OpenAI
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GPT Image 2.5 Flare API

GPT Image 2.5 Flare API: OpenAI's fast image model, from $0.008 per image.

Price per image85%off
1K
$0.008$0.0527
2K
$0.025$0.185
4K
$0.035$0.417
Get your API keyTry it in the playground
Model IDgpt-image-2.5-flareUpdated
generate.py
from openai import OpenAI
client = OpenAI(
    base_url="https://api.zurelay.com/v1",
    api_key="YOUR_ZURELAY_KEY",
)
image = client.images.generate(
    model="gpt-image-2.5-flare",
    prompt="A red fox sitting in fresh snow at dawn, photo",
    size="1536x1024",
    quality="high",
)
print(image.data[0].url)

Base URL https://api.zurelay.com/v1. Works with any OpenAI SDK. GPT Image guide

Sizes
Up to 3840 px
Price
By size, 1K to 4K
Input
Text, Image
Output
Image
Released
Sep 8, 2026
Status
Operational

Examples

Made with GPT Image 2.5 Flare. Straight from the API.

Every image here is a single API call with the prompt underneath it, not retouched or upscaled. They're shown as compressed WebP; the API returns full-quality PNG.

Make your own
  • Close-up portrait of an elderly fisherman with weathered, sun-creased skin and a short grey beard, wearing a yellow oilskin raincoat, standing on a harbor at dawn under soft overcast light. Shot on an 85mm lens at f/1.8, shallow depth of field, natural skin texture with pores and fine wrinkles, photorealistic.
  • Overhead photograph of a Neapolitan pizza fresh from a wood-fired oven, leopard-spotted blistered crust, torn fresh basil, pools of melted buffalo mozzarella, a drizzle of olive oil, on a floured wooden peel in a warm trattoria, natural window light, food magazine photography.
  • A small neighborhood coffee shop storefront at dusk after rain, a hand-painted gold window sign that reads "Morning Ritual Coffee & Pastries", warm light spilling onto the wet sidewalk, a barista visible inside, reflections in puddles, 35mm street photography, photorealistic.
  • Extreme macro photograph of a tiny jumping spider on a green leaf covered in morning dew, its large iridescent front eyes in razor-sharp focus, fine hairs visible, creamy green bokeh background, focus-stacked, National Geographic style.
  • A narrow Tokyo alley at night in the rain, glowing neon signs in Japanese reflected in puddles, a young woman holding a clear umbrella walking away from the camera, steam from a ramen stall, cinematic 35mm film still, Kodak Portra colors, photorealistic.
  • Luxury studio product photograph of a matte black mechanical wristwatch with a skeleton dial, resting on a slab of wet dark slate, scattered water droplets, dramatic rim lighting and soft reflections, 100mm macro lens, high-end advertising photography.

Pricing

GPT Image 2.5 Flare API pricing. A fraction of the list price.

Pay as you go from prepaid credit, with no subscription. Top up from $10. Requests that fail are never billed.

RateZurelayOpenAI list
1K image
up to 1024 × 1024, any quality
$0.008$0.0527
2K image
up to 2560 × 1440, any quality
$0.025≈$0.185
4K image
larger, to 3840 × 2160, any quality
$0.035≈$0.417

Priced by size, always high quality. OpenAI bills images by output tokens, which grow with the image's area, so its 2K and 4K prices (≈) are worked out from its 1024 × 1024 price.

Every GPT Image model and price
Savings calculator

Move the sliders to your monthly usage.

Images per month1,000
Resolution
Zurelay
$8.00
OpenAI list price
$52.70
You save every month$44.70

$536.40 a year

Cost

GPT Image 2.5 Flare API cost, worked out.

Typical workloads at Zurelay's live prices, next to the list price.

  • One image

    1 image at 1K.

    $0.008$0.0527 at list

  • A product catalog

    100 images at 2K.

    $2.50≈$18.50 at list

  • A month of social posts

    1,000 images at 1K.

    $8.00$52.70 at list

Overview

What is GPT Image 2.5 Flare?

GPT Image 2.5 Flare is OpenAI's fastest model for high-quality, everyday image generation, released on September 8, 2026. The GPT Image 2.5 Flare API on Zurelay makes and edits images from a text prompt and up to 16 reference images, through OpenAI-compatible endpoints. Every image is made at high quality, from $0.008 at 1K to $0.035 at 4K.

GPT Image 2.5 Flare is one of two image models OpenAI released on September 8, 2026, next to GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst. OpenAI calls Flare its fastest model for high-quality, everyday image generation and positions it as the default for most applications. It says Flare cuts latency by 50% compared with GPT Image 2, with image quality comparable to that model. The GPT Image 2.5 Flare API on Zurelay uses the model ID gpt-image-2.5-flare and also accepts the shorter name gpt-image-2.5.

Flare's recommended sizes are 1024x1024, 1536x1024 and 1024x1536, and it also takes custom WIDTHxHEIGHT sizes. Both edges must be multiples of 16, the aspect ratio must sit between 1:3 and 3:1, no edge may pass 3840 pixels, and the total must fall between 655,360 and 8,294,400 pixels. That reaches 4K frames like 3840x2160, but OpenAI treats anything above 2560x1440 as experimental. Quality can be low, medium or high, and Zurelay asks for high unless you set it.

Flare can put text inside images. For exact wording, OpenAI advises quoting the text in your prompt, naming its position and typography, and checking spelling in the result, because precise text placement can still slip. For transparent assets, set background to transparent and output_format to png or webp. JPEG output is also available and returns faster than PNG.

OpenAI bills GPT Image 2.5 by tokens for text input, image input and image output. Higher quality and larger sizes both add output tokens, so OpenAI's cost per image climbs as you raise either one. Zurelay makes every image at high quality and charges by the size you ask for: $0.008 up to 1024x1024 (1K), $0.025 up to 2560x1440 (2K) and $0.035 above that (4K), at any quality. Send requests to POST https://api.zurelay.com/v1/images/generations in the OpenAI images format and get a URL back by default, or base64 with response_format set to b64_json.

Strengths

Where GPT Image 2.5 Flare shines. And what teams build with it.

01

Built for speed

OpenAI calls Flare its fastest model for high-quality, everyday images. It reports 50% lower latency than GPT Image 2 at comparable image quality.

02

Simple prices by size

On Zurelay an image costs $0.008 up to 1024x1024 (1K), $0.025 up to 2560x1440 (2K) and $0.035 above that (4K), at any quality, and every image is made at high quality.

03

Flexible sizes

Use any size with edges in multiples of 16 and a ratio from 1:3 to 3:1, up to 3840 pixels on the long edge.

04

Transparent assets

Set background to transparent with PNG or WebP output to get cut-out images ready to drop into a layout.

Use cases

  • Social and creator content

    Post images, thumbnails and ad variations at the pace a content calendar needs.

  • In-app image features

    Generate images inside your product, where users wait on the result and latency matters.

  • Rapid prototyping

    Draft many concepts at 1K, then rerun the best ones at a larger size.

  • High-volume generation

    Catalog images, placeholders and variation sets where a set price per image at each size keeps the bill predictable.

Get started

Call GPT Image 2.5 Flare in three steps.

No waitlist and no new SDK. If your code already talks to OpenAI, it already talks to Zurelay.

  1. 1

    Create a key

    Sign up, add credit and create an API key. Set a monthly budget or a rate limit per key if you like.

    Get your API key
  2. 2

    Point your SDK at Zurelay

    Change the base URL. Everything else in your code stays the same.

    https://api.zurelay.com/v1
  3. 3

    Use gpt-image-2.5-flare

    Send a prompt to /v1/images/generations with a size and aspect ratio, and get back a link to your image.

    gpt-image-2.5-flare

Works with the tools you already use

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FAQ

GPT Image 2.5 Flare API questions.

Anything else? Ask our team and we’ll answer by email.

How much does the GPT Image 2.5 Flare API cost per image?

Zurelay charges gpt-image-2.5-flare by the size you ask for: $0.008 up to 1024x1024 (1K), $0.025 up to 2560x1440 (2K) and $0.035 above that (4K), so 1536x1024 and 1024x1536 are 2K and 3840x2160 is 4K. Quality doesn't change the price, and images are made at high quality unless you ask for another level. OpenAI bills by tokens, and its cost for a 1024x1024 image at high quality is about $0.0527, so you save 85%.

Is there a cheaper GPT Image 2.5 API than OpenAI's?

Yes. Zurelay serves GPT Image 2.5 Flare from $0.008 per image, 85% below OpenAI's approximate cost for a 1024x1024 high-quality image. Larger sizes cost $0.025 (2K) and $0.035 (4K).

How do I call the GPT Image 2.5 Flare API with the OpenAI SDK?

Create an OpenAI client with the base URL set to https://api.zurelay.com/v1 and your Zurelay API key. Call images.generate with model set to gpt-image-2.5-flare, a prompt, a size such as 1536x1024. You can also pass background, output_format and n (1 to 4). The response holds an image URL by default; set response_format to b64_json to get base64 instead.

What sizes and quality does GPT Image 2.5 Flare support on Zurelay?

The recommended sizes are 1024x1024, 1536x1024 and 1024x1536. Custom sizes work when both edges are multiples of 16, the ratio is between 1:3 and 3:1, no edge passes 3840 pixels and the total is between 655,360 and 8,294,400 pixels. OpenAI treats sizes above 2560x1440 as experimental. On Zurelay every image is made at high quality, whatever quality you pass. Sizes up to 1024x1024 cost $0.008, up to 2560x1440 $0.025, and larger $0.035.

GPT Image 2.5 Flare vs Sunburst: which should I use?

Start with Flare. OpenAI calls it its fastest model for everyday image generation and the default for most applications. Switch to Sunburst when you need the most detail and precision and can wait longer per image. On Zurelay both are priced by size, so test your prompts on each.

Can GPT Image 2.5 Flare render text and transparent backgrounds?

Yes to both. For exact text, put the words in quotes, say where they go and what typography to use, then check spelling, since OpenAI notes precise text placement can still slip. For a transparent background, set background to transparent and output_format to png or webp.

How long does Zurelay keep generated images?

Images are stored for 30 days behind the URL in the response. Download any image you want to keep before then. If you request b64_json, the image data comes back in the response itself.

Is this the same GPT Image 2.5 Flare model as OpenAI's?

Yes. Zurelay runs the same gpt-image-2.5-flare model and accepts requests in the OpenAI images format. Image generation varies from run to run, so the same prompt will not return byte-identical images. Zurelay is an independent service and is not affiliated with OpenAI.

Can I edit images or use reference images with GPT Image 2.5 Flare on Zurelay?

Yes. Call images.edit in the OpenAI SDK, which uploads your pictures to /v1/images/edits, or pass up to 16 images in images on /v1/images/generations, as https URLs or base64 data URLs. An edit costs the same as a new image of its size. Masks (inpainting) are not available, so describe the area to change in the prompt instead.

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