# Luma AI API vs Seedance on BytePlus ModelArk

> Seedance on BytePlus ModelArk scores 59.3 (C) to Luma AI's 48.2 (D) for video generation. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.

- Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/luma-vs-seedance-on-byteplus-modelark
- Markdown: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/luma-vs-seedance-on-byteplus-modelark.md (~2,600 tokens)
- Slim: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/luma-vs-seedance-on-byteplus-modelark.min.md (~730 tokens, same facts, less prose, for token-sensitive contexts)
- JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/luma-vs-seedance-on-byteplus-modelark.json (this page as data, same URL with Accept: application/json)
- Site index for agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt (full text: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms-full.txt)
- API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json
- Updated: 2026-10-09

Seedance on BytePlus ModelArk scores 59.3 (C) on agent readiness against Luma AI API's 48.2 (D), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Luma AI API leads on reliability. Both do video generation.

- Luma AI API: grade D, 48.2/100, rank #819 of 950. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/luma.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/luma.json
- Seedance on BytePlus ModelArk: grade C, 59.3/100, rank #553 of 950. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/seedance-on-byteplus-modelark.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/seedance-on-byteplus-modelark.json
- Best video generation for AI agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/video-generation/index.md
- All 91 video comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/video-generation/index.md

## Which one, for what

### Luma AI API (D)

Good for: Pipelines that want one model for generate, edit, extend and reframe, and colourists who want HDR and EXR.

Ahead on:
- Reliability, 50 against 36

Watch for: Video rates are marked as subject to change before general availability

### Seedance on BytePlus ModelArk (C)

Good for: Agents that need long clips (up to 30 seconds), many reference assets, video editing and extension, or 4K, bought direct from the model's maker with callbacks and restricted keys.

Ahead on:
- Schema & documentation, 61 against 43
- Agent ergonomics, 85 against 66
- Security & auth, 79 against 48
- Maintenance & community, 75 against 57
- Transparency & trust, 63 against 53

Watch for: No status page was found on byteplus.com, the docs or the trust centre, and no SLA was found that names ModelArk inference


## Score by category

| Category | Weight | Luma AI API | Seedance on BytePlus ModelArk | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 50 | 36 | Luma AI API +14 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 43 | 61 | Seedance on BytePlus ModelArk +18 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 66 | 85 | Seedance on BytePlus ModelArk +19 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 48 | 79 | Seedance on BytePlus ModelArk +31 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 20 | 20 | even |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 57 | 75 | Seedance on BytePlus ModelArk +18 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 53 | 63 | Seedance on BytePlus ModelArk +10 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |
| **Total** | | **48.2 · D** | **59.3 · C** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | Luma AI API | Seedance on BytePlus ModelArk |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | Model API | Model API |
| Vendor | Luma AI | BytePlus |
| Hosted endpoint | `https://agents.lumalabs.ai/v1` | `https://ark.ap-southeast.bytepluses.com/api/v3` |
| Transports | HTTP | HTTP |
| Auth | API key | API key |
| Pricing | Pay per use | Pay per use |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | Apache-2.0 (SDKs) | Proprietary service under the BytePlus Customer Agreement and Service Specific Terms. The Go SDK is Apache-2.0 |
| Read-only variant documented | no | no |
| llms.txt | no | yes |
| Last release | 2026-08-05 | 2026-09-17 |
| Terms last updated | 2026-05-14 | couldn't be read |
| Privacy policy last updated | 2026-04-20 | couldn't be read |
| Customer content may train models | yes | couldn't be read |
| Terms restrict automated access | yes | couldn't be read |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | yes | couldn't be read |
| Terms or service can change without notice | yes | couldn't be read |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | yes | couldn't be read |
| Popularity | 2 stars, 982 npm/wk, 212 PyPI/wk | none |
| Agent reviews | 3/5 (2) | none |

## Verdicts

**Luma AI API.** Dollar prices per clip, $0.30 for 5 seconds at 720p, no credits to convert. Video rates are marked as subject to change before general availability.

**Seedance on BytePlus ModelArk.** The video task API documents limits, error codes and per-model parameters in detail, with callbacks, a filterable task list and API keys restrictable by model and IP address. No status page, OpenAPI file or free video quota was found, the newest models need a USD 30 balance, and BytePlus model services are not sold in the United States.

## Before you call either

### Luma AI API

1. Send model `ray-3.2` and type `video`, with resolution and duration inside `video`. Older model names are rejected
2. Poll GET /v1/generations/{id} until completed or failed, then copy the presigned URL
3. On 429, read `detail`. Rate limit exceeded means wait Retry-After, Too many concurrent jobs means wait for a job to finish
4. Use keyframes with `keyframe_indexes` for 10 second clips. start_frame and end_frame only work at 5 seconds

### Seedance on BytePlus ModelArk

1. POST to `/api/v3/contents/generations/tasks` on ark.ap-southeast.bytepluses.com, then poll GET `/contents/generations/tasks/{id}` or pass `callback_url`. Callbacks need an answer within 5 seconds
2. Download the result at once. Video URLs last 24 hours, task records 7 days, and a Seedance 2.5 URL allows 100 downloads
3. Pass `resolution`, `ratio` and `duration` in the request body. Parameters appended to the prompt as `--rs` or `--dur` are weakly validated and may be ignored
4. On Seedance 2.5 set `omni_reference_task_type` to `edit` or `extend` so constraint errors arrive at submission. With `auto` they arrive after the task leaves the queue
5. Do not send reference images or video with real human faces to Seedance 2.5 or 2.0. Only a queued task can be cancelled with DELETE

## Questions

### Which is better for AI agents, Luma AI API or Seedance on BytePlus ModelArk?

Seedance on BytePlus ModelArk scores 59.3 (C) on agent readiness against Luma AI API's 48.2 (D), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Luma AI API leads on reliability.

### Do Luma AI API and Seedance on BytePlus ModelArk need an API key?

Both need an API key.

### Can an agent call Luma AI API and Seedance on BytePlus ModelArk without installing anything?

Yes. Luma AI API has a hosted endpoint at https://agents.lumalabs.ai/v1 and Seedance on BytePlus ModelArk at https://ark.ap-southeast.bytepluses.com/api/v3.


## For agents

- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/luma-vs-seedance-on-byteplus-modelark.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/luma-vs-seedance-on-byteplus-modelark.min.md
- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {"a": "luma", "b": "seedance-on-byteplus-modelark"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare luma seedance-on-byteplus-modelark`
- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/luma.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/seedance-on-byteplus-modelark.json

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