GPT Image 2.5 API pricing: what one image costs
See current GPT Image 2.5 API pricing per image for Flare and Sunburst, compare flat and token billing, and estimate a monthly budget from real rates.
Read as MarkdownGPT Image 2.5 API pricing on SeedRouter comes in two forms. Standard model IDs bill delivered images at the current rate for the selected model and quality. Official model IDs bill the usage each render reports, so quality, size and inputs can affect the final charge. Check the current table for each Flare and Sunburst ID rather than assuming identical prices. Failed requests are not charged.
The current numbers are below, read live from the rate table that bills your account. Nothing on this page is a remembered quote.
For a cross-platform comparison of the Sunburst variant alone, see GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst API pricing.
What does one GPT Image 2.5 image cost right now?
GPT Image 2.5 prices are listed separately for each model ID. Per-image prices follow the selected quality; token-billed prices follow reported usage.
| Channel | Model IDs | Billed by | Current rate (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | gpt-image-2.5-flare | Per delivered image at the selected model and quality rate | Per delivered image: xhigh $0.0225; max $0.0225; other quality values $0.021 |
| Standard | gpt-image-2.5-sunburst | Per delivered image at the selected model and quality rate | Per delivered image: xhigh $0.0225; max $0.0225; other quality values $0.021 |
| Official | gpt-image-2.5-flare-official | Tokens each render reports (text input + image output) | $3.75 per 1M input tokens; $22.5 per 1M output tokens |
| Official | gpt-image-2.5-sunburst-official | Tokens each render reports (text input + image output) | $3.75 per 1M input tokens; $22.5 per 1M output tokens |
Token rates are the published first-tier rates; usage in a different tier may be charged differently.
Cost of one 1024x1024 image by quality
Token counts are measured samples on the Official channel, with 18 input tokens for the prompt. Actual usage varies with the prompt, dimensions, references, and image count, so token-billed figures are estimates, not fixed prices. Per-image rates below follow each model's current quality pricing.
| Quality | Sample output tokens | Standard · GPT Image 2.5 Flare USD | Standard · GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst USD | Official · GPT Image 2.5 Flare USD | Official · GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst USD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| low | 196 | $0.021 | $0.021 | $0.0044775 | $0.0044775 |
| medium | 439 | $0.021 | $0.021 | $0.009945 | $0.009945 |
| high | 1756 | $0.021 | $0.021 | $0.0395775 | $0.0395775 |
| xhigh | 3122 | $0.0225 | $0.0225 | $0.0703125 | $0.0703125 |
| max | 7024 | $0.0225 | $0.0225 | $0.1581075 | $0.1581075 |
| auto | 229 | $0.021 | $0.021 | $0.00522 | $0.00522 |
Formula (Official): (input tokens × 3.75 + output tokens × 22.5) / 1,000,000 USD. A request for n images is billed for the images delivered. Final charges are available in account usage history. Failed requests are not charged.
Read the table by model ID and quality. Standard rates are per delivered image; Official rates are per million input and output tokens. The quality examples use one 1024×1024 image so you can compare the current rates at the same settings.
If the rates cannot be loaded, the table says so instead of showing zero. Treat an unavailable rate as unknown, never as free.
Standard or Official: which billing fits your workload?
The choice is about predictability versus paying for exactly what a render uses.
| Workload | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
High quality steps (high, xhigh, max) | Compare current rates | Standard quality rates and Official usage estimates can differ |
| Large canvases, up to 3840 pixels on an edge | Standard | Size does not change a flat price |
Many small drafts at low | Official | Low-quality renders report few output tokens |
| A per-image budget, known in advance | Standard | Multiply delivered images by the selected model and quality rate |
Both channels accept the same 12 request fields and return the same task response, so the decision can be made per request. A common pattern is to draft on the channel that is cheaper for small renders and produce finals on the one that is cheaper for large ones.
How do you estimate a GPT Image 2.5 request?
On a Standard ID, use the current per-image rate for your selected model and quality:
cost = delivered images × price per imageAsk for n: 4 and receive four images, and the charge is four times the per-image price. Receive three, and you pay for three.
On an Official ID the estimate depends on token usage:
estimated USD = (
input tokens × input USD per million tokens
+ output tokens × output USD per million tokens
) / 1,000,000Output tokens depend mostly on the quality step and the canvas. Measured at 1024×1024, one render reported 196 output tokens at low, 439 at medium, 1,756 at high, 3,122 at xhigh and 7,024 at max. Those are single observed samples, not guarantees. A different subject or a larger size lands near them, not on them. The pricing calculator on the model page applies the same numbers to the size, quality and image count you choose.
What changes the bill, and what does not?
On Standard IDs, the bill is the number of delivered images multiplied by the current rate for the selected model and quality. Check that rate again when you change model or quality.
On Official IDs several settings move the cost:
- Quality step. Each step up spends more output tokens;
maxmeasured about 36 timeslowat the same size. - Canvas size. A larger
sizeproduces more output tokens than a smaller one at the same quality. - Image count.
nmultiplies the output side. Ten images are ten renders, not one. - Prompt and references. These are input tokens, usually a small share of the total next to image output.
Compare the current rates for each model ID; Flare and Sunburst do not have a guaranteed shared price. Also consider speed and edit control, as described in Flare vs Sunburst.
How much should you budget per month?
Start from finished images, not requests. If a project needs 200 final images a month and a usable image takes three attempts, budget for 600 renders. For Standard, apply the current model and quality rate separately to drafts and finals. For Official, use the usage estimate for each set of settings.
Then measure. Run a week of real work, compare the final charges in usage history with your estimate, and adjust the attempts-per-image figure. Credits are bought as one-time top-ups and do not expire, so an unused balance carries over to the next month.
When is a request not charged?
A task that ends failed is not charged, and neither is a request that returns no image. If you ask for several images and fewer come back, you pay for the ones delivered.
A polling timeout on your side is not a failure. Keep the task ID and check the same task again before submitting a replacement; submitting twice can mean paying twice. The task guide explains the difference.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free tier for the GPT Image 2.5 API?
No. SeedRouter bills prepaid credits, and every delivered image is charged at the current rate. Failed requests cost nothing, which keeps experiments with new prompts cheap.
Do Flare and Sunburst have different API costs?
Check the current table for each model ID and quality. Standard bills per delivered image at that rate; Official bills reported usage. Do not assume Flare and Sunburst always cost the same.
Where can I see what a request actually cost?
In account usage history. The task response reports token usage when it is available, but it carries no dollar amount.
Price the request before you send it
Compare the current Standard rate for your model and quality with the Official usage estimate for the same settings. Check the live table above or the GPT Image 2.5 model page before a large run, and use the API reference for the exact fields.
