Short answer: On the Free plan, Motioneed writes every Motion video with Claude Haiku 5.5, so a preview is quick and costs 5 credits for 10 seconds. Paid plans can choose Claude Sonnet 5.5 (the default, "Auto") or Claude Opus 5.5 for denser products and longer cuts. The model changes the writing and the price per second. It never changes where the pictures come from: your real site.
People ask why a free preview is not made with the biggest model. The honest answer is that the writing model is the most expensive part of a Motion video, and most first previews do not need the most expensive writer to answer the only question that matters at that point: "does this look like my product?"
This post explains what the writing model actually does, what each model costs, and how to pick one.
What the writing model does
A Motion video is not a template with your logo dropped in. For every video, a writing model works through four steps:
- Read the page. It takes the words, headings, colors, font, logo, and screenshots captured from your public URL.
- Plan how the video explains the product. It decides what the viewer must understand, in what order, and in your product's own look.
- Storyboard the cut. It writes the lines, the timing of each section, and one animation move for each shot.
- Animate every shot. Each section is drawn and animated for your page.
Then the shots are rendered, a score is written and timed to the edit, and everything is cut into one MP4. The model writes; it does not draw. The pictures come from your site's screenshots and its rebuilt interface, never from stock footage or generated images of a fake product.
That is why the model matters: steps 2 to 4 decide how clear and how sharp the video is. It is also why it costs money: a single video asks the model for a lot of careful writing.
The three writing models
| Model | Credits per second | 10 s | 30 s | 60 s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Haiku 5.5 | 0.5 | 5 | 15 | 30 |
| Claude Sonnet 5.5 | 0.9 | 9 | 27 | 54 |
| Claude Opus 5.5 | 1.8 | 18 | 54 | 108 |
You pay for the seconds the video actually makes. If a video fails, its credits are given back.
Why Free uses Haiku
The Free plan comes with 6 credits once and makes one video. A 10-second Haiku cut costs 5 of them, so the free preview is always a complete video, not a cut that stops halfway because the balance ran out.
Haiku is also the fastest of the three. A first preview is about recognition: your logo, your colors, your interface, a clear claim. Haiku does that well for most landing pages, and you see the result sooner.
On Free, the model menu shows the other models with a lock. Picking one opens the upgrade dialog instead of silently switching models behind your back.
When to pay for a stronger model
Paid plans can choose any model. Auto writes on Sonnet 5.5, which is the right balance for most videos. In our experience the stronger models tend to help in these cases:
- Dense products. A page with many features, a pricing table, or a technical workflow needs more judgment about what to leave out.
- Longer cuts. A 60- or 90-second video has more sections to keep consistent.
- Copy that has to be exact. Launch lines, comparisons, and anything a legal or brand team will read twice.
- Revisions with a clear brief. "Rewrite the middle for developers" is easier for a stronger writer to follow precisely.
For a simple page and a short social cut, Haiku or Sonnet is usually enough. Opus is worth its price when the writing is the hard part.
What the model does not change
Whatever you choose, these stay the same:
- The source. Logo, colors, words, and screenshots always come from the public page you paste.
- The making. Every shot is drawn, animated and rendered the same way.
- The rules. No avatars, no stock clips, no invented interface.
- The sound. Every cut gets a score timed to its edit; narration is optional.
About DeepSeek
Earlier versions of Motioneed listed DeepSeek V4.1 Flash next to Haiku as a free-tier writer, which is why this post's address mentions it. Today every Motion video is written by Claude. Requests that still name the older fast models run on Haiku 5.5, so nothing breaks; they just get the same writer as everyone else on that tier.
FAQ
Can I choose Sonnet or Opus on the Free plan?
No. Free always writes with Haiku 5.5. Any paid plan or credit pack unlocks Sonnet and Opus.
What does "Auto" mean?
On paid plans, Auto writes with Claude Sonnet 5.5.
Does a stronger model make the video longer or higher resolution?
No. Length is the duration you pick, and resolution depends on export (1080p, or 4K on paid plans). The model changes the writing: the plan, the lines, and the code for each shot.
Do I pay again if a video fails?
No. A failed video gives back the credits it held.
Is the same model used for revisions?
A revision uses the model of the project. Revising a Motion video does not spend credits.
