Seedance 2.0 is ByteDance's AI video model that turns a text prompt or a reference image into a short cinematic clip. It launched on February 12, 2026, reached third-party platforms and APIs (including fal) around April 2026, and generates 480p, 720p, and 1080p video from 4 to 15 seconds. The catch most pages skip: official free access leans on region-locked apps. You can skip that — generate Seedance 2.0 in the browser, pay-as-you-go, no Chinese phone number, on the generator.
What Seedance 2.0 does
Two inputs, one output — short video:
- Text-to-video. Describe a scene — subject, action, camera movement, lighting, style — and the model generates a clip that matches.
- Image-to-video. Upload a reference image and add a motion prompt; the model animates it, keeping the subject consistent while it moves.
Output is an MP4 at 480p, 720p, or 1080p, 4 to 15 seconds long. It's built for short, controlled clips — product shots, social content, concept scenes — not feature-length footage.
Who made it and when
Seedance 2.0 is from ByteDance (the company behind Doubao and CapCut). It was released on February 12, 2026, with wider availability through third-party platforms and APIs around April 2026. It's the current generation in the Seedance line; a next version, Seedance 2.1, is reported but not yet released — see Seedance 2.1 vs 2.0 for what's expected to change.
How to access Seedance 2.0 (including in the US)
This is where most "what is Seedance 2.0" pages get vague. The reality:
- ByteDance's own free routes can be friction-heavy — region-locked apps, and sign-up that may ask for a Chinese mainland phone number.
- You don't need any of that to use the model. This site runs Seedance 2.0 through a web generator: open it, write a prompt, generate. No Chinese phone number, no app install, pay only for what you generate.
Full walkthrough: How to use Seedance 2.0 in the US.
What it costs
Generation is credit-based, and the generator shows the exact credit cost before you run — no surprises. As a reference point, a 5-second 720p text-to-video clip is about 300 credits; image-to-video and lower resolutions cost less, and a faster low-cost draft mode (Seedance 2 Fast) runs cheaper still. Full rates are on the pricing page. Is there a free tier? See Is Seedance 2.0 free? for the honest limits.
What Seedance 2.0 is good at — and not
Good fits: short cinematic scenes, product and brand clips, social-format video, animating a reference image, and concept previews where you want controlled camera and motion.
Not built for: long-form video, frame-perfect text rendering, or guaranteed photoreal consistency across many shots. Like every current AI video model, results improve with a specific, well-structured prompt — vague prompts get vague clips.
How to write a Seedance 2.0 prompt
Lead with the subject, then layer in action, camera, environment, lighting, and style. "Slow dolly forward through a neon-lit alley, rain on the pavement, cinematic teal-and-orange grade" beats "cool city video." Test once, adjust the weakest element, regenerate. Start a draft in the generator.
FAQ
What is Seedance 2.0?
ByteDance's AI video generation model. It creates short 480p–1080p clips (4–15 seconds) from a text prompt or a reference image, via text-to-video and image-to-video.
When was Seedance 2.0 released?
February 12, 2026, with wider platform and API availability around April 2026.
Is Seedance 2.0 free?
Official free access is limited and region-dependent. On this site it's pay-as-you-go with the cost shown before each run — see Is Seedance 2.0 free?.
Can I use Seedance 2.0 in the US?
Yes — through the web generator, no Chinese phone number required. See the US access guide.
What resolutions does Seedance 2.0 support?
480p, 720p, and 1080p, for clips of 4 to 15 seconds.
What's the difference between Seedance 2.0 and 2.1?
2.0 is the current, available model. 2.1 is the reported next version (expected ~20% higher quality) and isn't released yet — details in Seedance 2.1 vs 2.0.
Resources
- ByteDance Seedance 2.0 — release (Feb 2026) and platform/API availability (Apr 2026)
- seedance-21.app generator and pricing — current capabilities and credit costs
Last updated: June 2026.
