Doubao
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Doubao

ByteDance’s all-in-one AI assistant that covers tasks such as conversation, searching, office work, and multi-modal creation.

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What is DouBao?

Doubao is a general-purpose AI assistant under ByteDance, operated by Beijing Chuntian Zhiyun Technology Co., Ltd. It has expanded its functions from chat-based Q&A to online searching, in-depth research, processing of documents and spreadsheets, creation of AI-powered PPTs, image editing, voice conversations, and video generation. It also offers an office task mode that enables the AI to continuously carry out tasks such as data collection, document preparation, and content organization in order to achieve longer-term goals.

The web version, as well as mobile and desktop clients, are intended for ordinary users; when companies and developers want to use the DouBao model, they primarily rely on the HuoShan Ark platform provided by HuoShan Engine.

Core functions

  • Multiple rounds of dialogue:It can answer knowledge-based questions, explain concepts, write text, translate content, rewrite material, facilitate brainstorming, and assist with coding; input can be provided in the form of text, images, files, or voice.
  • Online search:After identifying issues that require up-to-date information, public web pages are searched, and the sources are cited in the responses; this approach is suitable for providing news context, comparing products, and compiling information.
  • In-depth research and expert models:It enables step-by-step searching and organization of reports on complex topics; the expert model is designed for tasks that require stronger reasoning and professional analysis.
  • Office task mode:Handle annual summaries, data organization, table analysis, reports, and multi-step office tasks, reducing the need to switch between different tools.
  • AI PPT:Generate outlines and slides based on topics, documents, or materials; suitable for presentations, courses, and preliminary drafts of plans. Facts and formatting still require manual verification.
  • Files and AI cloud storage:Upload PDFs, documents, tables, and images for summarization, Q&A, and data extraction; the documents, PPTs, tables, transcriptions, and uploaded files generated by DouBao can be automatically saved in the AI cloud storage.
  • DouBao photo editing:Use natural language to change the background, adjust the style, delete or add elements, and it also supports image generation.
  • Video generation:Integrated with Seedance 2.0, which allows video creation using text or images; the duration, clarity, and number of videos that can be produced are limited by the available functionality quota.
  • Voice and video calls:It supports voice input, natural voice responses, as well as the recognition of camera and screen content, making it suitable for mobile Q&A and learning assistance.
  • Shopping Assistant:“Ask DouBao before buying” is useful for organizing product information and comparing options, but the price, inventory status, after-sales service, and suitability still need to be verified on the seller’s page.

Price and version comparison

Package or versionPrices, quotas, and core benefits
Prices of the free version and the professional versionDoubao continues to offer free basic services, while the App Store in China lists premium versions with in-app purchases. The current prices are as follows: Standard plan – 68 yuan for a monthly subscription, 80 yuan for a one-time purchase; 688 yuan for an annual subscription, 828 yuan for a one-year purchase. Enhanced plan – 200 yuan for a monthly subscription, 240 yuan for a one-time purchase; 2048 yuan for an annual subscription. Premium plan – 500 yuan for a monthly subscription, 599 yuan for a one-time purchase; the annual option and all associated benefits are detailed on the in-app page. These three membership tiers are designed for tasks that require more computing power, such as working with large documents, generating high-resolution content, creating PPTs, performing data analysis, and producing video content. The fact that these in-app purchases are listed on the App Store does not mean that all accounts, platforms, and regions will have access to exactly the same features; it is necessary to check the available credits, auto-renewal options, cancellation procedures, and cross-device rules within the Doubao app before making a purchase. Free users can still engage in regular chatting, asking questions, searching, writing, and basic content generation, but the speed and the number of times advanced functions can be used may be limited during peak times.
Prices of DouBao API and HuoShan ArkDoubao’s consumer-oriented membership program and the developer API are two separate products. The API is available through Volcano Ark and covers text generation, advanced reasoning, image and video understanding, file input, function calls, Responses API, Embedding, image generation, Seedance video creation, knowledge bases, online searching, and Managed Agents. Purchasing Doubao’s professional version does not automatically grant access to the Volcano Ark API; the costs associated with the API are not included in the personal membership fee. Language models are typically charged based on the number of input tokens, cache hits, and output tokens. In the examples provided on the official product page, Doubao-Seed-Evolving and Doubao-Seed-2.1-pro cost 6 yuan per million input tokens, 30 yuan per million output tokens, and approximately 1.2 yuan per million cache hits; cache storage is charged separately based on the number of tokens and time used. There are significant price differences among various models designed for fast processing, lightweight use, multi-modal functionality, as well as those for handling images, videos, and audio. Some of these models may offer free inference credits, resource packages, or other benefits.

Prices of the free version and the professional version

Doubao continues to offer free basic services, while the professional version with in-app purchases is now available on the App Store in China. The current prices are as follows:

  • Standard package:68 yuan for a consecutive monthly subscription, 80 yuan for a one-month subscription; 688 yuan for a consecutive annual subscription, 828 yuan for an annual subscription.
  • Enhanced package:200 yuan for a continuous monthly subscription, 240 yuan for a one-month subscription; 2048 yuan for a continuous annual subscription.
  • Premium package:500 yuan for a continuous monthly subscription, and 599 yuan for a one-month subscription; the annual option and all associated benefits are specified on the in-app page.

The third-tier membership is designed for productivity tasks that require more computing power, such as expert models, very long documents, high-definition content creation, PPT generation, data analysis, and film production. The fact that in-app purchases are listed on the App Store does not mean that all accounts, platforms, and regions will have access to exactly the same features.

Before making a purchase, it is necessary to check the credit limit, auto-renewal options, cancellation procedures, and cross-device rules within the DouBao app.

Free users can still engage in regular chatting, ask questions, conduct searches, write content, and use basic generation features; however, the speed may be limited during peak times, and access to advanced functions may be restricted.

Prices of DouBao API and HuoShan Ark

Doubao’s consumer-facing membership program and the developer API are two separate products. The API is available through Volcano Ark and covers text generation, advanced reasoning, understanding of images and videos, file input, function calls, Responses API, Embedding, image generation, Seedance video creation, knowledge bases, online searching, and Managed Agents.

Buying the Professional version of DouBao does not automatically grant access to the Volcano Ark API; moreover, the costs associated with these APIs are not included in the billing for the individual membership.

Language models are typically charged based on input, cache hits, and output tokens. In the examples provided on the official product page, Doubao-Seed-Evolving and Doubao-Seed-2.1-pro cost 6 yuan per million tokens for input, 30 yuan per million tokens for output, and about 1.2 yuan per million tokens for cache hits; cache storage is charged separately based on the number of tokens and time.

The prices of different models featuring high speed, low latency, multi-modal capabilities, as well as those for images, videos, and audio vary significantly. There may also be free inference credits, resource packages, or time-limited discounts; developers should refer to the Ark Model price list and the control panel for accurate information.

Platform and open-source status

Doubao offers access via Web, Windows, macOS, iPhone, iPad, and Android. For the Apple version in China, iOS or iPadOS 15.0 or higher is required.

Some system-level capabilities, office tasks, and generation models will be rolled out in phases, and different client versions may not be consistent at the moment.

The Doubao client, the Seed model, and the cloud services are proprietary products, not open-source software. ByteDance and the Seed team have made DeerFlow, AgentKit examples, research projects, and some SDKs available on GitHub, but this does not mean that the Doubao application or the model weights are open-source.

The so-called “Doubao free API” available online are mostly third-party projects that reverse-engineer web sessions; they may violate relevant agreements, expose account credentials, and become ineffective at any time. For official applications, Volcano Ark should be used.

Privacy, copyright, and reliability

Conversations, uploaded files, photos, videos, audio files, location data, and search history may be processed depending on the functions used. The AI cloud storage service keeps the files generated by DouBao as well as those uploaded by users, and users can delete them at will.

Do not upload unauthorized customer data, identification documents, medical records, account keys, or trade secrets; companies should employ organizational management measures, access controls, and compliant service solutions.

The user agreement for DouBao states clearly that the content generated and the results of searches may not be accurate, and therefore should not be used as the sole basis for making decisions in areas such as medicine, law, investing, insurance, or other critical matters. The agreement grants individuals a license for non-commercial use only, and it warns that using these outputs in commercial contexts carries risks.

Before a commercial release, it is necessary to verify the facts, the rights to the materials used, portrait rights, trademark issues, and the requirements regarding identifiers for the content created.

Doubao Usage Guide

Complete a basic task.

  1. Clarify the issue, time frame, location, source priority, and output format;
  2. Upload materials for which you have permission to use in Doubao, or enter search queries;
  3. First, establish a framework through multiple rounds of dialogue, and then use online searches to gather additional evidence.
  4. It is necessary to distinguish between factual information from the source, the author’s opinions, and AI-generated conclusions.
  5. Check each item for dates, numbers, the original location, and any conflicting evidence;
  6. The conclusions are manually revised, the verification time is recorded, and then they are published;

Create reusable professional workflows

  1. Break down complex topics into four categories of questions: background, data, comparison, and conclusions;
  2. A fixed set of research steps is established by combining multiple rounds of dialogue, online searching, in-depth research, and expert models;
  3. Give priority to using the official website, research papers, regulatory documents, and raw data;
  4. A second person is assigned to review conclusions that are considered high-risk;
  5. Save queries, evidence, versions, and unresolved issues;
  6. Re-run after the data changes and update the conclusions;

Which users are it suitable for

  • Ordinary users who need Chinese Q&A, writing, translation, and real-time search.
  • Professionals who create reports, PPTs, tables, and marketing materials
  • Creators who use image editing, AI-powered drawing, and Seedance videos
  • Development teams that have access to the DouBao model, knowledge base, and Agent capabilities via the Volcano Ark.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is DouBao free?

Basic functions remain free of charge; expert models, high-volume generation, and advanced productivity features are available in the standard as well as enhanced and premium professional versions.

Does the DouBao membership include an API?

It is not included. Individual memberships are intended for use with the DouBao application; the API must be activated separately through Huo Shan Fang Zhou, and billing is based on tokens, generated tasks, or resource packages.

Can the videos generated by DouBao be used for commercial purposes directly?

It is not sufficient to determine commercial viability based solely on successful generation. It is necessary to verify the rights related to the prompts, the uploaded materials, character portraits, music, and the output content, while also complying with the specific rules for each function and the requirements of the platform where it is published.

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