How do I find my API key?

In the console, on the Keys page. A key is shown once, when it is created, and starts with sk-relay-; if it is lost, revoke it and create another. The balance belongs to the account, so a new key draws from the same top-up and calls every Seedream id on this page.

How do I generate my API key?

Open an account at the console with an email address and the six-digit code it sends, top up from $10 by card or in USDT, USDC, BTC, ETH, SOL, then Keys, Create key. No ByteDance or BytePlus account, no identity documents. Send the key as a Bearer token to https://api.relayswitch.io/v1.

Is Seedream 4.5 free?

Not by API. Seedream 4.5 bills $0.0313 per image here, so a $10 top-up is 319 images, up to 15 per request. A generation that fails is refunded in full.

How can I use Seedream 4.0 for free?

Not by API: every Seedream id bills per image. Seedream 4 is $0.10 per image here, and Seedream 4.5 is $0.0313 with the same size strings, so most 4.0 code moves to the newer id by changing the model string.

What is the Seedream image API pricing?

Per image, fixed when the request is accepted and read from the catalog at render. Seedream 5.0 Pro is $0.09 at 2K. Seedream 5.0 Lite is $0.0313 at any size. Each edit twin bills the same as its base model.

Is there a Seedream 5.0 Lite API?

Yes: model seedream-5.0-lite for text to image and seedream-5.0-lite-edit for edits with image_urls, $0.0313 per image, 2K, 3K or an aspect ratio, up to 15 images per request.

Seedream 5 API or Seedream 4.5 API: which id?

Seedream 5.0 Pro for the highest fidelity, with an aspect ratio and jpeg or png output. Seedream 5.0 Flash for speed at 1K, 1.5K, 2K. Seedream 5.0 Lite or 4.5 for volume: one price at any size and up to 15 images per request. Each takes reference images through its edit twin.

Models / Media / Seedream

Seedream API key: every version, one key

A Seedream API key from an email address and a top-up: 5 ByteDance Seedream models on one key, from Seedream 4 to 5.0 Pro, each with an edit twin, priced per image and read live. Paid by card or in USDT, USDC, BTC, ETH, SOL, no KYC, no ByteDance account.

Get a key Top up with crypto

5Seedream models5 with an edit twin

$0.0313From, per image

$0.09Seedream 5.0 Pro2K

$10Minimum top-up

Seedream image API pricing

Seedream 5.0, 4.5 and 4 per image, read live

USD per image from the catalog at render. Each edit twin bills the same tiers as its base model.

Model	Sizes	Images per request	Setting	Per image
Seedream 5.0 Proseedream-5.0-pro · seedream-5.0-pro-edit	2K	1	resolution 2K	$0.09
Seedream 5.0 Liteseedream-5.0-lite · seedream-5.0-lite-edit	2K, 3K	15	any settings	$0.0313
Seedream 5.0 Flashseedream-5.0-flash · seedream-5.0-flash-edit	1K, 1.5K, 2K	1	any settings	$0.08
Seedream 4.5seedream-4.5 · seedream-4.5-edit	2K, 4K	15	any settings	$0.0313
Seedream 4seedream-4 · seedream-4-edit	1K, 2K, 4K	15	any settings	$0.10

The charge is fixed when the request is accepted and refunded in full if the generation fails.

Seedream 5.0 Lite Edit Uncensored (seedream-5.0-lite-edit-uncensored) runs with the safety checker off, $0.0313 per image; the uncensored page lists the rest.

Beside it on the key

Other image models, per image

Same endpoint, same key, same balance. Change the model id to compare one prompt across developers.

Model	Developer	Setting	Per image
Nano Banana 2	Google	resolution 1K	$0.0402
GPT Image 2	OpenAI	quality low, resolution 1K	$0.024
FLUX.2 Pro	Black Forest Labs	resolution 1K	$0.0563
Qwen Image 3	Alibaba	resolution 1K	$0.03

Lowest base tier of each, from the catalog at render. Every image model and tier is on the media models page.

Seedream API key

Get a key and generate an image

Three steps, then one POST.

01
Open an account
An email address and a six-digit code. No ByteDance account, no identity documents, no phone number.
02
Top up
From $10 by card or in USDT, USDC, BTC, ETH, SOL. The balance is USD and does not expire.
03
Create a key
On the Keys page. Send it as a Bearer token to https://api.relayswitch.io/v1 with a Seedream id as the model.

Seedream 5 API with curl

bash

1curl https://api.relayswitch.io/v1/generations \

2 -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_RELAYSWITCH_KEY" \

3 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \

4 -d '{

5 "model": "seedream-5.0-pro",

6 "input": {

7 "prompt": "A ceramic mug on a walnut desk, soft window light, product shot",

8 "size": "16:9",

9 "resolution": "2K"

10 }

11 }'

The answer carries a generation id and the charge. Poll GET https://api.relayswitch.io/v1/generations/{id} until succeeded; outputs[0].url is the image, served for 30 days.

Seedream 5.0 Lite API, OpenAI SDK

python

1from openai import OpenAI

3client = OpenAI(base_url="https://api.relayswitch.io/v1", api_key="YOUR_RELAYSWITCH_KEY")

4result = client.images.generate(

5 model="seedream-5.0-lite",

6 prompt="A ceramic mug on a walnut desk, soft window light",

7 size="2K",

8 n=4,

9)

10for image in result.data:

11 print(image.url)

images.generate goes to https://api.relayswitch.io/v1/images/generations and answers in one response.

Seedream 4.5 API edits: the edit twin with image_urls

bash

1curl https://api.relayswitch.io/v1/generations \

2 -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_RELAYSWITCH_KEY" \

3 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \

4 -d '{

5 "model": "seedream-4.5-edit",

6 "input": {

7 "prompt": "Replace the mug with a glass of water, keep the light",

8 "image_urls": ["https://example.com/mug.png"],

9 "size": "2K"

10 }

11 }'

Which id

Picking a Seedream version

Highest fidelity: Seedream 5.0 Pro. Set an aspect ratio with size and choose jpeg or png with output_format.

Speed: Seedream 5.0 Flash, with resolution 1K, 1.5K, 2K.

Volume: Seedream 5.0 Lite or 4.5. One price per image at any size, up to 15 images per request with n, and reference images through image_urls.

Existing Seedream 4.0 code: keep it on seedream-4, or change the id to seedream-4.5; the size strings carry over.

ByteDance describes each version on its Seedream page; GET https://api.relayswitch.io/v1/catalog/media lists the values each id accepts here and its price, and the docs cover the generation endpoint.

What is stored: the email address, the top-ups, the keys, and one generation record per request with its file for 30 days. Not stored: a name, an ID, a phone number, a card for crypto top-ups.

FAQs

Seedream API key: questions

Finding a key, free use, pricing and which version.

Open the console

A key in under a minute

Get a key

Or email hello@relayswitch.io

Seedream on a prepaid key

From $10 by card or in USDT, USDC, BTC, ETH, SOL. No ByteDance account, no KYC.

Every image model Get a key