Is MiniMax AI Free?
MiniMax AI is partly free. MiniMax H3 open weights are free where its Community License permits, Hailuo AI has limited free-user access, and the official MiniMax H3 API is pay-per-use. MiniMax3.org is a separate, paid browser generator.
Detailed answer
Yes—but not every way of using MiniMax is free.
MiniMax H3 open weights are free to use where permitted by the MiniMax H3 Community License, although running the model locally still requires your own compute, storage and electricity. MiniMax’s hosted H3 API is pay-per-use. Hailuo AI supports free users and eligible new users can receive promotional welcome credits, while free-user downloads include a watermark.
MiniMax3.org is an independent platform and is not operated by MiniMax. It does not offer free credits; one-time packs start at $9.90 for 153 credits.
VERIFIED / OCT 18, 2026
H3 OPEN WEIGHTS
FREE*
H3 API · 768P
$0.08 / SEC
H3 API · 2K
$0.13 / SEC
HAILUO
FREE USER MODEL
MINIMAX3.ORG
PAID · NO FREE TIER
MINIMAX3.ORG
PACKS FROM $9.90
*Where permitted by the MiniMax H3 Community License.
01 / ANSWER
What Parts of MiniMax Are Free?
“Free” means different things across the MiniMax ecosystem. Open weights, free web access, promotional credits and hosted API usage are separate access models.
| Access route | Free? | What you get | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MiniMax H3 open weights | Yes — where license permits | Local H3-Base generation and model control | Requires your own compute and is subject to the Community License |
| Hailuo AI web app | Limited free access | Basic generation and eligible new-user promotional credits | Watermark, queue limits and promotional-credit limits |
| MiniMax H3 API | No | Hosted 768p and 2K H3 generation | Usage-based billing |
| MiniMax3.orgIndependent platform | No | Browser H3 generation without API setup | Paid credits; packs from $9.90 |
Embedded product experience
Try MiniMax H3 With Your Credits
MiniMax3.org lets you generate MiniMax H3 videos directly in your browser without configuring an API or downloading local model weights. Choose your resolution, duration and reference inputs below to see the required credits before generating.
MiniMax3.org does not offer free credits. The smallest one-time pack is $9.90 for 153 credits, with no subscription required.
- Current base-rate example
- 30 credits can cover one 5-second 768p MiniMax H3 generation at the current base rate.
- Smallest one-time pack
- $9.90 · 153 credits
- Subscription required
- No — one-time packs available
MiniMax3.org is an independent third-party platform and is not operated by, affiliated with or endorsed by MiniMax.
02 / CREDIT COSTS
What Does a MiniMax H3 Video Cost on MiniMax3.org?
MiniMax3.org currently charges 6 credits per second for 768p MiniMax H3 generation and 12 credits per second for 2K. There is no free tier; the smallest one-time pack is $9.90 for 153 credits. The table shows how far that pack goes.
| Generation | Credits required | Clips per 153-credit pack |
|---|---|---|
| 4s · 768P | 24 | 6 |
| 5s · 768P | 30 | 5 |
| 4s · 2K | 48 | 3 |
| 5s · 2K | 60 | 2 |
| 10s · 768P | 60 | 2 |
| 10s · 2K | 120 | 1 |
$9.90 = 5 five-second 768p MiniMax H3 generations at the current base rate.
03 / OPEN WEIGHTS
Is MiniMax H3 Free?
Yes—the MiniMax H3 open weights are free where the Community License permits their use. But free model weights are not the same as free hosted video generation.
FREE MODEL ACCESS
- H3-Base open weights
- local deployment
- local 768p generation
- no hosted API generation fee
- research and commercial use where license permits
YOU STILL PROVIDE
- GPU compute
- VRAM
- system RAM
- storage
- electricity
- deployment
- maintenance
Free weights ≠ zero-cost inference.
The current MiniMax H3 Community License excludes certain jurisdictions from the standard open-weight license scope. Check the current license before downloading or deploying H3.
05 / HAILUO
Is Hailuo AI Free?
Yes. Hailuo AI provides a free-user service model, but free access is limited rather than equivalent to an unlimited paid plan.
Hailuo Free Access at a Glance
| Free-user feature | Current term |
|---|---|
| Basic generation | Yes |
| Sequential queued tasks | Up to 3 |
| Parallel generations | 1 at a time |
| Watermark-free download | No |
| Eligible new-user promotional credits | Yes |
| Welcome-credit validity | 3 days |
The exact number of promotional credits can change. Hailuo’s official terms guarantee the one-time welcome package for eligible new users, while current promotional details are governed by the live product offer.
Verified against Hailuo AI Video Subscription Service Terms; the primary-source link is consolidated below.
06 / API
Is the MiniMax H3 API Free?
No. The official hosted MiniMax H3 API currently uses pay-per-use pricing.
| Resolution | Official list price |
|---|---|
| 768p | $0.08 / second |
| 2K | $0.13 / second |
| Calculated example | Output cost |
|---|---|
| 4-second 768P | $0.32 |
| 4-second 2K | $0.52 |
| 5-second 768P | $0.40 |
| 5-second 2K | $0.65 |
| 10-second 768P | $0.80 |
| 10-second 2K | $1.30 |
07 / COST BOUNDARIES
Does the Base H3 API Price Include Everything?
Not necessarily. The headline H3 rate covers generated video output. Depending on the workflow, additional reference images, reference video, H3-Context-IR processing or 2K regeneration can add charges.
| Billing item | Current official rule |
|---|---|
| 768p output | $0.08 / second |
| 2K output | $0.13 / second |
| Audio input | Free |
| First 5 images | Free |
| Additional image | $0.04 each |
| 768p → 2K regeneration | $0.05 / second |
Reference-video inputs and H3-Context-IR can also create additional usage charges. The official page separately lists $0.025 per additional image during regeneration; $0.04 applies to original H3 generation after the first five images.
See the Full MiniMax H3 Cost Breakdown08 / DEFINITIONS
What Does “Free” Mean for an AI Video Model?
FREE TRIAL
Temporary hosted credits that let you test a service before paying.
FREE TIER
A recurring but limited amount of hosted usage.
FREE OPEN WEIGHTS
Model weights can be downloaded and run where the license permits, but you provide the compute.
FREE HOSTED GENERATION
The service provider absorbs the inference cost of the generated output.
MiniMax H3 primarily combines free open-weight access where licensed with paid hosted API generation. Hailuo adds limited free-user and promotional access, while MiniMax3.org is a separate paid browser generator.
09 / EXAMPLE
5-Second MiniMax H3 Generation Cost Example
At the current MiniMax3.org rate, a 5-second 768p MiniMax H3 generation is quoted at 30 credits.
- Model
- MiniMax H3
- Resolution
- 768p
- Duration
- 5 seconds
- Quoted cost
- 30 credits
This is a rate calculation, not a claimed generation test. No output video or VideoObject schema is presented.
10 / WATERMARK
Does MiniMax H3 Add a Watermark?
Watermark behavior depends on the service delivering the result, not on the H3 model name alone. Under the current Hailuo service terms, free-user video downloads include a watermark while eligible paid subscription downloads can be watermark-free.
Do not apply Hailuo's hosted-product policy universally to local H3 output or third-party services. Those routes have separate policies.
| Access route | Watermark |
|---|---|
| Hailuo free download | Yes |
| Eligible Hailuo paid download | No |
| Local H3 generation | Separate from Hailuo policy |
| MiniMax3.org | Follow current MiniMax3.org policy |
| Other H3 provider | Provider-specific |
10 / CHOOSE
Which MiniMax Access Route Should You Use?
| Goal | Best route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Run H3 locally | MiniMax H3 open weights | Maximum control where license and hardware requirements are met |
| Try MiniMax through an official browser product | Hailuo AI | Official consumer interface with limited free-user access |
| Build an application | MiniMax H3 API | Hosted infrastructure with usage-based billing |
| Try H3 without API setup | MiniMax3.org Independent | Paid browser workflow with one-time credit packs |
11 / FAQ
MiniMax AI Free FAQ
Is MiniMax AI completely free?
No. MiniMax has several access routes. H3 open weights are free where the Community License permits, Hailuo offers limited free-user access, and the official hosted H3 API is pay-per-use.
Is MiniMax H3 free?
The H3 open weights are free where permitted by the MiniMax H3 Community License. Local deployment still requires your own compute, storage and electricity.
Is Hailuo AI free?
Yes. Hailuo AI supports free users and eligible new users receive a one-time promotional credit package, but free-user access has limits.
Does free Hailuo AI have a watermark?
Yes. Hailuo AI’s current official service terms state that free-user video downloads include a watermark.
Is the MiniMax API free?
No. The hosted MiniMax H3 API is currently billed according to generated video duration, resolution and applicable workflow inputs.
How much does the MiniMax H3 API cost?
The current official list price is $0.08 per generated second at 768p and $0.13 per second at 2K. Some reference inputs and regeneration workflows can add charges.
Does MiniMax3.org offer free credits?
No. MiniMax3.org is a paid, independent platform. The smallest one-time pack is $9.90 for 153 credits, with no subscription required.
How many credits does a MiniMax H3 video use on MiniMax3.org?
At the current base rate, a 5-second 768p MiniMax H3 generation uses 30 credits and a 4-second 2K generation uses 48 credits.
Is open source the same as free?
No. Open or downloadable model weights may remove a hosted API generation fee, but local inference still requires hardware and electricity and remains subject to the model license.
12 / DATA
MiniMax AI Free Access Dataset
A machine-readable record of verified MiniMax H3 open-weight access, Hailuo free-user limits, official H3 API pricing and MiniMax3.org free-credit calculations.
Every record identifies whether a claim is official or belongs to MiniMax3.org as an independent third party, with verification dates and primary-source URLs.
Continue With MiniMax H3
Related internal guides
13 / SOURCES
Sources and Verification
A compact set of primary sources supports the key open-weight, API-pricing and free-service claims. Additional source names remain attributed in the page text without creating extra exit paths.
MiniMax H3 documentation
Supports: H3 open-weight status and model accessLast checked October 18, 2026
Primary sourceMiniMax Open Platform
Supports: Current H3 API pricingLast checked October 18, 2026
Primary sourceHailuo service terms
Supports: Free-user access, watermark and promotional-credit rulesLast checked October 18, 2026
Primary sourceVerified against MiniMax primary documentation on August 30, 2026. MiniMax3.org credit rates are independently documented on the internal pricing page.