Ideogram 3.0 Character API Pricing: $0.09 per Image at TURBO

TL;DR

• Ideogram 3.0 Character (ideogram-v3-character) is billed per image on HiAPI, with the tier set by rendering_speed: TURBO $0.09, BALANCED $0.13, QUALITY $0.18. Omit the field and BALANCED applies.
• The low-cost way to run a character scene: TURBO at $0.09 per image — about 111 images for $10, enough to settle your prompt and reference photo.
• It's live on HiAPI: open the model page, upload one character reference, and generate. New accounts get 200 free credits.

Price table

Tier (rendering_speed)	Per image	100 images	1,000 images
TURBO	$0.09	$9.00	$90.00
BALANCED (default)	$0.13	$13.00	$130.00
QUALITY	$0.18	$18.00	$180.00

HiAPI current prices, checked October 22, 2026.

Only the tier affects the price: the character reference, source image, and mask are free, and the output aspect ratio follows your reference at no extra cost. You pay for successful images; failed tasks are refunded in full after the terminal failure state.

The series also includes a masked local-repaint endpoint, ideogram-v3-character/edit, at exactly the same three-tier prices — see the API guide.

Same prompt, three tiers, real outputs

Identical prompt and reference photo; only rendering_speed changes:

The fox mascot waving behind a lemonade stand at a sunny summer fair, bunting flags and balloons, no text

(Upload the fox mascot photo as the character reference.)

TURBO $0.09	BALANCED $0.13	QUALITY $0.18

ideogram-v3-character, same prompt and same reference, 1:1, 992×992, WebP. Left to right: TURBO $0.09, BALANCED $0.13, QUALITY $0.18.

Try this prompt →

What you can see:

• Composition and character hold across all three: same stand position, waving pose, bunting and balloons.
• TURBO simplifies flag edges and background figures; QUALITY adds finer fur texture and awning folds.
• Moving from TURBO to QUALITY adds $0.09 per image.

Choosing a tier and spending less

• Draft with TURBO: iterate on prompts, references, and framing at $0.09 each.
• Finalize with QUALITY: upgrade only the keepers at $0.18.
• BALANCED for everyday: one-step output at $0.13 when you don't want two passes.
• Save the seed (integer, 0–2147483647) from a run you like: same prompt, same reference, same seed reproduces the image, cutting re-roll costs.
• expand_prompt is on by default and expands your prompt automatically; pass false when the prompt must run exactly as written.
• Tier controls detail, style controls the look, and the two are independent: REALISTIC + QUALITY for photoreal finals, FICTION + TURBO for high-volume illustration series.

Compared with related models (HiAPI prices)

Model	Tiers (per image)	Reference images	Output
ideogram-v3-character	TURBO $0.09; BALANCED $0.13; QUALITY $0.18	exactly 1	WebP
ideogram-v4	TURBO $0.05; BALANCED $0.10; QUALITY $0.17	none	—
gemini-nano-banana-2.1	1K $0.022; 2K $0.036; 4K $0.058	up to 10	jpg / png
nano-banana-pro	1K $0.057; 2K $0.057; 4K $0.10	multiple	—
gpt-image-2/image-to-image	1K $0.03; 2K $0.04; 4K $0.06	—	—
seedream-5.0-pro/image-to-image	1K $0.06; 2K $0.10	—	—

For "lock one character with one reference, keep the face across scenes," use ideogram-v3-character. For pure text-to-image drafting at volume, ideogram-v4 TURBO at $0.05 costs less — the two pair well in one pipeline. See the prompt guide for scene-by-scene recipes.

Monthly budgets

Images / month	All TURBO	All BALANCED	All QUALITY
100	$9.00	$13.00	$18.00
1,000	$90.00	$130.00	$180.00
10,000	$900.00	$1,300.00	$1,800.00

A common production mix is "TURBO drafts + QUALITY finals": 900 TURBO drafts plus 100 QUALITY finals per month runs about $99.00.

FAQ

Do failures cost anything?

Credits are held when the task is created and refunded in full if it ends in failure.

Do reference images cost anything?

Billing counts only output images and tier; the character reference, source image, and mask are all free.

Do both endpoints share the same prices?

ideogram-v3-character (new scenes) and ideogram-v3-character/edit (masked local repaint) have identical three-tier pricing.

Which tier applies if I don't send one?

BALANCED at $0.13 — it's the default when rendering_speed is omitted. Pass TURBO explicitly to save.

Is $10 enough to start?

At $0.09 per TURBO image, $10 yields about 111 images; new accounts also get 200 credits (2,000 credits = $1).

Can I change tiers per order?

Set rendering_speed per request: keep the same prompt and reference image, use TURBO for drafts and QUALITY for finals.

Next step: copy the lemonade-stand prompt above, generate your first image, and upload your character reference for a TURBO round. For code and parameters, see How to Use Ideogram 3.0 Character API.