1In one sentence
Every host sells you credits, each clip costs some of them, and longer, sharper and newer means more credits.
2New words
- Credit — the host's own coin. You get a pile each month with your plan, or buy extra. Each clip takes some away.
- Resolution — how sharp the picture is: 480p (small, for tests), 720p (fine for phones), 1080p (sharp, for a website or TV). On Higgsfield's Video page, Seedance 2.5 is 1080p and Seedance 2.5 Draft is 480p; through its connector and API, Seedance 2.0 also offers 4K, the sharpest. A separate Seedance 2.5 4K, made for film and TV, came out in October 2026 only as a trial for selected business customers of ByteDance's cloud; ordinary hosts do not offer it.
- Plan — the monthly package. Dreamina may give some free trial credits; check its page. Higgsfield's free plan has no credits and few models; its paid levels (Starter, Plus, Ultra) add credits, and some higher-quality modes show a lock until you are on Plus or above.
- Unlimited — on Higgsfield's mid and top plans, a pass that lets you make as many clips as you like with certain models for a set time. It is a separate switch; if the switch is off, you pay credits even though you have the pass.
- Draft — on Seedance 2.5 at Higgsfield, you can make a cheap 480p draft first and pay to finish it at 1080p later (within seven days). Higgsfield's changelog says Draft is offered everywhere except the US.
3Why you would want it
A first-timer's most common surprise is spending a whole month of credits in an afternoon. The cost of one clip is roughly: length (seconds) × sharpness × version. A 30-second 1080p clip on Seedance 2.5 can cost several times a 5-second 480p test. Knowing this, you test small and spend big only once.
4The rule of thumb
- Test at 480p (Seedance 2.5 Draft on Higgsfield), 5 seconds, sound off. Fix the prompt.
- Only when the test looks right, make the real one at 720p or 1080p, longer, sound on.
- One 1080p clip ≈ many 480p tests. Budget that way.
5Try it now
- On the host you chose, find Credits or Balance and note how many you have.
- Open the Seedance page, pick the cheapest version (on Higgsfield, Seedance 2.5 Draft) and the shortest length. Look at the price shown on the Generate button before you press it.
- Change to the full version and the longest length and watch the price change. Change it back.
6What you will see
The price shown on the button jumps as you change the settings (on Higgsfield on November 2, 2026, a 5-second Seedance 2.5 clip with sound showed "Generate ✦ 80"). This is the single most useful habit: read the button before pressing it.
7Watch out
- Monthly credits usually vanish at the end of the month; extra packs you buy may have their own expiry date. Prices and plan names change often, so this chapter gives no numbers: check the host's pricing page.
- A failed clip (blocked for content, or one you simply dislike) still costs credits on most hosts.
8Go further
With a test budget in mind, Chapter 1.4 makes your first clip for Sam's Bakery.