Blog · 2026-06-07
Image-generation costs vary wildly between providers and even between channels of the same model. Here’s where things land in mid-2026 on API Models, where everything is callable from one OpenAI-compatible key.
gpt-image-2 (and its Lite / Beta channels) is a flat $0.03 per image regardless of resolution or reference count — currently the cheapest top-tier general image model. Gemini image models ("Nano Banana", gemini-3-pro-image / gemini-2.5-flash-image) start around $0.06 and scale with resolution. Grok Imagine Image is $0.03/image. For stylized or Chinese-text-heavy work, Doubao Seedream and Kling image models offer competitive per-image pricing.
The practical takeaway: for most production text-to-image and editing, gpt-image-2 at $0.03 is hard to beat; reach for Gemini when you need its specific style or 4K, and Seedream/Kling for stylized or CJK-text scenes. Because they share one endpoint, you can A/B them by changing a single "model" field.
gpt-image-2 at a flat $0.03 per image is currently the cheapest top-tier general image model on the platform.
