Seedream 5.5: Real-Looking Photos, Edits That Stay Put

ByteDance's newest image model, on VidCella. Light, skin and materials look photographed. An edit changes what you named and leaves the rest of the picture alone, round after round. Cutouts come back as transparent PNGs. Up to 10 reference images, up to 2K, from 6 credits. No subscription.

Highlights

Where Seedream 5.5 Moves Past 5.0

The two clips are ByteDance's own launch demos, and the photo set comes from its release samples.

One Portrait, 100 Edits in a Row

ByteDance ran 100 edits on a single pop-art portrait, each one applied to the result of the last: new jacket, new props, new backdrop, new lettering. The counter in the clip is the round number. This is where image models usually fall apart, with colors shifting and detail fading a few rounds in.

Cutouts That Arrive Transparent

Set Background to Transparent and the PNG comes back with its own alpha channel. In this demo a snowy owl and its close-up details are generated as separate transparent assets and dropped straight into a layout. Feather edges and the gaps between the claws are clean, with no background-removal pass.

Photos Without the AI Gloss

Five release samples: a mother and child on open grassland, a trattoria at dinner, a cat on a bar, a fisherman mending a net, a subway platform. Ordinary light and ordinary imperfections, without the waxy, overlit look.

One Instruction, One Change

The prompt asked for the billiard balls to become miniature planets and for everything else to stay: the player, the cue, the table, the lighting, the camera angle. Example from WaveSpeed's Seedream 5.5 Edit page.

The reference photo

The result: planets for balls, nothing else moved

What Is Seedream 5.5?

Seedream 5.5 is the image model ByteDance's Seed team released on November 9, 2026, as the successor to Seedream 5.0. It generates from text and edits from up to 10 reference images. On VidCella it sits next to Seedream 5.0 Pro and Flash, and it costs less than Pro.

Small Text in Two Languages
Captions, labels and fine print stay legible in English and Chinese. ByteDance reports severely garbled text in 0.4% of its own test images.
Generate or Edit
One tab for text to image, one for editing with 1 to 10 reference images. Both can output a transparent background.
1.5K at the 1K Price
1K and 1.5K both cost 6 credits from a prompt, so 1.5K is the sensible default. 2K is 11.

Seedream 5.5 vs Seedream 5.0 Pro and Flash

All three run on VidCella from the same credit balance. Prices are per image.

	Seedream 5.5	Seedream 5.0 Pro	Seedream 5.0 Flash
Text to image	6 credits (1K, 1.5K), 11 (2K)	14 credits (1K), 27 (2K)	9 credits at any size
Edit with one reference	9 credits (1K, 1.5K), 13 (2K)	14 credits (1K), 27 (2K)	9 credits
Each extra reference	+2 to 3 credits	+1 credit	No extra charge
Output sizes	1K, 1.5K, 2K	1K, 2K	1K, 1.5K, 2K
Transparent background	Yes	No	No
Reference images	Up to 10	Up to 10	Up to 10
Pick it for	Realistic photos, repeated edits, cutouts	Fine detail, prompts already tuned on Pro	High volume, edits with many references

How to Use Seedream 5.5 on VidCella

From a prompt or a photo to a finished image in four steps:

Seedream 5.5 Features on VidCella

What the generator on this page supports:

Multi-Round Editing

Edits leave untouched areas alone, so one image can go through many rounds of changes.

Transparent PNG Output

A real alpha channel, from a prompt or from your own photo.

Up to 10 Reference Images

Combine a face, a product, a style and a layout in one edit.

1K, 1.5K & 2K

Three output sizes. 1K and 1.5K cost the same.

15 Aspect Ratios

Square to 21:9 and 3:1 banners, or match your reference image when editing.

Pay Per Image

From 6 credits. No subscription, no queue, no waitlist.

FAQ

FAQs about Seedream 5.5

Common questions about Seedream 5.5 on VidCella

What is Seedream 5.5?

ByteDance's image generation and editing model, released by its Seed team on November 9, 2026 as the successor to Seedream 5.0. It creates images from text and edits existing ones from up to 10 references.

What changed from Seedream 5.0?

More natural light, skin and materials. Edits that preserve what you did not ask to change. Transparent-background output. Cleaner dense small text. Those comparisons are ByteDance's own, from its release evaluation.

Can it really edit one image 100 times?

ByteDance did it in its launch demo. On VidCella every round is a separate edit: upload the last result as the reference image and describe the next change. How many rounds an image survives depends on what you ask for.

How do I get a transparent background?

Set Background to Transparent in either tab. You get a PNG with an alpha channel. In Edit this cuts the subject out of your photo, and the photo you upload does not need to be transparent.

How much does Seedream 5.5 cost?

Text to image is 6 credits at 1K or 1.5K and 11 at 2K. An edit with one reference image is 9 credits at 1K or 1.5K and 13 at 2K. Each extra reference adds 2 to 3 credits, up to 30 or 35 with ten. The Generate button shows the exact price before you submit.

Seedream 5.5, 5.0 Pro or 5.0 Flash?

Use 5.5 for realistic photos, repeated edits and cutouts. It is also cheaper than Pro. Use Flash for edits with several references: it stays at 9 credits however many you attach, while a 5.5 edit reaches 11 credits at the second reference. Keep Pro for work you have already tuned on it.

Which sizes and aspect ratios are supported?

1K, 1.5K and 2K in 15 aspect ratios, from square to 21:9, 9:21, 3:1 and 1:3. In Edit, Auto follows the shape of your reference image.

Is there a Seedream 5.5 Pro?

ByteDance has said a Pro version of the 5.5 series is coming and has not given a date. It has not been released yet.

Can I use the images commercially?

Yes. Handle real-person likeness, trademarks and third-party IP responsibly under applicable law and our terms.