TL;DR
- The Recraft V4.1 family has two rates:
recraft-v4.1/text-to-imageat $0.05/image for finals andrecraft-v4.1-flash/text-to-imageat $0.01/image for drafts — identical parameters, just a differentmodel. - The usual play: 10 directions on Flash for $0.10, then one V4.1 final at $0.05 — $0.15 a set; $10 buys 1,000 Flash images.
- Both are live: the V4.1 page and the Flash page. New accounts get 200 free credits. API usage is in the guide.
Price table
| Model | Per image | 100 images | 1,000 images | $10 yields |
|---|---|---|---|---|
recraft-v4.1-flash/text-to-image | $0.01 | $1.00 | $10.00 | 1,000 |
recraft-v4.1/text-to-image | $0.05 | $5.00 | $50.00 | 200 |
HiAPI current prices, checked October 21, 2026.
Size presets, colors, and background_color never change the price; you pay for successful images, and failures refund. V4.1 costs 5× Flash — the premium buys final-grade detail.
Same prompt, both tiers, real outputs
Pair A: brand poster (same prompt)
Minimalist brand poster for a specialty coffee brand, huge bold headline "NORTH BEAN" in clean sans-serif, warm terracotta and cream palette, single coffee bean illustration, generous negative space, Swiss grid layout
| Flash $0.01 | V4.1 $0.05 |
|---|---|
 |  |
Left: recraft-v4.1-flash/text-to-image, portrait_4_3, $0.01. Right: recraft-v4.1/text-to-image, portrait_4_3, sample image 896×1216, $0.05. Same prompt, one render each.
Generate with Flash → | Generate with V4.1 →
What you can see in pair A: both land the big headline, the coffee bean, and Swiss-grid white space; zoom in and V4.1's headline strokes and negative space finish more cleanly.
Pair B: product still (similar prompts, different wording)
Both frames are "ceramic pour-over dripper + walnut counter + morning light" with different prompt wording — stated as-is. The Flash side:
Close-up product photograph of a ceramic pour-over coffee dripper on a walnut counter, steam rising, morning window light, shallow depth of field
The V4.1 side:
Photorealistic product photography of a matte black ceramic pour-over coffee dripper on a walnut table, soft morning side light, shallow depth of field, subtle steam, premium catalog look
| Flash $0.01 | V4.1 $0.05 |
|---|---|
 |  |
Left: Flash, square_hd, 1024×1024, $0.01. Right: V4.1, square_hd, sample image 1024×1024, $0.05. Prompts are similar but not identical — read the pair for tier-level detail only.
Flash prompt → | V4.1 prompt →
What you can see in pair B: V4.1 renders finer matte-ceramic texture and steam layering; Flash goes flatter — enough for direction checks.
Spending less
- Draft everything on Flash: $0.01 an image, 10 directions for $0.10; reuse your V4.1 prompt wording as-is.
- Finalize on V4.1: rerun the keeper with only
modelchanged at $0.05. - colors is free: the palette parameter costs the same on both tiers — bring it into drafts.
- Pure volume output (social art, draft rounds) can stay on Flash: 1,000 images for $10.00.
Compared with related models (HiAPI prices)
| Model | Per image | Notes |
|---|---|---|
recraft-v4.1-flash/text-to-image | $0.01 | Fast drafts |
gemini-nano-banana-2.1 | 1K $0.022 | Resolution options |
krea-3/text-to-image | $0.036 | Prompt reasoning |
recraft-v4.1/text-to-image (this model) | $0.05 | Brand colors + final detail |
fibo-gen-1.5/text-to-image | $0.0575 | Photoreal + same-price editor |
ideogram-v4.5/text-to-image | from LOW $0.043 | Typography-first |
Flash's $0.01 is the entry price for text-to-image; V4.1's $0.05 sits with mainstream photoreal models plus the brand-palette parameter. The head-to-head with Ideogram 4.5 is in the .
Monthly budgets
| Images / month | All Flash | All V4.1 | 9:1 mix (drafts : finals) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | $1.00 | $5.00 | $1.40 |
| 1,000 | $10.00 | $50.00 | $14.00 |
| 10,000 | $100.00 | $500.00 | $140.00 |
The 9:1 mix saves about 72% versus all-V4.1, with quality given up only at the draft stage.
FAQ
Do the two tiers share identical parameters?
What sizes are available?
Six presets (square, square_hd, portrait_4_3, landscape_4_3, portrait_16_9, landscape_16_9) — all at the same rate.
Yes — change only model.
Does colors cost anything?
No, and it's API-only; Playground doesn't expose it.
Do failures cost anything?
No. Validation rejections never bill; failed tasks refund in full.
How far does $10 go?
At $0.01 per Flash image, $10 buys 1,000 drafts.
Next: take the NORTH BEAN prompt and run one on Flash first ($0.01), then swap in V4.1 for the final; scene templates are in the prompt guide.
