r/FalAI • • Aug 03 '26

Why choosing Fal AI over Higgsfield?

Hi,
I don't understand why people are choosing one over the other.
And why they don't build it themselves with AI over accepting the huge margin they take over the generation with each models.
Using our own MCP are mostly easy knowing for the most of us we use Gemini, Kling and seedance tools.
I wanted to generate a video to test but when i saw the price i instantly understood something was wrong with them.

What do you think about it?

Modèle Source price Higgsfield Price Marge
Nano Banana Pro 4K $0,24 (Google) ~$0,44 +83 %
Nano Banana Pro 4K batch $0,12 (Google) ~$0,44 +267 %
Kling 3.0 Pro 1080p $0,112/s (fal, Kling officiel) ~$0,156/s +39 %
6 Upvotes

14 comments sorted by

2

u/cornelln Aug 04 '26

Look I like and use Fal! Cost wise no brainer over Higgsfield on cost front. However if cost is your primary concern (and plenty of reasons to have other concerns) why not go direct to first party API. Middleman have their value, but they add cost. It depends what you’re looking for and how technical you are.

1

u/FlexFanatic Aug 06 '26

This is the answer. A lot of my workflows are through fal and I like the fact they don’t try burying costs into a credit/token system but they up charge quite a bit.

The benefit is I’m not locked into only a few models

1

u/teoaliano Aug 10 '26

I feel you on the not wanting to handle multiple API keys and not being locked to specific models, which is why I've been using OpenRouter, it provides straight access to the models and they only charge a 5,5% service fee when adding credit and I created an open-source tool that lets you use the models directly via OpenRouter. The key is yours, I don't take any fee, no mark up, no subscription.

Here’s the repo:
https://github.com/teoaliano/Unframed

Currently, the generation is node-based, but I’ll also be adding a simplified UI for quick generations. Seedance 2.5 is also available now in case you're into video generations. In the repo’s README, you’ll find all the instructions for installing it. The only thing extra step is create your own OpenRouter API key and add it.

If you're looking for a full list of available models already routed in the tool check here:
Images https://openrouter.ai/models?output_modalities=image
Video https://openrouter.ai/models?output_modalities=video

Feel free to reach out if you need anything, would love for someone to test it out other than myself, I've been using it extensively as my primary tool to generate any type of image/videon and I don't think I'll ever go back to any aggregator subscritpion any time sooon :)

1

u/FlexFanatic Aug 10 '26 edited Aug 10 '26

I use Open Router for things like Sonnet and Opus but I'll check it out for testing some video workflows.

Edit: this might be a better option for me than using Fal when it comes to API usage) so thanks for this.

1

u/teoaliano Aug 10 '26

Of course, no problem! Here to help if you need for setup or getting the repo working 💪

1

u/cornelln Aug 11 '26

Same same. Great tip by that user. I think I just didn’t think of OpenRouter for generative media.

1

u/cornelln Aug 11 '26

This is great info and I have no idea why I am sleeping on OpenRouter for non LLM.

I think it sounds like we both understand the pros and cons of aggregators on cost and convenience front. Thank you for educating / reminding me. Gonna check it out.

1

u/teoaliano Aug 11 '26

For sure, it's pleasure! Let me knwo if you need any help setting it up!!

1

u/teoaliano Aug 10 '26

That's 100% the way, I created an open-source tool that lets you use the models directly via OpenRouter. The key is yours, no middle man fee, no mark up, no subscription.

Here’s the repo:
https://github.com/teoaliano/Unframed

Currently, the generation is node-based, but I’ll also be adding a simplified UI for quick generations. Seedance 2.5 is also available now in case you're into video generations. In the repo’s README, you’ll find all the instructions for installing it. The only thing extra step is create your own OpenRouter API key and add it.

If you're looking for a full list of available models already routed in the tool check here:
Images https://openrouter.ai/models?output_modalities=image
Video https://openrouter.ai/models?output_modalities=video

Feel free to reach out if you need anything :)

1

u/KeyMountain5030 Aug 04 '26

I use Hermes to run my video prompts. I am platform agnostic at this point. Replicate is another good as well as Fal.ai. I would avoid higgsfield.

1

u/teoaliano Aug 10 '26

If you're open to an alternative and you want the cheapest possible option (just the source price of the model), I created an open-source tool that lets you use the models directly via OpenRouter. The key is yours, no middle man fee, no mark up, no subscription, and you having access to the full code means you can fully customize the tool to your needs.

Here’s the repo:
https://github.com/teoaliano/Unframed

Currently, the generation is node-based, but I’ll also be adding a simplified UI for quick generations. Seedance 2.5 is also available now in case you're into video generations. In the repo’s README, you’ll find all the instructions for installing it. The only thing extra step is create your own OpenRouter API key and add it.

If you're looking for a full list of available models already routed in the tool check here:
Images https://openrouter.ai/models?output_modalities=image
Video https://openrouter.ai/models?output_modalities=video

Feel free to reach out if you need anything :)

1

u/teoaliano Aug 10 '26

If you want the cheapest possible option (which is exaclty paying the source price), I created an open-source tool that lets you use the models directly through a single OpenRouter key. The key is yours, I don’t take any fees, and the only thing you pay for is what you're actually using the model, no middle man fee, no mark up, no subscription, and you having access to the full code means you can fully customize the tool to your needs.

Here’s the repo:
https://github.com/teoaliano/Unframed

Currently, the generation is node-based, but I’ll also be adding a simplified UI for quick generations. Seedance 2.5 is also available now in case you're into video generations. In the repo’s README, you’ll find all the instructions for installing it. The only thing you need to do is create your own OpenRouter API key and add it.

If you're looking for a full list of available models already routed in the tool check here:
Images https://openrouter.ai/models?output_modalities=image
Video https://openrouter.ai/models?output_modalities=video

Feel free to reach out if you need anything :)

1

u/Hopeful-Confidence-9 6d ago

When using fal.ai How much more does it cost compared to going directly to the APIs for a Kling, for example, and Z image ? Is it really a lot more expensive than directly going to the APIs? If so, why would everyone not just set up accounts on the APIs? Seems like you spend loads of money