TL;DR
- Choose Recraft V4.1 for API palette preferences at $0.05 per image. Choose Ideogram 4.5 for text layouts with a quality budget: low / medium / high cost $0.043 / $0.086 / $0.3145. See the Recraft pricing breakdown.
- Recraft costs $0.036 less than Ideogram's default medium tier; Ideogram low costs $0.007 less than Recraft. Every Ideogram image below used medium.
Both are live on HiAPI: open Recraft V4.1 or Ideogram 4.5. Start with the wordmark or poster brief, then compare placement and spacing.
At a glance
| Decision | Recraft V4.1 | Ideogram 4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Per image | $0.05, one tier | low $0.043; medium default $0.086; high $0.3145 |
| Budget for 100 images | $5 | low $4.30; medium $8.60; high $31.45 |
| Palette controls | API colors and background_color | Describe colors in the prompt |
| Sizes | image_size, 6 presets | Same names; check actual pixels separately |
| Quality control | No quality field | Three quality tiers |
| Images per request | 1 | num_images fixed at 1 |
| Prompt expansion | No expansion switch | enable_prompt_expansion defaults to true |
Size does not change these per-image rates. Recraft's color parameters express preferences; they do not guarantee that every pixel uses an exact palette value.
Same submitted prompt, two images
Each pair shares the original submitted prompt in the supplied image records. The Ideogram records specify medium and enable_prompt_expansion=true. Captions give each file's actual dimensions and format for comparing text placement and spacing in these examples; the images do not establish an image-quality ranking under matching output conditions.
Pair A: coffee wordmark
A clean minimalist wordmark logo for a specialty coffee brand, the text "NORTHWIND ROASTERS" set in an elegant high-contrast serif, a small compass-rose icon integrated above the letter N, warm cream background, centered, flat vector-style design, generous negative space
| Recraft V4.1 · $0.05 | Ideogram 4.5 · medium · $0.086 |
|---|---|
 |  |
| Generate with this prompt → | Generate with this prompt → |
Left: recraft-v4.1/text-to-image, square, 1024×1024, 1:1, WebP, $0.05. Right: ideogram-v4.5/text-to-image, square, medium, enable_prompt_expansion=true, 1024×1024, 1:1, PNG, $0.086; right image from Ideogram prompt recipes.
The links fill only the prompt. Select square on both pages; also choose medium, 1 image and expansion enabled for Ideogram.
- Recraft splits the brand name across two lines. Ideogram keeps it on one line, adding a rule and a coffee tagline underneath.
- Both place the compass above the center of the wordmark, rather than above the letter N requested in the prompt. Check individual outputs when icon placement matters.
Pair B: festival poster
A vertical concert poster for an indie music festival, large headline text "ECHO VALLEY FEST" across the top, below it two lines reading "AUGUST 14-16" and "RIVERSIDE PARK", retro 1970s psychedelic palette of orange, magenta and teal, layered sunburst background, bold condensed type, high detail
| Recraft V4.1 · $0.05 | Ideogram 4.5 · medium · $0.086 |
|---|---|
 |  |
| Generate with this prompt → | Generate with this prompt → |
Left: recraft-v4.1/text-to-image, portrait_4_3, 896×1216, 14:19, WebP, $0.05. Right: ideogram-v4.5/text-to-image, portrait_4_3, medium, enable_prompt_expansion=true, 864×1152, 3:4, PNG, $0.086; right image from Ideogram prompt recipes.
Select portrait_4_3 on both pages; also choose medium, 1 image and expansion enabled for Ideogram. The preset names match, but pixel dimensions, actual ratios and formats differ.
- Recraft stretches a tall headline across the top and fills the lower area with dense band names and a ticket box. Ideogram breaks the headline into lines, leaves a larger sunburst area and places band and ticket information along the bottom.
- Both add event information absent from the prompt. Review those lines before using either as event artwork. These two images cannot establish that the expansion switch caused the extra copy.
Choosing by scenario
- For explicit brand color preferences, start with Recraft: pass the palette through the API, then inspect the output.
- For a choice of quality budgets, start with Ideogram: low costs less, while these examples use medium. There is no high-tier comparison here.
- For an event poster with fixed copy, proofread either model's output. Disabling Ideogram expansion reduces automatic prompt elaboration, without guaranteeing that no extra words appear.
What changes when switching?
Both use HiAPI /v1/tasks: submit a task, receive a taskId, then query the result. These bodies retain the full poster prompt, explicitly set Ideogram to medium and enable_prompt_expansion=true as recorded, and specify 1 image. They are examples for a new submission. Neither original has a recorded seed to reuse, and neither Recraft request used palette controls.
{
"model": "recraft-v4.1/text-to-image",
"input": {
"prompt": "A vertical concert poster for an indie music festival, large headline text \"ECHO VALLEY FEST\" across the top, below it two lines reading \"AUGUST 14-16\" and \"RIVERSIDE PARK\", retro 1970s psychedelic palette of orange, magenta and teal, layered sunburst background, bold condensed type, high detail",
"image_size": "portrait_4_3"
}
}
{
"model": "ideogram-v4.5/text-to-image",
"input": {
"prompt": "A vertical concert poster for an indie music festival, large headline text \"ECHO VALLEY FEST\" across the top, below it two lines reading \"AUGUST 14-16\" and \"RIVERSIDE PARK\", retro 1970s psychedelic palette of orange, magenta and teal, layered sunburst background, bold condensed type, high detail",
"quality": "medium",
"image_size": "portrait_4_3",
"num_images": 1,
"enable_prompt_expansion": true
}
}
Adjust both model and input, removing fields the destination does not accept. Do not carry Recraft palette fields into Ideogram. In the other direction, remove quality, image-count and expansion fields. Follow the Recraft API guide for integration and the Recraft prompt guide for more subjects.
FAQ
Which costs less per image?
Recraft at $0.05 costs less than Ideogram's default medium at $0.086. Ideogram low at $0.043 costs less than Recraft. Compare the tier you will actually request.
Do matching size presets guarantee matching pixels?
No. Both wordmarks are 1024×1024, but the posters are 896×1216 and 864×1152. Check actual dimensions before delivery.
Does disabling expansion guarantee only the requested words?
No. That switch controls prompt expansion. Brand names, dates and any added copy still need a human check.
Can one request generate multiple images?
Both currently produce 1 image per request. Ideogram fixes num_images at 1; submit separate tasks for additional images.
Copy the wordmark prompt and generate one with Recraft. Start by checking the line breaks and compass placement against your layout.
