Image Generation Cost Comparison
Compare image models by price per image.
With the default inputs, Image generation models compared — 5,000 images/month · ranked cheapest first. Enter your own numbers below to recompute instantly; the full step-by-step math is shown under the worked example.
Results update automatically as you type.
| GPT Image 1 | OpenAI | low-1024 | $0.0110 | $55.00 |
Compare AI image models by their cheapest per-image price and your monthly volume, ranked lowest cost first.
How this is calculated
We rank image models by their cheapest per-image price × your monthly volume, lowest cost first. Since prices rise with resolution and quality, the ranking uses each model's cheapest tier.
Is this a good result? What to do next
The ranking is a starting point on price; image quality and style vary a lot between models, so the cheapest isn't always usable. Shortlist on cost, then compare sample output for your use case.
Typical planning ranges
- Ranked by
- cheapest tier × volume
- Higher tiers
- cost more per image
- Open models
- cheaper at scale (needs GPUs)
Ranges are typical planning figures to sanity-check your result, not authoritative benchmarks. Your numbers will vary with use case, volume, and vendor.
How to improve this number
- Use each model's cheapest acceptable tier.
- Batch volume to compare monthly totals.
- Consider self-hosted open models at high volume.
Common mistakes
- Choosing on price without comparing image quality.
- Ignoring that self-hosting adds GPU infrastructure.
When to use a different approach
For a single model's cost, use the image generation cost calculator. For video, use the video generation comparison.
Worked example (defaults)
With the default inputs above, here is the result:
| GPT Image 1 | OpenAI | low-1024 | $0.0110 | $55.00 |
Sources & references
Frequently asked questions
Why do prices vary by tier?+
Higher resolutions and quality settings cost more per image. This ranks by each model's cheapest tier.
Are open models cheaper?+
Self-hosted open image models can be cheaper at scale but require GPU infrastructure not reflected here.
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