Cheapest Image Generation APIs
Ranked by input price per 1M tokens, refreshed hourly. Free models first.
The cheapest Image Generation API right now is Google: Nano Banana 2 Lite (Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image) (google): $0.25/1M input tokens.
Price Ranking
| # | Model | Vendor | Input /1M | Output /1M | Intelligence | Context | CPS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Google: Nano Banana 2 Lite (Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image) | $0.25 | $1.50 | — | 66K | — | Details → | |
| 2 | Google: Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) | $0.30 | $2.50 | — | 33K | — | Details → | |
| 3 | Google: Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image) | $0.50 | $3.00 | — | 131K | — | Details → | |
| 4 | Google: Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image Preview) | $0.50 | $3.00 | — | 66K | — | Details → | |
| 5 | Google: Nano Banana 2.1 | $1.50 | $7.50 | — | 66K | — | Details → | |
| 6 | Google: Nano Banana Pro (Gemini 3 Pro Image) | $2.00 | $12.00 | — | 131K | — | Details → | |
| 7 | Google: Nano Banana Pro (Gemini 3 Pro Image Preview) | $2.00 | $12.00 | — | 66K | — | Details → | |
| 8 | OpenAI: GPT-5 Image Mini | openai | $2.50 | $2.00 | — | 400K | — | Details → |
| 9 | OpenAI: GPT-5.4 Image 2 | openai | $8.00 | $15.00 | — | 272K | — | Details → |
| 10 | OpenAI: GPT-5 Image | openai | $10.00 | $10.00 | — | 400K | — | Details → |
FAQ
What is the cheapest Image Generation model?
By input price, it is Google: Nano Banana 2 Lite (Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Image) ($0.25/1M tokens, google). Full ranking above, refreshed hourly.
Are there free models?
Yes. Models marked "Free" have $0 input pricing, usually rate-limited — good for dev/test. For production, pick S/A CPS-grade paid models.
How do I choose a Image Generation model?
Shortlist by price here, then check intelligence/coding index and context fit, and use head-to-head comparisons for the final call.