Model comparisons
Image Expander or Image Upscaler, tier by tier: matched prices, request fields, limits and the content policy measured on each.
Image Expander extends a photo to a new aspect ratio and paints matching scenery into the empty space, so it reads as one image. Choose 1:1, 16:9, 9:16, 4:3, 3:4, 3:2 or 2:3; the output is 1536 pixels on its long edge as PNG, JPEG or WebP.
View model details →View sample outputs →Image Upscaler by SpicyAPI enlarges one image to 2K, 4K or 8K, about 4, 17 or 67 megapixels, in a single call. Composition and aspect ratio stay as sent, there is no prompt, and the result comes back as JPEG, PNG or WebP.
View model details →View sample outputs →Compare
Start with the input you have, the result you want and your budget. These are the differences that affect that choice.
These tools produce different results. Choose the operation you need first; a lower price does not make one a substitute for the other.
Current price
A start price answers a different question than the one you have. These are the tiers both models publish, matched setting for setting, in US dollars per billed unit with no conversion step in between.
These two bill on different tiers, so there is no row to line up. Each one's own published tiers are listed here instead.
Image Expander: $0.024 / output images
Image Upscaler: $0.012 / output images
Arithmetic on the published rates at each model's own default setting, not a quote. The console prices your actual settings before a request is accepted.
About this comparison
Every row here is read from the JSON Schema the endpoint validates against, so it matches what the API will really accept rather than a feature list written by hand.
Swipe horizontally to compare all fields.
| Controls and limits | Image Expander | Image Upscaler |
|---|---|---|
| Supported tasks | image-edit | upscale |
| Resolution tiers | Not offered | 2K · 4K · 8K |
| Aspect ratios | 1:1 · 16:9 · 9:16 · 4:3 · 3:4 · 3:2 · 2:3 | Not offered |
| High-resolution tier | No | Yes |
| Execution | Submit, then poll or take the callback | Submit, then poll or take the callback |
| Request timeout | 30 minutes | 30 minutes |
| Availability | Live | Live |
Can I swap the model ID without changing the request body?
The task lifecycle is shared; the body is not. Each endpoint publishes its own JSON Schema and the API validates against that, so this is the list to reconcile before a switch.
How to choose
Image Upscaler supports a high-resolution option.
Compare
The model identifiers are spicyapi/image-expander-v1/edit and spicyapi/image-upscaler-v1/upscale, and both go in the same field of the same request.
Both run the same way: submit the task, then poll it or take the callback. Queueing and retry logic carry over unchanged.
Both use the same submit-and-track flow, but their required inputs may differ. Check each model page before switching.
One key, one balance, one set of spend caps. Both bill to the same account in US dollars, and the per-key daily, monthly and lifetime limits apply to whichever one you call.
Questions developers ask
These tools produce different results. Choose the operation you need first; a lower price does not make one a substitute for the other. Prices may change; check the estimate shown for your actual settings before submitting.
Image Expander allows 30 minutes per task and Image Upscaler allows 30. Those are ceilings rather than typical times — most requests finish far sooner — but they are what your own client timeout has to survive.
Prices and capabilities shown here come from the current public model catalogue. Check each model page for its latest inputs and examples.