Archive · 18 Aug 2026
Higgsfield's 'unlimited' AI video plans throttled, users allege
Higgsfield is a company that makes videos using artificial intelligence.
It sold people a special deal called 'unlimited' video making.
People paid money every month to make as many videos as they wanted.
But many customers say the service became very slow.
A short video that should take seconds took hours to make.
The company's own rules say unlimited customers go in a slower line.
Customers who pay extra for 'credits' get the fast line.
Some customers say the company did this on purpose to make them pay more.
The company says it made mistakes and gave back $1.35 million.
It also banned some users it said were cheating, but those users say they did nothing wrong.
Higgsfield sold 'unlimited' Seedance 2.5 AI video generation plans at discounts of up to 85 per cent, but users report the service is too slow to use.
The company's terms of use place unlimited plans on a slower dedicated queue with one job at a time, while credit-based purchases get priority processing.
Users report a 15-second video takes two to four hours on Unlimited versus 10-15 seconds in credit mode on the same platform.
On December 19, 2025, Higgsfield banned many heavy unlimited-plan users; the company says 99 per cent involved fraud, which affected users dispute.
Higgsfield refunded $1.35 million over slowdowns, and CEO Alex Mashrabov acknowledged that internal processes and communications 'haven't always kept pace' with company values.
- Who
- Higgsfield, an AI video generation company led by CEO Alex Mashrabov, and its 'unlimited' plan subscribers
- What
- Higgsfield sold discounted 'unlimited' Seedance 2.5 AI video generation plans that users say are heavily throttled, with slower queues and support directing them to buy credits
- When
- Reported through late 2025, including a December 19, 2025 ban of heavy users and refunds paid over December and January; the unlimited Seedance offer launched August 7, 2025
- Where
- Online, via Higgsfield's cloud-based AI video generation platform
- Why
- To control infrastructure costs while keeping the word 'unlimited' in marketing; the company's terms permit throttling and queue deprioritisation
Customer Perspective
Company Perspective
Throttling of unlimited plans
Customer Perspective
Unlimited plans are deliberately placed on a slower queue to push customers into buying credits; support directs slow users to pay more, which users describe as deceptive marketing.
Company Perspective
Unlimited tiers operate under fair-use limits and dynamic speed and concurrency rules disclosed in the terms of service; slowdowns reflect high demand and rapid scaling challenges.
Bans of heavy users
Customer Perspective
Many banned users say they paid with ordinary personal credit cards with no intermediary, and their accounts froze and credits disappeared without fraud on their part.
Company Perspective
99 per cent of the bans involved fraudulent activity through grey or black payment methods; suspensions follow content violations and are not correlated with unlimited-plan holders.
Timing of slowdowns and refunds
Customer Perspective
Degradation becomes severe around week four, just after the seven-day refund window closes, leaving customers without a contractual remedy when the problem is undeniable.
Company Perspective
The alignment is a consequence of infrastructure filling up rather than deliberate design; the company refunded $1.35 million and acknowledged mistakes in internal processes and communications.
- Company
- Higgsfield
- CEO
- Alex Mashrabov, formerly head of generative AI at Snap
- Funding
- $400 million Series B at $5.4 billion valuation, led by DST Global
- Unlimited plan price
- $25 per month with 65 per cent off; discounts up to 85 per cent advertised
- Reported speed gap
- 15-second video takes 2-4 hours on Unlimited vs 10-15 seconds in credit mode
- Refund policy
- Refunds only within 7 days of initial purchase, minus a service fee of up to 6 per cent; renewals excluded
- Refunds paid
- $1.35 million
- Heavy-user ban date
- December 19, 2025
