Cost
What is model API cost?
Model API cost is the provider’s invoice for embeddings, transcription, vision, and chat. It is usually the surprise next to hosting.
Updated · Part of What does an open-source multimodal AI stack cost?
How it works
- A computed column calls a hosted model.
- That vendor bills tokens, seconds, or images.
- A local model moves the cost to your hardware instead.
What it is not
It is not the database subscription, and it is not GPU rental on a machine you already own.
model API cost: this, and the thing it is confused with
| This | Not this | |
|---|---|---|
| Who bills | The model vendor | The database, for the call itself |
| Trigger | A column that calls the model | Storing the row |
| Avoid a repeat | Cache the column | Hope |
Where Pixeltable fits
Pixeltable does not mark up those calls. The key is yours. Cached columns skip repeat calls when the row has not changed.
Questions
- How does model API cost work?
- A computed column calls a hosted model. That vendor bills tokens, seconds, or images. A local model moves the cost to your hardware instead.
- What is model API cost often confused with?
- It is not the database subscription, and it is not GPU rental on a machine you already own.