Imagen 4 pricing and API access (2026): what it costs and how developers use it
Quick answer
Google Cloud lists Imagen 4 Fast at $0.02 per generated image, Imagen 4 at $0.04, and Imagen 4 Ultra at $0.06. The Gemini Developer API's Imagen 4 models shut down August 17, 2026; Google Cloud still documents Imagen 4 separately. Choose the provider and endpoint before comparing price or writing an integration. Sources checked September 9, 2026.
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Test an image brief before committing API spend
Generate one representative image, record the selected model and settings, and inspect text, faces, product details, and editability at full size.
Try AI Image GeneratorImagen 4 API prices
Google Cloud model or operation | Published USD rate | Hypothetical 1,000 outputs |
|---|---|---|
$0.02 per image | $20 | |
$0.04 per image | $40 | |
$0.06 per image | $60 | |
$0.06 per image | $60 |
The totals are arithmetic examples before taxes, storage, other services, and additional generations. Upscaling is a separate operation. See Google Cloud's pricing table.
Can you still use the Imagen 4 API?
Through the Gemini Developer API: the standard, Ultra, and Fast Imagen 4 model IDs were shut down August 17, 2026. Google's deprecation table points to Gemini 3.1 Flash Image as the replacement. See the Gemini API deprecation schedule.
Through Google Cloud: Google's Imagen 4 model documentation remains available. Check the exact model, supported region, project quota, and lifecycle before building. The closure of one API route does not establish that every provider's Imagen access has closed.
How to estimate an actual project
Multiply the number of charged generations by the model's per-image rate, then add any separate processing. For example, generating three Imagen 4 candidates for each of 100 accepted assets costs 300 × $0.04 = $12 in generation charges. Upscaling all 100 accepted assets at $0.06 each adds $6. The hypothetical total is $18 before other charges.
Compare accepted assets rather than raw images. A cheaper generation can cost more overall if it requires substantially more retries or editing.
Integration steps
- Choose the current provider, model ID, region, and authentication method from its documentation.
- Enable billing and confirm project access and quotas.
- Submit a small request using the current official example.
- Save the output and inspect text, composition, and intended subject details.
- Record charged attempts, errors, and accepted results before increasing volume.
Do not reuse an old Gemini API example after substituting only a hostname. Authentication, model IDs, request formats, and billing differ between providers.
Standard, Ultra, or a different model?
Start with the lower-cost option that meets your requirements, then compare Ultra on difficult prompts. Its higher price does not guarantee a better accepted result for every task. For iterative image editing, evaluate a model that explicitly supports the inputs and edit operations you need. See our Imagen comparison and Nano Banana Pro pricing.
If you want to create an image without building an API integration, use a browser workflow such as Magic Hour's AI image generator. Its plans and available models are separate from Google's direct API rates.
Frequently asked questions
Through the Gemini Developer API: the standard, Ultra, and Fast Imagen 4 model IDs were shut down August 17, 2026. Google's deprecation table points to Gemini 3.1 Flash Image as the replacement. See the Gemini API deprecation schedule.
Through Google Cloud: Google's Imagen 4 model documentation remains available. Check the exact model, supported region, project quota, and lifecycle before building. The closure of one API route does not establish that every provider's Imagen access has closed.
Start with the lower-cost option that meets your requirements, then compare Ultra on difficult prompts. Its higher price does not guarantee a better accepted result for every task. For iterative image editing, evaluate a model that explicitly supports the inputs and edit operations you need. See our Imagen comparison and Nano Banana Pro pricing.
If you want to create an image without building an API integration, use a browser workflow such as Magic Hour's AI image generator. Its plans and available models are separate from Google's direct API rates.
Runbo Li is the Co-founder and CEO of Magic Hour, where he builds AI video and image tools for content creation. He is a Y Combinator W24 founder and former Data Scientist at Meta, where he worked on 0-1 consumer social products in New Product Experimentation. He writes about AI video generation, AI image creation, creative workflows, and creator tools.
