Iteration Layer
Composable content processing APIs for document extraction, image transformation, and image, document & sheet generation.
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What is Iteration Layer?
Iteration Layer is the EU AI workflow runtime for document, image, and content workflows. It is European by design, composable, and audit-ready, running the workflow layer where AI meets business processes: documents arrive, fields are extracted, outputs are generated, uncertainty is reviewed, and audit trails are produced without stitching together vendors, billing systems, retention policies, and model providers.
The platform offers one provider for your entire content workflow with seven core APIs: Document Extraction (extract structured data from documents with confidence scores), Document to Markdown (convert documents and images to clean markdown), Website Extraction (extract typed JSON from public web pages with citations), Image Transformation (resize, crop, upscale, and convert images), Image Generation (compose dynamic images from layers, text, QR codes, and fonts), Document Generation (generate PDF, DOCX, EPUB, and PPTX from structured data), and Sheet Generation (generate XLSX, CSV, and Markdown spreadsheets with formulas and styles). All APIs share one API key, one credit pool, and one API style with confidence scores and human-in-the-loop tooling.
Iteration Layer is designed for developers, data engineers, automation teams, and agencies building AI-powered document and image workflows. It fits into existing stacks with native SDKs for TypeScript, Python, and Go, OpenAPI spec for other languages, an MCP server for AI agents and Claude Code skills, and a verified n8n node for visual workflows. The platform is agent-ready by design, exposing document and image actions to MCP tools that can be reused when workflows graduate into scripts or automations.
Key differentiators include zero data retention, EU hosting for GDPR compliance, project-scoped API keys with per-client isolation, per-project budget caps for agencies managing multiple clients, and automatic credit refunds for failed requests. The platform accepts 40+ input formats including PDF, DOCX, XLSX, and images, and provides built-in trust scores and citations for extracted data.
Iteration Layer pricing
Pricing model: Freemium
Iteration Layer uses a credit-based pricing system with one shared credit pool for all APIs. New accounts receive $65 in free trial credits with no credit card required, including 500 document extraction pages, 500 document-to-markdown pages, 150 image transformations, 100 image generations, 100 document generations, and 100 sheet generations. Pay-as-you-go billing charges at the end of each month based on actual usage with automatic volume discounts. Subscription plans include Developer ($0.030/credit), Startup ($0.024/credit), and Business ($0.021/credit). Credit costs per API: Document Extraction and Document to Markdown cost 1 credit per page (from $0.033 pay-as-you-go, $0.021-$0.030 subscription); Website Extraction costs 1 credit per page; Image Transformation costs 1 credit per transformation; Image Generation, Document Generation, and Sheet Generation cost 2 credits per generation. Plans renew monthly on the anniversary date, credits reset each period, and auto overage can be enabled for seamless pay-as-you-go billing when credits are exhausted.
Iteration Layer pros
- Zero data retention for privacy compliance
- Made and hosted in the EU for GDPR compliance
- $65 free trial credits with no credit card required
- One API key for all seven APIs
- One shared credit pool across all APIs
- Native SDKs for TypeScript, Python, and Go
- MCP server for AI agents and Claude Code skills
- Verified n8n node for visual workflows
- Accepts 40+ input formats including PDF, DOCX, XLSX, images
- Confidence scores and citations for extracted data
- Automatic credit refunds for failed 4xx and 5xx requests
- Per-project budget caps for agency client isolation
- Project-scoped API keys that can be revoked independently
- Schema-driven extraction results with custom field definitions
- AI upscaling and AI smart crop for Image Transformation
- AI background removal for product photos
- Generates PDF, DOCX, EPUB, and PPTX from one API
- Sheet Generation supports formulas and merged cells
- Pay-as-you-go option with automatic volume discounts
- Cancel anytime with prorated billing when switching plans
Iteration Layer cons
- Monthly plan credits do not roll over to next billing period
- Website Extraction only works on public web pages
- Audio Extraction not yet available (coming soon)
- Document Extraction limited to 20 files per request
- Document to Markdown accepts only one file per request
- Image Generation costs 2 credits per generation (higher than transformation)
- No perpetual free tier - only trial credits then paid
- European hosting may add latency for non-EU users
Frequently asked questions about Iteration Layer
How does the credit system work?
Your monthly plan includes a shared credit pool that all APIs draw from. Document Extraction and Document to Markdown use page-based pricing at 1 credit per page. Image Generation and Document Generation cost 2 credits per request. Sheet Generation costs 2 credits per request. Image Transformation costs 1 credit per request. Failed requests (4xx and 5xx errors) automatically refund credits.
How does page-based pricing work?
Document Extraction and Document to Markdown charge 1 credit per page in your input files. On the Developer plan at $0.030/credit, 1 page costs $0.030, 10 pages cost $0.30, 100 pages cost $3.00, and 250 pages cost $7.50. The Business plan at $0.021/credit reduces 100 pages to $2.13.
How are pages counted?
Images (PNG, JPEG, WebP, HEIF, GIF, SVG) count as 1 page each. PDFs are counted by their actual page count. DOCX, XLSX, CSV, TXT, HTML, MD, and JSON each count as 1 page regardless of length. Document Extraction sums pages across all files in the request (up to 20 files). Document to Markdown accepts a single file per request.
Is there a free trial?
Yes. Every account gets $65 in free trial credits across all APIs with no credit card required. This includes 500 document extraction pages, 500 document-to-markdown pages, 150 image transformations, 100 image generations, 100 document generations, and 100 sheet generations.
What happens when I run out of credits?
Your API requests will return a 402 error. You can switch to Pay As You Go, enable auto overage on your subscription to seamlessly bill excess usage, or upgrade your plan.
Can I switch plans?
Yes. You can upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time. Changes take effect immediately and your next charge is prorated automatically, so you only pay for the time on each plan.
What's the billing period?
Plans renew monthly on the anniversary of your subscription start date. Your credit balance resets at the start of each billing period.
Do unused credits roll over?
Monthly plan credits do not roll over - they reset each billing period. You can enable auto overage to seamlessly bill excess usage via pay-as-you-go rates when you exceed your monthly credits.
What happens if a request fails?
Credits are automatically refunded for any failed request, whether the failure was a client error (4xx) such as a validation failure, or a server error (5xx). No action is needed on your part. This applies to both synchronous and async webhook requests. You only pay for requests successfully completed.
Can I manage multiple client projects?
Yes. Create projects in the dashboard to organize API keys and track usage per client, environment, or team. Each project gets its own API keys, usage tracking, and optional budget cap - all drawing from the same shared credit pool. Agencies can scope keys and monitor spend per project from one account. When a project's budget cap is reached, requests using keys in that project return 402 while the organization's remaining credits stay available for other projects.