At 1K, GPT Image 2 costs 10 credits a picture — the cheapest AI image generator on this shelf. At 4K it costs 30, and five other models come in under it. Three of those charge exactly the same for 4K as they do for 1K, which is why the cheapest AI image generator is a different model depending on how big you need the file.
Five of the eleven AI image models here are flat-rate: 1K, 2K and 4K all cost the same. The other six multiply, by up to 3× from 1K to 4K. So the cheapest AI image generator at 1K (GPT Image 2, 10 credits) is not the cheapest at 4K (Nano Banana 2 Lite at 15, then Seedream 4, Seedream 5 Lite and Qwen Image 3 at 20). Decide your output size first; the price ranking follows from it. Rates read from our live rate table on September 2, 2026.
What each AI image generator costs per image
One AI image, no editing, no upscaling — the credits our rate table charges at each size, read on 2026-09-02. Every model below runs through the same generator, so these numbers are directly comparable.
| Model | 1K | 2K | 4K | 4K vs 1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nano Banana 2 Lite | 15 | 15 | 15 | flat |
| GPT Image 2 | 10 | 15 | 30 | 3× |
| Seedream 4 | 20 | 20 | 20 | flat |
| Seedream 5 Lite | 20 | 20 | 20 | flat |
| Qwen Image 3 | 20 | 20 | 20 | flat |
| Nano Banana 2 | 20 | 30 | 45 | 2.25× |
| Seedream 4.5 | 25 | 25 | 25 | flat |
| Qwen Image 3 Pro | 25 | 45 | 45 | 1.8× |
| Nano Banana Pro | 30 | 30 | 55 | 1.83× |
| Seedream 5 Pro | 30 | 55 | 55 | 1.83× |
| Grok Imagine 2.0 | 45 | 60 | 60 | 1.33× |
The spread at 1K is 4.5× — 10 credits to 45. At 4K it compresses to 4×, but the order scrambles: the model that was cheapest at 1K drops to sixth. The reshuffle is the part worth acting on.
The cheapest AI image generator at 1K
GPT Image 2, at 10 credits. Nothing else on the shelf is in single digits, and the next rung up is Nano Banana 2 Lite at 15. If the AI image you need is a thumbnail, a social crop, a draft, or anything you will never print, this is where to spend.
The catch is what happens when you want the same picture larger. GPT Image 2 triples to 30 credits at 4K — the steepest resolution curve of any AI image generator here. A workflow that drafts at 1K and delivers at 4K pays that multiplier on every final render.
The flat-rate AI image models change the arithmetic
Five AI image models charge one price regardless of size:
| Model | Any resolution |
|---|---|
| Nano Banana 2 Lite | 15 |
| Seedream 4 | 20 |
| Seedream 5 Lite | 20 |
| Qwen Image 3 | 20 |
| Seedream 4.5 | 25 |
ByteDance describes Seedream 4.5 as a model for "4K generation, precise editing, and consistent multi-image output" on its Seed site, and kie.ai lists it the same way. All four Seedream rows we carry except 5 Pro are flat, which is consistent with a family sold on 4K output — though five models is far too small a sample to call that a rule.
Why AI image generator pricing flips at 4K
At 4K the cheapest AI image generator is Nano Banana 2 Lite at 15 credits, followed by Seedream 4, Seedream 5 Lite and Qwen Image 3 at 20. GPT Image 2 — the 1K winner — sits at 30, behind all four.
| Size | Cheapest | Credits | 1K winner's price at this size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1K | GPT Image 2 | 10 | 10 |
| 2K | Nano Banana 2 Lite | 15 | 15 |
| 4K | Nano Banana 2 Lite | 15 | 30 |
First, if your AI image output is 4K, ignore the 1K column entirely — it will point you at the wrong model. Second, on the flat-rate models changing your mind about output size costs nothing beyond the render itself — the same 20 credits whether you land on 1K or 4K — which matters more than a few credits when you do not yet know what you are delivering.
Nano Banana 2 is the clearest illustration of the trap: at 1K it ties Seedream 4 at 20 credits, but at 4K it costs 45 against Seedream 4's 20. Google documents the underlying model in the Gemini image generation docs, and kie.ai bills it as "Gemini 3.1 Flash Image for Fast 4K Creation" — 4K is supported, it simply is not free.
The 2K column does not behave like a midpoint
It is tempting to read 2K as roughly halfway between the other two prices. On this shelf it usually is not.
| Model | 1K | 2K | 4K | Where the jump happens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nano Banana Pro | 30 | 30 | 55 | only at 4K |
| Seedream 5 Pro | 30 | 55 | 55 | only at 2K |
| Qwen Image 3 Pro | 25 | 45 | 45 | only at 2K |
| GPT Image 2 | 10 | 15 | 30 | at both steps |
Three different shapes in four rows. Nano Banana Pro gives you 2K at the 1K price and charges everything at the last step; Seedream 5 Pro and Qwen Image 3 Pro do the opposite, charging the full premium to leave 1K and then nothing more to reach 4K. If 2K is your delivery size, Nano Banana Pro costs 30 where Seedream 5 Pro costs 55 — the same two models that are level at 1K and level again at 4K. Budgeting from the 1K column alone hides that completely.
Which AI image generator should you actually run
- Drafting, thumbnails, any AI image at 1K — GPT Image 2 at 10 credits. Cheapest per picture, full stop.
- You need a 4K AI image, or you do not know your final size yet — a flat-rate AI image generator. Nano Banana 2 Lite at 15 is the floor; Seedream 4 or Qwen Image 3 at 20 sit one rung up.
- You are iterating a lot before picking one — flat-rate again. Every render costs its listed price, but on these five the price does not go up when you re-run the keeper at 4K.
- You want a specific AI image model's look — pay its curve knowingly. Nano Banana Pro and Seedream 5 Pro both land at 55 at 4K, and Grok Imagine 2.0 at 60 is the most expensive picture on the shelf at any size.
The same arithmetic runs on the video side of the shelf, where a single clip costs hundreds of credits rather than tens — we priced every model with sound and the alternatives to Seedance 2.5 the same way. This page ranks what each AI image generator charges per picture, not how good the AI image looks — we have not run a controlled side-by-side of output across these eleven. Comparing any two of them on your own prompt costs the two prices above and nothing else. See what the plans include, or run the first comparisons on the welcome credits.
FAQ
What is the cheapest AI image generator per image?
GPT Image 2, at 10 credits for a 1K AI image. If you need 4K, it is Nano Banana 2 Lite at 15 credits, because GPT Image 2 triples to 30 at that size.
Why do some AI image models cost the same at 4K as at 1K?
Because our credit price is derived from what each model costs us, and for five of the eleven that cost does not change with resolution. The other six carry cost in resolution tiers, so the credit price follows the same shape.
Is a cheaper AI image generator worse?
This page does not answer that; it compares price per AI image and nothing else. We have not run a controlled quality comparison across these AI image models, and price on this shelf tracks what each upstream API charges rather than any ranking of output.
How many AI images do the free credits cover?
Signed-out visitors can generate on the free engine, and new accounts get welcome credits plus daily check-in credits. At 10 credits per 1K picture on the cheapest AI image generator, the opening balance stretches much further than it does on video, where a single clip runs into the hundreds.
Does an AI image at 2K cost more than at 1K?
On five AI image models, no — flat rate. On the rest, sometimes: Nano Banana 2 goes 20 to 30, Seedream 5 Pro goes 30 to 55, while Nano Banana Pro charges the same 30 at 1K and 2K and only jumps at 4K. The 2K column is worth checking separately rather than assuming it sits halfway.
Do these prices change?
They can. Every figure here was read from the live rate table on September 2, 2026, so check the generator before planning a large batch.
