AI Video Tool Comparison
Hailuo (MiniMax) vs Wan
Two of the biggest AI video generators of 2026, side by side. Pricing, features, real festival winners, and which one to pick for your project.
Hailuo (MiniMax)
by MiniMax
MiniMax's video model. Made waves for being free with no watermarks during its launch period, and used by NYU Tisch and Sydney AIT in their AI film hackathons.
Strengths
- +Strongest free tier on the market
- +No watermarks even on free generations
- +Fast generation speed
- +Reliable physics and lighting
Weaknesses
- -Shorter clip length than competitors
- -Limited director controls
- -Less stylistic range
Wan
by Alibaba
Alibaba's open-source AI video model. Wan 2.7 added strong character consistency across shots and runs locally via ComfyUI for unlimited free generation.
Strengths
- +Fully open source - run locally for free
- +Best character consistency in open models
- +ComfyUI workflow integration
- +No content filters when self-hosted
Weaknesses
- -Requires GPU and ComfyUI knowledge
- -Steeper learning curve
- -Slower than cloud models
Pick Hailuo (MiniMax) if you need
- • Hackathons
- • Rapid iteration
- • Free-tier filmmakers
- • Pre-vis scratch shots
Pick Wan if you need
- • Power users
- • Self-hosters
- • Unlimited iteration
- • Custom workflows
Festival track record
Hailuo (MiniMax)
Used in 2,000+ submission Hailuo x NYU Tisch Film Hackathon 2025
Wan
Open-source video generation that rivals proprietary cloud models