#cost-optimization

2 articles tagged

Tablet on a studio surface showing a grid of AI-generated image thumbnails

AI Tools · Jul 19, 2026 · 11 min read

8 AI image generation APIs compared: real per-image cost in 2026

A per-image cost comparison of 8 production image-generation APIs in July 2026, with the token math behind the headline prices, a 1,000-image monthly budget, and a decision guide for teams building image features.

Manu Shukla

#ai-image-generation #api-pricing #nano-banana-2

Two glowing data streams converging, retrieval versus long-context on a dark studio surface

Engineering · Jul 19, 2026 · 12 min read

2M-token context vs RAG in 2026: cost, latency and when each actually wins

Gemini 3.5 Pro's 2M-token context reopened the long-context vs RAG debate. Here is the real cost math, the accuracy that breaks mid-window, and a decision framework for backend and ML engineers in 2026.

Manu Shukla

#RAG #long-context #LLM