# Kie API pricing: Seedance, Nano Banana and GPT Image costs, and a cheaper Kie API alternative

By SeedRouter · Published 2026-10-05 · Updated 2026-10-05

Kie API pricing is set in credits, and Kie values each credit at $0.005, so every model has its own dollar rate per second of video or per image. On October 5, 2026, Kie's public rate card listed [Seedance 2.5](https://seedrouter.ai/models/seedance-2-5) at $0.140, $0.315 and $0.790 per second for 480p, 720p and 1080p, and [Nano Banana Pro](https://seedrouter.ai/models/nano-banana-pro) at $0.09 per image (or $0.12 at 4K). This guide converts the Kie API rates for Seedance, Nano Banana and GPT Image into dollars and sets them next to SeedRouter's rates for the same models on the same day.

SeedRouter is the Kie API alternative compared here, and it is our product. Both rate cards change, so treat the numbers as a dated snapshot and check the model pages before you move a budget.

Third-party prices in this guide were checked on October 5, 2026.

## How does Kie API pricing work?

Kie bills each request in credits from a prepaid balance. Its homepage FAQ says a credit is worth $0.005, credits do not expire, failed tasks are not charged, and new users get 80 free credits to test. Each model has its own credit price per second, per image or per million tokens, listed on Kie's pricing page.

Two Kie FAQ details affect a production bill: the default limit is 20 new requests every 10 seconds, and Kie keeps generated media for 14 days before deleting it, so you need to copy results to your own storage.

## What does the Kie API cost for Seedance?

The Kie column converts Kie's credit price at $0.005 per credit for requests without a reference video. The SeedRouter column is the per-second price for 16:9 video on its model pages. Both were read on October 5, 2026.

| Model and resolution           | Kie API                | SeedRouter            | Difference |
| ------------------------------ | ---------------------- | --------------------- | ---------- |
| Seedance 2.5, 480p             | $0.140/s               | $0.117/s              | −16%       |
| Seedance 2.5, 720p             | $0.315/s               | $0.263/s              | −17%       |
| Seedance 2.5, 1080p            | $0.790/s               | $0.647/s              | −18%       |
| Seedance 2.0, 480p             | $0.095/s               | $0.080/s              | −16%       |
| Seedance 2.0, 720p             | $0.205/s               | $0.172/s              | −16%       |
| Seedance 2.0, 1080p            | $0.510/s               | $0.426/s              | −16%       |
| Seedance 2.0, 4K               | $1.040/s               | $0.883/s              | −15%       |
| Seedance 2.0 Fast, 480p / 720p | $0.0585 / $0.124 per s | $0.055 / $0.118 per s | −6% / −5%  |
| Seedance 2.0 Mini, 480p / 720p | $0.019 / $0.041 per s  | $0.018 / $0.039 per s | −5% / −5%  |

For a 5-second 1080p Seedance 2.5 clip, that is $3.95 on the Kie API. On SeedRouter it costs about 18% less. SeedRouter bills Seedance per video token, so the per-second figures above are for 16:9 output; other aspect ratios produce a different token count.

## What does the Kie API cost for Nano Banana and GPT Image?

Kie prices these models by resolution. SeedRouter's standard model IDs for Nano Banana Pro, [Nano Banana 2](https://seedrouter.ai/models/nano-banana-2), [GPT Image 2](https://seedrouter.ai/models/gpt-image-2) and [GPT Image 2.5](https://seedrouter.ai/models/gpt-image-2-5) charge one flat price per delivered image at any size.

| Model and size                                | Kie API               | SeedRouter           | Difference         |
| --------------------------------------------- | --------------------- | -------------------- | ------------------ |
| Nano Banana Pro, 1K / 2K / 4K                 | $0.09 / $0.09 / $0.12 | $0.03 at any size    | −67% / −67% / −75% |
| Nano Banana 2, 1K / 2K / 4K                   | $0.04 / $0.06 / $0.09 | $0.03 at any size    | −25% / −50% / −67% |
| GPT Image 2, 1K / 2K / 4K                     | $0.03 / $0.05 / $0.08 | $0.02625 at any size | −13% / −48% / −67% |
| GPT Image 2.5 Flare or Sunburst, 1K / 2K / 4K | $0.03 / $0.05 / $0.08 | $0.0225 at any size  | −25% / −55% / −72% |

The flat price is why the gap grows with resolution. At 1,000 Nano Banana Pro images in 4K, the Kie API list total is $120. SeedRouter's flat rate comes to a quarter of that.

## How do you move requests from the Kie API to SeedRouter?

Both APIs run media generation as tasks. Kie creates a task with `POST /api/v1/jobs/createTask` and returns it from `GET /api/v1/jobs/recordInfo`. SeedRouter creates a task and returns its status and result from a task endpoint that you poll until it finishes; see the [API overview](https://seedrouter.ai/docs/api/overview) and [tasks](https://seedrouter.ai/docs/api/tasks). Request bodies differ per model, so map one model at a time from its SeedRouter docs page, run the same prompts on both, and compare outputs and totals before moving traffic.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is Kie API?

Kie describes itself as one API for video, image, audio and language models, billed in credits from a single balance. Its rate card had 524 priced rows on October 5, 2026, which is a larger catalog than SeedRouter's.

### Is Kie API free?

No. Kie gives new users 80 free credits for testing, which is $0.40 at its credit value; after that every request is paid from credits. Every new SeedRouter account starts with a small free balance, listed on the [pricing page](https://seedrouter.ai/pricing), and SeedRouter credits never expire.

### Is Kie API legit?

Kie publishes its pricing, API documentation and support channels, and says failed tasks are not charged. Some users have publicly reported periods of frequent errors on individual models, so run a small paid test with your own traffic before committing.

### Is Kie API safe?

Kie's quickstart tells developers never to expose an API key in client-side code or public repositories. Kie also deletes generated media after 14 days and logs after 2 months, so keep your own copies of anything you need.

### Is Kie API down?

This article cannot show live status. Kie says it monitors availability around the clock and offers support on Discord and Telegram. If tasks fail, Kie does not charge for them, and SeedRouter does not charge for failed requests either.

### Does Kie AI give free credits?

Yes, 80 free credits for new users, according to Kie's FAQ.

## Choosing a Kie API alternative

The Kie API covers more models, and its credits do not expire either. For the Seedance, Nano Banana and GPT Image models both platforms list, SeedRouter's October 5, 2026 rates were 5% to 18% lower on Seedance and up to 75% lower on Nano Banana Pro at 4K. If those models are most of your volume, SeedRouter is a cheaper Kie API alternative; check both rate cards again before you switch.