AI image generator comparison: real prices per picture
Almost nobody publishes what one image costs, because generation is usually bundled into a monthly allowance. This page collects what each tool actually charges, and then publishes measured generation times for seven models so the speed half is not guesswork either.
Benchmark run 20 August 2026
Measured: seven models, one prompt
The same 16:9 thumbnail prompt, with the words “I TRIED 7 AI MODELS” in the image, run twice through each model and timed around the generation call. Fifteen images came back for 33 credits, which is $3.30.
| Model | Maker | Per image | Median time | Reach for it when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recraft v4 | Recraft | $0.20 | 8.9s (2 runs) | Flat vector and illustration |
| Seedream 4.5 | ByteDance | $0.20 | 12.7s (2 runs) | Cinematic detail |
| Flux 2 Pro | Black Forest Labs | $0.10 | 12.8s (4 runs) | Default — crisp and photoreal |
| HiDream | HiDream.ai | $0.10 | 16.4s (3 runs) | A second cheap opinion |
| Ideogram v3 | Ideogram | $0.30 | 24.1s (2 runs) | Readable text inside the image |
| Nano Banana Pro | $0.60 | 25.6s (2 runs) | Top tier, when the wait is worth it | |
| Imagen 4 Ultra | $0.30 | not measured | Upstream balance ran out mid-sweep |
Price does not buy speed.The 6-credit model was the slowest thing measured and a 2-credit model was the fastest. What the price buys is a different model’s judgement about what a picture should look like, which is a better reason to choose one than a number.
Imagen 4 Ultra has no timing because it never generated. Its upstream account returned insufficient balance on every attempt, and the other provider locked for a top-up partway through, so 27 of 42 runs failed on billing rather than on models. The gap stays visible rather than being filled with an estimate.
Only Leaxor was measured.No competitor was in the harness, so nothing on this page claims a competitor’s speed. Their pricing is cited from their own published material and linked on each comparison page.
What each tool actually is
Sorted by what you are buying rather than by brand. An upscaler and a chatbot both get called an AI image generator, and comparing their prices is meaningless until you notice they do different jobs.
| Tool | What it is | Pricing model | Cost per image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leaxor | Seven engines behind one picker | Pay as you go, credits never expire | $0.10 – $0.60 |
| ChatGPT | Chatbot with image generation | Flat monthly subscription | Not published |
| Gemini | Chatbot with image generation | Bundled into a Google plan | Not published |
| Bing Image Creator | Free consumer generator | Free, daily boost allocation | $0 plus queue time |
| Meta AI | Generation inside social apps | Free | $0, output carries AI marking |
| Midjourney | Single high-end art model | Subscription, no free tier | Not published |
| Adobe Firefly | Studio with licensed training data | Monthly generative credits | Bundled |
| Krea AI | Realtime canvas studio | Monthly plan with allowance | Bundled |
| Freepik | Stock library plus generation | Subscription, credits reset | Bundled |
| OpenArt | Studio with character training | Monthly plan with allowance | Bundled |
| getimg.ai | Studio with editor and API | Monthly plan with allowance | Bundled |
| Leonardo AI | Studio with model fine-tuning | Monthly token allowance | Bundled |
| CivitAI | Community model marketplace | Free downloads, on-site credits | $0 on your own GPU |
| Tensor.Art | Community models in a browser | Credits, varies by settings | Varies |
| Stable Diffusion | Open weights you run yourself | Free, hardware not included | $0 on your own GPU |
| Flux | Open-weight model family | Per inference, or run locally | Below wholesale |
| fal.ai | Inference platform | Per inference, published rates | Wholesale |
| Replicate | Inference platform | Per second of compute | Varies with runtime |
| Magnific AI | Upscaler, not a generator | Subscription tiers | Needs an input image |
| Remini | Photo restorer, not a generator | Weekly or monthly | Needs an input photo |
| HeadshotPro | Headshots from your selfies | One-off pack per person | Needs your face |
| Aragon AI | Headshots from your selfies | One-off pack per person | Needs your face |
| Lensa | Stylised avatars from selfies | Packs and subscription | Needs your face |
Pricing models are summarised from each vendor’s own published material and change often. Verify on their site before budgeting. Every tool name links to a full comparison.
Pick by the job, not the brand
A thumbnail with words in it
Ideogram v3 at $0.30. Typography inside an image is a separate problem from photorealism, and photoreal models spell badly.
A photoreal scene
Flux 2 Pro at $0.10, median 12.8 seconds. It is the default because it is right most of the time and costs the least.
Flat vector or explainer graphics
Recraft v4 at $0.20, and it was the fastest model measured at 8.9 seconds.
You already own a GPU
Run open weights locally. Marginal cost is zero and nothing beats that at volume.
You can write a fetch call
Go direct to an inference platform. Any wrapper over it costs more by construction.
The image needs restoring, not making
You want an upscaler or a restorer. A generator has nothing to work from.
For a model-by-model breakdown rather than a product one, there is a roundup of the best AI image generators by use case. This page is about what the products cost; that one is about what the models are good at.
Common questions
Which AI image generator is cheapest per image?+
Running open weights on hardware you already own costs nothing per image, and calling an inference platform directly is next cheapest. Among tools with a published consumer price, Leaxor charges $0.10 for HiDream or Flux 2 Pro, rising to $0.60 for Nano Banana Pro. Most subscription studios do not publish a per-image figure at all, because generation is bundled into a monthly allowance.
Does a more expensive model generate faster?+
No, and the benchmark contradicts it directly. Nano Banana Pro at 6 credits was the slowest model measured at a median 25.6 seconds, while Flux 2 Pro at 1 credit returned 12.8 and Recraft v4 at 2 credits returned 8.9. Price reflects what a model costs to run and what it specialises in, not throughput.
How were these generation times measured?+
One 16:9 thumbnail prompt containing in-image text was run through each model twice on 20 August 2026, timed around the upstream call with the output files kept. Fifteen images came back and cost 33 credits, or $3.30. Only Leaxor's own models were measured — no competitor was in the harness, so no competitor timings are claimed anywhere on this page.
Why is Imagen 4 Ultra missing a time?+
It never generated. The upstream account returned insufficient balance on all six attempts, and partway through the sweep the other provider locked for a top-up, which killed most of the remaining runs. Twenty-seven of forty-two runs failed on billing rather than on models. Leaving the gap visible is more useful than filling it with an estimate.
Do I need a subscription to generate AI images?+
Not universally. Most studios on this page sell monthly plans with credit allowances that reset. Leaxor sells credits outright at $0.10 each with a $5 minimum purchase, no plan underneath and no expiry, which suits people who publish in bursts rather than at a steady weekly rate.
Which model should I use for a YouTube thumbnail?+
If the thumbnail has words baked into it, Ideogram v3 at $0.30, because typography inside an image is a different technical problem from photorealism. If the headline gets added later in an editor, Flux 2 Pro at $0.10 is faster and a third of the price.
Know what the picture cost
Seven engines, a printed price between ten and sixty cents, and credits that are still there next month if you did not spend them.