Seedream 4.5 Alternatives

The fastest FLUX.2 — open weights, sub-second, a fraction of a cent

• Lower price: $0.0038/image vs $0.0309/image at 2K (88% less).
• Newer model (released January 15, 2026).

Where Seedream 4.5 is stronger: higher maximum resolution: 4K vs 2K; edits with up to 10 input images (vs 4).

The open-weights FLUX 3 — 16-step images in seconds, from a fraction of a cent

• Lower price: $0.0074/image vs $0.0309/image at 2K (76% less).
• More aspect ratios: 16 vs 8.
• Newer model (released October 15, 2026).

Krea's photographic image model in 8 steps — under 1.5¢ an image

• Lower starting price: $0.0076/image vs $0.0309/image.
• Newer model (released June 22, 2026).

Where Seedream 4.5 is stronger: higher maximum resolution: 4K vs 1k 16:9; edits with up to 10 input images.

Z-Image Turbo

Alibaba

$0.0108/image

65% cheaper at 2K

Alibaba's 6B open model — photoreal images in 8 steps, under 1.5¢ each

• Lower price: $0.0108/image vs $0.0309/image at 2K (65% less).

Where Seedream 4.5 is stronger: higher maximum resolution: 4K vs 2K; edits with up to 10 input images.

OpenAI's top image model — precise edits, perfect text, up to 4K

• Lower price: $0.0114/image vs $0.0309/image at 2K · low (63% less).
• Edits with up to 16 input images (vs 10).
• More aspect ratios: 11 vs 8.

The faster GPT Image 2.5 for everyday images and volume

• Lower price: $0.0114/image vs $0.0309/image at 2K · low (63% less).
• Edits with up to 16 input images (vs 10).
• More aspect ratios: 11 vs 8.

Seedream 5.0 Flash

ByteDance · same family

$0.0154/image

50% cheaper at 2K

The fastest, lowest-cost Seedream

• Lower price: $0.0154/image vs $0.0309/image at 2K (50% less).
• Newer model (released September 10, 2026).

Where Seedream 4.5 is stronger: higher maximum resolution: 4K vs 2K.

Qwen-Image 3.0

Alibaba

$0.0228/image

26% cheaper at 2K

Clear instruction following and stable text, at about 2 cents an image

• Lower price: $0.0228/image vs $0.0309/image at 2K (26% less).

Where Seedream 4.5 is stronger: higher maximum resolution: 4K vs 2K; edits with up to 10 input images (vs 3).

Seedream 5.0 Lite

ByteDance · same family

$0.0317/image

3% more at 2K

High-quality Seedream images at a lower price

• Newer model (released June 28, 2026).

Where Seedream 4.5 is stronger: higher maximum resolution: 4K vs 2K.

Instruction-based image editing that keeps characters consistent (legacy)

• More aspect ratios: 9 vs 8.

Where Seedream 4.5 is stronger: lower starting price: $0.0309/image vs $0.0348/image; higher maximum resolution: 4K vs 1K.

Nano Banana 2.1

Google

$0.0479/image

55% more at 2K

Google's newest Nano Banana — top-ranked quality at a quarter of Pro's price

• Edits with up to 14 input images (vs 10).
• More aspect ratios: 14 vs 8.
• Newer model (released October 6, 2026).

Where Seedream 4.5 is stronger: lower price: $0.0309/image vs $0.0479/image at 2K (36% less).

xAI's top-ranked image model — photoreal, bold, fast

• More aspect ratios: 13 vs 8.

Where Seedream 4.5 is stronger: lower price: $0.0309/image vs $0.0552/image at 2K (44% less); higher maximum resolution: 4K vs 2K.

Black Forest Labs' production image model — photoreal, fast, up to 4 MP

• More aspect ratios: 10 vs 8.

Where Seedream 4.5 is stronger: lower price: $0.0309/image vs $0.0575/image at 2K (46% less); higher maximum resolution: 4K vs 4 MP.

Seedream 5.0 Pro

ByteDance · same family

$0.0665/image

115% more at 2K

Production-grade image generation and precise editing

• Newer model (released July 8, 2026).

Where Seedream 4.5 is stronger: lower price: $0.0309/image vs $0.0665/image at 2K (54% less); higher maximum resolution: 4K vs 2K.

Qwen-Image 3.0 Pro

Alibaba

$0.0679/image

120% more at 2K

Alibaba's image model for dense text and layouts — menus, posters, infographics

Where Seedream 4.5 is stronger: lower price: $0.0309/image vs $0.0679/image at 2K (54% less); higher maximum resolution: 4K vs 2K.

Kontext with stronger prompt following and typography

• More aspect ratios: 9 vs 8.

Where Seedream 4.5 is stronger: lower starting price: $0.0309/image vs $0.0695/image; higher maximum resolution: 4K vs 1K.

Black Forest Labs' newest image model — grounded, layout-aware, up to 4K

• More aspect ratios: 15 vs 8.
• Newer model (released October 1, 2026).

Where Seedream 4.5 is stronger: lower price: $0.0309/image vs $0.092/image at 2K (66% less).

Nano Banana Pro

Google

$0.1197/image

288% more at 2K

Gemini 3 Pro Image — studio-grade generation and editing up to 4K

• Edits with up to 14 input images (vs 10).
• More aspect ratios: 10 vs 8.

Where Seedream 4.5 is stronger: lower price: $0.0309/image vs $0.1197/image at 2K (74% less); newer model (released December 3, 2025).

The highest-quality FLUX.2 for hero images

• More aspect ratios: 9 vs 8.
• Newer model (released December 16, 2025).

Where Seedream 4.5 is stronger: lower price: $0.0309/image vs $0.1263/image at 2K (76% less); higher maximum resolution: 4K vs 4 MP.

FLUX.2 with adjustable steps and guidance — best for text and fine detail

• More aspect ratios: 9 vs 8.

Where Seedream 4.5 is stronger: lower price: $0.0309/image vs $0.1364/image at 2K (77% less); higher maximum resolution: 4K vs 4 MP.

Open 5B image model for bilingual text and layout control

• More aspect ratios: 15 vs 8.
• Newer model (released October 16, 2026).

Where Seedream 4.5 is stronger: lower price: $0.0309/image vs $0.1534/image at 2K (80% less); higher maximum resolution: 4K vs 2K.