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.
Next step
Install the Pixeltable skill, or sign up for Cloud and run the same file on a hosted database.