The short answer
Ideogram is billed per image ($0.03-0.10). It has no free tier (None on API (web app: 10 credits/week)). Paid usage is quoted by the vendor rather than listed as a public price.
Plans and prices
| Plan | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| 3.0 Turbo | $0.03 / image | Fastest 3.0 tier; character reference raises it to $0.10 |
| 3.0 Default | $0.06 / image | Balanced quality/speed; character reference $0.15 |
| 3.0 Quality | $0.09 / image | Highest-fidelity 3.0 tier; character reference $0.20 |
| 4.0 Quality | $0.10 / image | Latest-generation quality tier (4.0 Turbo $0.03, Default $0.06) |
| Describe | $0.01 / input image | Image-to-text captioning endpoint |
| Upscale | $0.06–$0.48 / image | Native Ideogram $0.06; Topaz 2K $0.12, 4K $0.24, 8K $0.48 |
How Ideogram bills you
The pricing model is per image ($0.03-0.10). Image API known for best-in-class in-image text rendering and typography; capable but REST-only, thin SDK ecosystem, and no API free tier. Best suited to: typography / text-in-image generation.
What to watch for on the bill
- Character-reference generations cost 2–3x base rate ($0.10/$0.15/$0.20), so consistent-subject workflows get expensive quickly
- Narrow modality, image generation/editing only; no video, audio, or broader multimodal coverage that rivals like fal/Replicate aggregate
The pricing page we read
Source: https://ideogram.ai/api-pricing/. Prices change, so confirm there before you commit.
Compare Ideogram with alternatives
Other image generation apis: OpenAI Images (gpt-image), Google Imagen / Gemini Image, fal.ai, Replicate, Stability AI.
Looking at quality rather than price? See the Ideogram score on APIbenchmarks. Full entry: Ideogram pricing.