> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.laozhang.ai/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Image generation API pricing: Nano Banana, GPT Image 2.5, Grok Imagine > Compare LaoZhang API image models by model ID, endpoint, editing support, output size, billing, and price, then open the right integration guide. LaoZhang API's image lineup centers on three families, Google Nano Banana, OpenAI GPT Image, and xAI Grok Imagine, all called with one LaoZhang API key and mostly billed per call or per image. Pick by protocol and budget; the cards below give the recommended model, price, and endpoint for each family. ## Main image model families Google, recommended Nano Banana 2.1. \$0.045 per call at 1K–4K; Gemini native or OpenAI-compatible, up to 14 references. OpenAI, Flare and Sunburst. VIP \$0.03 per call, official forwarding by tokens; OpenAI Images API with edits and transparent PNG. xAI's current image model. \$0.055 per returned image; OpenAI Images API, edits with up to 3 references. Each card shows the actual output of the generate example on that model's guide. Capabilities side by side (verified October 14, 2026): | Capability | Nano Banana 2.1 / Pro | GPT Image 2.5 VIP | Grok Imagine 2.0 | | - | - | - | - | | Price per image | \$0.045 / \$0.09, same at 1K–4K | \$0.03, same for all sizes and five quality tiers | \$0.055, same at `1k` and `2k` | | Vendor account | Not needed | Not needed | Not needed | | Reference editing | Up to 14 references | Yes, no `mask` (official forwarding: up to 16, with `mask`) | Up to 3 references | | Transparent PNG | Not offered | Yes | Not offered | | Images per request | 1 | 1 | `n` 1–10, billed per image | | Maximum size | 4K | 3840 px per side | 2K | | Measured time per request (2026-10-14) | 2K: 2.1 about 25 s, Pro 46–69 s | 1024²: `medium` 20–70 s, `max` 73–156 s | 1K `low` 16 s, 2K `medium` 71 s | | Protocol | Gemini native, OpenAI-compatible | OpenAI Images API | OpenAI Images API | | Billing on errors | Non-200 not charged; HTTP 200 with no image charged once | Non-200 not charged | Non-200 not charged; billed per returned image | What the three families share: * Every model comes from the vendor's official channel. No Google, OpenAI, or xAI account is needed; your LaoZhang API key is the only credential, and the console [call log](/en/faq/call-logs) shows what each request cost. * On per-call and per-image models, resolution, quality, and reference count don't change the price. GPT Image official forwarding bills by tokens, so size and quality do change its cost. * Whether a request with no image is charged depends on the model; each guide states the rule, and [About LaoZhang API](/en/about) summarizes them. * Launches, suspensions, and recoveries are posted in [Announcements](/en/changelog); current availability is on the [status page](https://api.laozhang.ai/uptimeStatus). For other tasks, choose Seedream 5.0 Flash or Nano Banana 2 Lite for low-cost batches, and FLUX.2 or Seedream to combine many references in one JSON request. The full table follows. The table covers every current image model with its endpoint, billing, and price; legacy IDs are listed after it. Prices are LaoZhang API public pricing as of October 7, 2026. Check the [model and pricing catalog](/en/models) or the [console](https://api.laozhang.ai/account/pricing) before a large batch. ## Compare image models | Model ID | Protocol | Generate / edit | Main sizes or ratios | Price | Guide | | - | - | - | - | - | - | | `grok-imagine-image-2.0` | Images API | Both, 1–3 references | `1k`, `2k`; 15 ratios | \$0.055 per returned image | [Grok Imagine](/en/api-capabilities/grok-imagine-image) | | `gpt-image-2.5-flare`, `gpt-image-2.5-sunburst` | Images API | Both | OpenAI sizes up to 4K | Tokens, rates below | [GPT Image 2.5](/en/api-capabilities/gpt-image-2-5) | | `gpt-image-2.5-flare-vip`, `gpt-image-2.5-sunburst-vip` | Images API | Both | Custom sizes up to 3840 px | \$0.03 per call | [GPT Image 2.5](/en/api-capabilities/gpt-image-2-5) | | `gpt-image-2.5-web` | Images API | Generate, edit | `size` accepted | \$0.03 per call | [GPT Image 2.5](/en/api-capabilities/gpt-image-2-5) | | `gpt-image-2-vip` | Images API | Both | 1K, 2K, 4K | \$0.03 per call | [GPT Image 2](/en/api-capabilities/gpt-image-2) | | `gpt-image-2` (`default` group) | Images API | Both | No `size` control | \$0.03 per call | [GPT Image 2](/en/api-capabilities/gpt-image-2) | | `gpt-image-2` (official-forward groups) | Images API | Both | OpenAI sizes up to 4K | Tokens, rates below | [GPT Image 2](/en/api-capabilities/gpt-image-2) | | `gemini-2.5-flash-image` | Gemini native, Chat Completions | Both | 1K | \$0.02 per call | [Nano Banana](/en/api-capabilities/nano-banana-image), [editing](/en/api-capabilities/nano-banana-image-edit) | | `gemini-3.1-flash-lite-image` | Gemini native, Chat Completions | Both | 1K | \$0.025 per call | [Nano Banana 2 Lite](/en/api-capabilities/nano-banana-2-lite-api) | | `gemini-nano-banana-2.1` | Gemini native, Chat Completions | Both | 1K–4K | \$0.045 per call | [Nano Banana 2.1](/en/api-capabilities/nano-banana-2-1-image) | | `gemini-3.1-flash-image` | Gemini native, Chat Completions | Both | 0.5K–4K | \$0.055 per call | [Nano Banana 2](/en/api-capabilities/nano-banana2-image) | | `gemini-3-pro-image` | Gemini native, Chat Completions | Both | 1K–4K | \$0.09 per call | [Nano Banana Pro](/en/api-capabilities/nano-banana-pro-image), [editing](/en/api-capabilities/nano-banana-pro-image-edit) | | `flux-2-pro` | Images generations | Both, up to 8 references | Up to 2048 px per side | \$0.03 per call | [FLUX.2](/en/api-capabilities/flux-image-generation), [editing](/en/api-capabilities/flux-image-edit) | | `flux-2-flex` | Images generations | Both, up to 8 references | Up to 2048 px per side | \$0.06 per call | [FLUX.2](/en/api-capabilities/flux-image-generation), [editing](/en/api-capabilities/flux-image-edit) | | `flux-2-max` | Images generations | Both, up to 8 references | Up to 2048 px per side | \$0.07 per call | [FLUX.2](/en/api-capabilities/flux-image-generation), [editing](/en/api-capabilities/flux-image-edit) | | `seedream-5-0-flash-260915` | Images generations | Both, up to 10 references | `size`: `1K`, `1.5K`, `2K` | \$0.018 per call | [Seedream](/en/api-capabilities/seedream-image) | | `seedream-5-0-pro-260628` | Images generations | Both, up to 10 references | `size`: `1K`, `2K` | \$0.12 per call | [Seedream](/en/api-capabilities/seedream-image) | | `seedream-5-0-260128` | Images generations | Both, up to 10 references | `size` such as `2K` | \$0.035 per call | [Seedream](/en/api-capabilities/seedream-image) | | `seedream-4-5-251128` | Images generations | Both, up to 10 references | `size` such as `2K` | \$0.045 per call | [Seedream](/en/api-capabilities/seedream-image) | | `seedream-4-0-250828` | Images generations | Both, up to 10 references | `size` such as `2K` | \$0.035 per call | [Seedream](/en/api-capabilities/seedream-image) | All requests use the base URL `https://api.laozhang.ai`. The protocol labels mean: * **Images API**: generate with `POST /v1/images/generations` (JSON body) and edit with `POST /v1/images/edits` (multipart file upload). * **Images generations**: both tasks use `POST /v1/images/generations`. To edit, add reference images to the JSON body as URLs or data URLs. * **Gemini native**: `POST /v1beta/models/{model}:generateContent`. Use it when you need to choose the resolution or aspect ratio of a Nano Banana image. * **Chat Completions**: the OpenAI-compatible `POST /v1/chat/completions` endpoint. Each billing type needs a matching token: * **Token-billed rows** (GPT Image 2.5 official forwarding and `gpt-image-2` in the official-forward groups) use official API forwarding. They need a token in the `Sora2Official` or `GPTImage2 Sora2 Enterprise` group with the **Usage first** (按量优先, recommended) or **Usage-based** (按量计费) billing mode. * **Per-call models** use a `default`-group token with **Usage first** or **Per-call** (按次计费). The GPT Image per-call models also work in another image group (see the console for its name). A Usage first token can call both kinds of model. You choose the group when you create the token in [token management](https://api.laozhang.ai/token), not in the request's `model` field. ### Official-forward token rates `gpt-image-2.5-flare`, `gpt-image-2.5-sunburst`, and `gpt-image-2` on the official-forward route are billed by actual token usage. OpenAI's official rates are: | Usage | Price per 1M tokens | | - | - | | Text input | \$5 | | Cached text input | \$1.25 | | Image input | \$8 | | Cached image input | \$2 | | Image output | \$30 | The token's group sets what you pay. `Sora2Official` charges the same as OpenAI's official price, and `GPTImage2 Sora2 Enterprise` charges the official price plus 20% (a 1.2× group multiplier). The same group pricing applies to `gpt-image-1`, `gpt-image-1.5`, and `gpt-image-1-mini` in these groups. Token rates don't translate into a fixed cost per image: size, quality, and reference images all change usage, so estimate costs from a few representative requests. ## Estimate cost by volume For per-call and per-image models, cost is the price times the number of images; size and quality don't change it. Estimates from public pricing as of October 7, 2026, in USD: | Model | Price | 100 images | 1,000 images | 10,000 images | | - | - | - | - | - | | Seedream 5.0 Flash | \$0.018 | \$1.80 | \$18 | \$180 | | Nano Banana 2 Lite (1K) | \$0.025 | \$2.50 | \$25 | \$250 | | GPT Image 2.5 VIP | \$0.03 | \$3 | \$30 | \$300 | | Nano Banana 2.1 (1K–4K) | \$0.045 | \$4.50 | \$45 | \$450 | | Grok Imagine 2.0 (1K/2K) | \$0.055 | \$5.50 | \$55 | \$550 | | Nano Banana Pro (1K–4K) | \$0.09 | \$9 | \$90 | \$900 | * The estimate assumes one image per request; Grok Imagine bills each image when one request returns several. * With Google Search grounding on, Nano Banana adds \$0.014 per search. * Actual charges are in the [call log](/en/faq/call-logs), and the [model catalog](/en/models) has current prices. ## Choose by task * **Generate and edit through one OpenAI-compatible API**: use [GPT Image 2.5](/en/api-capabilities/gpt-image-2-5). The `-vip` models bill per call and accept custom sizes and five quality tiers; the official-forward models keep OpenAI's own parameters and bill by tokens. * **Transparent PNG assets**: the [GPT Image 2.5](/en/api-capabilities/gpt-image-2-5) `-vip` models generate transparent PNGs and can remove the background from an uploaded image. To split a finished image into a background plus transparent layers, use [Seedream layer decomposition](/en/api-capabilities/seedream-image#split-an-image-into-transparent-layers) on 5.0 Flash or 5.0 Pro. Both bill each output image, and Flash costs far less per image. * **Low-cost images at high volume**: use [Seedream 5.0 Flash](/en/api-capabilities/seedream-image) (\$0.018 per call, up to 2K, strong at designs with text) or [Nano Banana 2 Lite](/en/api-capabilities/nano-banana-2-lite-api) for 1K drafts. Nano Banana Standard (`gemini-2.5-flash-image`) costs less per call than Nano Banana 2 Lite, but it's past Google's October 2, 2026 shutdown date ([deprecations page](https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/deprecations)). LaoZhang API still serves it for now, and it can stop at any time. [Migrate to Nano Banana 2](/en/api-capabilities/nano-banana-image-edit#migrate-to-nano-banana-2). * **2K or 4K output from a Gemini model**: use [Nano Banana 2.1](/en/api-capabilities/nano-banana-2-1-image), which costs \$0.045 per call at any size, [Nano Banana 2](/en/api-capabilities/nano-banana2-image), or [Nano Banana Pro](/en/api-capabilities/nano-banana-pro-image) through the Gemini native endpoint. * **Many reference images in one request**: [Nano Banana 2.1](/en/api-capabilities/nano-banana-2-1-image#edit-images), [Nano Banana 2](/en/api-capabilities/nano-banana2-image#edit-images), and [Nano Banana Pro](/en/api-capabilities/nano-banana-pro-image-edit) accept up to 14 in the Gemini `contents` array, [Seedream](/en/api-capabilities/seedream-image) up to 10, and [FLUX.2](/en/api-capabilities/flux-image-edit) up to 8 as JSON fields. * **Several candidates from one prompt**: [Grok Imagine 2.0](/en/api-capabilities/grok-imagine-image) returns up to ten images per request and bills each returned image. * **Existing `gpt-image-2` or `gpt-image-2-vip` code**: keep it running with the [GPT Image 2 guide](/en/api-capabilities/gpt-image-2), and build new integrations on GPT Image 2.5. ## Legacy and historical model IDs These IDs still appear in the catalog, but new integrations should use the models in the table above: * `gpt-image-2-web` (\$0.03 per call) is a historical web-route ID used by existing integrations. It is a different route from `gpt-image-2.5-web`, and their parameters are not interchangeable. * `grok-imagine-image` (\$0.025 per image) and `grok-imagine-image-quality` (\$0.045 per image) are the earlier Grok Imagine models, billed per successfully returned image. The [Grok Imagine guide](/en/api-capabilities/grok-imagine-image) compares them with 2.0. xAI retires `grok-imagine-image-quality` on November 2, 2026. * `flux-kontext-pro` (\$0.035 per call) and `flux-kontext-max` (\$0.07 per call) are the legacy FLUX Kontext models, covered in the [legacy section of the FLUX.2 guide](/en/api-capabilities/flux-image-generation#legacy-compatibility-flux-kontext). * `gpt-image-1`, `gpt-image-1.5`, and `gpt-image-1-mini` are earlier token-billed GPT Image models. Their rates are in the [model and pricing catalog](/en/models). OpenAI plans to remove `gpt-image-1` from its API on October 23, 2026 and the other two on December 1, 2026; LaoZhang API stops serving each at the same time, so use GPT Image 2.5 for new integrations. ## Frequently asked questions ### Which model should I use for high-volume batches? Start with a per-call model, because each request has a fixed price and batch costs are easy to predict. For new low-cost work, try Seedream 5.0 Flash (`seedream-5-0-flash-260915`, \$0.018 per call), which outputs up to 2K and handles designs with text well, or Nano Banana 2 Lite (`gemini-3.1-flash-lite-image`) for 1K output. If you need the OpenAI Images API, the two GPT Image 2.5 `-vip` models also bill per call, and size and quality don't change their price. Nano Banana Standard (`gemini-2.5-flash-image`) costs less than Nano Banana 2 Lite, but it's past Google's shutdown date and can stop at any time, so don't build new batch jobs on it. Grok Imagine 2.0 bills every returned image, so a request that returns ten images costs ten times its unit price. Official-forward models bill by tokens, and the cost per image changes with size, quality, and reference images, so estimate from a few representative requests before a large run. ### Which model should I use to edit an existing image? If you already use the OpenAI Images API and want to preserve as much of the source image as possible, use GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst: `gpt-image-2.5-sunburst-vip` for per-call billing or `gpt-image-2.5-sunburst` for token billing. To limit the change to a region with a `mask`, use official-forward GPT Image 2.5, because the `-vip` models don't support `mask`. The web route, `gpt-image-2.5-web`, also edits images but can't select Flare or Sunburst, so use one of the two Sunburst IDs when you need its edit precision. To combine several reference images, choose by the reference limits in [Choose by task](#choose-by-task). Each model takes references differently, and each model guide has a complete example: * GPT Image and Grok Imagine upload files as multipart form data on `/v1/images/edits`. * FLUX.2 and Seedream take URLs or `data:` URLs in the JSON body. * Nano Banana takes images inside the message or the Gemini `contents` array. ### Where do I confirm prices? How do per-call and token billing differ? Before you call, check the [model and pricing catalog](/en/models) and the [console](https://api.laozhang.ai/account/pricing). Each request's actual charge appears in [call logs](/en/faq/call-logs), and enterprise quotes come from the support team. Per-call models charge a fixed amount for each successful request, while official-forward models charge for the tokens actually used. The same `gpt-image-2` ID is billed differently depending on the token's group, and changing `model` doesn't change that. The [GPT Image 2 guide](/en/api-capabilities/gpt-image-2) shows each route. ## Related documentation * [Images API reference](/en/api-reference/images): request and response format for `/v1/images/generations` and `/v1/images/edits` * [Model and pricing catalog](/en/models): every model, group, and current price * [Call logs](/en/faq/call-logs): check the model, group, and charge for each request * [Console pricing](https://api.laozhang.ai/account/pricing): prices and groups available to your account This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.