# The 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.

## Ranked list

1. **FLUX.1 Schnell**. Black Forest Labs · $0.0027 per megapixel · Not listed. https://allocate.network/models/bfl-flux-1-schnell
2. **FLUX.1 Kontext [pro]**. Black Forest Labs · $0.04 per megapixel · Proprietary API. https://allocate.network/models/bfl-flux-1-kontext-pro
3. **FLUX1.1 [pro]**. Black Forest Labs · $0.04 per megapixel · Not listed. https://allocate.network/models/bfl-flux-1-1-pro
4. **FLUX.2 [max]**. Black Forest Labs · $0.07 per megapixel · Proprietary API. https://allocate.network/models/bfl-flux-2-max
5. **FLUX.1 Kontext [max]**. Black Forest Labs · $0.08 per megapixel · Proprietary API. https://allocate.network/models/bfl-flux-1-kontext-max

## Data table

| Rank | Model | Price | Page |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | FLUX.1 Schnell | $0.0027 | https://allocate.network/models/bfl-flux-1-schnell.md |
| 2 | FLUX.1 Kontext [pro] | $0.04 | https://allocate.network/models/bfl-flux-1-kontext-pro.md |
| 3 | FLUX1.1 [pro] | $0.04 | https://allocate.network/models/bfl-flux-1-1-pro.md |
| 4 | FLUX.2 [max] | $0.07 | https://allocate.network/models/bfl-flux-2-max.md |
| 5 | FLUX.1 Kontext [max] | $0.08 | https://allocate.network/models/bfl-flux-1-kontext-max.md |

Provider list prices from the Allocate catalog, checked 2026-07-08. Billed price 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

- [The model catalog](https://allocate.network/models)
- [Cheapest transcription models](https://allocate.network/best/cheapest-transcription-models)

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[HTML page](https://allocate.network/best/cheapest-image-generation-models) · [Machine-readable catalog](https://allocate.network/catalog.json)