# Stability AI API — AI Compare Ninja

> Generate Stable Diffusion images, edits, upscales, 3D, and audio through one API credit price.

## Overview
- **Category:** Design & Image (Image generation & creative suites)
- **Status:** Active · checked - Active Stable Image/audio/3D API. Old SD3.0 names have been rerouted, and the Stable Video and SD1.6 APIs have been discontinued.
- **Paid from:** $0.08 / Usage (Image generate)
- **Free access:** One-off free allowance (25 one-time credits = e.g. 10 Flash, 8 Core, or 3 Ultra images.)
- **Website:** https://platform.stability.ai/
- **Canonical URL:** https://www.aicompare.ninja/en/tool/stability-ai-api

## What it does
- Image generation: SDXL from 0.9 credits ($0.009), Ultra 8 credits ($0.08)
- Editing features: Erase, Inpaint, Remove Background typically 5 credits ($0.05)
- Upscaling: Fast Upscaler 2 credits, Creative Upscaler 60 credits ($0.60)
- Fast 3D 10 credits ($0.10), Stable Audio 2.5 20 credits ($0.20) up to 3 minutes
- Bulk API discounts available on request
- Open-weight models and self-hosting licensed separately from the API

## In brief
Stability AI API is a commercial pay-as-you-go offer for Stable Diffusion images, editing, upscaling, 3D and audio: one credit equals one cent.

Open-weight models and self-hosting are separate licence and infrastructure decisions. Editing and upscaling can cost more than initial image generation.


## Limits
Because one credit is exactly $0.01, $10 buys 1,000 credits: about 125 Ultra, 153 SD 3.5 Large, 250 Turbo, 400 Flash, or 1,111 SDXL images. The 25 free credits correspondingly cover 3/3/6/10/27 outputs. Upscaling is materially costlier than generation: Creative Upscale costs 60 credits, the same as 24 Flash images. Stable Audio 3.0 provides up to six minutes for $0.26. Old Stable Diffusion 3.0 API names reroute to 3.5; Stable Video API and SD 1.6 were discontinued in 2025.

## Pricing tiers
| Tier | Price | Period | What you get |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Free API start | free | One-time | 25 one-time credits; Up to 10 SD 3.5 Flash images; Or 8 Stable Image Core; Or 3 Ultra images; API key after account creation |
| Image generate | $0.08 | Usage | SDXL from 0.9 credits = $0.009; SD 3.5 Flash 2.5 = $0.025; Medium 3.5 = $0.035, Turbo 4 = $0.04; Large 6.5 = $0.065; Ultra 8 = $0.08 |
| Upscale / edit | $0.02 / $0.60 | Usage | Fast upscaler 2 credits = $0.02; Erase/inpaint/remove background typically 5 = $0.05; Conservative upscaler 40 = $0.40; Creative upscaler 60 = $0.60; Control/edit price per endpoint |
| Audio / 3D | $0.26 | Usage | Fast 3D 10 credits = $0.10; Stable Audio 2.5 20 = $0.20 up to 3 minutes; Stable Audio 3.0 26 = $0.26 up to 6 minutes; Audio-to-audio by endpoint |
| Enterprise / self-hosted | contact sales | Contract | Bulk API discounts by quote; Open-weight/self-hosted models separate from API; Stable Video API discontinued, self-hosted model remains possible; Verify licence and infrastructure separately |

## Sources
All details regarding plans, limits, and features are based on official vendor documentation and the primary sources verified below.

- https://platform.stability.ai/pricing
- https://platform.stability.ai/docs
- https://stability.ai/api-pricing-update-25

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*Source: AI Compare Ninja (2026) - https://www.aicompare.ninja/en/tool/stability-ai-api*