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gpt-image-1-mini

OpenAI · GPT Image

Lower-cost GPT Image tier for product teams that need image generation at higher volume.

Part of GPT Image family · Other versions: GPT Image 2 , GPT Image 1.5 , GPT-Image-1
Type
image
Context
N/A
Max Output
N/A
Status
current
API Access
Yes
License
proprietary
image-generation cost-efficient creative api openai
Released March 2026 · Updated April 4, 2026

Overview

Freshness note: Model capabilities, limits, and pricing can change quickly. This profile is a point-in-time snapshot last verified on April 4, 2026.

gpt-image-1-mini is the lighter-cost GPT Image tier in OpenAI’s current image model catalog. It matters less as a prestige model and more as an operational one: a route for products and automation flows that need image generation often enough that per-image cost becomes a real system-design variable.

Capabilities

The mini tier is suitable for routine asset generation, visual ideation, and app features where fast iteration and lower spend matter more than top-end output quality. That makes it relevant for experimentation-heavy workflows such as thumbnail generation, early concept exploration, or high-volume internal content tooling.

Technical Details

This is an image-native model, so token-style context and max-output fields are not meaningful in the way they are for language models. In this repository, contextWindow and maxOutput are stored as 0 intentionally and should be interpreted as N/A for UI display and comparisons.

OpenAI’s current public model page does not expose a precise snapshot date in the same way the GPT Image 1.5 page does, so the releaseDate here should be treated as an approximate catalog date rather than an exact launch timestamp.

Pricing & Access

OpenAI’s pricing docs position gpt-image-1-mini as the lower-cost image tier:

  • Low quality: $0.004 per image
  • Medium quality: $0.02 per image
  • High quality: $0.07 per image

Access is through OpenAI API model endpoints. Teams evaluating it should test both quality and retry behavior because the cheapest model is not always the cheapest workflow once regeneration volume is included.

Best Use Cases

Use gpt-image-1-mini for high-volume generation, product experimentation, and workflows where “good enough, fast, and cheap” beats premium image quality. It is a practical fit for prototype features, variant generation, and operational creative tooling where budgets are tighter.

Comparisons

  • GPT Image 1.5 (OpenAI): Better quality ceiling and stronger fit for premium creative workflows.
  • GPT-Image-1 (OpenAI): Earlier family entry with historical value, but the mini tier now gives OpenAI a clearer low-cost option.
  • Imagen 4 Fast (Google): Another cost-sensitive image route, with selection usually driven by platform alignment and output style.