Answer: a Seedream 5.5 image costs 2 credits at 1K or 1.5K and 4 credits at 2K — $0.02 and $0.04 at settlement value. Edits and layer decomposition settle on usage with a credit ceiling, so a single flat image is the cheapest job the model does, and the price of a real asset depends on how many references and layers it carries.
The distinction matters because the headline number ("from 2 credits per image") describes one output with no references. Any edit or split is a different settlement.
The flat prices
| Job | Credits | USD |
|---|---|---|
| 1K image | 2 | $0.02 |
| 1.5K image | 2 | $0.02 |
| 2K image | 4 | $0.04 |
| 1K edit, one reference | usage, near the floor | ~$0.02–0.04 |
| 2K edit, three references | usage | ~$0.04–0.08 |
| 2K layer split, 12 layers | usage, above a flat 2K | check the quote |
One credit is $0.01 at settlement. On higher plans the credit costs less, so every row gets cheaper without the credit count changing.
What a month costs
| Volume | Setting | Credits | USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 social posts | 1K | 60 | $0.60 |
| 30 web heroes | 1.5K | 60 | $0.60 |
| 12 print covers | 2K | 48 | $0.48 |
| 100 drafts | 1K | 200 | $2.00 |
| 100 drafts + 10 finished edits | 1K / 2K | ~200 + usage | ~$2.40 |
The last row is the realistic one: the drafts are cheap and predictable, the finishing is where the bill lives.
Cost per usable image
The listed price is per render. What you budget is per kept render:
| Hit rate | 1K (2 credits) | 2K (4 credits) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 in 2 | 4 credits | 8 |
| 1 in 3 | 6 | 12 |
| 1 in 4 | 8 | 16 |
At a 1-in-4 hit rate, a 2-credit render costs 8 credits per usable image — the same as a 4-credit 2K render kept first time. That is the argument for drafting at 1.5K and finishing at 2K only on selects.
Why 1.5K is the value tier
1K and 1.5K are both 2 credits. The extra pixels are free, and they matter twice: once for the image you see, and again because chained edits and layer splits at 1.5K hold edges far better than at 1K. Rendering drafts at 1K to save credits saves nothing at all.
Where the price surprises people
- Edits are not flat. They settle on usage, with a ceiling.
- Layers multiply outputs. Thirty layers are thirty images, so the charge reflects that.
- References add settlement weight on big edits, even though the model accepts ten.
- Failed jobs release their reservation; you pay for files.
FAQ
What is the cheapest Seedream 5.5 image? 2 credits at 1K or 1.5K.
What is the most expensive? A large 2K layer split with text recognition — usage-based, capped by the credit ceiling.
Do higher plans change the credit count? No. They change the price of a credit, so the dollar cost falls.
Is it cheaper than the other image models here? Per image, yes: it is the lowest-priced image tier in the catalogue, at 2 credits against 3 for Nano Banana 2.1's 1K and 3 for GPT Image 2.5's cheapest cell.
The current rows with the quote shown before each job are on Callirra's Seedream 5.5 page and the full rate card is on the credit-cost page.