ImageKit pricing and free tier limits, explained.
ImageKit bills the way most infrastructure does — in gigabytes, at rates it publishes — which already makes it easier to forecast than a credit pool. The wrinkle is that bandwidth isn't the only meter: video units, extension units and seats are counted separately and don't convert into one another. Here's what each tier actually includes.
The plans
Figures read from imagekit.io/plans on 17 September 2026. ImageKit can change plans at any time — check their page before you commit. Enterprise pricing isn't published, and no annual discount is shown. These are the Media Processing + DAM plans; ImageKit also sells DAM-only tiers. This page is published by PixelVault, which competes with ImageKit.
The three meters
A plan isn't one allowance, it's three — plus seats. Each runs down on its own and none of them top up the others.
Bandwidth
The headline meter — bytes delivered to viewers each month. This is the one most teams actually hit, because it scales with traffic rather than with how many images you own.
Video units
A separate monthly allowance for video processing: 500 on Free and Lite, 5,000 on Pro (then $9 per 10,000). Untouched if you only serve images, but it doesn't convert into bandwidth if you don't use it.
Extension units
A third allowance covering AI-ish extras — background removal, auto-tagging and similar. 650/month on Free and Lite, 4,000 on Pro (then $9 per 5,000).
What the free tier really gets you
20 GB of bandwidth a month and 3 GB of storage, which ImageKit characterises as roughly 1 million images delivered and roughly 10,000 files held. Those two numbers run out for different reasons, and it's worth knowing which one will bite first: bandwidth resets every month and scales with your traffic, while storage is a fixed ceiling that only ever goes up as you add images.
A low-traffic site with a big library hits the 3 GB wall. A popular page with a handful of images hits the 20 GB wall. Working out which shape you are is the single most useful thing you can do before picking a tier — and it's a genuinely generous free plan either way, with no trial clock on it.
Where the bill becomes hard to predict
Less hard than a credit model, to be fair: because ImageKit publishes its overage rates — $0.50/GB of bandwidth on Lite, $0.45 on Pro — a month that runs over is arithmetic rather than a surprise. That's a real advantage over hosts that cap you without saying what the next gigabyte costs.
The complication is the number of dials. Bandwidth, video units, extension units and seats are billed separately, so "what will ImageKit cost me" isn't one calculation, it's four. If you only serve images and never touch video or background removal, two of those allowances sit unused and you're funding capacity you don't draw on — the same critique that applies to any bundled plan.
Against Cloudinary
The comparison people usually want. At the entry paid tier the headline figures are nearly identical — ImageKit Pro is $89/month, Cloudinary Plus is $89/month billed annually — so price alone won't decide it. The models differ more than the numbers: ImageKit meters each resource separately with published rates, while Cloudinary draws storage, bandwidth and transformations from one shared credit pool. ImageKit is the more forecastable of the two; Cloudinary is the deeper toolset.
If you're mostly just hosting images
Both are transformation platforms with hosting attached. If your actual need is "store an image, serve it fast, occasionally resize it", a lot of what you're paying for on either plan is a rendering pipeline you'll use lightly. That's the case for a flat-rate host instead — and the case against, if transformations really are central to your product, in which case ImageKit's whole value is the part you'd be giving up. The full ImageKit alternatives roundup works through that trade-off across seven options.
ImageKit pricing FAQ
Is ImageKit free?
Yes, there is a Forever Free plan at $0 with 20 GB of monthly bandwidth, 3 GB of storage and 2 users. ImageKit describes 20 GB as roughly 1 million images a month and 3 GB as roughly 10,000 files. It is a genuine free tier rather than a trial, and it does not require a credit card.
What are ImageKit's free tier limits?
20 GB of bandwidth per month, 3 GB of media-library storage, 500 video units, 650 extension units, 2 users and 500 purge requests per month. Bandwidth resets monthly; storage is a fixed ceiling, so the free plan runs out either when your traffic grows or when your library does — whichever happens first.
How much does ImageKit cost?
Lite is $9/month and Pro is $89/month, both plus pay-as-you-go overages. Enterprise is quoted by sales. ImageKit does not publish an annual discount on its plans page, so the monthly figure is the figure.
Does ImageKit charge for bandwidth?
Yes, and unlike a credit model it charges for it directly. Lite includes 40 GB then bills $0.50/GB; Pro includes 225 GB then bills $0.45/GB. Because the overage rate is published, you can actually forecast a month that runs over — which is not true of every host in this category.
What is a video unit or an extension unit?
Two separate monthly allowances alongside bandwidth. Video units cover video processing (500 on Free and Lite, 5,000 on Pro, then $9 per 10,000). Extension units cover add-ons like background removal and auto-tagging (650 on Free and Lite, 4,000 on Pro, then $9 per 5,000). They are not interchangeable with each other or with bandwidth.
Is ImageKit cheaper than Cloudinary?
At the entry paid tier they are closer than people expect: ImageKit Pro is $89/month and Cloudinary Plus is $89/month billed annually. The real difference is the model. ImageKit meters bandwidth, storage, video units and extension units separately with published overage rates, while Cloudinary draws storage, bandwidth and transformations from one shared credit pool. Which is cheaper depends entirely on your mix, but ImageKit's bill is easier to predict.
Does ImageKit charge per user?
Yes, above the plan's included seats. Free includes 2 users, Lite 3, and Pro 5 with additional seats at $9 each per month. For a small team that is minor; for a larger content team it is a line item worth adding up before you compare headline prices.
One meter, not four
200 MB storage, 500 uploads/month, zero egress fees. No credit card.
See PixelVault pricing