Seedream 5 is the sensible default image model on this canvas: 6 credits an image, about six cents, which makes the cost of exploring twenty directions roughly a dollar twenty. That price is the whole argument, because in image generation the reliable path to a good result is volume rather than prompt craft.
TL;DR
- 6 credits per image, about $0.06. Seedream 5 Pro is 7, Seedream 4 is 5
- Twenty attempts cost $1.20. This is the correct way to use it
- Not reliable with text inside the image. Nano Banana Pro at 21 credits is the model for that
- Median generation around 112 seconds on our measured Seedream jobs (17 jobs, so treat it loosely)
- Feeds video well: a Seedream still into image-to-video keeps the composition you approved
The ladder
Canon 8frame prices, a credit is $0.01 at pack rate:
| Model | Credits | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Imagen 4 Fast | 4 | Cheapest volume exploration |
| Seedream 4 | 5 | Volume work |
| FLUX.2 [pro] | 5 | Strong prompt adherence |
| Seedream 5 | 6 | The default |
| Seedream 5 Pro | 7 | Sharper tier for finals |
| Imagen 4 | 8 | Photographic realism |
| Nano Banana 2 | 11 | Reasonable with short text |
| Imagen 4 Ultra | 12 | Highest fidelity single image |
| Nano Banana Pro | 21 | When text must be correct |
| Reve | 34 | Deliberately illustrative |
Is Pro worth the extra credit? For a final, yes. For exploration, no: the difference between 6 and 7 credits across twenty attempts is twenty cents, but you should be exploring on the cheaper tier and finishing on Pro, which is a workflow decision rather than a price one.
The twenty-attempt habit
The single most useful thing to internalise: at 6 credits, being thorough is free and shipping your first idea is the expensive mistake.
The workflow:
- Write three genuinely different directions, not three phrasings of one.
- Generate six or seven of each. Twenty images, 120 credits, about $1.20.
- Look at them together, at the size they will be used. A thumbnail judged at full screen is judged wrong.
- Keep two, discard the rest without sentiment.
- Refine the keeper with Flux Edit at 7 credits rather than regenerating from the prompt, so you keep what was already right.
People who get good results from image models are not writing better prompts. They are generating more and selecting harder.
How to use it
- Open a canvas, add an image node, pick Seedream 5.
- Set the aspect ratio for the destination. 2:3 for a Pinterest pin, 9:16 for social, 16:9 for a slide.
- Write the prompt with concrete specifics: subject, medium or lens, light source and direction, palette, and what to leave out.
- Generate several. Not one.
- Refine the keeper by editing, not by re-prompting.
- Upscale at the end, once. Clarity at 13 credits, or Topaz Image Upscale at 11 per 24-megapixel block for print.
What steers it
Concrete beats vague, consistently:
| Vague | Concrete |
|---|---|
| Beautiful lighting | Single hard light from the left, long shadows |
| High quality | Delete it |
| Cinematic | 85mm, shallow depth of field |
| Colourful | Muted ochre, sage, off-white, one red accent |
| Detailed | Delete it, or name the detail |
And name what to omit: "no text, no lens flare, no gradient background."
Where it does not fit
Text inside the image. Unreliable. Generate the plate with a visually quiet area and set the type in your editor, which is cheaper and gives you exact control. If text genuinely has to live inside the image, Nano Banana Pro at 21 credits is the model, and you should read the result back from the image rather than trusting the prompt.
Anything a customer will encounter in reality. Products, food, your premises, real people. Photograph those.
Print without an upscale. Generate, then upscale to the printer's spec.
Feeding video
The strongest use of a cheap image model on a video canvas: get the composition right as a still, then animate it.
A Seedream 5 still at 6 credits gives you control over framing, palette and subject that prompting straight to video does not. Then image-to-video on Wan 3.0 at 24 credits keeps that composition. Thirty credits per shot, and the composition is one you actually approved.
Upscale the still before animating if it is soft, since that sharpening propagates into every frame and there is no video upscaler to fix it afterwards.
FAQ
How much does Seedream 5 cost? 6 credits per image, about six cents. Pro is 7, Seedream 4 is 5.
Should I use Seedream 5 or Nano Banana Pro? Seedream 5 for almost everything. Nano Banana Pro at 21 when text inside the image must be correct.
How many images should I generate? Twenty. It costs $1.20 and it is the difference between a result and your first idea.
Can I use it for print? Generate, then upscale to your printer's spec. Topaz Image Upscale at 11 per 24MP block.
Generate twenty, select hard, edit the keeper. The 8frame canvas is free and unlimited, and generation is paid from $19/month.