Head-to-head · license & price checked
Kling vs Hailuo (MiniMax) (2026)
Both free tiers watermark your exports, so for a monetizing channel this is really a fight between two cheap paid plans.
By Abdallah AmjidLast verified June 13, 2026
Watermark on free exports + no commercial rights
Safe entry: Standard, ~$7.99/mo (billed yearly)
If your plan is to monetize on the free tier, stop now: both Kling and Hailuo stamp a watermark on every free export, which kills clean commercial use. That makes this a paid-plan comparison, not a free-tool comparison. The real question for a faceless creator is which cheapest safe plan gives you watermark-free, commercially-licensed clips for less hassle.
Side by side
 Kling |  Hailuo (MiniMax) | |
|---|---|---|
| Monetization safety | ||
| Safe on free plan? | Not safe | Not safe |
| Watermark on free | Yes, visible logo on exports | Yes, on all free exports |
| Commercial use on free | No | No |
| Attribution required | No | No |
| Cheapest safe plan | Standard, ~$10/mo | Standard, ~$7.99/mo (billed yearly) |
| Free plan | ||
| Free plan | Daily free credits, watermarked, slower queue | Daily login credits, watermarked |
| Max quality on free | 720p, standard queue | 720p |
| Our rating | ||
| Our score | 8.4 / 10 | 7.8 / 10 |
The key difference
Price to get safe is the sharpest split. Hailuo's Standard plan is about $7.99/mo but only at that rate if you commit to annual billing, while Kling's Standard runs around $10/mo. So Hailuo is the cheaper paid entry, with the catch that the headline price is locked behind a yearly commitment; Kling costs a couple dollars more but is the higher editorial pick (8.4 vs 7.8). Both free tiers hand you daily credits, and both watermark whatever you make with them.
Bottom line
Pick Kling if you want our higher-rated tool (8.4/10) and don't mind paying around $10/mo for the Standard plan that clears the watermark and gives you a commercial license. Pick Hailuo if squeezing the cheapest safe entry matters most, at roughly $7.99/mo, but only commit once you're comfortable being billed yearly to get that rate. Either way, do not publish monetized content off the free tier of either tool: free exports are watermarked and not safe to monetize.
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FAQ
Can I legally monetize Kling or Hailuo on the free plan?
No. Both tools watermark every free export, so free-tier clips aren't clean for monetized content. To monetize safely you need a paid plan: Kling Standard at about $10/mo or Hailuo Standard at about $7.99/mo (billed yearly).
Which is cheaper to use safely, Kling or Hailuo?
Hailuo is cheaper on paper at roughly $7.99/mo, but that price requires annual billing. Kling's Standard plan is about $10/mo. So Hailuo wins on price if you're fine committing for a year, while Kling costs a little more and is our higher-rated tool (8.4 vs 7.8).
Do the free credits let me make watermark-free videos?
No. Both Kling and Hailuo refresh free credits daily (Kling daily refreshing credits, Hailuo daily login credits), but anything you generate on the free tier still carries a watermark. The watermark only comes off on the paid plans.