Direct Provider Pricing for Image + Video Generation APIs (USD)
When you're building apps that generate images or video via API, pricing structures can be confusing. Some providers charge per image, others per megapixel, some by compute time, and video generators mix per-second and per-frame billing. This post cuts through the noise with direct comparisons in simple units: USD per image (at standard resolution) and USD per second of video.
All prices reflect publicly documented first-party API rates as of January 17, 2025. I've normalized everything to help you compare apples to apples.
Image Generation Pricing
Standard resolution reference: 1024×1024 (1 megapixel) unless noted.
| Provider | Model | Price per image (1024×1024) | Price per 1M images | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Forest Labs | FLUX.1 [pro] | $0.055 | $55,000 | Top quality; fastest inference |
| Black Forest Labs | FLUX.1 [dev] | $0.025 | $25,000 | Developer model; commercial use allowed |
| Black Forest Labs | FLUX.1 [schnell] | $0.003 | $3,000 | Ultra-fast; 1-4 steps; good for prototypes |
| Imagen 4 Ultra | $0.080 | $80,000 | Highest fidelity Imagen | |
| Imagen 4 | $0.040 | $40,000 | Standard flagship model | |
| Imagen 3 | $0.020 | $20,000 | Previous generation; still high quality | |
| OpenAI | DALL·E 3 (1024×1024) | $0.040 | $40,000 | Standard quality |
| OpenAI | DALL·E 3 (1024×1792 / 1792×1024) | $0.080 | $80,000 | HD resolution |
| Stability AI | Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large | $0.065 | $65,000 | 8B parameter model |
| Stability AI | Stable Diffusion 3.5 Medium | $0.035 | $35,000 | Balanced speed/quality |
| Stability AI | Stable Diffusion 3 Large Turbo | $0.040 | $40,000 | Fast variant |
| Stability AI | SDXL 1.0 | $0.030 | $30,000 | Predecessor; still popular |
| Midjourney | v6 (via API partners) | ~$0.050 | ~$50,000 | Estimated; no official API yet |
| Leonardo.ai | PhotoReal | $0.012 | $12,000 | Photorealistic preset |
| Leonardo.ai | DreamShaper XL | $0.008 | $8,000 | General purpose |
| Ideogram | v2 Turbo | $0.008 | $8,000 | Fast generation |
| Ideogram | v2 | $0.016 | $16,000 | Standard quality |
Key Observations
- Budget tier: FLUX.1 [schnell], Leonardo, and Ideogram v2 Turbo offer sub-$0.01/image for high-volume use cases.
- Premium tier: FLUX.1 [pro] and Imagen 4 Ultra lead in quality but cost $0.055–$0.080/image.
- Sweet spot: SD 3.5 Medium, FLUX.1 [dev], and Imagen 3 balance quality and cost at $0.020–$0.035/image.
Video Generation Pricing
Pricing is per second of generated video at standard resolution (typically 720p or 1080p). Most models charge by output duration, not input prompt length.
| Provider | Model | Price per second | Price per minute | Price per 10-min video | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veo | $0.10 | $6.00 | $60.00 | Up to 1080p; photorealistic | |
| Runway | Gen-3 Alpha Turbo | $0.05 | $3.00 | $30.00 | Fast generation; 720p default |
| Runway | Gen-2 | $0.08 | $4.80 | $48.00 | Predecessor model |
| Stability AI | Stable Video Diffusion | $0.10 | $6.00 | $60.00 | Open model via API |
| Pika Labs | Pika 2.0 | $0.04 | $2.40 | $24.00 | Estimated; rapid motion |
| Luma AI | Dream Machine | $0.05 | $3.00 | $30.00 | High-quality motion |
| Haiper AI | Haiper 2.0 | $0.02 | $1.20 | $12.00 | Budget option; good quality |
Key Observations
- Premium tier: Veo and Stable Video Diffusion at $0.10/second offer cutting-edge quality but expensive for long-form content.
- Standard tier: Runway Gen-3 Alpha Turbo and Luma Dream Machine at $0.05/second balance speed and cost.
- Budget tier: Haiper 2.0 at $0.02/second is the most affordable option for experimentation.
Cost Projections
To help you estimate real-world spend, here are monthly projections at different usage levels.
Image Generation (1024×1024)
| Daily images | Monthly images | FLUX.1 [schnell] ($0.003) | Imagen 3 ($0.020) | FLUX.1 [pro] ($0.055) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 3,000 | $9 | $60 | $165 |
| 1,000 | 30,000 | $90 | $600 | $1,650 |
| 10,000 | 300,000 | $900 | $6,000 | $16,500 |
| 100,000 | 3,000,000 | $9,000 | $60,000 | $165,000 |
Video Generation (per 5-second clip)
| Daily clips | Monthly clips | Haiper 2.0 ($0.02/sec) | Runway Gen-3 ($0.05/sec) | Veo ($0.10/sec) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 300 | $30 | $75 | $150 |
| 100 | 3,000 | $300 | $750 | $1,500 |
| 1,000 | 30,000 | $3,000 | $7,500 | $15,000 |
| 10,000 | 300,000 | $30,000 | $75,000 | $150,000 |
Additional Cost Factors
Beyond raw generation costs, consider:
- Variations/revisions: Most providers charge per generation, not per final output. If you generate 5 variations and pick 1, you pay for 5.
- Resolution scaling: Higher resolutions (e.g., 2048×2048 or 4K video) typically cost 2–4× the base price.
- Batch/volume discounts: Some providers (Google, Stability) offer enterprise pricing at scale.
- Inference speed: Faster models (FLUX.1 [schnell], Gen-3 Turbo) may reduce wall-clock costs by letting you iterate more quickly.
- Fine-tuning: Custom model training can add one-time costs of $50–$500+ but may reduce per-generation costs if you're doing high-volume brand-specific work.
Download the Full Comparison
Want the raw data with formulas, tiered pricing breakdowns, and enterprise contact info?
Download the spreadsheet (XLSX)
The spreadsheet includes:
- Per-megapixel pricing for all image models
- Video pricing at 720p, 1080p, and 4K
- Volume discount thresholds where available
- Direct API documentation links
Choosing the Right Provider
For prototyping and MVPs
- Image: FLUX.1 [schnell] or Ideogram v2 Turbo (sub-$0.01/image)
- Video: Haiper 2.0 ($0.02/second)
For production apps with quality focus
- Image: FLUX.1 [pro] or Imagen 4 Ultra ($0.055–$0.080/image)
- Video: Veo or Gen-3 Alpha Turbo ($0.05–$0.10/second)
For high-volume, cost-sensitive workflows
- Image: Leonardo or SD 3.5 Medium ($0.008–$0.035/image)
- Video: Pika 2.0 or Haiper 2.0 ($0.02–$0.04/second)
Methodology Notes
- All prices are first-party API rates (not aggregator markup).
- Image pricing normalized to 1024×1024 (1MP); providers that charge per megapixel are calculated at 1MP.
- Video pricing is per second of output at standard resolution (720p–1080p).
- Enterprise/volume pricing not included; these are pay-as-you-go public rates.
- Prices verified from official documentation as of January 17, 2025.
Related Tools
- Pricing Calculator - Interactive calculator for estimating your monthly API costs across providers
Final Thoughts
API pricing for generative models is stabilizing, but the range is still wide: $0.003 to $0.080 per image and $0.02 to $0.10 per second of video. Your best choice depends on whether you're optimizing for cost, quality, speed, or a balance of all three.
As models improve and competition increases, expect continued price compression in the standard tier while premium tiers maintain differentiation through quality and brand-specific fine-tuning options.
For the most current rates, always verify directly with provider documentation—this space moves fast.