Real-Time Face Swap Cost Per Minute Compared (2026): APIs vs Apps
Developer APIs bill per second, apps bill per plan. Multiply it out and the cheapest choice depends on whether you're building or using.
Two ways to pay for live face swap
- Developer APIs (for example Decart) bill per second of generation. You bring your own app, hosting and code.
- Finished apps (for example FaceLive) sell plans of live minutes. You open them and go.
The numbers
| Decart Lucy 2.5 (API, realtime) | FaceLive | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per live minute | $1.20 standard, $2.40 fast mode | about $0.56–0.60 on any plan |
| 15 minutes | $18 standard | $12 (Starter plan) |
| 50 minutes | $60 standard | $29 (Pro plan) |
| Setup | Developer account, API key, your own app | Open the studio in a browser |
| Video calls | Build it yourself | Windows app adds a "FaceLive Camera" webcam |
Decart's numbers are from its public pricing page (Lucy 2.5 realtime, October 2026). FaceLive's come from FaceLive pricing.
What else costs money
- Your time. An API means building an app, handling sessions and dealing with errors.
- Hosting and bandwidth if you build your own product.
- Refused or failed sessions that still use time.
How to choose
- Building a product? Use an API and budget per second.
- Want to use face swap on calls, streams or videos? A plan is usually cheaper, and the FaceLive Camera for Windows app even covers WhatsApp and Zoom calls.
Our full breakdown is in what live face swap really costs.
FAQ
What's the cheapest real-time face swap? For end users, flat plans around $0.56–0.60 a minute beat $1.20+ per-second APIs.
Do I pay while I'm setting up? Not on FaceLive: only seconds while the AI is live count.
Is there a free option? FaceLive has a free trial. Free tiers everywhere carry a watermark.