In short
A rendering is made of preparation, compute time and post-production. With studios the labour dominates, which is why a second view costs almost as much as the first. With software that owns the compute, the subscription dominates and additional views cost almost nothing. Quotes only become comparable once revision rounds, usage rights and delivered file formats are included.
The three items
Preparation
Models from planning are rarely render-ready: materials missing, parts duplicated, no surroundings. This cost is independent of the number of images.
Compute
Pure technology. A Full HD still takes minutes on a GPU; 8K has sixteen times the pixels and takes correspondingly longer.
Post-production
Sky, people, colour grading. This is handwork and the reason staged images cost more than factual ones.
What the model calls cost
Where images come from an image model, the compute side is public. Google charges 0.134 US dollars per 1K/2K image, 0.24 for 4K, and 0.10 per second of video at 720p (September 2026).
A full package of ten images and two eight-second clips therefore sits at roughly three US dollars in model cost. That is the cost side, not a sales price — but it explains why flat rates for many images are possible at all.
What quotes leave out
Revision rounds
Two are common. The third is extra.
Usage rights
Site hoarding, brochure, listing — unlimited in time and place?
Files
Screen-size JPG only, or full resolution?
Questions and answers
What does a single image cost with VEDUTUM?
Images are part of the plan rather than priced individually. The raw model cost per image is a few cents up to about 25 US cents depending on resolution.
Why do you not quote studio prices?
Because they depend on project, region and scope, and we will not repeat price lists we cannot verify. Ask two studios for the same scope instead.
Is a more expensive image better?
It is usually more staged. For design review and permits a factual image is often more useful.
How many images does a project need?
Two or three for a review. Four to eight for marketing, plus one interior per apartment type.
Sources
This article also exists in German: read the German version.
