ByteDance
Seedream API
ByteDance's Seedream image line, with prompt-optimisation modes and JPEG or PNG output.
3
models in the line
Seedream is ByteDance's image generation and editing line. All three tiers we serve share the same ten framing options — including an adaptive mode that lets the model choose — a choice of JPEG or PNG output, and a prompt-optimisation switch that decides whether the model rewrites your prompt before generating. Prices sit close together, so the decision is about resolution ceiling rather than budget.
At a glance
- From
- $0.033 / generation
- Modes
- Text to image, Image to image
- Resolutions
- 2K, 3K, 4K, 1K
- Aspect ratios
- 1:1, 4:3, 3:4, 16:9, 9:16, 3:2, 2:3, 21:9, 9:21, auto
Models in this family
| Model | From | Modes | Open |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seedream 5.0 LiteFast image generation and editing from text and reference images. | $0.033/ generation | Text to image, Image to image | OpenDocs |
| Seedream 4.5Generate and edit detailed images from prompts and reference images. | $0.038/ generation | Text to image, Image to image | OpenDocs |
| Seedream 5.0 ProQuality-focused image generation and editing with up to 2K output. | $0.044/ generation | Text to image, Image to image | OpenDocs |
Pricing
| Model | Option | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Seedream 5.0 Lite | Standard | $0.033/ generation |
| Seedream 4.5 | Standard | $0.038/ generation |
| Seedream 5.0 Pro | 1K | $0.044/ generation |
| Seedream 5.0 Pro | reference_image | $0.004/ generation |
| Seedream 5.0 Pro | 2K | $0.088/ generation |
Which one to pick
Seedream 5.0 Lite
The cheapest tier, and the only one that reaches 3K as well as 2K and 4K.
Seedream 4.5
The previous generation, at 2K or 4K, when you want its rendering rather than 5.0's.
Seedream 5.0 Pro
Quality-focused work at 1K or 2K, with reference images billed separately and cheaply.
Strengths
- Prompt-optimisation mode is exposed as a parameter, so you can turn the model's own prompt rewriting off when you want literal control.
- Output format is selectable — PNG when you need lossless, JPEG when you need small.
- An adaptive aspect ratio that lets the model pick the framing for the subject.
- On 5.0 Pro, reference images are billed at a fraction of a generation.
Limitations
- 5.0 Pro tops out at 2K, so the highest resolutions come from the older 4.5 or from Lite.
- Resolution ceilings differ per tier (1K/2K, 2K/4K, 2K/3K/4K), which makes swapping tiers less transparent than it looks.
- Prices are close together, so there is no genuinely cheap tier for volume drafting.
The vendor's own description of this line: ByteDance Seed — Seedream
Guides
- Image generationWhich image model to use for the picture you need, prompts that produce it, batching for variants, and the API run from prompt to file URL.8 min read
- Image editingEditing photos with references instead of prompts — background swaps, product composites, style matching, and the Midjourney action chain from imagine to inpaint.8 min read
- GPT Image 2.5 — Sunburst, Flare, prompts and real examplesChoose a GPT Image model, compare Sunburst and Flare, copy four practical prompts, inspect six real renders, and generate or edit images through API Stock.9 min read