Seedream 5 Lite vs Pro: exact output sizes and cost per image
On three aspect ratios the cheaper tier returns the larger image
At 16:9, Seedream 5 Lite returns 2848×1600 — 4,556,800 pixels. Seedream 5 Pro returns 2720×1536, or 4,177,920 pixels: 378,880 fewer, a drop of 8.31%, at 6.75 times the credit cost. The same inversion happens at 9:16 and 21:9, because Pro's output area is capped at roughly 4.19 megapixels and Lite's is not. Below are the exact dimensions for all eight aspect ratios on both tiers, the credit price of each, and what one image costs in dollars.
How to read the two tiers
Start with the aspect ratio
On 16:9, 9:16 and 21:9, Lite returns more pixels than Pro. On 1:1, 4:3, 3:4, 3:2 and 2:3 the two tiers return identical dimensions.
Then look at the credit price
Lite is 100 credits, flat. Pro is 338 credits at 1K and 675 at 2K — 3.38 times and 6.75 times the Lite price.
Then convert the tier to dollars
A Lite image is $0.067, $0.040 or $0.033 depending on the credit pack. A Pro 2K image is $0.452, $0.270 or $0.223.
Every number on this page, in three tables
| Aspect ratio | Lite | Lite pixels | Pro (2K) | Pro pixels | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1:1 | 2048×2048 | 4,194,304 | 2048×2048 | 4,194,304 | identical |
| 4:3 | 2304×1728 | 3,981,312 | 2304×1728 | 3,981,312 | identical |
| 3:4 | 1728×2304 | 3,981,312 | 1728×2304 | 3,981,312 | identical |
| 16:9 | 2848×1600 | 4,556,800 | 2720×1536 | 4,177,920 | Pro is 378,880 px smaller (8.31%) |
| 9:16 | 1600×2848 | 4,556,800 | 1536×2720 | 4,177,920 | Pro is 378,880 px smaller (8.31%) |
| 3:2 | 2496×1664 | 4,153,344 | 2496×1664 | 4,153,344 | identical |
| 2:3 | 1664×2496 | 4,153,344 | 1664×2496 | 4,153,344 | identical |
| 21:9 | 3136×1344 | 4,214,784 | 3072×1312 | 4,030,464 | Pro is 184,320 px smaller (4.37%) |
| Tier | Credits | vs Lite | @ $0.67 / 1,000 credits | @ $0.40 / 1,000 | @ $0.33 / 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lite (resolution ignored) | 100 | 1× | $0.067 | $0.040 | $0.033 |
| Pro 1K | 338 | 3.38× | $0.226 | $0.135 | $0.112 |
| Pro 2K | 675 | 6.75× | $0.452 | $0.270 | $0.223 |
| Pack | Price | Per 1,000 credits |
|---|---|---|
| 30,000 credits | $19.99 | $0.67 |
| 100,000 credits | $39.99 | $0.40 |
| 300,000 credits | $99.99 | $0.33 |
Pro output area is capped at roughly 4.19 megapixels. Default tier: Lite. Default size: 2048×2048. Pro 1K default size: 1024×1024.
What the numbers say
The area ceiling, and the three ratios where it bites
Seedream 5 has exactly two generation tiers: Lite and Pro. Lite costs 100 credits per image; Pro costs 338 at 1K and 675 at 2K. On five of the eight aspect ratios both tiers return identical dimensions. On three — 16:9, 9:16 and 21:9 — Pro returns the smaller image, because Pro's output area is capped at roughly 4.19 megapixels and the wide Lite sizes sit above that line. At 16:9, Lite is 2848×1600 (4,556,800 px) against Pro's 2720×1536 (4,177,920 px): 378,880 pixels fewer, 8.31%. 9:16 is the same pair rotated. At 21:9, Lite is 3136×1344 (4,214,784 px) against Pro's 3072×1312 (4,030,464 px): 184,320 pixels fewer, 4.37%.
Where the two tiers are pixel-identical
On 1:1, 4:3, 3:4, 3:2 and 2:3, Lite and Pro at 2K return exactly the same dimensions, so there is no resolution argument for paying more on those framings. Square 1:1 is 2048×2048 on both, 4,194,304 pixels. 4:3 and 3:4 are 2304×1728 and 1728×2304, 3,981,312 pixels. 3:2 and 2:3 are 2496×1664 and 1664×2496, 4,153,344 pixels. Every shared size is at or below roughly 4.19 megapixels; every size Lite puts above that line, Pro returns smaller.
What each tier costs in credits
Lite is 100 credits per image and the price is flat: requesting 1K or 2K on Lite changes nothing, because there is one Lite size per aspect ratio and one Lite price. Pro is priced by resolution — 338 credits at 1K, 675 at 2K. That makes Pro at 2K 6.75 times the price of Lite and Pro at 1K 3.38 times. The default tier is Lite and the default size is 2048×2048, so an untouched generation costs 100 credits and comes out square. Pro's 1K default output is 1024×1024, which is 1,048,576 pixels — a quarter of the area of Lite's 2048×2048 default, at 3.38 times the price.
The same prices in dollars
Credits are bought in packs, so the dollar cost of an image depends on which pack you last bought: 30,000 credits for $19.99 ($0.67 per 1,000), 100,000 for $39.99 ($0.40 per 1,000), 300,000 for $99.99 ($0.33 per 1,000). Against those three rates a Lite image costs $0.067, $0.040 or $0.033; Pro 1K costs $0.226, $0.135 or $0.112; Pro 2K costs $0.452, $0.270 or $0.223. The ratio between tiers never changes — 6.75× is 6.75× at every pack size — but the absolute gap per image does: $0.385 between Lite and Pro 2K on the $19.99 pack, $0.190 on the $99.99 pack.
When Pro is justified, and when Lite is the better object
On 16:9, 9:16 and 21:9 the numbers favour Lite on both axes at once: it returns the larger image and costs 6.75 times less than Pro at 2K. On 1:1, 4:3, 3:4, 3:2 and 2:3 the dimensions are equal, so the only remaining difference is what the Pro tier does inside the model. We publish the numbers we can read directly — sizes, ceilings and prices — and we do not publish quality benchmarks we have not run. Testing one prompt on both tiers costs 100 credits for Lite plus 675 for Pro at 2K, 775 in total. Pro at 1K is the hardest tier to justify on numbers alone: a 1024×1024 default output against Lite's 2048×2048, at 3.38 times the price.
Limits worth knowing before you pick
Two tiers exist for generation, Lite and Pro, and nothing else in the Seedream family is selectable for a new image. Earlier Seedream versions appear only as labels on work that was already produced, so any "which version should I use" question collapses to Lite or Pro. Lite ignores the resolution you request. Pro's wide-format sizes are fixed: 2720×1536 at 16:9, 1536×2720 at 9:16, 3072×1312 at 21:9. And there is no 4K step anywhere in Seedream 5 — on Doitong, GPT Image 2 reaches 4K at 800 credits, though not on 1:1, where its ceiling is 2K.
Seedream 5 Lite vs Pro — questions with numbers in the answer
Does Seedream 5 Pro always produce a larger image than Lite?
No. On 16:9 and 9:16, Lite returns 4,556,800 pixels and Pro at 2K returns 4,177,920 — 378,880 pixels fewer, or 8.31%. On 21:9 the gap is 184,320 pixels, or 4.37%. On the other five aspect ratios the two tiers return identical dimensions. On Doitong, Pro is never larger than Lite at any aspect ratio.
Why is Seedream 5 Pro smaller on widescreen formats?
Pro's output area is capped at roughly 4.19 megapixels. Lite's widescreen sizes exceed that: 2848×1600 is 4,556,800 pixels and 3136×1344 is 4,214,784. Pro returns 2720×1536 and 3072×1312 instead. Where Lite already sits at or below 4,194,304 pixels — 1:1, 4:3, 3:4, 3:2, 2:3 — Pro matches Lite exactly, because there is nothing to clip.
How much does Seedream 5 Lite cost?
100 credits per image on Doitong, flat. The resolution parameter is ignored on the Lite tier, so there is no cheaper or more expensive Lite generation. In dollars that is $0.067 on the 30,000-credit pack ($19.99), $0.040 on the 100,000-credit pack ($39.99), and $0.033 on the 300,000-credit pack ($99.99). Lite is also the default tier, with a default output of 2048×2048.
How much does Seedream 5 Pro cost?
338 credits at 1K and 675 credits at 2K on Doitong — 3.38 times and 6.75 times the price of Lite's flat 100 credits. Per image in dollars, Pro 1K is $0.226, $0.135 or $0.112 depending on which credit pack you bought; Pro 2K is $0.452, $0.270 or $0.223. Pro's 1K default output is 1024×1024, a quarter of the area of Lite's 2048×2048 default.
What are the exact Seedream 5 aspect ratio sizes?
Lite: 2048×2048 at 1:1, 2304×1728 at 4:3, 1728×2304 at 3:4, 2848×1600 at 16:9, 1600×2848 at 9:16, 2496×1664 at 3:2, 1664×2496 at 2:3, 3136×1344 at 21:9. Pro at 2K matches all of those except the three wide ones, where it returns 2720×1536 at 16:9, 1536×2720 at 9:16 and 3072×1312 at 21:9.
Is Seedream 5 Pro worth 6.75 times the price of Lite?
On 16:9, 9:16 and 21:9 the numbers argue against it: 675 credits against 100 for a smaller image. On 1:1, 4:3, 3:4, 3:2 and 2:3 the dimensions are equal, so the only remaining difference is what the Pro tier does inside the model, which we do not benchmark. Running the same prompt on both tiers costs 100 credits for Lite plus 675 for Pro at 2K — 775 in total.
Can I generate with Seedream 4.5 or 4.0 on Doitong?
No. Only two Seedream tiers can be generated: Seedream 5 Lite and Seedream 5 Pro. Earlier Seedream versions appear only as labels on images that were produced previously — they are not selectable for a new generation. Any choice you make is therefore between Lite at 100 credits and Pro at 338 or 675 credits.
Which Seedream 5 tier is used if I change nothing?
Lite, at 2048×2048, costing 100 credits. Switching to Pro raises the price to 338 credits at 1K or 675 at 2K, and on 16:9, 9:16 and 21:9 it lowers the pixel count of the result rather than raising it.
Other model pricing pages on Doitong
Two tiers, eight aspect ratios, one table
Lite at 100 credits, Pro at 338 or 675. On 16:9, 9:16 and 21:9 the cheaper tier returns the larger image.
Open Seedream 5 on Doitong