Wan 3.0 is the cheapest useful video model on the canvas and the one most likely to bill you four times what you expected. It prices by resolution and defaults to 1080p, its most expensive tier. Understanding the ladder is most of what there is to know.
TL;DR
- Base Wan 3.0 prices per second by resolution: 5 seconds costs 24 at 480p, 48 at 720p, 95 at 1080p
- 1080p is the default. Submit without setting it and you pay 95 rather than 24
- Wan 3.0 Prime is 34 credits flat for 5 seconds at any resolution, which beats base at 1080p decisively
- Durations 2 to 30 seconds, and the 30-second single take is unique on this canvas
- Silent. Budget a separate audio pass
The pricing ladder
Canon 8frame prices, a credit is $0.01 at pack rate:
| Tier | Duration | Resolution | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base | 5s | 480p | 24 |
| Base | 5s | 720p | 48 |
| Base | 5s | 1080p (default) | 95 |
| Prime | 5s | any | 34 |
| Prime | 10s | any | 68 |
| Prime | 30s | any | 203 |
Underlying rates: base is $0.035, $0.07 and $0.14 per second of output by resolution; Prime is a flat $0.05 per second across all three modes.
Read the Prime line carefully. At 34 credits for 5 seconds at any resolution, it is:
- Cheaper than base 1080p (95) by a factor of nearly three
- Cheaper than base 720p (48)
- Only ten credits more than base 480p (24)
If resolution matters at all, Prime is the answer and the arithmetic is not close. Prime also supports reference-to-video, which base does not.
The default trap
The 1080p default exists so that an unresolvable value never under-bills. The consequence for you: the model you picked because it was cheap quietly costs 95 credits per 5 seconds unless you set the resolution.
This is the single most common way people overspend on this canvas. Set it deliberately, every time, or use Prime where resolution is not a price dimension.
The 30-second single take
Wan 3.0 generates 2 to 30 seconds in one pass, and Prime gives you 30 seconds for 203 credits at any resolution. Nothing else on the canvas does a long continuous shot.
What that is good for:
- A long background plate behind titles or a voiceover, with no loop to hide
- A slow continuous move that would need cutting on any other model
- Avoiding the loop problem entirely. Thirty seconds is long enough that most viewers never see it repeat behind text
At 203 credits, about $2.03, it is also the cheapest long take available.
How to use it
- Open a canvas, add a video generation node, pick Wan 3.0.
- Choose the tier. Prime if resolution matters or you need reference-to-video. Base at 480p if you are blocking a shot.
- Set the resolution explicitly on base. This is the step that costs money when skipped.
- Set the duration. 2 to 30 seconds.
- Write the prompt. One camera move, named light, concrete specifics.
- Plan the audio separately. Wan is silent, so budget ElevenLabs SFX at 5 credits or a music bed at 13 for 30 seconds on Lyria 2.
Where Wan 3.0 fits
Blocking and drafting. 24 credits at 480p is the cheapest look at whether a composition works, and that draft-then-commit loop is the main way to avoid wasting money on expensive models.
B-roll and cutaways at volume. Twelve cutaways at 480p is 288 credits, about $2.88.
Background plates. Soft by design, so 480p is genuinely correct.
Long takes. The only route.
Reference-to-video on Prime, for carrying a design or character forward.
Where it does not fit
Audio in the same pass. Veo 3.1 Lite at 54 credits for 8 seconds includes it.
Precise camera direction. Kling v3 Standard at 57 silent is more directable.
Physics-critical shots. Seedance 2.5 at 157.
Anything you planned to upscale afterwards. There is no video upscaler on the canvas, so generate at delivery resolution.
Is Wan 3.0 open source?
No. Wan 3.0 is API-only with no published weights, and neither is Wan 2.5. The last downloadable Wan is 2.2 under Apache 2.0. See is Wan 3.0 open source.
FAQ
How much does Wan 3.0 cost? 24 credits for 5 seconds at 480p, 48 at 720p, 95 at 1080p. Prime is 34 flat at any resolution.
Why did my clip cost 95 credits? It defaulted to 1080p. Set the resolution, or use Prime.
What is the longest clip? 30 seconds in one generation. 203 credits on Prime.
Does Wan 3.0 generate audio? No. Budget a separate audio pass.
Use Prime, or set the resolution yourself. The 8frame canvas is free and unlimited, and generation is paid from $19/month.