---
title: "Z Image API — All variants, pricing, code samples | RunAPI"
url: "https://runapi.ai/models/z-image.md"
canonical: "https://runapi.ai/models/z-image.md"
locale: "en"
model: "Z Image"
provider: "Alibaba"
modality: "image"
variant_count: 1
price_from_cents: 1
---

# Z Image

Ultra-fast text-to-image — photorealistic results in ~1 second with 8 inference steps.

**Provider:** Alibaba
**Modality:** Image
**Catalog:** 1 endpoints

Z Image is Alibaba's ultra-fast text-to-image model that generates images in approximately one second using just 8 inference steps. It prioritizes generation speed while maintaining coherent, high-quality outputs.

## Variants

Single-SKU line. The SDK model ID is `z-image` and all usage details are documented here.

## Pricing

| Endpoint | Pricing | Billing |
|---|---|---|
| `text_to_image` | $0.010 | call |

## Spec sheet

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Model ID | `z-image` |
| Provider | Alibaba |
| Modality | image |
| Task type | asynchronous |
| Billing unit | call |
| API endpoint | `/api/v1/z_image/text_to_image` |


## Install

```sh
npm install @runapi.ai/z-image
# or
gem install runapi-z_image
```

## Quickstart

```sh
curl -X POST https://runapi.ai/api/v1/z_image/text_to_image \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $RUNAPI_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{ "model": "z-image", "prompt": "..." }'
```

## Context

Z Image is Alibaba's speed-optimized text-to-image model, generating results in ~1 second. Through RunAPI, it shares the same API shape and billing as all Alibaba models.

## FAQ

### Which variant should I start with?

Pick the cheapest variant that meets your quality bar. Most teams start on the fast variant and graduate to pro for production.

### Is there a free tier?

New accounts get free first calls on every model. After that, pay per call.

### Do you stream results?

Where streaming is available, RunAPI streams end-to-end.

### How are failures billed?

Failed generations are not charged.

### Are outputs cached?

Generated outputs are stored and retrievable by task ID. Inputs are not cached.

### Can I use commercially?

Yes — commercial use is included for every variant unless a model license explicitly restricts it, which is called out on the variant page.

### What about rate limits?

Per-key rate limits scale with usage tier. See pricing page for current limits.

### Where can I report issues?

Open an issue on the public GitHub repo or email support.