Image model comparison

Seedream 4.5 vs Seedream 5.0 Lite

ByteDance's Seedream 4.5 and ByteDance's Seedream 5.0 Lite, side by side: price per image, image sizes, editing and aspect ratios — and when to choose which. Both run on one CheaperGen API key.

ByteDance

Up to −23%

Seedream4.5

Seedream 4.5

2K and 4K images and multi-image edits at one price

from

$0.0309/image

ByteDance

Up to −9%

Seedream5.0 Lite

Seedream 5.0 Lite

High-quality Seedream images at a lower price

from

$0.0317/image

Price

Seedream 4.5 vs Seedream 5.0 Lite: price per image

Live prices at the tier both models offer. Official list prices are on each model's pricing page.

Seedream 4.5 and Seedream 5.0 Lite prices at shared tiers
Tier	Seedream 4.5	Seedream 5.0 Lite	Cheaper
2K	$0.0309/image With a monthly plan: Pro $0.0307Max $0.0305	$0.0317/image	Seedream 4.5 −3%

Monthly plans lower prices on most models (shown under each price); you can still pay as you go. Pro $499/month · Max $4,999/month. Plan prices don't apply to requests with the safety checker off.

Seedream 4.5 pricing →Cheapest Seedream 4.5 API →Seedream 5.0 Lite pricing →Cheapest Seedream 5.0 Lite API →

Specs

Side-by-side specifications

From each model's API parameters in our catalog.

Seedream 4.5 vs Seedream 5.0 Lite specifications
Spec	Seedream 4.5	Seedream 5.0 Lite
Developer	ByteDance	ByteDance
Released	Dec 3, 2025	Jun 28, 2026
Tasks	Text to image, Image editing	Text to image, Image editing
Sizes	2K · 4K	1K · 2K
Edit inputs	Up to 10 images	Up to 10 images
Quality levels	—	—
Aspect ratios	8 (1:1, 4:3, 3:4, 16:9, 9:16, 3:2…)	8 (1:1, 4:3, 3:4, 16:9, 9:16, 3:2…)
Starting price	$0.0309/image (2K)	$0.0317/image (1K)
Below official price	up to 23%	up to 9%

Verdict

When to choose which

Each point below comes from the price and spec data above.

Choose Seedream 4.5 for

Higher maximum resolution: 4K vs 2K.

Seedream 4.5 at a glance

Up to 4K — ≈16 MP outputs
One price — 2K and 4K cost the same
Multi-image edit — Combine up to 10 inputs
Text rendering — Legible in-image typography

Choose Seedream 5.0 Lite for

Newer model (released June 28, 2026).

Seedream 5.0 Lite at a glance

Lower price — Cheaper than Pro
Edit & generate — Text-to-image and edits
Up to 2K — ≈4 MP outputs
Fast turnaround — Seconds per image

Try both with the same prompt

Same API key and balance; only the endpoint changes. Failed generations are refunded.

POST /api/v1/run/bytedance/seedream-4.5/text-to-image
POST /api/v1/run/bytedance/seedream-5.0-lite/text-to-image

Seedream 4.5 in Studio Seedream 5.0 Lite in Studio

FAQ

Seedream 4.5 vs Seedream 5.0 Lite questions

Seedream 4.5 is cheaper at 1 of 1 shared tiers. 2K: Seedream 4.5 $0.0309/image, Seedream 5.0 Lite $0.0317/image. Prices are live and billed per image.

Seedream 4.5: up to 4K, edits with up to 10 input images. Seedream 5.0 Lite: up to 2K, edits with up to 10 input images.

Yes. Both run through the same CheaperGen API and balance: POST /v1/run/{endpoint} with the model's endpoint id, then poll or receive a webhook. Switching models means changing the endpoint and its input fields — no new account or SDK.

Keep comparing

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All comparisons →All AI image APIs →Cheapest image APIs →

Seedream 4.5 is developed by ByteDance; Seedream 5.0 Lite by ByteDance. CheaperGen provides API access to both and does not own either model. Trademarks belong to their respective owners.