Seedream 5 Lite
ByteDance's Seedream 5 Lite makes photoreal images, print-style posters and edits that keep your subject close to the original, from a prompt or up to 14 reference images. It costs the same at 2K and 3K, and your first 2K image is free.
Production preview
Seedream 5 Lite examples from our tests
The first four come from our same-prompt test against GPT Image 2.5 Flare, Nano Banana 2 and Grok Imagine; each is the first image Seedream 5 Lite returned at 2K. The pocket watch was made at the 3K setting.
Text to image · 2K Poster: the closest of four models to the screen-print look
Prompt
A vintage travel poster for a coastal town called "Port Alder". Big headline "PORT ALDER", a smaller line "Ferries daily · Since 1924", a lighthouse at sunset, flat screen-print style.
Text to image · 2K Portrait: sharp and polished, more stock photo than candid
Prompt
A candid photo of an elderly fisherman mending a net on a wooden dock, early morning light, shallow depth of field, shot on a 50mm lens.
Text to image · 2K Product shot: window light from the left, as asked
Prompt
Studio product photo of a matte ceramic coffee mug in sage green on a light oak table, soft window light from the left, plain white background, no logos.
Image to image · 2K Photo edit: the closest of four models to the uploaded mug
Prompt (with a photo of the mug uploaded)
Keep the mug exactly as it is. Place it on a wet black rock beside a small waterfall, with morning mist in the background.
Text to image · 3K 3K: fine detail on a brass pocket watch
Prompt
A close-up photo of a weathered brass pocket watch lying open on an old map, tiny engraved numerals on the dial, soft daylight, shallow depth of field.
What is Seedream 5 Lite?
Seedream 5 Lite, which ByteDance calls Seedream 5.0 Lite, is one of two Seedream 5.0 image models from ByteDance's Seed team, next to Seedream 5.0 Pro. ByteDance says it handles a wide range of styles and layouts. In AI Image Studio it runs text to image and image to image at 2K or 3K, in eight shapes from square to 21:9.
Where Seedream 5 Lite helps
Print and poster styles
In the poster test it came closest of four models to the flat screen-print look the prompt asked for, and kept to the two lines of text it was given.
Edits that leave your subject alone
Asked to keep an uploaded mug as it was, it changed the scene and kept the mug closest to the original of the four models: same shape, same thick handle, same matte finish.
Big files for print or cropping
The 3K setting gives you room to print or to crop out a detail, and costs no more than 2K.
Room for many references
Upload up to 14 images, such as products, people and style references, and describe how they should come together in one picture.
How to use Seedream 5 Lite
Three steps from a prompt or a photo to a finished image.
- 1
Write a prompt or upload images
Describe the picture, or upload up to 14 images and say what should change. Put any words that must appear in the image in quotes.
- 2
Pick 2K or 3K
Your first 2K image is free. 3K costs the same per image and needs a pack or a plan; the FAQ below has the details.
- 3
Pick a shape and generate
Choose square, portrait, landscape or a 21:9 banner, then generate. Keep the result, or try the same prompt on another model from the comparison below.
Seedream 5 Lite, GPT Image 2.5 Flare and Nano Banana 2 compared
From our four-model test of a poster, a portrait, a product shot and a photo edit, each run at the model's lowest size: 2K for Seedream 5 Lite, 1K for the others.
| This pageSeedream 5 LiteByteDanceUse Seedream 5 Lite | GPT Image 2.5 FlareOpenAISee all four results | Nano Banana 2Google | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Did best on | Poster style and photo edit | Portrait and product shot | No test win in this set |
| Credits per image | 6 at 2K or 3K | 6 at 1K, 10 at 2K, 16 at 4K | 8 at 1K, 15 at 2K, 20 at 4K |
| Highest resolution | 3K | 4K | 4K |
| Images you can upload for an edit | Up to 14 | Up to 16 | Up to 14 |
Seedream 5 Lite questions
Your first image is. A new account gets 10 free credits and a 2K Seedream 5 Lite image costs 6. 3K uses credits from a pack or a plan; see the pricing page. Free images carry a watermark.
No. Its top size is 3K: when we ran the top setting, a square image came back at 3072 × 3072 pixels, even though some sites list the model as 4K. If you need a true 4K file, GPT Image 2.5 Flare and Nano Banana 2 both go up to 4K here.
Both are ByteDance models from the same generation. ByteDance presents Pro for dense infographics, editing with sketches and marked regions, and text in about a dozen languages. Pro is not offered here. For images that must carry exact wording, GPT Image 2.5 Flare kept closest to the requested text in our tests.
Yes. Upload your photos and describe the change. In the photo-edit example above it kept an uploaded mug closer to the original than the other three models did.
Yes, up to 21:9, which suits website headers and slides. For even wider strips, such as 4:1 or 8:1, use Nano Banana 2.1, which this studio also runs.
Try the poster prompt on Seedream 5 Lite
Copy the Port Alder prompt from the examples, or write your own brief, and generate at 2K.