# Choosing a realtime video model: a decision guide for 12 hosted models

> Pick between 12 hosted realtime video and world models by inputs, live controls, audio, transports, runtime status and current API prices.

Source: https://windflow.online/guides/choosing-a-realtime-video-model · Updated 2026-11-09 · Windflow Labs

Choose a realtime model by the **inputs your product already has** and the **output it must produce**, then check transport, licence and price. Windflow hosts 12, and the first question usually settles it: do you need a world to walk through, a video that keeps going, an edit of a live camera, or audio with the picture?

## Start with the job

| If your product needs to... | Look at | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Generate continuous video you steer with text | [Helios](https://windflow.online/models/helios), [LongLive-2.0](https://windflow.online/models/longlive-2) | Both keep generating and accept prompt changes while running |
| Direct a sequence of shots | [LongLive-2.0](https://windflow.online/models/longlive-2) | One text prompt per shot, soft changes or scene cuts |
| Generate video with synchronised sound | [LTX-2.5](https://windflow.online/models/ltx-2-5), [MiniMax FastH3](https://windflow.online/models/fast-h3) | The only two that generate audio with the picture |
| Let a user move through a generated place | [LingBot-World 2.0](https://windflow.online/models/lingbot), [DreamX-World-5B](https://windflow.online/models/dreamx-world-5b), [ABot-World-0-5B](https://windflow.online/models/abot-world-0-5b) | Persistent movement and look controls from a seed image |
| Let a user play a game that a model draws | [Matrix-Game 4.0](https://windflow.online/models/matrix-game-4) | A real game runs the rules; a scene model redraws every frame of three bundled games |
| Restyle game footage using source motion | [EdenLive](https://windflow.online/models/edenlive) | Proxy-guided rendering from a source clip or live track |
| Change a live webcam or a clip with a sentence | [SANA-Streaming](https://windflow.online/models/sana-streaming), [JoyAI-Video-Edit](https://windflow.online/models/joyai-video-edit) | Source video in, edited stream out, motion preserved |

## All 12 at a glance

| Model | Inputs | Delivered output | Transports | Price per billable second | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Helios](https://windflow.online/models/helios) | Text prompt (required before start) and an optional reference image for image-to-video | Negotiated per session | WebSocket, WebRTC | $0.0017 | production |
| [LongLive-2.0](https://windflow.online/models/longlive-2) | Text shot prompts only — no reference image in this release | 1280 × 704 | WebSocket, WebRTC | $0.0021 | production |
| [SANA-Streaming](https://windflow.online/models/sana-streaming) | A source clip you upload (≥ 41 frames) or a live webcam track, plus an edit prompt | 1280 × 704 native edit and delivery | WebSocket, WebRTC | $0.0019 | production |
| [EdenLive](https://windflow.online/models/edenlive) | Source game footage or a live video track, a scene prompt, and an optional visual reference | 1280 × 704 | WebSocket, WebRTC | $0.0021 | preview |
| [JoyAI-Video-Edit](https://windflow.online/models/joyai-video-edit) | A source clip you upload or a live webcam track, an edit instruction, and optionally a reference image | 840 × 480 interactive tier; 1248 × 720 detail tier | WebSocket, WebRTC | $0.0021 | production |
| [LingBot-World 2.0](https://windflow.online/models/lingbot) | A seed image (uploadFile) and a text prompt, plus persistent WASD movement and look controls | 1408 × 768 delivery (704 × 384 generation) | WebSocket, WebRTC | $0.0024 | production |
| [Matrix-Game 4.0](https://windflow.online/models/matrix-game-4) | A scene choice and held keyboard controls; no prompt or seed image | 864 × 480 | WebSocket | $0.0024 | preview |
| [DreamX-World-5B](https://windflow.online/models/dreamx-world-5b) | A seed image, a text prompt, and movement/camera-control state | 704 × 1280 portrait in the production runtime; negotiated per session | WebSocket, WebRTC | $0.0023 | production |
| [ABot-World-0-5B](https://windflow.online/models/abot-world-0-5b) | A seed image, a text prompt, and persistent movement/camera key state | 1344 × 768 delivered (896 × 512 generation + learned super-resolution) | WebSocket | $0.0023 | production |
| [MiniMax FastH3](https://windflow.online/models/fast-h3) | A text prompt with visual, dialogue, soundscape, and music direction | 960 × 544 | WebRTC | $0.0069 | production |
| [LTX-2.5](https://windflow.online/models/ltx-2-5) | A text prompt and an optional reference still | 832 × 448 measured; the canvas is configurable in multiples of 64 | WebRTC | $0.0040 | production |
| [Hy-Nomas](https://windflow.online/models/hy-nomas) | Text and persistent camera movement/look snapshots | 832 × 480 | WebSocket, WebRTC | $0.0047 | preview |

Resolutions are what the catalog publishes; Helios negotiates its size per session. The [pricing guide](https://windflow.online/guides/how-per-second-pricing-works) turns these rates into hourly and ten-minute costs.

## Decision rules

- **You need audio.** LTX-2.5 or MiniMax FastH3. Both are WebRTC-only.
- **You have a webcam feed.** SANA-Streaming or JoyAI-Video-Edit. Choose JoyAI-Video-Edit for a reference image or the 720p detail tier; SANA-Streaming is prompt-only.
- **You want a world with a text prompt.** LingBot-World 2.0, DreamX-World-5B or ABot-World-0-5B.
- **You want something to play.** Matrix-Game 4.0 runs a castle shooter, an Ancient Egypt shooter or city racing and redraws every frame, in 60-second sessions. It renders only those three games.
- **Your audience is on phones.** DreamX-World-5B delivers portrait.
- **You want a third-person character.** ABot-World-0-5B. It is WebSocket-only.
- **You want a low-cost way to start.** Helios needs only a prompt and, at $0.0017 per second, has the lowest rate in the Windflow catalog.
- **You need a stable production model.** 9 models are in production. Current previews: [EdenLive](https://windflow.online/models/edenlive), [Matrix-Game 4.0](https://windflow.online/models/matrix-game-4), [Hy-Nomas](https://windflow.online/models/hy-nomas).
- **Licence matters to your product.** FastH3 is governed by the MiniMax H3 Community License and LTX-2.5 by the LTX-2 Community License; read them first. Most of the others publish their code under Apache-2.0 or MIT; each model page links to its upstream source.

## Mistakes to avoid

- **Choosing on price alone.** A cheaper model that lacks the input you have, such as a webcam track or a seed image, costs more in rework than it saves.
- **Ignoring transport.** If your client only supports WebRTC, ABot-World is out; if it only supports WebSocket, LTX-2.5 and FastH3 are out.
- **Expecting a game engine.** World models regenerate the view; they do not keep exact geometry or rules. See [navigable world models for games](https://windflow.online/use-cases/navigable-world-models-for-games).
- **Assuming the GPU is waiting for you.** Capacity is brought up on demand, so plan for a queue and a first-frame delay and test on the model you ship.

## A practical way to decide

1. Write down the inputs your product already collects.
2. Cross out models that cannot use them.
3. From what remains, run a short real session on two candidates with the same prompt or seed.
4. Compare the control feel, not just the picture, and price the winner for your expected session length.

## Match evidence to the decision

For a webcam product, inspect the source-to-visible path. The [SANA camera experiment](https://windflow.online/guides/sana-camera-fps-and-latency) illustrates why approximately 25 presented fps can coexist with approximately 2.8 seconds of scene-change delay in a specific configuration. [JoyAI's recorded latency stages](https://windflow.online/guides/joyai-live-editing-latency-measurements) separate frame processing from socket emission in a loopback probe; those results cannot establish a browser latency by themselves.

For game-footage transformation, the [EdenLive compute report](https://windflow.online/guides/edenlive-gpu-compute-measurements) can help select a GPU/software configuration to evaluate. It excludes encoding and client display, so a passing model-loop FPS is the start of a delivery evaluation.

Also distinguish code licenses, weight licenses and hosted-service access. The [world model directory](https://windflow.online/world-models) records declarations and links primary sources; check the exact model version and dependencies for your intended use. Being able to request an API session does not resolve the rights required by a commercial application.

New accounts start with $5, enough to try several models. [Request access](https://windflow.online/auth?mode=request).

## FAQ

### Which realtime video model should I use?

Pick by inputs and output: Helios or LongLive-2.0 for steerable continuous video, LTX-2.5 or MiniMax FastH3 when you need generated audio, SANA-Streaming or JoyAI-Video-Edit for webcam editing, and LingBot-World, Matrix-Game, DreamX-World or ABot-World for navigable worlds.

### Which model is cheapest?

In the Windflow catalog, Helios, at $0.0017 per billable second ($6.12 per hour of billable time). SANA-Streaming is $0.0019, and 9 models are under $0.0025.

### Which models support webcam input?

[SANA-Streaming](https://windflow.online/models/sana-streaming), [EdenLive](https://windflow.online/models/edenlive), [JoyAI-Video-Edit](https://windflow.online/models/joyai-video-edit).

### Which models generate audio?

LTX-2.5 and MiniMax FastH3. Other catalog models are video-only.

### Which model runs in portrait?

DreamX-World-5B delivers 704 × 1280 portrait video.

### Can I switch models without rewriting my integration?

Yes. Every model speaks the same typed session protocol, so switching changes the controls you send, not how you integrate.