Image Generation API · decision tool
Recraft vs Ideogram — for your app, not in general
Recraft or Ideogram? Set your usage, budget and constraints; the verdict, monthly cost and risks update live from verified pricing.
Prices verified 2026-07-17 against official pricing pages · fit weights are our estimates (see methodology) · share the URL to share your configuration
As of Jul 2026, with 5,000 images/month at standard quality (~1MP), a $50 budget for this slot, Recraft ranks first for these inputs at 31% fit and a StackSays-estimated $175.00/month (Ideogram: 27% fit, $300.00/month). Fit weights are our estimates; prices trace to official pages. Change any input below and the verdict recomputes.
Your situation
The verdict updates as you move these.
Narrow pick — the runner-up is close
The only major API with native vector (SVG) output — prepaid units, vector at ~2x raster
vs Ideogram: fit 31% against 27%, est $175.00 against $300.00 per month
Comparing 2 tools head-to-head. Open the full field (8 options) →
The decision, in plain words
For a solo builder at 5,000 images/month at standard quality (~1MP) and a $50.00/mo budget for the image API slot, Recraft leads at 31% fit and $175.00/mo. The two rules doing the work: batteries included (Bundles editing/inpainting, reliable text-in-image, vector (SVG) output — fewer services to glue at team size 1); exit cost (Closed model — style/quality don't transfer to a replacement).
Ideogram runs close (27% fit, $300.00/mo). It takes the lead if bundles editing/inpainting, reliable text-in-image — fewer services to glue at team size 1 matters more to you than the current weights assume.
Honest weak spot of the pick: ~$175/mo is 350% of your $50/mo budget — over it.
Generated from the calculation above — every number traces to the sourced data; nothing here is written by an AI making things up.
Why Recraft scores 31%
How the $175.00/mo estimate is calculated
What could change this verdict
No single input change within the tested range changes the winner.
Cost risk
Official prices verified 2026-07-17; calculation is deterministic code over those prices.
At a glance
| Tool | Free tier | Paid entry | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ideogram | No free tier | Pay-as-you-go — $0.06/image (3.0 or 4.0 Default); Turbo/Flash tiers are $0.03; Quality $0.09-0.10; character reference jumps to $0.15-0.20/image | 2026-07-17 |
| Recraft | No free tier | Pay-as-you-go — $0.035/image raster; vector (SVG) output is $0.08/image; v4.1 Pro raster $0.21; units are prepaid, never expire, non-refundable | 2026-07-17 |
Data sources
| Tool | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Ideogram | Ideogram API pricing | 2026-07-17 |
| Recraft | Recraft API pricing docs | 2026-07-17 |
A monitor re-checks these pages for changes; when a vendor moves a price, the date updates and every verdict recomputes.