ByteDance unveils faster Seedream 4.0 for image generation and editing

ByteDance's Seedream 4.0 brings text-to-image generation and image editing into a single system.

According to ByteDance, Seedream 4.0 is over ten times faster than Seedream 3.0. The model supports reference images, native control signals, and multi-image workflows. Users can generate images up to 4K resolution with flexible aspect ratios.

ByteDance says Seedream 4.0 reliably transfers image styles between images. | Image: ByteDance

Text, tables, and diagrams are supposed to be clearer than before. Users can remove objects or adjust lighting directly with a text prompt. ByteDance reports that Seedream 4.0 takes the top spot in its internal "MagicBench" and "MagicArena" benchmarks for both text-to-image and single-image editing.

ByteDance claims Seedream 4.0 is close to OpenAI's GPT-4o for image quality and editing controls. | Image: ByteDance

Developers and companies can use Seedream 4.0 through the Volcano Engine - Ark cloud platform, which was the first to roll out features like 4K output. The model is also built into ByteDance's Doubao chatbot and is available on no-code partner platforms including FAL.ai, Freepik, and Wavespeed.ai.

Pricing for Seedream 4.0 varies depending on platform and use case. On partner platforms, text-to-image or image editing costs about $0.03 per image, usually for images up to 1024×1024 pixels. Larger formats like 2K or 4K, as well as batch jobs, may cost more. The official Volcano Engine - Ark platform charges 0.2 yuan per image for Seedream 4.0 (about $0.028 at current rates). Pricing details for other regions and packages are available only after logging in or using the price calculator.