Pricing Overview

The cost for users is set at $15 for 115 credits. Each time a user generates an image by clicking the "generate" or "variations" button, one credit is deducted.

Let’s break down the math: 115 credits allow for four images per prompt, resulting in 460 images. This translates to a cost of approximately $0.032 per image, which might seem reasonable to some. However, the sentiment on Reddit suggests otherwise, with numerous users expressing frustration at the new pricing model.

User Reactions

Comments from users reflect their discontent:

• camacca280: "DALL-E has lost its unique charm with these pricing changes. It's frustrating that we can't choose a subscription model to avoid unexpected charges."
• battleship_hussar: "I expected a more affordable option, like $1-$5 for extra generations, while maintaining a quota of free generations each month."
• SmithMano: "The pricing feels too high for something that often yields unpredictable results. I’d prefer a low-res preview before committing to a payment."

OpenAI's Pricing Exploration

A DALL-E 2 administrator on Discord stated that the company is actively considering alternative pricing strategies. They aim to develop models that better align with user needs as they gather further insights.

Feedback on Discord indicates that users are largely dissatisfied with the new pricing framework.

Web Tool Updates

Current users of DALL-E 2 will notice a new “Buy credits” button on the homepage, alongside their remaining balance.

Furthermore, users can purchase credits in increments up to $750.

This raises the question: Is this investment truly worth it for 23,000 AI-generated images? Many users report that achieving a satisfactory image often requires multiple attempts, typically three to five, even when following best practices for prompt creation.

Credit Expiration Policies

An additional concern is the expiration policy for purchased credits: they are only valid for 12 months. In contrast, free credits expire after just one month. Despite this, both free and paid credits offer the same rights, including for commercial use. Users are questioning the necessity of these expiration terms.

Final Thoughts

At this juncture, many find the pricing to be excessive. MidJourney offers a more economical option, charging $10 for around 200 images, though its results may not be as coherent as those from DALL-E 2. Recently, I discovered another free tool, Disco Diffusion, which also generates impressive images from text prompts. For those interested, you can explore further details about this alternative.