A new image node on 8frame starts with a model, a resolution and a quality level already picked, and on two tools the default is far from the cheapest option. GPT Image starts at high quality in a square frame: 29 credits an image, where low quality is 2. The upscaler starts on Topaz rather than the cheaper BRIA. Everything else starts close to its floor. Here is each tool, untouched, next to its cheapest setting.
TL;DR
- GPT Image starts at high quality, 1:1: 29 credits an image. Low quality is 2, medium 8
- GPT Image is the one model priced by shape: at high quality a square image is 29, a 16:9 or 9:16 one 20
- Seedream starts on 5 Pro at 1K: 7. Seedream 5 is 6, Seedream 4 is 5
- Nano Banana starts on Nano Banana 2 at 1K: 11. At 0.5K it is 8
- The upscaler starts on Topaz: from 11. BRIA 2x or 4x is 6
- Midjourney runs 4 images per generation: 32 on V8, 28 on V7
Every image tool, as a new node starts
Credits per image unless noted. A credit is about $0.01 at pack rate.
| Tool | Starts on | Default costs | Cheapest setting |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPT Image | GPT Image 2, high quality, 1:1 | 29 | Low quality: 2 |
| Nano Banana | Nano Banana 2 at 1K | 11 | 0.5K: 8, or Nano Banana Classic: 6 |
| Seedream | Seedream 5 Pro at 1K | 7 | Seedream 4: 5 |
| Imagen | Imagen 4 | 8 | Imagen 4 Fast: 4 |
| Flux | FLUX.2 [pro] | 5 at about 1 megapixel | same; about 2 more per extra megapixel |
| Grok Image | Grok Image 2.0 at 1K | 9 | Low quality: 6 |
| Qwen Image | Qwen Image 3 at 1K | 6 | same |
| Reve | text to image | 34 | same for edit and remix |
| Midjourney ("Artistic") | V8, 4 images | 32 per generation | V7: 28 |
| Image upscale | Topaz | from 11 per 24-megapixel block | BRIA 2x or 4x: 6 |
| Background removal | 12 | same |
"Cheapest setting" is the lowest price the same tool offers, not a quality equivalent: low-quality GPT Image and 0.5K Nano Banana are drafting settings.
The two defaults worth changing
GPT Image quality. High quality is the default, and it is the setting that makes GPT Image look expensive: 29 credits for a square image, 20 for other shapes. Medium is 8 square and 6 otherwise; low is 2 at any shape. Draft at low, pick the composition, then rerun the winner at high. GPT Image is also the only model on 8frame priced by aspect ratio as such: at medium and high quality, square costs more than the other shapes. (FLUX.2 prices by output megapixels, which the size and shape together set.)
The upscaler. Topaz is the default and bills by output size, 11 credits per 24-megapixel block. For a plain 2x or 4x enlargement, BRIA Increase Resolution is 6 whatever the size, and Clarity is 13. How the two paid-by-quality options differ is in Topaz vs Clarity upscaling.
Defaults that are already cheap
Qwen Image 3, Flux and Seedream start at or near their floor. Seedream starts on 5 Pro, one credit more than Seedream 5 and two more than Seedream 4. Nano Banana starts on Nano Banana 2 at 1K, 11 credits, and goes to 22 at 4K; Nano Banana Pro starts at 21. The full price ladder by model is in best AI image generator 2026, and the video tools are covered in AI video default settings by model.
FAQ
Why did my GPT Image cost 29 credits? GPT Image starts at high quality in a square frame. Set quality to low (2 credits) or medium (8 square, 6 other shapes) for drafts.
Does aspect ratio change the price of an AI image? Directly, only on GPT Image at medium and high quality. FLUX.2 bills by output megapixels, so size and shape together set its price; the other image models charge the same for any shape.
What is the cheapest AI image on 8frame? GPT Image at low quality, 2 credits an image; then Imagen 4 Fast at 4 and Seedream 4 at 5.
Which upscaler should I use? BRIA at 6 for a plain 2x or 4x enlargement; Topaz (the default, from 11) and Clarity (13) are the other two, compared in Topaz vs Clarity upscaling.
Sources
- Default model, resolution and quality per tool: 8frame tool configuration, read 2026-09-30
- Prices, including GPT Image by quality and aspect ratio: 8frame tool registry credit functions, read 2026-09-30
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