The cheapest video model here, and better at motion than its price suggests.
Minimax Hailuo 02 is MiniMax's video model, reached here through fal.ai. It is the cheapest clip on the platform by a wide margin, which would make it the obvious testing model even if the output were mediocre. It is not: motion is fluid and natural, and for scenery, objects and camera movement the results stand on their own.
The right way to think about it is as the model you reach for first. Test a shot here, learn whether the idea works at all, and only then decide whether it is worth re-rendering on Gemini Omni for audio or Kling for a face.
It supports text to video and image to video, renders all three aspect ratios, and comes back silent.
What Minimax is best at
Testing an idea before spending real credits
Scenery, objects and abstract motion
High-volume social clips
Looping background video
Price The lowest credit cost per clip here, low enough that trying five variations is a normal thing to do.
Natural motion Movement is fluid rather than stuttery, which is not a given at this price point.
Good with objects and scenery Landscapes, products, weather and abstract motion come out clean.
All aspect ratios 16:9, 9:16 and 1:1 all supported.
Where Minimax falls short
Faces drift. For anything built on a photo of a person, use Kling instead.
No audio.
Clip lengths map onto the provider's 6 and 10 second tiers, so requested durations are approximate.
Fine detail is softer than the premium models, which shows if the clip is viewed large.
Minimax specifications
Provider: MiniMax
Model ID: minimax/hailuo-02/standard
Routed via: fal.ai
Audio: No
Clip length: 4 or 8 seconds
Aspect ratios: 16:9, 9:16, 1:1
Provider model ID: fal-ai/minimax/hailuo-02/standard
Routed via: fal.ai
Aspect ratios: 16:9, 9:16, 1:1
Clip lengths: 4, 8 seconds
What you can do with Minimax on this page
Test an idea The cheapest way to find out whether a shot works before you spend on a final render.
Looping background Subtle, repeatable motion for a website hero or a presentation backdrop.
Animate a scene photo Add motion to a photo of a place or an object. Save faces for Kling.
Prompts that work on Minimax
Play to scenery, not faces
A drone shot rising slowly over a pine forest at dawn, mist pooling in the valleys, no people in frame.
Ruling people out keeps the clip inside what this model does well, which is landscape, weather and camera movement.
Loop-friendly motion
Abstract deep blue ink swirling slowly. Continuous even motion with no beginning or end, no hard changes in direction.
Motion that never resolves is what makes a clip loop cleanly. Asking for it directly beats trimming afterwards.
Spend nothing to learn the shot
The same framing and camera move you plan to render on Gemini Omni, tested here first.
At this price a failed test costs almost nothing, and knowing the composition works is most of the value of a render.
What Minimax costs
Cost on Prompt Reverse, 4 second clip: 15 AI Credits, 8 second clip: 28 AI Credits. AI Credits come from a one-time credit pack and never expire, with no subscription and no separate provider account.
Minimax vs the other models
Kling video: Switch whenever a real person's face is in the shot.