AllocateThe cheapest image generation APIs in 2026
The cheapest image generation model on the catalog is FLUX.1 Schnell at $0.0027 per megapixel: 1,000 one-megapixel images for $2.70 at list. Prices are per megapixel of output, so resolution, not prompt length, drives the bill.
Provider list prices from the Allocate catalog, checked 2026-07-08. Billed price on Allocate is list plus the 7% transaction fee.
Reading per-megapixel prices
Image models bill by output resolution: a one-megapixel image at $0.04 per megapixel costs $0.04; a four-megapixel render of the same prompt costs four times that. Generating small and upscaling where quality allows is the standard cost lever.
The catalog’s per-megapixel prices are provider list; on Allocate you pay list plus the 7% transaction fee, metered per request like every other modality.
Common questions
What does 1,000 images cost?
At one megapixel each on FLUX.1 Schnell: 1,000 × $0.0027 = $2.70 at list. On the dearest model in this list the same batch costs $80.
Why price per megapixel?
Because generation cost scales with pixels rendered, not with the prompt. Per-megapixel pricing makes resolutions comparable across models and makes the resolution decision a visible cost decision.
Related
Every model here sits behind one key on Allocate: route by name, meter per route, and swap the model in one click.