Wan API Pricing Guide: Wan 2.5, Wan 2.6, and Wan Image Costs on Evolink AI
TL;DR - Wan API pricing on Evolink AI (April 2026)
| Model | Modality | Evolink price | Alibaba official (reference) | Where to verify |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wan 2.6 (standard tiers) | Video, per second | $0.0708 / sec | $0.1019 / sec | /wan-2-6 |
| Wan 2.6 Flash | Video, per second | $0.021-$0.069 / sec | Varies by variant | /wan-2-6 |
| Wan 2.5 | Video, per second | $0.0708 / sec | $0.1019 / sec | /wan-2-5 |
| Wan Image | Image, per image | $0.0208 / image | $0.0306 / image (reference) | /wan-image |
1. Wan 2.6 API pricing
wan2.6-t2v), image-to-video (wan2.6-i2v), and reference-video (wan2.6-r2v). On Evolink AI, the standard Wan 2.6 text-to-video and image-to-video tiers are $0.0708 per second.Wan 2.6 Flash pricing
- A/B testing social ad hooks where you generate dozens of variants per concept
- In-app video features where latency matters more than absolute quality
- High-volume UGC pipelines that prioritize unit economics over cinematic polish
2. Wan 2.5 API pricing - and the cheapest access route
- There is no fully free Wan 2.5 tier from either Alibaba or Evolink AI - Wan 2.5 is a paid AI video generator, not a free model.
- Trial or introductory credits are how you actually try it without committing. Evolink AI's current site messaging references free credits for new users, which is the practical way to test Wan 2.5 image-to-video or text-to-video before topping up.
- Compare per-second cost, not per-clip cost, when picking a route. A 5-second clip on Evolink AI at $0.0708/sec is approximately $0.354, but that figure changes with duration, resolution, and variant choice.
- Use the playground or preview first. The Wan 2.5 playground lets you validate output quality on your specific prompts before scaling up credit consumption.
This is the same advice we would give for any AI video API: validate first, then scale. Wan 2.5 specifically benefits from this approach because video quality varies more with prompt structure than with tier choice.
3. Wan Image API pricing
Two practical notes:
- Multi-image fusion costs the same as single-image generation in Wan Image's image-to-image mode, so you can combine product shots and backgrounds in one call without paying extra per reference.
- Output count parameter lets you request multiple candidate images per call, and the cost scales linearly with that count. A common pattern is 3-4 candidates in the first pass, then narrower refinement batches.
4. How Evolink AI compares to Alibaba DashScope for Wan API pricing
Alibaba's official Wan API is exposed through DashScope and Model Studio, with regional console projects, China-region billing settings, and enterprise contracts. That works well if your stack is already on Alibaba Cloud, but it adds friction for teams outside mainland China.
- One clear standard per-second rate for Wan 2.5 and the main Wan 2.6 tiers, plus lower-priced Flash variants and separate reference-video budgeting logic
- USD billing with credit-based top-ups (no enterprise contract required for small teams)
- The same async task pattern across all four models, so your integration code stays consistent
- Trial or introductory credits for new users - the practical "free trial" path for evaluating Wan before you commit budget
5. Is Wan open source? A note on Wan 2.5 and Wan 2.6
A common follow-up question on pricing pages is whether you can avoid API costs entirely by self-hosting Wan. The honest answer:
Practically: if you specifically need offline, self-hosted Wan and can accept the older Wan 2.1 quality, the open-source path is real. If you need the latest cinematic Wan 2.6 output or Wan 2.5 with audio output on current routes, the API route is the only available option today, and Evolink AI is one of the simplest mainstream ways to access it.
FAQ
Is Wan 2.6 API free?
No, Wan 2.6 is a paid AI video generator. You may be able to use trial or introductory credits on Evolink AI to generate your first Wan 2.6 clips before topping up, which is the closest thing to a free trial today. There is no permanent free tier.
What is the cheapest way to use Wan 2.5?
The cheapest practical route for most teams outside mainland China is to call Wan 2.5 through Evolink AI at $0.0708/sec, instead of going directly through Alibaba DashScope. Based on the current repo pricing references, that is roughly 30% lower than the standard official rate used for Wan 2.5 and the main Wan 2.6 tier.
How much does Wan Image cost per image?
Wan Image is $0.0208 per image on Evolink AI, compared to a DashScope reference rate around $0.0306 per image. Multi-image fusion in image-to-image mode does not cost extra per reference image.
Does Wan 2.6 Flash cost less than standard Wan 2.6?
Can I get Wan 2.5 image-to-video for free?
There is no permanent free tier, but Evolink AI may offer trial or introductory credits that let you generate a few Wan 2.5 image-to-video clips before paying. After credits run out, billing is per-second at $0.0708/sec.
Is Wan open source so I can self-host?
Alibaba open-sourced earlier Wan releases such as Wan 2.1, but Wan 2.5 and Wan 2.6 are documented as API-accessible on Alibaba's DashScope and Model Studio. As of April 2026, we have not found an official Alibaba source confirming Wan 2.5 or Wan 2.6 themselves as open source. Check Alibaba's official channels for the most current status.
How is Wan 2.6 different from Wan 2.5 in terms of pricing?
On Evolink AI, both Wan 2.5 and the main Wan 2.6 standard tiers are priced at $0.0708 per second of generated video. The main differences are in the variant structure: Wan 2.6 also has Flash options at lower price points and reference-video modes with separate budgeting logic. In product terms, Wan 2.5 is the daily workhorse for short social clips, while Wan 2.6 is the cinematic multi-shot tier for longer narrative-style videos.
Get started
- Try Wan 2.6 today on the Wan 2.6 model page with playground access and live pricing
- Try Wan 2.5 today on the Wan 2.5 model page
- Try Wan Image today on the Wan Image model page
- Compare the full family on the Wan API family collection
- Still deciding between tiers? Read the Wan 2.5 vs Wan 2.6 decision guide for workload-by-workload selection logic
Sign up for Evolink AI to check current trial or introductory credit availability and test all three Wan models on real prompts before committing budget.
