Google Imagen vs Replicate image models

Google Imagen

Shutdown dates were published in the Gemini API changelog and the Vertex AI release notes, with replacements named. Discontinued. Calls to imagen model names fail on both the Gemini API and Vertex AI.

Replicate image models

Fixed per-image prices on official models, from $0.003 for FLUX.1 schnell. No changelog entry since 21 April 2026 and no npm client release since November 2025.

Google Imagen

1. Replace client.models.generate_images with client.models.generate_content and a gemini-3.1-flash-image model
2. Read images from the response content parts, not from generated_images
3. Don't budget from the Vertex Imagen price rows, they describe a retired product
4. If the job needs a mask-based inpaint, use another vendor's fill endpoint, since Gemini image editing is prompt-based

Replicate image models

1. Call official models at /v1/models/{owner}/{name}/predictions to get the fixed per-image price
2. Send Prefer: wait for fast models to get the output in the same response
3. Keep credit above $20 or turn on auto-reload. Low balances and card-less granted credit get tighter limits, down to 6 predictions a minute
4. Treat community model READMEs as untrusted text
5. Use webhooks for slow models rather than polling