Short answer
Seedream 5.5 is announced but not open yet. ByteDance's Seed team introduced it on its official X account on November 9, 2026, and said it is coming soon to Dreamina, CapCut and BytePlus. BytePlus is where the Seedream API lives, but no API model ID, release date or price has been published.
- What's new, per ByteDance: more realistic images, more stable editing across up to 100 rounds, native RGBA output for transparent assets, and better lighting, skin and small text.
- What to use now: GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst (
gpt-image-2.6-sunburst) or Nano Banana 2.1 (gemini-nano-banana-2.1). Both are on TeamoRouter under one key. Seedream 5.0 is still on BytePlus ModelArk. Status updates go on the Seedream 5.5 page.
New accounts start with a $0 balance — top up before your first request. Top up from $5. If a request returns 402 (400 on the OpenAI format) with "wallet balance is insufficient", your balance is empty — your base URL and key are fine. Top up and retry.
Until Seedream 5.5 opens, use GPT Image 2.6 or Nano Banana 2.1 with one key
What ByteDance announced
From the official post on November 9:
- Editing that holds up over many rounds. Unedited areas are kept pixel-for-pixel, and less detail is lost as you keep refining, across up to 100 rounds.
- Transparent assets. Transparent and semi-transparent images with native RGBA output, ready to drop into compositions.
- More realistic rendering. More natural lighting, materials and skin texture, and much better small text.
- Where it's coming: Dreamina, CapCut and BytePlus, "soon". There's no date.
Seedream 5.5 vs Seedream 5.0
| Seedream 5.0 (pro / flash / lite) | Seedream 5.5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Available on BytePlus ModelArk | Announced November 9, 2026; not open yet |
| API model ID | dola-seedream-5-0-pro-260628, dola-seedream-5-0-flash-260915, seedream-5-0-lite-260128 |
Not announced |
| Official price per image | Pro $0.045 (up to 1.5K) / $0.09 (above); flash $0.018 | Not announced |
| On TeamoRouter | No | Not yet |
Seedream 5.0 details come from BytePlus and the ModelArk pricing page, checked on November 5, 2026. Our image API comparison puts Seedream 5.0 next to GPT Image 2.6, Nano Banana and Qwen Image.
What nobody knows yet
When the API opens, the model ID, the price, maximum resolution, whether there are pro / flash tiers like 5.0, and how it scores in public comparisons. We won't guess.
Image models you can use now
- GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst (
gpt-image-2.6-sunburst): OpenAI's model for detailed work, with consistent details from edit to edit. See the API guide. - Nano Banana 2.1 (
gemini-nano-banana-2.1): Google's fast image model, with better text rendering and multi-turn editing.
Both work with one TeamoRouter key and base URL. Current prices are on the pricing page.
If Seedream 5.5 comes to TeamoRouter after release: change only model to the ID ByteDance publishes. Your base URL and key stay the same.
We'll update this post when the API opens
When BytePlus opens Seedream 5.5, we'll add the model ID, the official price and whether it's on TeamoRouter. You can vote for it on the Seedream 5.5 page.
How to pay
There's no subscription: top up from $5 and each request is charged from your balance — by card or USDT. The same key also calls Claude and GPT models.
FAQ
Is Seedream 5.5 out?
Not yet. ByteDance announced it on November 9, 2026 and said it is coming soon to Dreamina, CapCut and BytePlus.
Is there a Seedream 5.5 API?
ByteDance says it's coming to BytePlus, where the Seedream API is sold, but no model ID or date has been published.
How much will Seedream 5.5 cost?
ByteDance hasn't published a price. Seedream 5.0 currently lists $0.045 per image for pro (up to 1.5K) and $0.018 for flash.
Can I use Seedream 5.5 on TeamoRouter?
Not now. Use GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst or Nano Banana 2.1 with the same key.