Seed Models by ByteDance
4 models2024–2026Up to 256K ctx
About
Seed is a family of 4 AI models by ByteDance, released between 2024 and 2026.
Current Variants
Use-when guidance is derived from seed capabilities, context, release, and replacement fields.
4 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
| 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 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
2 release groups2026-03
2 current
Seed 1.6
Current256K contextreasoningtool use
Seed 1.6 Flash
Current256K contextreasoningtool use
2024-09
2 current
Current
Current
Specifications(4 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 XL | 2024-09 | — | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Seed Large | 2024-09 | — | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Seed used for?
- Seed is used for vision and multimodal work, reasoning, and agent workflows and tool use. 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 vision and multimodal work, while UI-TARS by ByteDance is the closest related family to check for agents. Seed has 4 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?
- If price is the main constraint, use the pricing table first because Seed does not have complete provider pricing in the local data. 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.
