# Provider Comparison

Compare AI providers available in the AI Content Generation Suite.

## Provider Overview

| Provider | Services | Pricing Model | Best For |
|----------|----------|---------------|----------|
| FAL AI | Images, Video, Audio | Pay-per-use | General content generation |
| Google | Gemini, Veo | Pay-per-use | Analysis, enterprise video |
| ElevenLabs | Text-to-Speech | Subscription + usage | Professional voice synthesis |
| OpenRouter | Multiple models | Pay-per-use | Model variety |
| Replicate | Specialized models | Pay-per-use | Specific model access |

---

## FAL AI

### Overview

FAL AI is the primary provider offering the widest range of models for image and video generation.

**Website:** <https://fal.ai>

### Strengths

- Large selection of models (30+)
- Competitive pricing
- Fast inference times
- Good documentation
- Reliable uptime

### Weaknesses

- Some models have rate limits
- Premium models can be expensive
- Less enterprise support options

### Available Models

| Category | Models | Price Range |
|----------|--------|-------------|
| Text-to-Image | FLUX, Imagen4, Seedream | $0.001-0.004 |
| Image-to-Image | Photon, FLUX Kontext | $0.015-0.05 |
| Image-to-Video | Veo 3, Kling, Sora | $0.25-3.60 |
| Text-to-Video | Hailuo Pro, Sora | $0.08-6.00 |

### Setup

```env
FAL_KEY=your_fal_api_key
```

Get key: <https://fal.ai/dashboard>

### Best For

- High-volume image generation
- Video content creation
- Budget-conscious projects
- Rapid prototyping

---

## Google (Gemini & Veo)

### Overview

Google provides AI services through Gemini (understanding) and Veo (video generation) via Vertex AI.

**Website:** <https://cloud.google.com/vertex-ai>

### Strengths

- Enterprise-grade reliability
- Strong image understanding
- High-quality video generation
- Extensive documentation
- Integration with Google Cloud

### Weaknesses

- More complex setup
- Higher costs for video
- Requires Google Cloud account

### Available Models

| Category | Models | Price Range |
|----------|--------|-------------|
| Image Understanding | Gemini variants | $0.001-0.002 |
| Video Generation | Veo 2, Veo 3 | $0.40-1.50 |

### Setup

```env
GEMINI_API_KEY=your_gemini_api_key
PROJECT_ID=your-gcp-project-id
```

Additional setup:
```bash
gcloud auth login
gcloud auth application-default login
gcloud config set project your-project-id
```

### Best For

- Image analysis and understanding
- Enterprise applications
- Google Cloud integration
- High-reliability requirements

---

## ElevenLabs

### Overview

ElevenLabs specializes in text-to-speech with natural-sounding voices.

**Website:** <https://elevenlabs.io>

### Strengths

- Highest quality voice synthesis
- 20+ voice options
- Voice cloning capabilities
- Emotional expression control
- Excellent documentation

### Weaknesses

- Only does text-to-speech
- Can be expensive at scale
- Character limits on some tiers

### Available Models

| Model | Quality | Speed | Price |
|-------|---------|-------|-------|
| Standard | Good | Fast | $0.03/request |
| Turbo | Good | Faster | $0.03/request |
| v3 | Excellent | Medium | $0.08/request |

### Voice Options

| Voice | Description | Best For |
|-------|-------------|----------|
| Rachel | Young female, neutral | Narration |
| Josh | Young male, friendly | Explainers |
| Bella | British female | Formal content |
| Adam | Deep male | Documentaries |
| ... | 20+ more voices | Various |

### Setup

```env
ELEVENLABS_API_KEY=your_elevenlabs_api_key
```

Get key: <https://elevenlabs.io/app/settings>

### Best For

- Professional narration
- Voice-over production
- Podcast content
- Audiobook creation

---

## OpenRouter

### Overview

OpenRouter provides access to multiple AI models through a unified API.

**Website:** <https://openrouter.ai>

### Strengths

- Access to many models
- Single API for multiple providers
- Pay-per-use pricing
- No subscriptions required

### Weaknesses

- Middleman pricing overhead
- Dependent on upstream providers
- Less specialized than direct providers

### Setup

```env
OPENROUTER_API_KEY=your_openrouter_api_key
```

Get key: <https://openrouter.ai/keys>

### Best For

- Model comparison
- Fallback options
- Specific model access

---

## Replicate

### Overview

Replicate hosts open-source and specialized AI models.

**Website:** <https://replicate.com>

### Strengths

- Open-source model access
- Unique specialized models
- Run custom models
- Good for experimentation

### Weaknesses

- Variable model quality
- Some models have cold starts
- Less consistent pricing

### Available Models

| Model | Category | Price |
|-------|----------|-------|
| Seedream-3 | Text-to-Image | $0.003 |
| Gen-4 | Multi-reference | $0.08 |

### Best For

- Open-source models
- Specialized use cases
- Custom model hosting

---

## Provider Comparison by Use Case

### Image Generation

| Need | Best Provider | Model | Price |
|------|---------------|-------|-------|
| Fast prototyping | FAL AI | flux_schnell | $0.001 |
| High quality | FAL AI | flux_dev | $0.003 |
| Photorealistic | FAL AI | imagen4 | $0.004 |
| Multi-reference | Replicate | gen4 | $0.08 |

### Video Generation

| Need | Best Provider | Model | Price |
|------|---------------|-------|-------|
| Budget | FAL AI | hailuo_pro | $0.08 |
| Quality | FAL AI | kling_2_6_pro | $0.50 |
| Premium | FAL AI | sora_2_pro | $1.20+ |
| With audio | FAL AI | veo_3_1_fast | $0.40 |

### Image Understanding

| Need | Best Provider | Model | Price |
|------|---------------|-------|-------|
| Basic description | Google | gemini_describe | $0.001 |
| Detailed analysis | Google | gemini_detailed | $0.002 |
| Object detection | Google | gemini_objects | $0.002 |
| Text extraction | Google | gemini_ocr | $0.001 |

### Text-to-Speech

| Need | Best Provider | Model | Price |
|------|---------------|-------|-------|
| Fast generation | ElevenLabs | turbo | $0.03 |
| Best quality | ElevenLabs | v3 | $0.08 |

---

## Cost Comparison

### 100 Images Budget

| Provider | Model | Cost |
|----------|-------|------|
| FAL AI | flux_schnell | $0.10 |
| FAL AI | flux_dev | $0.30 |
| FAL AI | imagen4 | $0.40 |

### 10 Videos Budget

| Provider | Model | Cost |
|----------|-------|------|
| FAL AI | hailuo_pro | $0.80 |
| FAL AI | kling_2_1 | $2.50 |
| FAL AI | kling_2_6_pro | $5.00 |
| FAL AI | sora_2_pro | $12.00+ |

### Mixed Content Project

Typical project (10 images + 5 videos + narration):

| Approach | Cost |
|----------|------|
| Budget | ~$0.70 |
| Standard | ~$3.00 |
| Premium | ~$15.00 |

---

## Reliability & Performance

### Uptime

| Provider | Typical Uptime | SLA |
|----------|----------------|-----|
| FAL AI | 99.5%+ | Standard |
| Google | 99.9%+ | Enterprise |
| ElevenLabs | 99%+ | Standard |

### Latency

| Provider | Typical Latency |
|----------|-----------------|
| FAL AI | 2-30 seconds |
| Google Gemini | 1-5 seconds |
| ElevenLabs | 1-10 seconds |

### Rate Limits

| Provider | Typical Limits |
|----------|----------------|
| FAL AI | 10-100 req/min |
| Google | Varies by quota |
| ElevenLabs | Based on tier |

---

## Choosing a Provider

### Decision Matrix

| Factor | FAL AI | Google | ElevenLabs |
|--------|--------|--------|------------|
| Model variety | ★★★★★ | ★★★ | ★ |
| Pricing | ★★★★ | ★★★ | ★★★ |
| Quality | ★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
| Ease of setup | ★★★★★ | ★★★ | ★★★★★ |
| Enterprise support | ★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★ |

### Recommendations

**Choose FAL AI when:**
- You need variety of image/video models
- Budget is a concern
- You want quick setup

**Choose Google when:**
- You need image analysis
- Enterprise reliability is required
- You're already on Google Cloud

**Choose ElevenLabs when:**
- You need voice synthesis
- Voice quality is critical
- You have specific voice requirements
