Seed Models by ByteDance
ByteDanceProprietary
7 models2024–2026Up to 256k ctxFrom $0.25/1M input
Details
ResearcherByteDance
LicenseProprietary
Commercial useCommercial use: conditional
Models7
Released2024–2026
Max context256k
Capabilities
Vision4 of 7 models
Multimodal4 of 7 models
Reasoning3 of 7 models
Function Calling3 of 7 models
Tool Use4 of 7 models
Structured Outputs3 of 7 models
Links
WebsiteAbout
ByteDance Seed's multimodal foundation-model family for general reasoning, vision and coding tasks, served through Volcengine Model Ark. The family includes separately addressable legacy routes that remain live while scheduled for retirement.
Current Variants
Use-when guidance is based on each model's tracked capabilities, context window, release date, and replacement status.
7 in view
Seed 1.6Current
Use when the workload needs 256k context, reasoning, and tool use.
2026-03256k contextreasoningtool use
Seed 1.6 FlashCurrent
Use when the workload needs 256k context, reasoning, and tool use.
2026-03256k contextreasoningtool use
Seed 1.8Current
Use when the workload needs 256k context, reasoning, and tool use.
2025-12256k contextreasoningtool use
Seed 1.6 VisionCurrent
Use when the workload needs vision, tool use, and multimodal inputs.
2025-08visiontool usemultimodal inputs
| Model | Use when | Released | Signals | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seed 1.6 | Use when the workload needs 256k context, reasoning, and tool use. | 2026-03 | 256k contextreasoningtool use | Current |
| Seed 1.6 Flash | Use when the workload needs 256k context, reasoning, and tool use. | 2026-03 | 256k contextreasoningtool use | Current |
| Seed 1.8 | Use when the workload needs 256k context, reasoning, and tool use. | 2025-12 | 256k contextreasoningtool use | Current |
| Seed Code Preview | Use when the workload needs coding. | 2025-10 | coding | Current |
| Seed 1.6 Vision | Use when the workload needs vision, tool use, and multimodal inputs. | 2025-08 | visiontool usemultimodal inputs | Current |
| Seed XL | Use when provider availability and model metadata match the workload. | 2024-09 | — | Current |
| Seed Large | Use when provider availability and model metadata match the workload. | 2024-09 | — | Current |
Release Timeline
5 release groups2026-03
2 current
Seed 1.6
Current256k contextreasoningtool use
Seed 1.6 Flash
Current256k contextreasoningtool use
2025-12
1 current
Seed 1.8
Current256k contextreasoningtool use
2025-10
1 current
Seed Code Preview
Currentcoding
2025-08
1 current
Seed 1.6 Vision
Currentvisiontool usemultimodal inputs
2024-09
2 current
Current
Current
Specifications(7 models)
| Model | Released | Context | Vision | Multimodal | Reasoning | Fn Calling | Tool Use | Structured Outputs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seed 1.6 | 2026-03 | 256k | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Seed 1.6 Flash | 2026-03 | 256k | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Seed 1.8 | 2025-12 | 256k | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Seed Code Preview | 2025-10 | — | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Seed 1.6 Vision | 2025-08 | — | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
| Seed XL | 2024-09 | — | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Seed Large | 2024-09 | — | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Available From(2 providers)
Pricing
| Model | Provider | Input / 1M | Output / 1M | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seed 1.6 | Vercel AI Gateway | $0.25 | $2 | Serverless |
| Seed 1.8 | Volcengine | $0.25 | $2 | Serverless |
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Seed used for?
- Seed is used for coding, vision, and vision and multimodal work. The family description and listed model capabilities point to those workloads as the best fit.
- How does Seed compare to UI-TARS?
- Seed by ByteDance is strongest where you need coding, while UI-TARS by ByteDance is the closest related family to check for agents. Seed has 7 listed variants and reaches up to 256k context, while UI-TARS reaches up to 128k context, so compare the specs and pricing tables before choosing a production model.
- Which Seed model should I use?
- For the lowest listed input price, start with Seed 1.6 through Vercel AI Gateway at $0.25/1M input tokens. For the most capable/latest local choice, evaluate Seed 1.6 with 256k context and reasoning, tool use, function calling, structured outputs, and multimodal inputs.
