AI Image Generator

Which model should you use?

GPT Image 2.5 is the default for anything that has to look photographed or carry legible text — Flare for light and material, Sunburst for posters and illustration. Nano Banana 2 is the fast, cheaper lane for drafts and social formats, and Nano Banana Pro the same family at higher fidelity. Seedream 5 Pro handles engineered scenes and layout work, and GPT Image 2 remains the fallback when you want its particular look. Text-to-image and image-to-image cost the same per tier, so reference images are free to add.

• Qwen Image 2.1 →
• GPT Image 2.5 →
• Nano Banana 2 →
• Seedream 5 Pro →
• GPT Image 2 →

Models and what they cost

One credit is one cent. Video is billed per second of output and images per picture, and the generator shows the same number before you press generate. Failed runs are refunded automatically.

What a month of this actually costs

A working month for an image-heavy project looks like this: 60 drafts at low quality is 120 credits, then 12 of them finished at 2K adds 120 more, and 4 at 4K adds 64 — about 304 credits, or $3.04, for 76 images. On the free allowance, 15 credits a week covers roughly seven low-quality drafts, which is why most people iterate there and only pay for the frames they keep.

What actually drives the cost

For GPT Image 2.5, resolution and quality set one price together: 1K + low costs 3 credits, 2K + high costs 10, and 4K + max costs 35. Draft at the cheaper combination, then raise the settings you need. Reference images cost no extra, so use them when a look must stay consistent.

Choosing a model for the job

For images: GPT Image 2.5 for photographic work and legible text inside the frame, Nano Banana 2 for drafts and social formats, Seedream 5 Pro for engineered scenes and layout, and GPT Image 2 as the alternative look. Reference images cost the same as text-only runs, so pinning a look with an image beats describing it three times.

Four things that are easy to get wrong

Switching style — Flare to Sunburst, or one video model to another — does not cost anything extra; the output tier and the length decide the bill. Reference images are billed like text-only runs, so pinning a look costs nothing on top. A generation that fails returns its credits to the pool they came from. And the weekly free allowance resets every Monday (UTC) without rolling over, so last week’s unused credits are not waiting for you.

Common questions