AI image model · ByteDance Seed
Seedream 5.5, Explained: Edits, Transparency, Access
Seedream 5.5 is ByteDance's newest image generation and editing model, which reached third-party APIs in November 2026; this page covers what changed, where it runs and what it can't do yet. Want product visuals today at a flat price? Supavisual's own generator costs 1 credit per image.
- Supavisual: 3 free trial credits
- 1 credit per image, any tool
- Background removal included
- 3
- Headline upgrades ByteDance lists for this release
- RGBA
- Native transparent and semi-transparent output
- Nov 2026
- Month it reached third-party APIs
- 1 credit
- Per image on Supavisual's own generator
What is Seedream 5.5?
Seedream 5.5 is the newest ByteDance Seedream image generation and editing model, built by ByteDance Seed, the research team behind the Seed language models and the Seedance video models. ByteDance describes it as a multimodal image generation model with greater creativity and more precise execution. API resellers describe it as the follow-up to Seedream 5.0 Pro and have offered it since November 6, 2026; ByteDance's page gives no release date. You'll also see it searched as seedream5.5, without the space.
Seedream has handled both generation and editing in one model since version 4.0, which merged the two into a single architecture. Version 5.5 builds on that with three upgrades ByteDance puts front and center: editing that holds steady over many rounds, native transparent output, and more natural lighting, materials and skin.
It is a hosted model. ByteDance offers it through its own apps and cloud, and we found no downloadable weights listed for it.
What's new in Seedream 5.5
These are the upgrades ByteDance's own product page leads with, plus what its CapCut-owned Dreamina app adds on top.
Pixel-level multi-turn edits
Make a targeted change, then another and another, while unedited regions stay intact at the pixel level. ByteDance shows rooms refurnished step by step and watch faces with updated data but the same layout.
Native transparency
Generate on transparent or semi-transparent backgrounds directly, including stickers, cutouts of one object from a photo, and sequences where each frame sits on its own RGBA layer.
Lifelike texture and light
Lighting, fabric, plaster, rust and skin render more naturally, so documentary and street-photo prompts look closer to a real camera.
Posters and infographics
Dreamina highlights text rendering, visual hierarchy and coordinated colors for dense posters and multi-panel layouts, with a reminder to double-check small text.
Relighting
In Dreamina, a relight tool with cinematic presets reworks the light on portraits and lifestyle shots without regenerating the subject.
Character sets
Official examples create several characters in one style, each on a transparent background, so the set can be recombined like puzzle pieces.
Seedream 5.5 specs: what ByteDance has published
ByteDance has published capabilities rather than a full spec sheet. Here is what is confirmed as of November 2026; unconfirmed numbers are left out.
| Maker | ByteDance Seed |
|---|---|
| Launch | On third-party APIs from November 2026; no official date published |
| Tasks | Text-to-image, image editing, multi-turn editing |
| Inputs | Text prompts and reference images |
| Transparency | Native transparent and semi-transparent (RGBA) output |
| Official access | Dola, BytePlus playground, Dreamina by CapCut |
| Weights | Hosted only; no open weights listed |
| Official API price | Not listed on ByteDance's model page |
| Alternative: Supavisual's generator | Prompt plus up to 6 references, 1–4 images, 5 aspect ratios, 1 credit each |
Seedream versions: from 4.0 to 5.5
How the line has moved, kept to what ByteDance states, with reseller claims marked.
| Version | What it added |
|---|---|
| Seedream 4.0 | Generation and editing in one unified architecture |
| Seedream 5.0 and 5.0 Pro | The versions resellers say 5.5 follows |
| Seedream 5.5 | Pixel-level multi-turn edits, native RGBA transparency, more lifelike texture |
Exact release dates for 5.0 were not confirmed on ByteDance's pages, so they are left out.
How to use Seedream 5.5 and the Seedream 5.5 API
There are three official doors. Dola, ByteDance's chat assistant, is the quickest way to try prompts. Dreamina, CapCut's creative app, wraps the model in tools: choose "Image 5.5 by Seedream 5.5", then set aspect ratio, resolution and the number of outputs; what you can do and what it costs depend on your Dreamina plan and credits. For developers, ByteDance's page links to the BytePlus playground on its international cloud, the place to check for official Seedream 5.5 API access.
ByteDance's model page does not list a per-image price. Third-party API resellers advertise prices from about $0.034 per image as of November 2026, but treat any rate as provisional until BytePlus publishes its own.
To test the edit claims fairly, keep one approved reference, change one thing per round (background, then a material, then the light), and compare the untouched areas after each step. For transparency, place the export on both a dark and a light background and look for halos or a solid box.
Seedream 5.5 weaknesses and how to work around them
Every new model has rough edges. These are the ones to plan for with this one.
Do
- Check every word of poster and label text at final size
- Verify the exported file really has an alpha channel
- Change one target per editing round and save each accepted version
- Name the details to preserve in every edit prompt
Don't
- Trust a preview image as proof of transparency
- Budget on reseller prices before an official rate is published
- Expect an open-weights download for self-hosting
- Stack several scene-wide changes into a single edit
A Seedream 5.5 alternative for product and marketing visuals
Supavisual does not run ByteDance's model. It is a separate tool with its own generator, made for brands and online stores that need finished assets rather than raw generations. In the generator you write a prompt, attach up to 6 reference images, pick one of 5 aspect ratios and get up to 4 images per run, at 1 credit each.
If what draws you to the new Seedream is transparency and clean edits, Supavisual covers those as separate one-credit steps. The editor removes a background for a transparent cutout, edits from a prompt, fills or erases areas, upscales and expands. Product studio and templates restyle one product photo for dozens of scenes, and batch applies one edit to up to 10,000 images.
Hobbyist is $19 a month for 800 credits, about 2.4 cents an image, with a $9 first month. Unlimited is $99 per seat per month. Both include a commercial license, and new accounts get 3 trial credits with watermarked previews.
Seedream 5.5 vs GPT Image 2.6, Nano Banana 2.1 and Ideogram 4.0
How ByteDance's model compares with the other new image models. Each has its own page.
| Seedream 5.5 | GPT Image 2.6 | Nano Banana 2.1 | Ideogram 4.0 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Made by | ByteDance | OpenAI | Ideogram | |
| Stand-out feature | Pixel-level multi-turn edits, RGBA | SVG and GIF output | 14 references, 4K | Open weights, layout boxes |
| Weights | Hosted only | Hosted only | Hosted only | Open (non-commercial) |
| Published API price | Not listed by ByteDance | $30 / 1M output tokens | $0.0336 per 1K image | $0.03–$0.10 per image |
Prices as of November 2026. Read more: GPT Image 2.6, Nano Banana 2.1, Ideogram 4.0.
More models and Supavisual tools
Other model explainers and the tools that turn one product photo into a full set of visuals.
- GPT Image 2.6OpenAI's November 2026 image model: Sunburst and Flare, GIF and SVG output, API pricing and limits.
- Nano Banana 2.1Google's October 2026 Flash image model: specs, per-image API prices, limits and what Reddit thinks.
- Ideogram 4.0Ideogram's first open-weight text-to-image model: specs, license terms, API and app pricing.
- ArtbreederSupavisual vs Artbreeder: features, pricing as of November 2026, and which one suits product and marketing images.
- EditRemove backgrounds, upscale, expand and retouch an image, 1 credit per action.
- TemplatesReady-made product templates to start a visual from.
- PricingHobbyist and Unlimited plans, with 3 free trial credits to start.
Frequently asked questions
What is Seedream 5.5?
It is ByteDance Seed's newest image generation and editing model; it reached third-party APIs in November 2026, and resellers describe it as the follow-up to Seedream 5.0 Pro. ByteDance highlights three upgrades: multi-turn edits that keep untouched regions intact at the pixel level, native transparent and semi-transparent output, and more lifelike lighting, materials and skin texture.
Is Seedream 5.5 free?
ByteDance has not published a per-image price on its model page. You can try it in ByteDance's own apps, such as Dola and Dreamina, where access and cost depend on your plan and credits. If you want a free start for product images, Supavisual gives new accounts 3 trial credits for its own tools, with watermarked previews.
Is Seedream 5.5 open source?
No open weights are listed. ByteDance offers the model as a hosted service through Dola, the BytePlus cloud and the Dreamina app, so you can't download and self-host it the way you can with open models. If self-hosting matters, see Ideogram 4.0, which publishes weights under a non-commercial license.
How do I get the Seedream 5.5 API?
ByteDance's model page links to a playground on BytePlus, ByteDance's international cloud, which is the place to check for official API access. ByteDance's model page did not list an official per-image rate as of November 2026, and third-party resellers quote prices from about $0.034 per image. Confirm the rate on your BytePlus account before you budget a production workload.
Can Seedream 5.5 make transparent PNGs?
Yes. Transparent and semi-transparent backgrounds are a native feature: it can output stickers, product cutouts and sequences with each element on its own RGBA layer. Always check the exported file on dark and light backgrounds, because a preview that looks transparent does not prove the download has an alpha channel.
What is the difference between seedream5.5 and Seedream 5.0?
They are the same model family; seedream5.5 is just how many people type it. ByteDance's 5.5 page highlights unedited regions that hold steady through several rounds of edits, native transparent output, and more natural lighting, materials and skin. Resellers describe it as the next step after Seedream 5.0 Pro.
Does Supavisual use Seedream 5.5?
No. Supavisual is an independent tool with its own generator and does not offer ByteDance's model. It is built for product and marketing visuals: generate from a prompt and references, then remove backgrounds, edit, upscale, resize and translate on-image text, at 1 credit per image. Hobbyist is $19 a month for 800 credits.
Try a Seedream 5.5 alternative on your own product
Read up on ByteDance's model, then see what Supavisual makes from your prompt or product photo: 1 credit per image, 3 free trial credits to start.
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