Amount: Not published.
Lowest paid plan19Standard: $10.50 a month, or $100.80 billed yearly ($8.40 a month). 1,000 credits a month. List price shown: $14.99.Standard: $8.80 a month after a $6.99 first month, or $79.20 billed yearly ($6.60 a month). 660 credits a month. List price shown: $10.
Middle plan19Pro: $38.00 a month, or $364.80 billed yearly ($30.40 a month). 4,500 credits a month.Pro: $32.56 a month after a $25.99 first month, or $293.04 billed yearly ($24.42 a month). 3,000 credits a month.
Top plans19Master: $89.00 a month for 10,500 credits. Max: $216.00 a month for 27,000 credits, with unlimited Hailuo 2.0 and 2.3 generation.Premier: $80.96 a month for 8,000 credits. Ultra: $159.99 a month for 26,000 credits. First month: $64.99 and $127.99.
Price of 100 plan credits19Standard $1.05, Pro $0.84, Master $0.85, Max $0.80Standard $1.33, Pro $1.09, Premier $1.01, Ultra $0.62, at the renewal price
Credits per second211013MiniMax H3: 7 at 768p, 12 at 2K. The create page shows 35 and 60 credits for 5 seconds.Kling VIDEO 3.0 with native audio: 9 at 720p, 12 at 1080p. Without audio: 6 and 8. 4K mode: 30.
5 seconds with sound, lowest paid plan12910Advantage: $0.63 at 2K: 60 credits x ($10.50 / 1,000). $0.37 at 768p: 35 credits.$0.80 at 1080p: 60 credits x ($8.80 / 660). $0.60 at 720p: 45 credits.
10 seconds with sound, lowest paid plan12910Advantage: $1.26 at 2K: 120 credits. $0.74 at 768p: 70 credits.$1.60 at 1080p: 120 credits. $1.20 at 720p: 90 credits.
Extra credits3117$1 for 70 credits in the subscription terms. Credits alone do not remove the watermark.$1 for 66 credits at the standard rate. Credits alone do not unlock 1080p or watermark removal.
API, per second of output818Advantage: MiniMax-H3: $0.08 at 768P, $0.13 at 2K. Pay as you go.Kling 3.0 at the $0.14 list unit price: $0.126 at 720p and $0.168 at 1080p with native audio, $0.42 at 4K. Units are prepaid, from $700 for 5,000.

What changed recently

  1. Kling published a new version of its Terms of Paid Service, effective the same day. 16

  2. Kling announced Kling 4.0 for launch in October 2026 (3 to 30 seconds, up to 4K) and opened Kling 4.0 Flash to a limited group for early access. 12

  3. Hailuo AI updated its Terms of Service. 4

  4. MiniMax released the MiniMax H3 model weights. 6

  5. MiniMax launched MiniMax H3: video with native stereo sound, up to 15 seconds at 2K. 5

  6. Kling 3.0 Turbo went live, with upgraded video editing in Kling 3.0 Omni. 11

  7. Kling added native 4K output to the VIDEO 3.0 series. 11

  8. Kling fully rolled out the Kling 3.0 model: clips of up to 15 seconds, native audio and multi-shot. 11

Questions people ask

Do Hailuo and Kling still give free credits every day?

Not on their free plans. The Hailuo Free plan lists 0 monthly credits and a one-time trial grant, shown as 150 credits at sign-up, which expires 3 days after it is granted. On Kling Basic, non-subscribers claim monthly free credits at login, valid for 31 days, and the amount is not published. Daily bonus credits on Kling are a subscriber benefit. One Kling marketing page still mentions daily credits for free users; the plans page and the Credits Policy do not. 12391721

How much does one clip cost on Hailuo and Kling?

With sound on the lowest paid plan, 5 seconds costs $0.63 on Hailuo and $0.80 on Kling. Both charge 60 credits: MiniMax H3 at 2K and Kling VIDEO 3.0 at 1080p with native audio are each 12 credits a second. The difference is the price of a credit: $10.50 for 1,000 on Hailuo Standard, $8.80 for 660 on Kling Standard. Ten seconds is $1.26 against $1.60. 12910

What is the maximum length and resolution on each?

Both generate up to 15 seconds in one go today. MiniMax H3 on Hailuo outputs 768p or 2K. Kling VIDEO 3.0 outputs 720p, 1080p or 4K, with 1080p and 4K reserved for subscribers. Kling announced Kling 4.0 on 28 September 2026 for launch in October, specified at 3 to 30 seconds and up to 4K. 1714912

Is there a watermark on free videos?

Yes, on both. The Hailuo terms say free users download videos with a watermark and that Standard and higher plans download without one. Kling says free generations include a watermark and that memberships remove it. Both sets of terms tell you to leave it in place, and buying credits without a subscription does not remove it on either. 34120169

Can I use Hailuo or Kling videos commercially?

On a paid plan, yes on both. Hailuo says it claims no ownership of content you generate and download on a paid subscription, and that you keep the right to use it commercially. Kling lets members use output for any commercial purpose except building products that compete with Kling. On the free plans, the Kling Terms of Service bar commercial use without written permission, and Hailuo publishes no commercial grant. One Kling marketing page says free-tier videos can be used commercially; the terms and the plan table say otherwise, so treat free output as personal use. 31615921

Which is cheaper per month, Hailuo or Kling?

Kling has the lower entry price and Hailuo gives more for the money. Kling Standard is $8.80 a month with 660 credits; Hailuo Standard is $10.50 with 1,000. Per 100 credits that is $1.33 against $1.05. The first month on Kling is $6.99, which is $1.06 per 100. At the top, Kling Ultra ($159.99 for 26,000 credits) is cheaper per credit than Hailuo Max ($216.00 for 27,000). 19

Sources

Each page was read on the date beside it. The links open the current version, which may have changed since.

  1. 1Hailuo AI: subscription plans
  2. 2Hailuo AI: create page and sign-up offer
  3. 3Hailuo AI: Video Subscription Service Terms
  4. 4Hailuo AI: Terms of Service
  5. 5MiniMax: MiniMax H3 launch post
  6. 6MiniMax: MiniMax H3 is now open source
  7. 7MiniMax: video generation guide
  8. 8MiniMax: API pricing overview
  9. 9Kling AI: membership plans
  10. 10Kling AI: VIDEO 3.0 model user guide
  11. 11Kling AI: release history
  12. 12Kling AI: Kling 4.0 release note
  13. 13Kling AI: native 4K release note
  14. 14Kling AI: Kling 3.0 release note
  15. 15Kling AI: Terms of Service
  16. 16Kling AI: Terms of Paid Service
  17. 17Kling AI: Credits Policy
  18. 18Kling AI: API pricing
  19. 19Kling AI: text to video page
  20. 20Kling AI: AI video generator page
  21. 21Kling AI: image to video page

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