◆ AI VIDEO NEWS · MINIMAX
MiniMax Hailuo 2.3: strong motion and expressions at budget prices
Hailuo is the speed-and-value play — believable motion, strong human expressions and stylized output in fast 6–10 second clips.
MiniMax's Hailuo 2.3 is the quiet budget realist of the 2026 lineup. It generates 6–10 second clips at up to 1080p with believable lighting, skin and — notably — strong facial expressions and human motion, making it a favourite for content featuring people.
Its calling card is value: at roughly $0.07 per second (or around $8–10/month on subscription) it's among the cheapest tools producing genuinely usable output, with fast generation and support for both text-to-video and image-to-video. It also handles stylized and anime-leaning content well.
There's no native audio, so plan to add sound in post. But for fast, realistic B-roll, portrait-style footage and high-volume social content on a tight budget, Hailuo punches well above its price.
What it costs: Around $0.07/second, or roughly $8–10/month on subscription; no native audio. Price your own project in the cost-per-usable-second calculator, or see the full breakdown on the pricing page.
Where it fits
Every model on this list wins at something different, and the smart workflow mixes them: draft on a cheap tier, render heroes on a premium one, and match the model to the shot. See how MiniMax stacks up against the rest in our full model comparison, or browse all coverage on the AI video news hub.