Hailuo 3 (MiniMax H3) vs H3 Max vs Hailuo 2.3: Which Hailuo Model to Use (November 2026)
Live figures last changed · 3 min read · The GenMagic team
Use H3 Max to draft cheaply at 480p or 768p, and Hailuo 3 (MiniMax H3) for the finished shot: it renders in 2K with sound. Hailuo 2.3 is the previous generation, at 1080p, for 6- or 10-second clips without sound.
This guide compares what each model can do, how Hailuo 3 rates, what a clip costs, and which to use for which job.
A note on who wrote this: GenMagic sells all three models, and its prices and settings come from its live catalog. MiniMax's descriptions of the models come from our Hailuo API guide, which cites MiniMax's documentation; the arena rating is LMArena's text-to-video leaderboard as GenMagic's benchmark page read it on November 10, 2026. Where to get Hailuo without a subscription: How to use Hailuo without a subscription.
Table of contents
- The short answer
- What each model can do
- How Hailuo 3 rates
- What a clip costs
- Which one to use
- Questions
The short answer
- Hailuo 3 (MiniMax H3): $0.20 a second, 2K only, 5 to 15 seconds, with sound, first and last frame. The finished shot.
- H3 Max: $0.075 a second at 480p and $0.12 at 768p, 5 to 15 seconds, without sound, first and last frame. Despite the name, MiniMax describes it as a faster model trained from H3, not a bigger one.
- Hailuo 2.3: $0.12 a second at 1080p, 6 or 10 seconds, without sound, landscape only, opens on your image.
What each model can do
| Hailuo 3 (H3) | H3 Max | Hailuo 2.3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 2K (2560 by 1440) | 480p, 768p | 1080p |
| Clip length | 5 to 15 s | 5 to 15 s | 6 or 10 s |
| Sound | Yes | No | No |
| First and last frame | Yes | Yes | First only |
| Shapes | 21:9 to 9:16 | 21:9 to 9:16 | 16:9 |
All three take a prompt or open on a picture you upload. In our eight-model test, Hailuo 3 said a scripted line word for word and staged the scene as asked, and it was among the slowest of the eight (2.9 and 4.1 minutes), so plan for a few minutes a clip.
How Hailuo 3 rates
On LMArena's text-to-video arena (blind votes between two clips), read November 10, 2026, MiniMax H3 rates 1,456, close behind Wan 3.0 (1,476) and Seedance 2.0 (1,479) and well above the older Hailuo 02 Pro (1,199). H3 Max and Hailuo 2.3 are not listed separately.
What a clip costs
On GenMagic today, per clip, with no subscription:
| A clip | Hailuo 3 | H3 Max | Hailuo 2.3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 s at 480p | not offered | $0.45 | not offered |
| 6 s at 768p | not offered | $0.72 | not offered |
| 6 s at 1080p | not offered | not offered | $0.74 |
| 6 s in 2K with sound | $1.17 | not offered | not offered |
| 10 s in 2K with sound | $1.95 | not offered | not offered |
| 15 s at 768p | not offered | $1.80 | not offered |
The studio shows the exact price for your settings before you generate, and a clip that fails is not charged.
Which one to use
- Drafts, and trying a prompt on several takes: H3 Max at 480p, then 768p for the take you keep if you add sound in your editor.
- The finished shot, with dialogue or sound: Hailuo 3. It renders only in 2K, so it costs more per second than a 720p model.
- A 1080p clip that opens on your image, without sound: Hailuo 2.3.
- The same character in every scene: none of the three takes reference images on GenMagic; open each clip on a frame of your character, or use Seedance 2.0 or Wan 3.0 with a character sheet.
How to write prompts for them: the Hailuo 3 prompt guide.
Questions
Is Hailuo 3 the same as MiniMax H3? Yes. MiniMax calls the model H3 and makes the Hailuo app; many apps and guides call H3 "Hailuo 3".
Is H3 Max better than H3? No. MiniMax describes H3 Max as a high-speed model post-trained on H3. On GenMagic it is the lower-priced option, at 480p and 768p without sound.
Does Hailuo make sound? Hailuo 3 does, in the same clip. H3 Max and Hailuo 2.3 make silent clips on GenMagic.
Can I try Hailuo for free? Verifying your email on GenMagic adds $0.50 of starter credit, about 6 seconds of H3 Max at 480p. Every Hailuo model and price: Hailuo pay as you go.