Cheaper Gen.
MiniMaxAPI key

MiniMax H3 API Key

Get a MiniMax H3 API key in about two minutes. One Cheaper Gen. key calls MiniMax H3 — 3 endpoints — and every other model in the catalog, from $0.044/s, 45% below MiniMax's official price. Prepaid, no subscription.

Key
Free
pay per use
Credits from
$10
≈ 45 test clips
First request
$0.26
text-to-video
Models per key
41
12 developers
Try in Studio Call the API

Step by step

How to get a MiniMax H3 API key

  1. 1

    Create an account

    Sign up with Google or a magic link sent to your email. No sales call and no waitlist.

  2. 2

    Add credits

    Credits are prepaid in US dollars, from $10 by card. $10 covers about 45 5-second 768P clips with MiniMax H3 ($0.22 each). Turn on auto top-up if you don't want jobs to stop.

  3. 3

    Create the key

    Open Dashboard → API keys, name the key (e.g. “hailuo-prod”) and copy it. Keys start with cg_live_, and the full key is shown only once.

  4. 4

    Store it as an environment variable

    Put it in CHEAPERGEN_API_KEY on your server or in your secrets manager — never in a browser bundle, mobile app or public repository.

  5. 5

    Call MiniMax H3

    Send the request below. It costs $0.26 (45% below the official $0.48) and returns a generation id you can poll or receive by webhook.

Your first MiniMax H3 request

curl -X POST https://cheapergen.com/api/v1/run/minimax/h3/text-to-video \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $CHEAPERGEN_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
  "prompt": "A hummingbird hovers at a red flower, wings frozen in a sliver of light, nature documentary",
  "aspect_ratio": "16:9",
  "resolution": "768P",
  "duration": 6
}'
Full MiniMax H3 API tutorial (Python, Node.js) Create your key

What the key unlocks

MiniMax H3 endpoints on your key

Every MiniMax H3 endpoint, with its starting price. The same key also runs the other 40 models.

MiniMax H3 endpoints available with one API key
TaskEndpointFrom
Text to VideoPOST /api/v1/run/minimax/h3/text-to-video$0.044/s
Image to VideoPOST /api/v1/run/minimax/h3/image-to-video$0.044/s
Reference to VideoPOST /api/v1/run/minimax/h3/reference-to-video$0.044/s

Security

Keep your key safe

Anyone with the key can spend your balance. Details in the authentication docs.

Server-side only

Call the API from your backend. Never ship a key in a browser bundle, mobile app or public repository.

One key per app

Separate keys for production, staging and each integration let you revoke one without touching the others.

Rotate without downtime

Create a new key, deploy it, then revoke the old one. Revocation takes effect immediately.

Watch last-used times

The dashboard shows when each key was last used, so unused or unexpected keys stand out.

Compared

A Cheaper Gen. key vs a key from MiniMax

Cheaper Gen. API key compared with the official developer API
AspectCheaper Gen.MiniMax directly
Price$0.044/s at 768P$0.08/s (official list)
Models on one key41 models from 12 developersMiniMax models
BillingPrepaid USD credits, per use, failed runs refundedMiniMax's own billing
Same modelYes — official MiniMax H3Yes — official MiniMax H3

FAQ

MiniMax H3 API key questions

Creating a key is free, but generations are paid: there is no free tier. You add prepaid credits from $10, failed generations are refunded automatically, and the quote endpoint (POST /v1/quote/{endpoint}) prices any request for free before you run it. MiniMax H3 starts at $0.044/s.

The key itself costs nothing. You pay per second of generated video: MiniMax H3 costs $0.044/s at 768P, 45% below MiniMax's official $0.08/s. There is no subscription or monthly fee.

Yes. One Cheaper Gen. key works for all 41 models from 12 developers in the catalog — change the endpoint, keep the key and the balance.

The full key is shown once, when you create it. The dashboard keeps its name, prefix and last-used time; if you lose the key, create a new one and revoke the old one.

Revoke it in Dashboard → API keys — revocation takes effect immediately — then create a new key and deploy it. Use one key per app or environment so you can revoke one without touching the others.