Photo to 3D Figurine: What It Really Costs
Concrete numbers: $0.50 to $2.40 per AI-generated figurine model depending on tier and credit pack, versus $50-$300+ to commission a 3D artist.
Short answer
A photo-to-figurine model on MakeIt3D costs 1 credit on the Quick tier or 3 credits on Precise. Most people use Precise for figurines. Credits cost $0.50 to $0.80 each, based on the pack size: 10 credits for $8 ($0.80 each), 30 for $20 ($0.66 each), or 100 for $50 ($0.50 each). So one Precise figurine model costs $1.50 to $2.40. A Quick draft costs $0.50 to $0.80. Subscribers pay less for each model. The Light plan costs $20 per month for 30 credits. This is 10 Precise figurines at $2.00 each. The Heavy plan costs $50 per month for 100 credits. This is 33 Precise figurines at $1.50 each. A 3D artist charges much more. One character model usually costs $50 to $300 or more and takes days. Sign-up is free and needs no credit card. See /pricing for the current credit packs and plans.
How the figurine math works
The cost of a figurine model is the tier credit cost times the price for each credit. This is each value with real numbers.
Pick the tier: 1 or 3 credits per generation
Quick costs 1 credit. Precise costs 3 credits. Figurines usually need Precise, because faces, hands, and clothing folds need its detail. Precise makes up to 500,000 polygons in about 2 to 4 minutes.
Know your price per credit
The credit packs set the rate. $8 buys 10 credits ($0.80 each). $20 buys 30 credits ($0.66 each). $50 buys 100 credits ($0.50 each). A larger pack cuts the cost for each figurine by more than a third.
Do the per-figurine math
A Precise figurine costs 3 credits. This is $1.50 on the largest pack and $2.40 on the smallest pack. A Quick draft costs $0.50 to $0.80. A workflow of two Quick drafts and one Precise final costs about $2.50 to $4.00 in total.
Subscribe if you make figurines regularly
Subscribe if you make figurines often. Light costs $20 per month for 30 credits. This is 10 Precise figurines at $2.00 each. Heavy costs $50 per month for 100 credits. This is 33 Precise figurines at $1.50 each. Annual plans cost less for each credit. Light costs $180 per year for 360 credits ($0.50 each). Heavy costs $450 per year for 1,200 credits ($0.375 each, or about $1.13 for each Precise figurine).
Compare against the alternatives
A character model from a freelance 3D artist usually costs $50 to $300 or more and takes days. AI generation gives you less control of the detail. But it costs about 100 times less and takes minutes.
Add printing costs if you want a physical figurine
The digital model is most of the creative work but little of the material cost. A palm-sized figurine uses a few dollars of filament or resin at home. A print service charges about $10 to $30, based on the size and the material.
FAQ
Can I try it for free?
Yes. An account is free and needs no credit card. Generating a model uses credits, which come from a credit pack or a subscription. See /pricing for current terms. Note: the app shares free-tier models to the community gallery under CC BY 4.0. Paid plans keep the models private by default.
Why does Precise cost 3 credits instead of 1?
Precise runs a heavier model, Hyper3D Rodin v2. It takes about 2 to 4 minutes and makes up to 500,000 polygons with PBR materials. It uses several times more compute than the Quick tier. The credit price shows this.
What is the cheapest possible cost per figurine?
On the Heavy annual plan, each credit costs $0.375. So a 3-credit Precise figurine costs about $1.13. For one-time packs, the $50 pack of 100 credits gives $1.50 for each Precise figurine.
Do I pay again to download different formats?
No. One generation lets you download the model as GLB, STL, OBJ, or 3MF. The format conversion runs in your browser and never uses credits.
How does this compare to hiring a 3D artist?
A freelance character artist usually charges $50 to $300 or more for each model and takes days. A complex character costs more. AI generation costs $0.50 to $2.40 and takes seconds to minutes. But an artist is better when you need exact control or rigging.
Do regenerations cost credits too?
Yes. Every generation costs its tier price. So draft on Quick for 1 credit, and use Precise only for the final photo. This pattern costs the least.