AI Image Generation API Pricing Comparison (2026)
Updated May 2026 Β· Per-image costs, resolutions, and features Β· All sources linked
Compare every major text-to-image API by price, resolution, aspect ratio support, and features. Whether you're generating product photos, marketing visuals, or art at scale, this guide helps you pick the most cost-effective option.
Also compare: LLM API pricing Β· Coding plan pricing Β· All comparisons Β· δΈζ
| Model | Provider | Price Per Image | Pricing Model | Max Resolution | Aspect Ratios | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPT Image 2 (OpenAI) | OpenAI | See official pricing | Model-dependent API pricing | Model-dependent | Model-dependent | GPT Image 2 Β· pricing |
| Midjourney v7 | Midjourney | ~$0.03β0.10* | Subscription only ($10β120/mo) | Up to 4096Γ4096 | 1:1, 16:9, 9:16, 3:2, 2:3, 4:3, 3:4, custom | Midjourney docs |
| FLUX.2 Pro | Black Forest Labs | $0.03/MP | Per megapixel | Up to 4MP (2304Γ1736) | Flexible, custom | BFL docs Β· Replicate |
| FLUX.2 Klein | Black Forest Labs | From $0.014/image | Credit-priced generation | Up to 1MP (1024Γ1024) | 1:1, 16:9, 9:16 | BFL docs |
| Stable Diffusion / Core Models | Stability AI | Free under license limits / credit-based API | License, platform credits, or hosted provider | Model-dependent | Any (no fixed ratio) | Stability pricing Β· license |
| Stability AI platform | Stability AI | Credit-based; see official table | Credits by model and operation | Model-dependent | Any | platform pricing |
| Imagen 3 | $0.03β0.06 | Per image, by resolution | Up to 1536Γ1536 | 1:1, 16:9, 9:16, 4:3, 3:4 | ai.google.dev | |
| Ideogram 3 | Ideogram AI | $0.04β0.08 | Per image | Up to 1536Γ1536 | 1:1, 16:9, 9:16, custom | ideogram.ai |
| Recraft V3 | Recraft AI | $0.02β0.04 | Per image | Up to 2048Γ2048 | Any custom ratio | recraft.ai |
* Midjourney per-image cost estimated from subscription plans (Basic $10/mo β 200 images). No official pay-per-image API.
π Resolution & Aspect Ratio Comparison
| Model | 1:1 | 16:9 | 9:16 | 4:3 / 3:4 | Custom | Max Pixels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPT Image 2 | β | β | β | β | β | See docs |
| Midjourney v7 | β | β | β | β | β | 16.8MP |
| FLUX.2 Pro | β | β | β | β | β | 4MP |
| SDXL | β | β | β | β | β | 1MP+ |
| Imagen 3 | β | β | β | β | β | 2.4MP |
| Ideogram 3 | β | β | β | β | β | 2.4MP |
| Recraft V3 | β | β | β | β | β | 4.2MP |
π Best For Your Use Case
π° Cheapest at Scale
FLUX.2 Schnell at $0.014/MP or SDXL Lightning at $0.01/image. For maximum volume at minimum cost. Self-host SDXL for free (just GPU cost).
π¨ Best Quality
Midjourney v7 for artistic quality. FLUX.2 Pro for photorealism + text rendering. GPT Image 2 for OpenAI API + ChatGPT workflows (DALLΒ·E 3 API retired 2026-05-12).
π± Social Media (16:9, 9:16)
Recraft V3 and FLUX.2 Pro support custom ratios at low cost. Midjourney for highest quality vertical content.
π’ Best API for Production
FLUX.2 Pro API β reliable, scalable, megapixel-based billing. Imagen 3 if you're in the Google ecosystem.
π Official Pricing Sources
- OpenAI Image Generation (GPT Image 2)
- Midjourney Pricing
- Black Forest Labs API (FLUX)
- Stability AI Pricing (Stable Diffusion)
- Google AI Pricing (Imagen)
- Ideogram Pricing
- Recraft Pricing
- Replicate Pricing (multi-model hosting)
Prices reflect published rates as of April 2026. Providers may change pricing without notice.