Comparison · Video models
MiniMax H3 vs MiniMax H3 Max
MiniMax H3 or H3 Max? Max is a lower-resolution variant (480P/768P) without references, not a step up. Differences, prices and results from my own test.
Specs side by side
| MiniMax H3 | MiniMax H3 Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | MiniMax | MiniMax |
| Type | Video | Video |
| Modes | text-to-video image-to-video first-last-frame reference-to-video | text-to-video image-to-video first-last-frame |
| Released | 2026-07 | 2026-08 |
| Duration | 4-15 s | 5-15 s |
| Resolutions | 768p, 2K | 480p, 768p |
| Aspect ratios | 21:9, 16:9, 4:3, 1:1, 3:4, 9:16, adaptive | 21:9, 16:9, 4:3, 1:1, 3:4, 9:16, adaptive |
| Reference images | up to 9 | - |
| Reference videos | up to 3 | - |
| Frames | first and last frame | first and last frame |
| Audio | native audio | - |
| Prompt length | up to 7,000 chars | - |
Price per unit and per clip
| Model | Variant | Rate | 5 s clip | 10 s clip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MiniMax H3 | 768p | $0.161 / s | $0.804 | $1.61 |
| 2K | $0.261 / s | $1.30 | $2.61 | |
| MiniMax H3 Max | 480p | $0.104 / s | $0.522 | $1.04 |
| 768p | $0.167 / s | $0.836 | $1.67 |
Prices exclude taxes and are charged from your prepaid USD balance. Failed generations cost nothing.
Mind the name: in the Jantaris catalog MiniMax H3 Max is not a stronger H3 but a simpler variant with lower resolution tiers (480P and 768P) and no references. Use regular H3 when you want 2K, a stereo track described in the prompt, or references for a character, its motion and voice. Use H3 Max for the cheapest 480P drafts and simple clips from text or keyframes.
Key differences
- Resolution. MiniMax H3 offers 768P and 2K (2560x1440). MiniMax H3 Max offers 480P and 768P.
- Modes. H3 does text, start-end frames and references (up to 9 images, 3 clips, 3 audio tracks). H3 Max does text and start-end frames only.
- Audio. H3 has a documented native stereo track. For H3 Max the catalog does not describe audio, so do not plan around it without a test clip.
- Length. H3 4-15 s, H3 Max 5-15 s. Both default to 6 s.
- Prompt. H3 accepts up to 7,000 characters; no limit is published for H3 Max.
When to pick MiniMax H3
- 2K footage for YouTube or further grading.
- Clips with sound you describe in the prompt: dialogue, ambience, effects.
- The same character across shots, from image and voice references.
- Motion copied from a reference clip.
When to pick MiniMax H3 Max
- Shot drafts at 480P, the cheapest tier in this pair.
- Animating a cover or graphic from a first frame.
- A transition from frame A to frame B for an intro.
- Reels where 768P is enough on a phone screen.
Cost in practice
Here is the catch. At the same 768P resolution, H3 Max costs about 4% more per second than regular H3 while doing less (no references, no documented audio). It only gets cheaper at 480P: about 35% less than H3 at 768P. H3 at 2K costs about 1.56 times as much as H3 Max at 768P. H3 adds reference charges (images from the sixth on, plus the seconds of reference clips); H3 Max has no references, so no such extras. Rates: from $0.161 per second and from $0.104 per second; see /pricing.
From my own tests (in Polish, on promptowy.com): in the video ranking H3 Max spoke a hard Polish sentence with no errors and returned a clip in 14-16 s, while regular H3 got one word wrong. I ran them on another provider that describes H3 Max differently from our catalog, so I do not carry those results over to Jantaris one to one. More on the family: MiniMax H3 (Hailuo) API.
FAQ
MiniMax H3 or H3 Max: which is better?
For the full feature set (2K, audio, references), regular H3. H3 Max makes sense mainly at 480P, for lots of cheap drafts or simple keyframe animation.
Is H3 Max higher quality than H3?
Not in the Jantaris catalog. "Max" is the name of the variant with 480P and 768P tiers, without 2K or references. The higher resolution is on regular H3.
How much is H3 Max at 480P?
The 480P rate is on the model page and in Studio before you generate. The default rate (from $0.104 per second) is for 768P; 480P is about 37% cheaper.
Does H3 Max generate audio?
The catalog does not say, and the model has no audio parameter. If the soundtrack matters, use H3, which includes stereo in the price.
Vendor examples
MiniMax H3
MiniMax H3 Max
Official examples from the model vendors, not our generations.