Wan 2.1 Turbo overview
Wan 2.1 Turbo by Alibaba Cloud
Wan2.1 Turbo API delivers fast AI video generation with efficient inference, high-quality results, and scalable performance for creative workflows.
Wan 2.1 Turbo specs
- Model ID
alibaba/wan2.1-t2v-turbo- Developer
- Alibaba Cloud
- Input
- Text, Image
- Output
- Video
- Endpoint
POST https://api.aimlapi.com/v2/video/generations
Alibaba's Wan2.1 Turbo is a cutting-edge text-to-video AI model optimized for efficient generation with balanced performance and speed. It processes large context inputs and excels in generating high-quality videos with smooth temporal dynamics and rich semantic alignment between text and visuals.
Performance Benchmarks
- VQA-bench: (specific numbers not disclosed, but improved turbo efficiency)
- Multi-modal Reasoning: strong reasoning capabilities across video and text modalities
- Cross-modal Retrieval: robust retrieval precision optimized for large-scale vision-language tasks
Performance Metrics
Wan2.1 Turbo achieves excellent video generation quality while significantly reducing inference time and compute compared to larger models, making it well-suited for real-time or cost-sensitive applications. It retains Alibaba’s hallmark capability in dynamic motion, spatial relationships, and compositional accuracy.
Key Capabilities
- Vision-Language Fusion: Efficiently integrates and generates video content conditioned on textual descriptions.
- Real-Time Generation: Turbocharged inference speed allowing faster video outputs without substantial quality loss.
- Contextual Understanding: Maintains strong multi-step reasoning and narrative consistency in generated videos.
Comparison with Other Models
Vs. Wan2.2-T2V: Slightly lower maximum generation resolution and model size, but offers much faster inference and cost efficiency.
Vs. Gemini 2.5 Flash: Competitive multi-modal accuracy optimized for speed.
Vs. OpenAI GPT-4 Vision: Smaller context window but more cost-effective for video generation tasks.
Vs. Qwen3-235B-A22B: Focused on turbo efficiency with slightly lower retrieval precision.
Limitations
Some generation outputs may occasionally include minor artifacts or less detailed textures compared to the largest Wan2.2 models; however, these can often be minimized via prompt engineering or post-processing.
Use cases
- Text-to-Video Generation: Quick and high-quality video synthesis from textual input.
- Real-Time Content Creation: Suitable for applications requiring rapid video turnarounds.
- Multi-modal Workflows: Supports projects that combine vision and language data for business intelligence, entertainment, and creative media.
Wan 2.1 Turbo API pricing
| Usage | Price | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Video generation | $0.18 | per generation |
Prices from the AI/ML API price list, checked on Nov 4, 2026.
Wan 2.1 Turbo vs other video models: prices
AI/ML API rates for 5 models, per generation.
| Model | Per generation |
|---|---|
 Wan 2.1 Turbo | $0.18 |
| Wan 2.2 Plus Image to Video | $0.1 |
| Wan 2.2 Plus Text to Video | $0.1 |
 Gemini Omni | $0.1014 |
 Kling V2.1 Pro Image-to-Video | $0.103 |
How to use the Wan 2.1 Turbo API
View docs
Build with your agent
Give your agent the model details, code and documentation.
1Get your API key
Create API keyexport AIMLAPI_KEY="8f2b4c7d9a1e6b3f…"2Make your first request
curl 'https://api.aimlapi.com/v2/video/generations' \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $AIMLAPI_KEY" \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{
"model": "alibaba/wan2.1-t2v-turbo",
"prompt": "A slow dolly shot through a sunlit greenhouse full of ferns, light dust in the air, natural camera motion"
}'import os
import requests
headers = {
"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['AIMLAPI_KEY']}",
"Content-Type": "application/json",
}
payload = {
"model": "alibaba/wan2.1-t2v-turbo",
"prompt": "A slow dolly shot through a sunlit greenhouse full of ferns, light dust in the air, natural camera motion"
}
response = requests.post("https://api.aimlapi.com/v2/video/generations", headers=headers, json=payload, timeout=120)
response.raise_for_status()
print(response.json())const response = await fetch("https://api.aimlapi.com/v2/video/generations", {
method: "POST",
headers: {
Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.AIMLAPI_KEY}`,
"Content-Type": "application/json",
},
body: JSON.stringify({
"model": "alibaba/wan2.1-t2v-turbo",
"prompt": "A slow dolly shot through a sunlit greenhouse full of ferns, light dust in the air, natural camera motion"
}),
});
if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`HTTP ${response.status}`);
console.log(await response.json());The request returns a generation id. Poll GET https://api.aimlapi.com/v2/video/generations?generation_id=<id> until the status is completed.
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Wan 2.1 Turbo FAQ
What inputs and outputs does Wan 2.1 Turbo support?
Wan 2.1 Turbo takes image, text, video as input and returns video.
When was Wan 2.1 Turbo released?
Wan 2.1 Turbo became available on November 20, 2025.
How much does Wan 2.1 Turbo cost?
Wan 2.1 Turbo costs $0.18 per generation on AI/ML API, billed as you go with no subscription.
How is Wan 2.1 Turbo billed?
Wan 2.1 Turbo is billed per generation, a fixed charge per output rather than by prompt length.
Can Wan 2.1 Turbo take an existing image as input?
Yes, Wan 2.1 Turbo accepts image input as well as a text prompt.
Who created Wan 2.1 Turbo?
Wan 2.1 Turbo was built by Alibaba Cloud.
How do I call Wan 2.1 Turbo on AI/ML API?
Send a request to v2/generate/video/alibaba/generation with alibaba/wan2.1-t2v-turbo as the model id.
Is Wan 2.1 Turbo available through a single API key?
Yes. Wan 2.1 Turbo is served through AI/ML API, so the same key and endpoint format used for other models applies.
What kind of model is Wan 2.1 Turbo?
It is a video generation model that turns text and image inputs into video output.
What is the Wan 2.1 Turbo model ID?
Use alibaba/wan2.1-t2v-turbo as the model parameter. Requests go to https://api.aimlapi.com/v2/video/generations with your AI/ML API key.