Head-to-head comparison
Hailuo vs Midjourney Video, comparison 2026
Hailuo
7.8/10
MiniMax
Budget MiniMax model with strong motion and image-to-video — low barrier to entry.
Midjourney Video
7.6/10
Midjourney
Image-to-video in the iconic Midjourney style — animate any image up to 21 seconds.
TL;DR, key differences
| Attribute | Hailuo | Midjourney Video |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $10/mo | $10/mo |
| Pro / higher plan | $64/mo | $120/mo |
| English prompts | yes | yes |
| Native audio | no | no |
| Image-to-video | yes | yes |
| Max clip length | 10s | 21s |
| Availability | worldwide | worldwide |
| Rating (our tests) | 7.8/10 | 7.6/10 |
Strengths
Hailuo, pros
- +Very low price point (Standard ~$10/mo)
- +Natural, dynamic motion and character physics
- +Generous free tier with daily free credits
- +Strong image-to-video (animate product shots and graphics)
- +Commercial license and no watermark on paid plans
Midjourney Video, pros
- +Midjourney's distinctive artistic aesthetic, now in motion
- +Animate any image (from your gallery or your own upload)
- +Clips up to 21 seconds via 4x extension
- +Auto and Manual modes (option to edit the prompt before animating)
- +Lowest entry point at $10/mo (if you already use Midjourney for images)
Weaknesses
Hailuo, cons
- −Free tier has watermark, 720p, max 6s clips, and no commercial rights
- −Free credits expire in ~3 days
- −No native audio (requires ElevenLabs or similar)
- −Weaker lip-sync quality
- −Chinese vendor — review ToS regarding data privacy
Midjourney Video, cons
- −Image-to-video only — no text-to-video
- −No audio — all clips are silent
- −No free tier — minimum $10/mo to generate anything
- −Video consumes Fast GPU hours (~10x the cost of an image); practically worthwhile from Pro/Mega
- −No precise camera control or lip-sync
When to choose which tool
Choose Hailuo if
- →Budget entry point into AI video for beginners
- →Image-to-video (animate product shots and graphics)
- →Clips with dynamic character motion and action
- →Bulk content for TikTok and Reels
- →Testing ideas on the generous free tier
Choose Midjourney Video if
- →Animating artistic Midjourney images
- →Stylised, atmospheric clips for social media
- →Mood boards and visualisations in motion
- →Looping videos and backgrounds in the Midjourney style
- →Short animations for creators already using Midjourney
Verdict
In our tests, Hailuo (7.8/10) outscores Midjourney Video (7.6/10) in overall quality. Choose Hailuo if you need: Budget entry point into AI video for beginners, Image-to-video (animate product shots and graphics). Choose Midjourney Video if you need: Animating artistic Midjourney images, Stylised, atmospheric clips for social media.