Seedream 4.5
Seedream 4.5 is the latest in-house image generation model from ByteDance. Compared with Seedream 4.0, it delivers better editing consistency, stylization, and prompt adherence at $0.04 per image.
import { experimental_generateImage as generateImage } from 'ai';
const result = await generateImage({ model: 'bytedance/seedream-4.5', prompt: 'A red balloon on a wooden table.'});Playground
Try out Seedream 4.5 by ByteDance. Usage is billed to your team at API rates. Free users (those who haven't made a payment) get $5 of credits every 30 days.
Providers
Route requests across multiple providers. Copy a provider slug to set your preference. Visit the docs for more info. Using a provider means you agree to their terms, listed under Legal.
P50 throughput on live AI Gateway traffic, in tokens per second (TPS). Visit the docs for more info.
P50 time to first token (TTFT) on live AI Gateway traffic, in milliseconds. View the docs for more info.
More models by ByteDance
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| — | — |  | 04/14/2026 | ||||||||||
| — | — | | 04/14/2026 | ||||||||||
| 256K | 1.3s | 119tps | $0.25/M | $2.00/M | Read: $0.05/M Write: — | — | — | | 09/01/2025 | ||||
| 256K | 1.2s | 114tps | $0.25/M | $2.00/M | Read: $0.05/M Write: — | — | — | | 09/01/2025 | ||||
| — | — | | 06/01/2025 | ||||||||||
| — | — | | 06/01/2025 |
About Seedream 4.5
Seedream 4.5 was released November 28, 2025 as ByteDance's latest in-house image generation model. It builds directly on Seedream 4.0 and focuses the architectural updates on editing fidelity rather than new input modalities.
The headline change is editing consistency. When you ask Seedream 4.5 to alter a portrait, swap a background, or refine a small text element, subject details, lighting, and color tone carry over more reliably than in Seedream 4.0. That matters for product photography touch-ups, brand-controlled marketing assets, and any workflow where the source image already passed approval and only specific elements should change.
Stylization and prompt adherence also improve. Seedream 4.5 interprets descriptive style instructions more precisely, which reduces the number of regeneration passes needed to land on the intended look. ByteDance also calls out gains in portrait refinement, small-text rendering, multi-image composition, and visual aesthetics relative to Seedream 4.0.
Seedream 4.5 is a dedicated image generation model. Call it through the AI SDK's generateImage function with the model set to bytedance/seedream-4.5. AI Gateway handles authentication and provider routing.
What To Consider When Choosing a Provider
- Configuration: If your pipeline runs many edit passes on the same source image, the per-pass cost compounds. Seedream 4.5 is listed at $0.04 per image; weigh that against Seedream 4.0 if your workload doesn't need the editing improvements. See N/A for resolution and quality tiers.
- Zero Data Retention: AI Gateway does not currently support Zero Data Retention for this model. See the documentation for models that support ZDR.
- Authentication: AI Gateway authenticates requests using an API key or OIDC token. You do not need to manage provider credentials directly.
When to Use Seedream 4.5
Best For
- Edit-Heavy Workflows: Source-image edits that preserve subject detail, lighting, and color tone across passes
- Portrait and Small-Text Rendering: Refinement work where Seedream 4.0 left visible artifacts
- Stylized Creative Direction: Stronger prompt adherence on descriptive style instructions reduces regeneration passes
- Multi-Image Composition: Subject identity holds across a coherent set of related images
Consider Alternatives When
- Cost-Sensitive Generation: Seedream 4.0 sits at a lower per-image rate when editing fidelity isn't the priority
- Web-Grounded Output: Seedream 5.0 Lite adds web-connected retrieval for real-time context
- Video Generation: Seedance 2.0 or Seedance 2.0 Fast cover text-to-video and image-to-video pipelines
Conclusion
Seedream 4.5 focuses its upgrades on the parts of the workflow that previously consumed regeneration cycles: editing consistency, stylization, and prompt adherence. For teams that already use Seedream for production assets, it's a direct quality lift without a workflow change.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Seedream 4.5 differ from Seedream 4.0?
Seedream 4.5 improves editing consistency, stylization, and prompt adherence over Seedream 4.0. Subjects, lighting, and color tone hold better across edits, and the model also gains in portrait refinement, small-text rendering, multi-image composition, and visual aesthetics.
Does Seedream 4.5 support multi-image inputs?
Yes. Seedream 4.5 retains multi-image composition capability and improves subject consistency across the generated set compared with Seedream 4.0.
When is Seedream 4.5 the right choice over Seedream 4.0?
Pick Seedream 4.5 when editing fidelity matters: portrait touch-ups, small-text changes, brand-controlled refinements, or any pipeline where the source image is approved and only specific elements should change.
How do I call Seedream 4.5 through AI Gateway?
Set the model to
bytedance/seedream-4.5and call it through the AI SDK'sgenerateImagefunction. AI Gateway routes the request through bytedance using your API key or OIDC token.What does Seedream 4.5 cost per image?
Seedream 4.5 is listed at $0.04 per image. See N/A for the full pricing breakdown.
Does Vercel AI Gateway support Zero Data Retention for Seedream 4.5?
Zero Data Retention is not currently available for this model. Zero Data Retention is offered on a per-provider basis. See https://vercel.com/docs/ai-gateway/capabilities/zdr for details.