The Ideogram Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Ideogram in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Ideogram
The Insider’s Guide
Image generator for designs with text, plus editing and video apps
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI image and video generators, read from Ideogram’s own pages.
Made by Ideogram AI Inc · checked Oct 17, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Ideogram’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Ideogram’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.8
GPA, above 15 of the 21 other AI image and video generators we grade
Ideogram makes images from a written prompt, with its own models alongside partner models, and is pitched at designs that carry words, such as logos, posters and ads. It also edits and combines images, removes backgrounds, trains custom style models and makes short videos. Everything is paid for in credits, which reset monthly on paid plans and weekly on the free one.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Ideogram, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Free images are always public, though, and video, edits and partner models always cost credits.
- 1
Best for images with readable words in them
Ideogram is the image maker to try when the words in a picture have to come out right, like a logo, a poster or an ad.
- 2
Paid plans start at $15 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $15 per month for 2,400 credits, billed annually ($20 billed monthly).
- 3
There is a free plan
30 credits a week for accounts that sign in with Google, Apple or Microsoft. Everything made on the free plan is public, and the Video app needs a paid plan or bought credits.
- 4
It runs on 2 platforms
Web and iOS.
- 5
Several image models
Ideogram 4.5 edits and combines up to five reference images, 4.0 handles very wide formats, and 3.0 keeps style presets, palettes and negative prompts.
- 6
Editing and inpainting
Mask an area to change it, extend a scene, remove objects or backgrounds, and upscale results.
- 7
Transparent backgrounds
Dedicated models produce images with no background for stickers, print-on-demand designs, icons and clip art.
- 8
A 2.8 GPA, above 15 of 21
That is against the other AI image and video generators we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Ideogram you would be making an image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Ideogram at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $15 per month for 2,400 credits, billed annually ($20 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, iOS
- Made by
- Ideogram AI Inc
- Category
- AI Image & Video Generators
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
- Store rating
- 4.8 on the App Store, 2,667 ratings
The report card
Best for images with readable words in them
Ideogram is the image maker to try when the words in a picture have to come out right, like a logo, a poster or an ad. Plus is $15 a month on yearly billing for 2,400 credits, and the free plan gives 30 a week. Free images are always public, though, and video, edits and partner models always cost credits.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Plus is $15 a month on yearly billing ($20 monthly) for 2,400 credits and private images, just past this category's dearer quarter of $14.50. When credits run out, Ideogram's own models keep going in a slower queue, which softens it. |
| Free plan and trial | C | 30 credits a week, but only if you sign in with Google, Apple or Microsoft, and everything you make is public. The Video app needs a paid plan or bought credits. |
| Features | B | Several in-house models, masking and inpainting, transparent backgrounds for stickers and icons, custom style models trained on 15 to 100 of your images, a video app and an API. The whole job's covered, with text in images as its thing. |
| Ease of use | A | 4.8 from about 2,700 App Store ratings, the top band. Type the prompt with the words you want on the poster, and go. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web and iPhone, with one API for the image and video models and an MCP server for Claude. No Android or desktop app, and credits can't be bought in the iPhone app. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Ideogram is for
- Great if your images need readable words, like a logo, poster or ad
- Handy when you need stickers or icons on a see-through background
- Good for small teams who want separate credits for each person and one bill
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want free images kept private, as free-plan work is always public
- Tight if you lean on partner models, edits and video, which always cost credits
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $20 for Plus against $15 on yearly billing
Good to know
Good for
- Logos, posters and ads where the words in the image must be readable
- Trying an image generator free with a weekly allowance
- Small teams that want separate credits and central billing
Worth knowing
- Free credits go only to accounts signed in with Google, Apple or Microsoft, and free-plan images are always public.
- Monthly plan credits do not roll over. Extra credits cost one US cent each and expire 365 days after purchase.
- Partner models, reference images, edits, upscales and video always cost credits, even on plans with a slower unlimited queue.
- Credits cannot be bought inside the iOS app, and custom model training works on desktop only.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$15
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Ideogram has a free plan. Paid plans start at $15 per month for 2,400 credits, billed annually ($20 billed monthly).
When credits run out, Ideogram's own models keep going in a slower queue, which softens it.
Free
$0
30 credits a week, all Ideogram image models, and public images only.
Plus
$15
per month for 2,400 credits, billed annually ($20 billed monthly)
Private generation and quality export; after credits run out, Ideogram models keep working in a slower queue.
Pro
$42
per month for 7,500 credits, billed annually ($60 billed monthly)
Adds batch generation, a larger queue and custom model training.
Team
$20
per user / month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly)
3,600 credits per member each month, with central billing and admin. Minimum 2 users.
Enterprise
Custom
Terms, credits and features set by agreement, including a prepaid shared credit balance for organizations.
The free plan
30 credits a week for accounts that sign in with Google, Apple or Microsoft. Everything made on the free plan is public, and the Video app needs a paid plan or bought credits.
Read from docs.ideogram.ai on Oct 17, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Pay less with yearly billing
Yearly billing brings Plus from $20 to $15 a month, Pro from $60 to $42 and Team from $30 to $20 per user.
Stated on docs.ideogram.ai
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
2
Places it runs: Web and iOS
Image generator for designs with text, plus editing and video apps. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, image generation, video generation.
The whole job's covered, with text in images as its thing.
- Several image models
- Ideogram 4.5 edits and combines up to five reference images, 4.0 handles very wide formats, and 3.0 keeps style presets, palettes and negative prompts.
- Editing and inpainting
- Mask an area to change it, extend a scene, remove objects or backgrounds, and upscale results.
- Transparent backgrounds
- Dedicated models produce images with no background for stickers, print-on-demand designs, icons and clip art.
- Custom models
- Train a style model on 15 to 100 of your own images. Training needs Pro or Team and a standard run costs 4,000 credits.
- Video app
- Makes short clips from a prompt, from start and end frames, or from uploaded images, video and audio, using models such as Seedance.
- API and MCP server
- One API covers the image and video models, and an MCP server lets AI assistants such as Claude use Ideogram.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
What it works with
- Claude
Ideogram is made by Ideogram AI Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
15/21
Other AI image and video generators it is graded above
Ideogram's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 15 of the 21 other AI image and video generators we grade, and level with 3.
It stands best on ease of use (A, above 17 of 21) and worst on value for money (C, above 2).
Its paid plans start at $15 a month, against a middle price of $12 for the category: 13 of the 16 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.3 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 22 AI image and video generators we grade, cut by the letter each got. Ideogram’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 2 of 21
- CFree plan and trialAbove 3 of 21
- BFeaturesAbove 6 of 21
- AEase of useAbove 17 of 21
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 6 of 21
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 17 AI image and video generators. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Ideogram is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Ideogram you would be making an image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 15 of the 21 other AI image and video generators we grade. It costs $180 a year.
What you could not
- An image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make.
- A video model, which you can rent by the second but not make.
- A real app for iOS. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It plugs into other products, Claude among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Ideogram’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Midjourney, Recraft, Leonardo.Ai, Adobe Firefly and FLUX by Black Forest Labs
The 5 tools Ideogram is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.0GPA
Midjourney
From $8/mo
Image and short-video generator run on monthly GPU time.
- Ideogram has a free plan. Midjourney does not.
- Only Ideogram lists an iOS app.
- 2.6GPA
Recraft
Free plan · from $10/mo
Image and vector generator built for designers and brand work.
- Only Recraft lists an Android app.
- Only Recraft lists a browser extension.
- 3.0GPA
Leonardo.Ai
Free plan · from $12/mo
Image, video and 3D generator with its own and partner models.
- Only Leonardo.Ai lists an Android app.
- 3.0GPA
Adobe Firefly
Free plan · from $9.99/mo
Adobe's image, video and audio generator, with partner models.
- Only Adobe Firefly lists an Android app.
- Adobe Firefly also covers video editing.
- 2.0GPA
FLUX by Black Forest Labs
Free plan
FLUX image and video models, paid per use via API and playground.
- Only Ideogram lists an iOS app.
- FLUX by Black Forest Labs is self-hostable, according to its own site.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Ideogram free?
Ideogram has a free plan. 30 credits a week for accounts that sign in with Google, Apple or Microsoft.
How much does Ideogram cost?
Ideogram lists 5 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Ideogram work on?
Ideogram is available on Web and iOS.
Does Ideogram offer any discounts?
Ideogram publicly lists the following: Pay less with yearly billing.
How is Ideogram rated?
Ideogram's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2,667 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
Does Ideogram have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Ideogram is listed for Web and iOS.
Does Ideogram have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Ideogram is listed for Web and iOS.
Is Ideogram open source?
Ideogram is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
Does Ideogram have an API?
Yes. Ideogram offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Ideogram integrate with?
Ideogram's listing names Claude. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Ideogram?
Ideogram is made by Ideogram AI Inc.
What are the alternatives to Ideogram?
The closest alternatives to Ideogram in our directory are Midjourney, Recraft, Leonardo.Ai, Adobe Firefly and FLUX by Black Forest Labs.
How does Ideogram compare with other AI image and video generators?
Ideogram's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 15 of the 21 other AI image and video generators we grade, and level with 3.
Is Ideogram good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Ideogram C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $15 a month, against a middle price of $12 for the category: 13 of the 16 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Ideogram?
To replace Ideogram you would be making an image model, which you can rent by the picture but not make.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Ideogram’s own pages on Oct 17, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 17, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Ideogram's own pages on 17 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Ideogram AI Inc. Prices change, so check ideogram.ai before you buy.
- docs.ideogram.ai/plans-and-billing/available-plans
- docs.ideogram.ai/plans-and-billing/buying-extra-credits
- docs.ideogram.ai/plans-and-billing/team-plan
- docs.ideogram.ai/plans-and-billing/ideogram-api
- docs.ideogram.ai/help/frequently-asked-questions
- docs.ideogram.ai/create/models
- docs.ideogram.ai/create/video
- docs.ideogram.ai/create/custom-models
- docs.ideogram.ai/about-ideogram/company
- apps.apple.com/us/app/ideogram-ai-image-generator/id6476790495
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
1,880
Tools graded, in 47 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
1,880
tools graded
47
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Ideogram, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/ideogram
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Ideogram: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/ideogram
Know someone choosing between AI image and video generators?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/ideogram/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded AI image and video generators after Ideogram, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- AI Image & Video Generators Insider's GuideEvery one of the 22 AI image and video generators we grade, compared
- Adobe Firefly Insider's GuideAdobe's image, video and audio generator, with partner models3.0 GPA
- Leonardo.Ai Insider's GuideImage, video and 3D generator with its own and partner models3.0 GPA
- Magnific Insider's GuideFormerly Freepik: AI image, video and audio tools plus stock library3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Ideogram’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Ideogram is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Ideogram AI Inc. Prices and plans change: check ideogram.ai before you buy.