CentsPerToken
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Image generation cost calculator

Price image runs across OpenAI, Google, and Flux-style APIs. Compare models for prototypes, campaigns, and catalog-scale generation.

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Image generation

DALL·E 3 Standard leads this batch

$4.00for 100

$40.00 per 1,000 images · 1024×1024 standard

DALL·E 3 Standard$4.00
$40.00 / 1k
Images100
Cost / 1k (lead)$40.00
Per image (lead)$0.04
Models compared1

Inputs

Volume & quality matrix

Tap a resolution / quality cell to include up to four models.

Compare

Cost ranking

Bars scale to the highest estimate in your selection.

DALL·E 3 Standard$4.00

Rates last updated 2026-07-31. Approximate static list prices for planning only. Always verify against each provider’s official pricing page before production budgeting.

Guide

How to get value from this calculator

Estimate spend for image generation APIs based on resolution, quality tier, and monthly image volume. Image pricing is per-image or per-megapixel, not per token, so token calculators do not apply here. Use this to budget marketing assets, user-generated content, and batch generation runs.

Cost formula

Monthly image cost = images per month × price per image (by size, quality, and model tier)

Why it matters

Image APIs use flat per-unit pricing that scales linearly with volume. A feature that generates one image per user action can exceed text API spend quickly if you have not modeled images separately from token costs.

How to use it

  1. Select the image model and provider you plan to use.
  2. Choose resolution and quality settings that match your product defaults.
  3. Enter expected images generated per day or per month.
  4. Review cost per image and projected monthly total.
  5. Compare two quality tiers to see the price jump for higher fidelity.
  6. Scan the quality matrix and cost-per-1k figure to pick a resolution/quality tier.
  7. Verify current per-image rates on the provider's pricing page.

Planning tips

  • Standard resolution is often sufficient for thumbnails and UI previews—reserve HD for final exports.
  • Batch or async generation may offer discounts on some providers; check batch pricing separately.
  • Failed or retried generations may still bill—add a small failure buffer to monthly estimates.
  • Editing and variation endpoints may price differently from initial generation.
  • Use cost per 1k images from the matrix when comparing quality tiers at scale.
  • Cache or store generated images to avoid regenerating identical prompts at scale.

Frequently asked questions

Why is image pricing not per token?

Image models bill by output unit (image, megapixel, or compute step) rather than text tokens. This tool uses per-image list prices for planning.

Do input prompts affect image cost?

On most APIs the dominant charge is the output image itself. Text prompt tokens, if billed, are usually small relative to per-image generation cost.

Are these prices exact?

CentsPerToken uses approximate list prices for planning. Provider rates change and may vary by region or enterprise agreement—always verify officially.

How do I estimate monthly volume?

Multiply daily active users by average images generated per user, then by 30. Add headroom for admin, marketing, and QA generation runs.

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