What usually drives API pricing
| Driver | Why it matters | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Page volume | Most extraction APIs price by page, document, or committed tier. | Are retries, blank pages, and failed jobs billed? |
| Document complexity | Line items, handwriting, packets, and custom schemas require more processing and review. | Do simple and complex documents have different rates? |
| Validation and review | Low-confidence fields need routing, UI, audit events, and reviewer actions. | Is review included or priced separately? |
| Compliance needs | Audit trail, retention, tenant isolation, and data-processing terms add operational requirements. | Which evidence is included out of the box? |
Compare cost per resolved document
The cheapest per-page call is not always the cheapest workflow. Compare the cost to get from uploaded document to approved, validated, exported data. That includes engineering time, review time, exception handling, and ongoing schema changes.
OCR API pricing versus extraction pricing
OCR API pricing usually measures recognition volume: pages, images, or characters. Document extraction API pricing should be compared against the resolved business object: the invoice approved, the borrower packet validated, the KYC file cleared, or the claim routed with evidence. If a lower OCR rate creates custom parsing, more review, or weak citations, the workflow can cost more even when the API call is cheaper.
| Pricing model | Works well for | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Per page OCR | Search indexing, archive conversion, simple text capture. | Raw text still needs parsing, validation, and review. |
| Per document extraction | Known document types such as invoices, receipts, IDs, and statements. | Confirm how multi-page packets and retries are billed. |
| Workflow pricing | Regulated processes that need review queues, validation, and audit evidence. | Compare included review, storage, webhook, and support limits. |