Cheapest Photogrammetry API — Image to 3D

The cheapest photogrammetry API for converting product photos to 3D meshes. One POST call, async polling, GLB or OBJ output in 30–90 seconds. $0.010 per model — half the price of Meshy and 20× cheaper than Tripo3D. 5,000 free trial credits (7 days), no credit card.

Quick start — one API call to 3D

Sign up, copy your key from the dashboard, and POST your product image. The endpoint returns a job_id immediately. Poll until status=completed, then download the GLB or OBJ file from output_url.

curl -X POST https://api.pixelapi.dev/v1/3d/generate \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -F "image=@product.jpg" \
  -F "format=glb" \
  -F "texture_size=1024"
# Response: {"job_id": "uuid", "status": "queued"}

# Poll until completed
curl https://api.pixelapi.dev/v1/3d/status/UUID \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
# Response: {"status": "completed", "output_url": "https://...model.glb"}

pip install pixelapi
---
from pixelapi import PixelAPI

client = PixelAPI(api_key="YOUR_API_KEY")
result = client.image_to_3d(image="product.jpg", format="glb", texture_size=1024)
result.save("product.glb")  # ready for Unity / Blender / Three.js

npm install pixelapi
---
import { PixelAPI } from "pixelapi";

const client = new PixelAPI({ apiKey: process.env.PIXELAPI_KEY });
const result = await client.imageTo3D({ image: "./product.jpg", format: "glb" });
await result.save("product.glb");

composer require pixelapi/pixelapi
---
<?php
use PixelAPI\Client;

$client = new Client(getenv("PIXELAPI_KEY"));
$result = $client->imageTo3D(["image" => "product.jpg", "format" => "glb"]);
file_put_contents("product.glb", $result->getBody());

gem install pixelapi
---
require "pixelapi"

client = PixelAPI::Client.new(api_key: ENV["PIXELAPI_KEY"])
result = client.image_to_3d(image: "product.jpg", format: "glb")
File.binwrite("product.glb", result.body)

go get github.com/pixelapi/pixelapi-go
---
import "github.com/pixelapi/pixelapi-go"

client := pixelapi.New("YOUR_API_KEY")
result, err := client.ImageTo3D("product.jpg", pixelapi.GLB)
if err != nil { panic(err) }
result.Save("product.glb")

Cheapest photogrammetry API — pricing vs rivals

PixelAPI is the cheapest photogrammetry API with public, pay-as-you-go pricing. No monthly minimum, no subscription required to access the API. The pricing rule is simple: exactly half the cheapest mainstream rival rate.

Meshy pricing verified from docs.meshy.ai/en/api/pricing, October 2026. Tripo3D pricing verified from developers.tripo3d.ai/en/pricing (1 credit = $0.01 USD, 20 credits/model), October 2026. Rodin verified from search of hyper3d.ai/pricing, October 2026. PixelAPI price from canonical pricing audit — always exactly half the cheapest rival's published pay-as-you-go rate.

What you get back

How the API works — async polling pattern

3D generation takes 30–90 seconds, so the API is asynchronous. The flow is always the same three steps:

1. POST your image to /v1/3d/generate → receive a job_id instantly
2. Poll GET /v1/3d/status/{job_id} every 3–5 seconds until status=completed
3. Download the 3D file from output_url returned in the status response

The Python and Node SDKs abstract all three steps into a single awaited call. For raw HTTP clients, the recommended poll interval is 3 seconds with a 5-minute timeout ceiling.

Common workflows

The photogrammetry API fits directly into these production pipelines:

Integrations & SDKs

Comparison vs alternatives

Rate limits & error handling

20 requests/minute on the free trial, 60 on Starter, 120 on Pro, and 300 on Scale — with 3/10/20/50 concurrent jobs respectively. Higher limits available for batch processing pipelines — contact support@pixelapi.dev with your expected volume.

Exceeding the rate limit returns HTTP 429 with a Retry-After header. Recommended: exponential backoff starting at 3 seconds, doubling on each retry up to 60 seconds. The Python and Node SDKs handle this automatically.

# Python SDK auto-retries 429 and polls the job automatically
from pixelapi import PixelAPI
client = PixelAPI(api_key="...", max_retries=4)
result = client.image_to_3d(image="product.jpg", format="glb")
result.save("product.glb")  # SDK handles polling + retry internally

Failed jobs (status=failed) are automatically detected. Credits for failed generations are refunded — you are never charged for a job that did not complete successfully.

Input tips for best mesh quality

The photogrammetry algorithm extracts 3D structure from a single 2D image, so input quality matters. For best results:

• Use a plain or white background — high contrast between object and background improves edge segmentation
• Shoot from a 3/4 angle (slightly above and to the side) rather than perfectly flat-on
• Ensure even, diffuse lighting with no harsh shadows or blown highlights
• JPG at 1–5 MB is ideal — very large files (>20 MB) do not meaningfully improve output quality
• WebP inputs are accepted and produce identical results to JPG at the same effective resolution

Frequently asked questions