Comparison · Pricing
Video Encoding API Pricing, Explained
Encoding APIs price by the minute, by GPU-hour, or by subscription tier — and the fine print (egress, source fetch, queue time) moves the real number more than the headline rate. Here is how to compare honestly.
Models
The three pricing families
| Model | Example shape | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per minute/second | $0.004/min of input | VOD, variable volume | Input or output minutes? read the fine print |
| Per GPU-hour | $/hour of rented transcode capacity | Sustained heavy volume | Idle time, minimum commitments |
| Per-tier subscription | Monthly plan + included minutes | Predictable small volume | Overage rates, feature gating |
Hidden costs that change the bill
- Egress: what it costs to get the file back out (or is it included?)
- Source fetch: does the API pull from your bucket for free?
- Per-resolution multiples: 4K often bills 4× the 1080p minute
- Queue/priority: are fast lanes charged extra?
- Failed jobs: refunded or billed?
- Storage: keep it in your bucket, not theirs
Estimating your real cost
Real cost = (input minutes × per-resolution multiplier × codec multiplier) + egress + source-fetch. Build this on your actual catalog: a 10,000-hour 1080p H.264 library encoded to H.264 + HEVC + AV1 ladders is a very different number from a monthly 500-minute social upload.
Our model, plainly
| Line item | mlslabs |
|---|---|
| Unit | Per minute of input video |
| Failed jobs | $0 — auto-refunded |
| Egress | Write to your object storage; no egress charge from us |
| Resolutions | Single rate per minute; volume discounts |
| Batch | One queue, per-file callbacks, same rate |
FAQ
Common questions
Why do encoding prices vary so much?
Different unit definitions (input vs output minutes, per-resolution multiples, included vs billed egress) make headline rates incomparable. Normalize on your real workload.
Is per-minute or per-GPU-hour cheaper?
At low volume, per-minute wins (no idle cost). At very high sustained volume, owned/rented GPU capacity can beat it — model your utilization.
Do failed jobs cost money?
Not with us — credits auto-refund. Some vendors bill failed jobs; check before committing.
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