2026-09-28

Kling AI vs MiniMax: Kling 3.0 and MiniMax H3 APIs compared

On Sume, Kling 3.0 makes 4–15 s clips with audio you can turn off and no references; MiniMax H3 makes 5–15 s, always with sound, and takes references.

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Kling 3.0 and MiniMax H3 differ most in what steers a clip and whether it can be silent. Through Sume's video API, Kling 3.0 takes no reference images, video or audio, and its audio track can be switched off, which also lowers its per-second price. MiniMax H3 takes image, video and audio references, and every clip it makes carries stereo audio. Kling bills by whether audio is on; MiniMax bills by resolution.

The facts are those of kling-3 and minimax-h3 on Sume's POST /v1/videos, from the Sume API reference and the catalog and pricing code, read on 2026-09-28. Which one looks better for your content is a test you run yourself; this post compares what each accepts and costs.

How do Kling 3.0 and MiniMax H3 differ?

Both take a prompt and a first and last frame and stop at 15 seconds, so the table keeps only the rows that differ. Kling 3.0 API and MiniMax H3 video API list every limit, including MiniMax resolutions.

Rows that differ, from the Sume API reference and the catalog entries for `kling-3` and `minimax-h3`, read 2026-09-28.
Item	Kling 3.0 (`kling-3`)	MiniMax H3 (`minimax-h3`)
References	None	Up to 9 images, 3 videos, 3 audio; 12 in total
Shortest clip	4 s	5 s
Aspect ratios	`16:9`, `9:16`, `1:1`	`21:9`, `16:9`, `4:3`, `1:1`, `3:4`, `9:16`
Audio switch	`generate_audio: false` allowed	Refused
Rate set by	$0.14/s silent, $0.21/s with audio	$0.0625/s at 480p, $0.075/s at 768p

Which one can make a silent clip?

Kling 3.0. Send generate_audio: false and it bills the lower silent rate; leave the field out and you get, and pay for, audio. MiniMax H3 and H3 Max always produce native stereo audio, and current code refuses generate_audio: false on both. To use a MiniMax clip without sound, remove the track afterwards.

Which one takes reference images, video or audio?

MiniMax H3. It honors input_references of all three types, with each reference video or audio clip 2–15 seconds, at most 15 seconds of video and 15 seconds of audio in total, and audio never the only reference. kling-3 lists no reference types and refuses them; with Kling, steer the shot with a first and last frame instead. Reference-to-video API covers the mode.

What does a 10-second clip cost on each?

Sume bills both at the provider's list price × 1.25, reserved on submit, plus a 5.5% agent fee by default. On Kling the audio switch moves the price; on MiniMax only the resolution does.

Computed from the pricing code behind API pricing, per Video generation, read 2026-09-28.
10-second clip	Reserved
`kling-3`, silent	$1.40
`kling-3`, with audio	$2.10
`minimax-h3`, 480p	$0.63
`minimax-h3`, 768p	$0.75

Which Kling and MiniMax versions can I call?

On Sume's video catalog, kling-3 is the only Kling id, and minimax-h3 and minimax-h3-max are the only MiniMax ids; earlier versions are not listed. Kling 3.0 Motion Control, which animates a still with the motion of a driving video, is a separate route: see Motion control API.

Which should I pick?

Pick Kling 3.0 if you need silent clips or a 4-second clip, and don't need references.
Pick MiniMax H3 if you want sound on every clip, references, or a 21:9, 4:3 or 3:4 frame.
Run the same prompt through both before you commit a batch.