What is Seedream?

Seedream (by ByteDance) is a family of PRO image models for fast, high-resolution generation and editing. On NightCafe the current lineup is:

• Seedream 5.0 Flash — the value Seedream, launched 21 October 2026. Flat 2 credits at 1K or 2K, prompt-to-edit, up to 10 reference images, up to 4 images per generate. Full walkthrough: Seedream 5.0 Flash on NightCafe.
• Seedream 5.0 Pro — ByteDance's flagship Seedream (~5 credits). Stronger control and local edits at 2K. Extra start images can add credits. One image per generate.
• Seedream 5.0 Lite (Preview) — (~3.5 credits) responsive text-to-image with precise prompt adherence, up to 3K.
• Seedream 4.5 — (~4.5 credits) improved 4.0, still the current pick when you want native 4K.
• Seedream 4.0 — (~3.5 credits) ultra-fast 2K–4K generation and editing.

Independent Artificial Analysis text-to-image arenas (as of 21 October 2026) list Seedream 5.0 Pro around the mid-teens. Flash is not listed there yet. For everyday one-credit work, start with GPT Image 2.5 Flare on Quality Low.

What it's good at

• High resolution — Flash and 5.0 Pro go to 2K. Seedream 4.0 and 4.5 go to 4K.
• Multi-image fusion — combine multiple start images into a single result (Flash and 5.0 Pro take up to 10).
• Prompt-to-edit — give editing instructions using a start image.
• Consistent characters — keep a character looking the same across creations.

Which Seedream should I use?

Good to know

• All current Seedream models are PRO only.
• Seedream 3.0 and SeedEdit 3.0 are retired. Use 4.x or 5.x instead.
• When a start image is attached, you can match its aspect ratio. Resolution options stay available on the current 5.x models.
• NightCafe's free AI Model Comparison has a text-to-image grid and an Image Editing grid if you want to compare Seedream with other models.

See the NightCafe AI Models Guide for how Seedream sits next to GPT Image 2.5, Muse Image, and Flux 3 Klein.