What Is Black Forest Labs?
Black Forest Labs is an AI company that builds the FLUX family of models. FLUX 3 Image makes and edits images from text prompts and reference images. FLUX 3 Video makes video clips with optional sound. People can use the models through a browser Playground, through an API, which lets software send requests to the models, or by downloading open weights, which are model files you run yourself.
Who Should Use Black Forest Labs?
Black Forest Labs is mainly for developers, product teams and agencies that want to add image or video generation to their own apps and services. Companies that need volume discounts or support can contact the Enterprise team. Teams with their own computers can self-host open-weight models, but they need a license first.
How Does Black Forest Labs Work?
- Create an account in the Black Forest Labs dashboard.
- Add credits, which cost $0.01 each, and create an API key.
- Send a request to a FLUX model endpoint with your prompt and settings.
- Check the polling link in the response until the status shows Ready.
- Download the image or video from the signed link within 10 minutes.
Black Forest Labs Pricing and Plans
Based on the pricing screenshot, Black Forest Labs sells its models through pay-as-you-go API pricing, shown per image. The screenshot shows the FLUX 3 Image tab only, so prices for FLUX 3 Video, FLUX.2, FLUX.1 and the image and video tools are not covered. FLUX 3 Image costs $0.041 to $0.607 per image, depending on size. FLUX 3 Image Klein costs $0.008 to $0.036. Enterprise has custom pricing, volume discounts and SLA guarantees.
| Plan | Price | Billing | Main Features and Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| FLUX 3 Image | $0.041 (768×768), $0.048 (1K), $0.07 (1.5K), $0.10 (2K), $0.607 (4K) per image | Per image | Text to image and image to image |
| FLUX 3 Image Klein | $0.008 (768×768), $0.009 (1K), $0.011 (1.5K), $0.014 (2K), $0.036 (4K) per image | Per image | 5.6B parameters, runs on a single consumer GPU |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing | Not stated | Volume discounts, SLA guarantees, dedicated support |
Official pricing page: https://blackforestlabs.ai/pricing
Is Black Forest Labs Free?
Black Forest Labs does not list a free plan on its pricing page. It says there are no subscriptions or seat fees, and users pay for what they generate with credits. Open-weight models can be downloaded, but they need a license. Free credits for new users could not be confirmed.
Black Forest Labs Key Features
FLUX 3 Image
FLUX 3 Image makes and edits images through one endpoint. Users can place elements in boxes on a canvas, describe each one and add up to ten reference images. Output goes up to 4K. The screenshot lists text-to-image and image-to-image for this model.
FLUX 3 Image Klein
FLUX 3 Image Klein is a smaller, open-weight version of FLUX 3 Image with 5.6B parameters. It runs on a single consumer GPU, down to an RTX 3090. The Distilled variant is for fast generation, and the Base variant is for fine-tuning and LoRA training.
FLUX 3 Video
FLUX 3 Video makes clips up to 20 seconds from text, an image, keyframes or an existing video. It can add native audio, including speech and sound effects, at no extra charge. Draft mode gives a faster, cheaper HD preview before a full render.
FLUX API
The FLUX API works by sending a request, then checking a polling link until the image is ready. It supports EU and US regional endpoints. Users add credits in the dashboard, and one credit costs $0.01. A browser Playground and an MCP server also let users try the models.
FLUX Image and Video Tools
Black Forest Labs also offers FLUX tools for common image jobs. Release notes list Outpainting, Erase for object removal, Virtual Try-On and Deblur. A Video Upscale tool raises video size by 1.5 to 3 times. The pricing page lists Outpainting, Eraser and Virtual Try-On.
Should You Use Black Forest Labs?
Black Forest Labs suits developers and teams that want to add image or video generation to a product, pay only for what they use and optionally run open-weight models themselves. It is less simple for people who want a ready-made app with a monthly plan. Image links expire quickly, and commercial use of open weights needs a license. This overview is based on publicly available product information and is not a hands-on review.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Pricing is pay as you go, with no subscriptions or seat fees.
- FLUX 3 Image Klein is the lower-priced model in the screenshot, from $0.008 per image.
- Open-weight models can be self-hosted and fine-tuned with a license.
- One company covers image, video and image tools, with Enterprise SLA support.
Cons
- The main route is an API, so it needs a developer workflow.
- Signed image links last only 10 minutes, so files must be downloaded quickly.
- Remaining credits cannot be refunded or exchanged when an account closes.
- The terms do not allow using outputs to train or fine-tune other AI models.
Popular Black Forest Labs use cases
Image Features in Apps
Developers can send prompts to the API and add image generation to websites, apps and tools.
Layout-Controlled Image Editing
Designers can place elements in boxes on a canvas and edit one region without changing the rest.
Video With Sound
Teams can make clips up to 20 seconds from text, images or keyframes, with optional audio.
Self-Hosted Custom Models
Teams with a license can run Klein on their own GPU and train a LoRA to teach it a new style.
Frequently asked questions
Is Black Forest Labs free?
Black Forest Labs does not list a free plan on its pricing page. Pricing is pay as you go, with credits that cost $0.01 each. Open-weight models can be downloaded, but they need a license. Free credits for new users could not be confirmed.
What are the limits of the Black Forest Labs Free plan?
Black Forest Labs has no Free plan listed, so these are the pay-as-you-go limits from its docs. An account can have up to 24 active tasks, and extra requests return a 429 error. A 402 error means you are out of credits. Image links expire after 10 minutes.
How much does FLUX 3 Image cost per image?
In the screenshot, FLUX 3 Image costs $0.041 at 768×768, $0.048 at 1K, $0.07 at 1.5K, $0.10 at 2K and $0.607 at 4K. FLUX 3 Image Klein costs $0.008 to $0.036 across the same sizes.
Can I run Black Forest Labs models on my own computer?
Yes, for open-weight models such as FLUX 3 Image Klein. It runs on one consumer GPU, down to an RTX 3090. You need a license, and commercial licenses come in tiers with limits on images per month, domains and users.
Can Black Forest Labs make videos?
Yes. FLUX 3 Video makes clips up to 20 seconds from text, an image, keyframes or a video. It can add native audio at no extra charge. Video is priced per second of output, not per image.
