Across 115 image, video, and speech models tracked in Brainy Canvas, the median AI image costs $0.04 per generation. The cheapest 5-second video costs $0.05, or $0.01 per second. Brainy Canvas passes these provider prices through at zero markup, with one credit equal to $0.005.

Data benchmarkJuly 12, 2026115 registry-priced models

The True Cost of AI Generation (July 2026): 115 Models Benchmarked

A provider-level look at what AI images, video, and speech actually cost before retail markups. This analysis sits on top of the same live registry that powers the AI Model Price Index.

Start free Open the live price index

The headline numbers

Each sentence below is computed from the current model registry and written to stand on its own.

Median AI image
$0.04
61 image models; median-priced entries include FLUX Kontext, FLUX Kontext Pro, and 8 more.

Cheapest video second
$0.01
PixVerse v5.5 costs $0.05 per 5-second clip.

Median speech generation
$0.05
Aurora, Blizzard, and 1 more at the median price per 1,000 characters.

Brainy Canvas tracks 61 image models, 41 video models, and 13 speech models with a provider cost attached.

The most expensive representative video generation is $2.00 for Veo 3 and Veo 3.1, a 40× spread over the cheapest 5-second clip.

What 100 AI images cost

The same 100-image job can cost cents or tens of dollars depending on the model. All figures use the representative generation settings encoded in the registry.

Flux 2

Black Forest Labs

$0.01 per image

$1.20

Nano Banana Lite

Google

$0.04 per image

$4.00

Imagen 4

Google

$0.04 per image

$4.00

GPT-Image 1.5

OpenAI

$0.10 per image

$10.00

Recraft V4 Pro

Recraft

$0.25 per image

$25.00

What one minute of AI video costs

These are normalized 60-second costs derived from each model's representative 5-second registry price. Model clip-length limits may require separate runs.

PixVerse v5.5

$0.60

normalized per 60 seconds

Kling v1.6 Standard

$3.00

normalized per 60 seconds

Sora 2

$6.00

normalized per 60 seconds

Seedance 2.0 Fast

$9.00

normalized per 60 seconds

Veo 3.1

$24.00

normalized per 60 seconds

The subscription math

A membership can cost less than the model value it contains because the credit balance maps directly to provider cost.

Monthly price

$29.99

6,400 Premium credits

Raw model value

$32.00

At $0.005 per credit

Example output

2,133

Flux 2 images, or 640 seconds of Kling v1.6 Standard

Output counts use each model’s whole-credit charge, including the one-credit minimum and rounding. They are intentionally more conservative than dividing the raw dollar pool by an unrounded model price.

All 115 models, one table

Static table ordered by category, then wholesale price. The live price index provides the model-by-model browsing view; this table preserves the complete benchmark in one citable place.

Model	Category	Unit	Wholesale $ / generation ↑	Credits
BiRefNet v2 BG RemovalFal	Image	image	$0.001	1
GPT Image 1OpenAI	Image	image	$0.001	1
SeedVR2 UpscaleByteDance	Image	image	$0.001	1
Photon Flash 1Luma	Image	image	$0.002	1
FLUX.1 SchnellBlack Forest Labs	Image	image	$0.003	1
Flux 2 FlashBlack Forest Labs	Image	image	$0.005	1
Z-Image TurboWan	Image	image	$0.005	1
FLUX.2 Klein 9BBlack Forest Labs	Image	image	$0.006	2
Flux 2 TurboBlack Forest Labs	Image	image	$0.008	2
Krea 2 TurboKrea	Image	image	$0.008	2
Photon 1Luma	Image	image	$0.008	2
MiniMax Image-01MiniMax	Image	image	$0.01	2
Flux 2Black Forest Labs	Image	image	$0.01	3
Flux 2 EditBlack Forest Labs	Image	image	$0.01	3
Grok ImaginexAI	Image	image	$0.02	4
Grok ImaginexAI	Image	image	$0.02	4
Grok Imagine EditxAI	Image	image	$0.02	4
Imagen 4 FastGoogle	Image	image	$0.02	4
Qwen ImageAlibaba	Image	image	$0.02	4
Seedream 4.5ByteDance	Image	image	$0.02	4
FLUX DevBlack Forest Labs	Image	image	$0.03	5
FLUX.1 DevBlack Forest Labs	Image	image	$0.03	5
Ideogram v4Ideogram	Image	image	$0.03	5
Flux 2 ProBlack Forest Labs	Image	image	$0.03	6
Ideogram V3Ideogram	Image	image	$0.03	6
Kling Image V3Kling	Image	image	$0.03	6
Qwen Image EditAlibaba	Image	image	$0.03	6
FLUX.1 + LoRAsBlack Forest Labs	Image	image	$0.04	8
Seedream 5 LiteByteDance	Image	image	$0.04	8
Seedream 5 Lite EditByteDance	Image	image	$0.04	8
FLUX KontextBlack Forest Labs	Image	image	$0.04	8
FLUX Kontext ProBlack Forest Labs	Image	image	$0.04	8
FLUX Pro 1.1Black Forest Labs	Image	image	$0.04	8
FLUX1.1 ProBlack Forest Labs	Image	image	$0.04	8
Imagen 4Google	Image	image	$0.04	8
Nano Banana 2 LiteGoogle	Image	image	$0.04	8
Nano Banana LiteGoogle	Image	image	$0.04	8
Nano Banana Lite EditGoogle	Image	image	$0.04	8
Recraft V3Recraft	Image	image	$0.04	8
Recraft V4Recraft	Image	image	$0.04	8
FLUX ProBlack Forest Labs	Image	image	$0.05	10
GPT Image 1 MiniOpenAI	Image	image	$0.05	10
FLUX1.1 Pro UltraBlack Forest Labs	Image	image	$0.06	12
Ideogram UpscaleIdeogram	Image	image	$0.06	12
Imagen 4 UltraGoogle	Image	image	$0.06	12
Nova CanvasAmazon	Image	image	$0.06	12
Flux 2 MaxBlack Forest Labs	Image	image	$0.07	15
Flux 2 Max EditBlack Forest Labs	Image	image	$0.07	15
Grok Imagine ProxAI	Image	image	$0.07	15
DALL-E 3OpenAI	Image	image	$0.08	16
FLUX Kontext MaxBlack Forest Labs	Image	image	$0.08	16
Gemini 3.1 FlashGoogle	Image	image	$0.08	16
Gemini 3.1 Flash EditGoogle	Image	image	$0.08	16
GPT-Image 1OpenAI	Image	image	$0.10	20
GPT-Image 1.5OpenAI	Image	image	$0.10	20
GPT-Image 1.5 EditOpenAI	Image	image	$0.10	20
Gemini 3 ProGoogle	Image	image	$0.15	30
Gemini 3 Pro EditGoogle	Image	image	$0.15	30
GPT-Image 2OpenAI	Image	image	$0.21	43
GPT-Image 2 EditOpenAI	Image	image	$0.21	43
Recraft V4 ProRecraft	Image	image	$0.25	50
PixVerse v5.5PixVerse	Video	5s video	$0.05	10
LTX 2.3 FastLTX	Video	5s video	$0.20	40
Pika v2.2Pika	Video	5s video	$0.20	40
Hailuo 02MiniMax	Video	5s video	$0.23	45
PixVerse v6PixVerse	Video	5s video	$0.23	45
Grok Imagine VideoxAI	Video	5s video	$0.25	50
Kling v1.6 StandardKling	Video	5s video	$0.25	50
Luma Ray 2 FlashLuma	Video	5s video	$0.25	50
LTX 2.3LTX	Video	5s video	$0.30	60
Wan 2.1Wan	Video	5s video	$0.40	80
Wan 2.2Wan	Video	5s video	$0.40	80
I2V-01MiniMax	Video	5s video	$0.43	86
I2V-01-DirectorMiniMax	Video	5s video	$0.43	86
I2V-01-liveMiniMax	Video	5s video	$0.43	86
T2V-01MiniMax	Video	5s video	$0.43	86
T2V-01-DirectorMiniMax	Video	5s video	$0.43	86
Kling v1.6 ProKling	Video	5s video	$0.47	95
Gemini Omni FlashGoogle	Video	5s video	$0.50	100
Gen3a TurboRunway	Video	5s video	$0.50	100
Gen4 TurboRunway	Video	5s video	$0.50	100
Hailuo 2.3 ProMiniMax	Video	5s video	$0.50	100
Luma Ray 2Luma	Video	5s video	$0.50	100
Sora 2OpenAI	Video	5s video	$0.50	100
Sora 2 ProOpenAI	Video	5s video	$0.50	100
Ray Flash 2Luma	Video	5s video	$0.55	110
Seedance 1.5ByteDance	Video	5s video	$0.60	120
S2V-01MiniMax	Video	5s video	$0.65	130
Grok Imagine Video 1.5xAI	Video	5s video	$0.70	140
Happy Horse v1.1Alibaba	Video	5s video	$0.70	140
Kling v3 ProKling	Video	5s video	$0.70	140
Kling v3 StandardKling	Video	5s video	$0.70	140
Seedance 2.0 FastByteDance	Video	5s video	$0.75	150
Veo 3 FastGoogle	Video	5s video	$0.75	150
Veo 3.1 FastGoogle	Video	5s video	$0.75	150
Seedance 2.0 MiniByteDance	Video	5s video	$0.77	155
Ray 1.6Luma	Video	5s video	$0.80	160
Kling v2.0Kling	Video	5s video	$1.40	280
Seedance 2.0 ProByteDance	Video	5s video	$1.50	300
Ray 2Luma	Video	5s video	$1.59	319
Veo 3Google	Video	5s video	$2.00	400
Veo 3.1Google	Video	5s video	$2.00	400
Dia TTSFal	Speech	1K chars	$0.01	2
Orpheus TTSFal	Speech	1K chars	$0.01	2
Grok TTSxAI	Speech	1K chars	$0.01	3
TTS-1OpenAI	Speech	1K chars	$0.01	3
TTS-1-HDOpenAI	Speech	1K chars	$0.03	6
AuroraLMNT	Speech	1K chars	$0.05	10
BlizzardLMNT	Speech	1K chars	$0.05	10
ElevenLabs Turbo v2.5ElevenLabs	Speech	1K chars	$0.05	10
MiniMax Speech 2.8 TurboMiniMax	Speech	1K chars	$0.06	12
Qwen 3 TTSAlibaba	Speech	1K chars	$0.09	18
MiniMax Speech 2.8 HDMiniMax	Speech	1K chars	$0.10	20
Gemini 3.1 Flash TTSGoogle	Speech	1K chars	$0.15	30
HumeHume	Speech	1K chars	$0.20	40

Category ranges

Image

Cheapest: $0.001 — BiRefNet v2 BG Removal, GPT Image 1, and 1 more
Median: $0.04 — FLUX Kontext, FLUX Kontext Pro, and 8 more
Most expensive: $0.25 — Recraft V4 Pro

Representative unit: one image.

Video

Cheapest: $0.05 — PixVerse v5.5
Median: $0.50 — Gemini Omni Flash, Gen3a Turbo, and 5 more
Most expensive: $2.00 — Veo 3 and Veo 3.1

Representative unit: one 5-second clip.

Speech

Cheapest: $0.01 — Dia TTS and Orpheus TTS
Median: $0.05 — Aurora, Blizzard, and 1 more
Most expensive: $0.20 — Hume

Representative unit: 1,000 characters.

Methodology

This benchmark was published on July 12, 2026. Every price is computed from the model registries in lib/models, using the same getCost functions that power Brainy Canvas billing. The public model catalog supplies the model name, category, provider, and representative unit.

Image prices use the registry’s representative square request. Video prices use a 5-second generation. Speech prices use 1,000 characters. Models with variable resolution, duration, tokens, or optional inputs can cost more for a different request.

Brainy Canvas applies zero markup to model usage. One credit equals $0.005 of provider cost, rounded up to a whole credit with a minimum of one. The page is regenerated from the registry during deployment, so updates to provider passthrough pricing flow into this analysis and the live price index together.

Registry snapshot generated July 13, 2026 at 7:12 AM UTC.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an AI image cost in 2026?+

Across 61 image models in the Brainy Canvas registry, the median representative generation costs $0.04. Prices range from $0.001 for BiRefNet v2 BG Removal, GPT Image 1, and 1 more to $0.25 for Recraft V4 Pro.

How much does AI video cost per second?+

Across 41 video models, the cheapest representative rate is $0.01 per second with PixVerse v5.5. The median normalized rate is $0.10 per second, based on each registry price for a 5-second clip.

What's the cheapest way to run Kling or Veo?+

The cheapest Kling entry in the current registry is Kling v1.6 Standard at $0.25 per 5-second clip. The cheapest Veo entry is Veo 3.1 Fast at $0.75 per 5-second clip.

How do Brainy Canvas credits map to wholesale cost?+

One Brainy Canvas credit equals $0.005 of provider cost. Credits are calculated from each registry price, rounded up to a whole credit with a minimum charge of one credit per generation.

What does the $29.99 Premium plan buy at wholesale?+

Premium includes 6,400 credits, representing $32.00 of raw model cost. At current registry rates, that is 2,133 Flux 2 images or 640 seconds of Kling v1.6 Standard video after whole-credit rounding.

Where do the prices in this benchmark come from?+

Every number is generated from the same image, video, and speech model registries used to charge Brainy Canvas generations. Those registries encode live provider passthrough costs. The page is rebuilt from the registry whenever the site is deployed, rather than maintained as a separate spreadsheet.

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The True Cost of AI Generation (July 2026): 115 Models Benchmarked | Brainy Canvas