Wan 3.0 vs Wan 3.0 Prime vs Wan 2.7 vs 2.6: Which Wan Model to Use (November 2026)
Live figures last changed · 4 min read · The GenMagic team
Use Wan 3.0 for almost everything: it takes reference images, makes sound, runs up to 30 seconds in one take, and has the lowest starting price of the Wan family (480p, which 2.7 and 2.6 do not offer). Pay for Wan 3.0 Prime only when the same shot has to come back faster. Wan 2.7 and 2.6 are the previous generation, with shorter clips.
This guide compares what each model can do, how Wan 3.0 rates, what a clip and a long take cost, and which to use for which job.
A note on who wrote this: GenMagic sells all four models, and its prices come from its live catalog. Alibaba's descriptions of the models come from our Wan 3.0 API guide, which cites Alibaba's documentation; the arena rating is LMArena's text-to-video leaderboard as GenMagic's benchmark page read it on November 9, 2026. Where to get Wan without a subscription: How to use Wan 3.0 without a subscription.
Table of contents
- The short answer
- What each model can do
- How Wan 3.0 rates
- What a clip costs
- Which one to use
- Questions
The short answer
- Wan 3.0: $0.064 a second at 480p, 480p to 1080p, 2 to 30 seconds, sound, reference images, first and last frame. The default.
- Wan 3.0 Prime: Alibaba's "high-speed version" of Wan 3.0, with "capabilities aligned" to it, at $0.10 a second at 480p. Reference images are not listed for it in GenMagic's catalog.
- Wan 2.7: $0.15 a second at 720p, 2 to 10 seconds, with references.
- Wan 2.6: $0.12 a second at 720p, 5 to 10 seconds.
What each model can do
| Wan 3.0 | Wan 3.0 Prime | Wan 2.7 | Wan 2.6 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resolutions | 480p, 720p, 1080p | 480p, 720p, 1080p | 720p, 1080p | 720p, 1080p |
| Clip length | 2 to 30 s | 2 to 30 s | 2 to 10 s | 5 to 10 s |
| Reference images | Yes | Not listed | Yes | No |
| First and last frame | Yes | Yes | Yes | First only |
| Sound | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Wan 3.0 accepts photos of real people, which ByteDance's Seedance does not, so it is the usual choice for animating portraits and old photos.
How Wan 3.0 rates
On LMArena's text-to-video arena (blind votes between two clips), read November 9, 2026, Wan 3.0 rates 1,476, 12th overall: within a few points of Seedance 2.0 (1,479) and Seedance 2.5 (1,474), and above Veo 3.1 with audio (1,363). Wan 3.0 Prime, 2.7 and 2.6 are not listed separately.
What a clip costs
On GenMagic today, per clip, with no subscription:
| A clip | Wan 3.0 | Wan 3.0 Prime | Wan 2.7 | Wan 2.6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 s at 480p | $0.32 | $0.51 | not offered | not offered |
| 10 s at 720p | $1.28 | $2.10 | $1.50 | $1.20 |
| 10 s at 1080p | $2.55 | $4.20 | $1.50 | $1.80 |
| 30 s at 720p, one take | $3.83 | $6.30 | 10 s max | 10 s max |
The studio shows the exact price for your settings before you generate, and a clip that fails is not charged.
Which one to use
- Most clips, drafts and long takes: Wan 3.0, at 480p to draft and 720p or 1080p for the keepers.
- The same character in every scene: Wan 3.0 with a character sheet as the reference ( character sheets).
- Animating a photo of a real person: Wan 3.0 ( animate old photos, talking photo).
- A deadline, when the same shot has to come back sooner: Wan 3.0 Prime, at a higher price per second.
- An older workflow built on Wan 2.7 or 2.6: they still run; Wan 3.0 adds 480p drafts, takes up to 30 seconds and reference images (2.6 has none), at a price per second between 2.6's and 2.7's at 720p.
How to write prompts for it: the Wan 3.0 prompt guide.
Questions
Is Wan 3.0 Prime better than Wan 3.0? Alibaba describes Prime as the high-speed version with capabilities aligned to Wan 3.0, so the difference is speed and price, not quality.
How long can a Wan clip be? Up to 30 seconds in one take on Wan 3.0 and Wan 3.0 Prime; 10 seconds on Wan 2.7 and 2.6.
Can Wan keep a character the same across clips? Yes, on Wan 3.0 and Wan 2.7 with reference images: add the same character sheet to every clip.
Can I try Wan for free? Verifying your email on GenMagic adds $0.50 of starter credit, about 7 seconds of Wan 3.0 at 480p. Every Wan model and price: Wan pay as you go.