Hailuo vs Wan 2.1 — Which Is Better in 2026?
Hailuo vs Wan 2.1: independent head-to-head scored on Performance, Value, Reliability, and Ease of Use. See scores, pros, cons, and our verdict.
MiniMax
Hailuo
Best free AI video generator
Alibaba
Wan 2.1
Best open-source video generation model
8.1
Overall Score
8.2
Overall Score
WINNEROur Verdict
Wan 2.1 scores higher overall (8.2/10 vs 8.1/10), winning on Performance and Value. Best open-source video model. Apache 2.0 license — run locally for free with no restrictions.
Pricing — Hailuo
Free tier available · Subscription plans
Pricing — Wan 2.1
Open source (free) · Cloud via Replicate and others
Hailuo
Pros
- ✓Generous free tier for testing
- ✓Good quality at zero cost
- ✓Fast generation speed
Cons
- ✗Data governance concerns (China-based)
- ✗Less control than Runway or Kling
- ✗Limited support and documentation
Best For
Budget video creation, testing AI video without cost commitment
Wan 2.1
Pros
- ✓Fully open weights — self-host for free
- ✓Strong motion quality for an open model
- ✓No usage restrictions or watermarks
Cons
- ✗Requires GPU to run locally
- ✗Generation quality below Sora/Veo at top settings
- ✗Limited UI — primarily API/script based
Best For
Researchers, developers, privacy-first video generation, cost-sensitive projects
Choose Hailuo if…
- →Reliability is your top priority — Hailuo leads by 0.5 points
- →Budget video creation
- →You also value Ease of Use — Hailuo wins that dimension too
Choose Wan 2.1 if…
- →Performance is your top priority — Wan 2.1 leads by 0.4 points
- →Researchers
- →You also value Value — Wan 2.1 wins that dimension too
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hailuo better than Wan 2.1?
Wan 2.1 scores 8.2/10 overall vs 8.1/10 for Hailuo, with an edge on Performance and Value. That said, "Hailuo" may be the better pick if reliability is your priority. The right choice depends on your use case.
What is the pricing difference between Hailuo and Wan 2.1?
Hailuo: Free tier available · Subscription plans. Wan 2.1: Open source (free) · Cloud via Replicate and others. Compare usage volumes and features needed to determine total cost of ownership for your team.
Which is better for researchers?
Wan 2.1 is generally stronger here, scoring 8.2/10 overall. Best open-source video model. Apache 2.0 license — run locally for free with no restrictions. For more niche requirements like reliability, Hailuo may be worth evaluating.
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