OpenAI
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GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst API

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst API: OpenAI's most capable 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-sunburstUpdated
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-sunburst",
    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 Sunburst. 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
  • Portrait of a young woman with red hair and freckles sitting by a large window, soft morning light falling across her face, a knitted cream sweater, green eyes in sharp focus, natural skin texture, shot on medium format film, 80mm lens, photorealistic editorial portrait.
  • Golden hour in the Icelandic highlands: a lone red wooden cabin beside a braided glacial river, low mist drifting over black volcanic sand, snow-capped mountains lit pink by the setting sun, ultra-detailed landscape photograph, 24mm lens, polarizing filter.
  • Sunlit Scandinavian living room, a linen sofa in oatmeal tones, a light oak floor, a ceramic vase with dried grasses, floor-to-ceiling windows looking onto a pine forest, soft shadows, architectural digest interior photography, photorealistic.
  • Close-up of espresso pouring from a bottomless portafilter into a glass cup, rich tiger-striped crema, a thin golden stream, steam, a dark café background with warm bokeh, 100mm macro, high shutter speed, commercial coffee photography.
  • Interior of an old independent bookshop, tall wooden shelves packed with books, a rolling library ladder, a chalkboard sign on the counter that reads "Staff Picks This Week", warm lamp light, dust in a sunbeam, 35mm photograph, photorealistic.
  • A ruby-throated hummingbird hovering beside a red trumpet flower, wings frozen mid-beat, iridescent green feathers in sharp detail, soft green garden background, wildlife photography, 600mm lens, 1/8000s shutter.

Pricing

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst 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 Sunburst 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 Sunburst?

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst is OpenAI's most capable image model, tuned for quality and precision and released on September 8, 2026. The GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst API on Zurelay makes and edits detailed 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 Sunburst is the quality-first of the two image models OpenAI released on September 8, 2026. OpenAI calls it its most capable model for image generation and editing, and describes it as the base model, optimized for quality, with higher image quality than GPT Image 2. It spends longer per image than GPT Image 2.5 Flare, the faster default. The GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst API on Zurelay uses the model ID gpt-image-2.5-sunburst.

OpenAI says the GPT Image 2.5 models bring sharper detail, more natural lighting, richer textures and better handling of complex layouts, with Sunburst as the one built for precision. OpenAI points to production-ready campaign creative and polished product imagery as its main uses. OpenAI also built it for precise editing, and Zurelay serves both new images and edits from reference images.

Sunburst takes the same settings as Flare. The recommended sizes are 1024x1024, 1536x1024 and 1024x1536, and custom sizes work when both edges are multiples of 16, the ratio is between 1:3 and 3:1 and no edge passes 3840 pixels. OpenAI treats anything above 2560x1440 as experimental. On Zurelay, every image is made at high quality. OpenAI notes that a higher setting does not guarantee a better result for every prompt, and suggests comparing medium and high for small text, dense information or multiple fonts.

OpenAI charges Sunburst and Flare the same token rates, so on OpenAI an image's cost depends on its size and quality. Higher quality and larger sizes add output tokens, and those are the settings Sunburst is chosen for. Zurelay makes every image at high quality and charges by size: $0.008 up to 1024x1024 (1K), $0.025 up to 2560x1440 (2K) and $0.035 above that (4K). 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 Sunburst shines. And what teams build with it.

01

OpenAI's top image quality

OpenAI calls Sunburst its most capable image model, with higher image quality than GPT Image 2.

02

Built for precision

Sunburst spends more time per image to hold fine detail. That suits product shots and layouts where small flaws show.

03

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), and every image is made at high quality.

04

Large canvases

Render up to 3840 pixels on the long edge, with sizes above 2560x1440 marked experimental by OpenAI.

Use cases

  • Campaign creative

    Ad visuals and key art headed for production, where lighting and texture need to hold up.

  • Product imagery

    Polished product shots and lifestyle scenes for stores, catalogs and launch pages.

  • Posters and infographics

    Graphics with text in the image, made at high quality. Check spelling before you publish.

  • Hero and large-format images

    Wide banners, website heroes and 4K wallpapers using custom sizes up to 3840 pixels on the long edge.

Get started

Call GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst 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-sunburst

    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-sunburst

Works with the tools you already use

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FAQ

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst API questions.

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

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

Zurelay 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), 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 Sunburst API?

Yes. Zurelay serves Sunburst 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 Sunburst API?

Point the OpenAI SDK at https://api.zurelay.com/v1 with your Zurelay API key and call images.generate with model set to gpt-image-2.5-sunburst. Pass a prompt and a size, plus background, output_format or n (1 to 4) if you need them. You get image URLs by default, or base64 with response_format set to b64_json.

What sizes and quality does GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst 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, and a 1024x1024 square comes back at 1254x1254.

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst vs Flare: what is the difference?

OpenAI tunes Sunburst for image quality and precision, and Flare for speed. Sunburst takes longer per image, while Flare is OpenAI's default for most applications. Both take the same sizes. On Zurelay both are priced by size, Sunburst from $0.008.

Does GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst render text well?

It can render text in images, and OpenAI suggests medium or high quality for small text, dense information or multiple fonts. Put exact wording in quotes, say where it goes, and spell unusual words letter by letter if needed. OpenAI notes precise text placement can still slip, so check spelling before you publish.

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 Sunburst model as OpenAI's?

Yes. Zurelay runs the same gpt-image-2.5-sunburst 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 Sunburst on Zurelay?

Yes. OpenAI built Sunburst with editing precision in mind. 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 that size. Masks (inpainting) are not available, so describe the area to change in the prompt instead.

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