Midways feature status: Image generation, qualified video generation, Ask Midways and the manual editor are launching with V1; advanced assisted editing is in development. Midways plans are not announced. Competitor prices, model access and commercial terms in this dated editorial comparison require revalidation.
This page exists to help you understand how pricing works for an underlying AI model that's resold through many different platforms, rather than a single consumer product — real, dated numbers, not a ranking or a claim that either is cheaper or better.
Short answer: Wan is Alibaba Tongyi Lab's video-generation model family, not a consumer app you sign up for directly in the way most competitors on this list are. You reach it through API hosts (fal.ai, AI/ML API and others) or through consumer platforms that license it (including PixVerse, covered separately in this comparison series). Midways is a timeline-first editor with AI creation built in, reached through one direct subscription.
What is Wan?
Wan is a family of AI video-generation models from Alibaba's Tongyi Lab (including Wan 2.5 and Wan 3.0). Per independent pricing research (reviewed September 2026), Wan 3.0 supports up to 30 seconds in a single generation with audio by default; fal.ai's own published per-second rates for Wan 3.0 are reported at roughly $0.05/$0.10/$0.20 per second across three resolution tiers, while other API hosts report meaningfully different per-second rates for Wan 2.5 (roughly $0.065–$0.11/second) — a real, measured spread for the same underlying model depending on the host.
What is Midways?
Midways is developing an assisted video editing workspace: a real multi-track timeline with AI image and video creation built in. Manual editing doesn't spend AI credits; credits are for AI compute.
How they differ
| Dimension | Wan (model) | Midways |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A video-generation model, accessed via API or through other apps | A complete editor product with one subscription |
| Manual timeline control | None (it's a model, not an editor) | Launching with V1 |
| Agentic "propose then review" | Not applicable | In development |
| Pricing shape | Per-second API pricing; varies by host and resolution | Terms pending approval |
| Where you'd actually use it | Via an API host, or apps like PixVerse | Directly in Midways |
Creation
Wan is one input a developer or platform can build on top of; it doesn't offer editing, a timeline, or a finished product on its own. Midways is a complete product: image and video creation feeding directly into an editing project.
Editing and manual control
Not a meaningful comparison point — Wan is a model, not an editor. Midways centers a real multi-track timeline for assembling and finishing a project.
Agentic workflow
Not applicable to a model. Midways' agentic model — describe intent, Midways proposes, you review — is Building, not yet fully operational.
Pricing
Midways plans, credit allowances and purchase terms are pending approval. Competitor prices and commercial terms on this page require revalidation before a purchase decision.
Who might each suit?
- Wan — developers or platforms building their own product on top of a
licensed video-generation model, priced per second of output.
- Midways — creators who want a finished product: a real editing timeline
with AI creation in one subscription, no API integration required.
Current Midways readiness
Midways status: image generation, qualified text-to-video, Ask Midways and manual editing are launching with V1; advanced assisted editing and reference creation remain in development or future concepts. Customer access is not yet announced.