OpenAI's legacy image generation model supporting generations, edits with masks (inpainting), and variations
Settled by community votes across 13 shared challenges, with an AI judge weighing in on each.
DALL-E 2
15.8
arena score
#59 of 62 in Text-to-Image
Skill signature
· Text-to-Image
FLUX.1 Kontext [max]
23.7
arena score
#23 of 62 in Text-to-Image
Vote tally
Where the votes landed
DALL-E 2
0%
win rate
Ties
0%
FLUX.1 Kontext [max]
0%
win rate
Shared challenges
13
Challenge by challenge
The strongest take from each model on every shared challenge, with the AI judge's read.
Geometric Composition
Text-to-Image“A glass cube on a wooden table. Inside the cube is a small blue sphere. On top of the cube sits a red book. A green plant is behind the cube, partially visible through the glass. Soft window light from the left.”
DALL-E 2
FLUX.1 Kontext [max]
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Clean minimalism
- + Correct light direction from the left
- − Fails to include the blue sphere inside the cube
- − Fails to place a red book on top of the cube
- − Large blue object in background is confusing and replaces the plant/sphere requirements
FLUX.1 Kontext [max]
- + Perfect adherence to all spatial and object requirements
- + Photorealistic texture on the red book and blue sphere
- + Excellent glass transparency and refraction effects
- − The plant is more distinctly behind the cube rather than 'partially visible through' it
- − Minor text gibberish on the book spine
Verdict: DALL-E 2 fails significantly on prompt adherence, missing the red book and the blue sphere inside the cube while creating a confusing composition. FLUX.1 Kontext [max] perfectly executes every detail of the spatial instructions, including the complex lighting, reflections, and the specific arrangement of objects.
Candid Street Photography
Text-to-Image“A candid street photo of an elderly Japanese man repairing a red bicycle in light rain, reflections on wet pavement, shallow depth of field, 50mm lens, natural skin texture, imperfect framing, motion blur from passing cars, cinematic but realistic, no stylization.”
DALL-E 2
FLUX.1 Kontext [max]
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Successfully interprets 'imperfect framing' with a candid feel
- + Shows good wet pavement reflections
- − Misses the primary subject (man's face/identity)
- − The focus is extremely poor and hides almost all requested details
- − Low resolution and lacks the 'cinematic' quality requested
FLUX.1 Kontext [max]
- + Excellent adherence to all prompt details including the subject, bike color, and rain
- + Superior image clarity and realistic skin/clothing textures
- + Effective use of shallow depth of field and background motion blur
- − The rain effect looks slightly like a static overlay in some vertical streaks
Verdict: FLUX.1 Kontext [max] follows the prompt perfectly, delivering a high-quality, realistic image with clear details and appropriate background motion blur. DALL-E 2 fails the prompt by obscuring the subject entirely and producing a blurry, poorly composed image that lacks any of the requested character details.
Fantasy Warrior
Text-to-Image“Close portrait of a battle-worn paladin in ornate engraved plate armor, hair braided with small beads, faint scars and dirt on the skin, warm torchlight reflecting off metal, shallow depth of field, bokeh sparks, lifelike eyes, highly detailed texture on leather straps and cloth underlayer.”
DALL-E 2
FLUX.1 Kontext [max]
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Features a very shallow depth of field as requested
- + Texture on the metal appears weathered
- − Extremely low resolution and lacks clarity
- − Fails to render lifelike eyes, braids, or skin details mentioned in the prompt
- − Composition is confusing and lacks a clear focal point
FLUX.1 Kontext [max]
- + Excellent adherence to all prompt details including braided hair, scars, and ornate engraving
- + Highly realistic skin textures with sweat and dirt visible
- + Dynamic lighting with sparks and warm torchlight reflections
- − The sparks look slightly sharp for a bokeh effect
- − Armor design at the lower left has some slight geometric merging
Verdict: FLUX.1 Kontext [max] far outperforms DALL-E 2 in every category, delivering a high-fidelity image that captures every specific detail from the prompt with photographic realism. DALL-E 2 produces a blurry, abstract image that fails to represent a human face or the requested intricate textures.
Modern Clean Menu
Text-to-Image“Modern minimalist restaurant menu design, white background with colorful food photos in grid, sections for appetizers/pizza/mains, bold sans-serif fonts, vibrant accents, clean professional layout for casual dining.”
DALL-E 2
FLUX.1 Kontext [max]
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Bold, high-impact typography
- + Creative geometric food presentation
- − Nonsensical text and jumbled character rendering
- − Layout looks more like a magazine spread than a menu
- − Fails to show distinct menu sections for appetizers and pizza
FLUX.1 Kontext [max]
- + Excellent adherence to the 'grid' and 'sections' request
- + Realistic food photography that matches the theme
- + Coherent menu structure with pricing and category headings
- − Some minor spelling errors in smaller text
- − The 'pizza' section dominates while 'mains' and 'appetizers' are less distinct
Verdict: FLUX.1 Kontext [max] delivered a highly professional and usable menu design that strictly followed the layout requirements, including a grid of food photos and sectioned content. DALL-E 2 produced a more abstract, artistic piece that failed the functional requirements of a restaurant menu and suffered from severe text artifacts.
Magic Burger Explosion: Fiery Photorealism Challenge
Text-to-Image“Ad for 'Magic Burger'. Dynamic, exploded burger with all components (bun, patty, cheese, lettuce, tomato, sauce) suspended in mid-air. Emphasize photorealistic detail and a sense of motion. Dark, fiery background with glowing embers. Integrate text: 'MAGIC BURGER' as a prominent title, 'LIMITED TIME ONLY' as a secondary message, and '€6.99' in a starburst, all rendered with a fiery, glowing effect.”
DALL-E 2
FLUX.1 Kontext [max]
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Captures a strong sense of fiery motion and energy
- + Good atmosphere with glowing embers
- − Text is nonsensical and does not follow the prompt
- − Image quality is low with significant blur and lack of detail
- − The burger components are unrecognizable and look messy
FLUX.1 Kontext [max]
- + Perfect text rendering for all requested strings
- + High photorealistic detail in the burger and background
- + Excellent composition that clearly shows the 'exploded' view
- − The 'starburst' for the price is more of a small sun icon
- − The central burger is somewhat assembled rather than fully exploded vertically
Verdict: FLUX.1 Kontext [max] is the clear winner as it followed every instruction, specifically accurately rendering the complex text requirements. DALL-E 2 failed significantly on text legibility and image clarity, producing a muddy result where the burger components were hard to distinguish.
Chalkboard Menu
Text-to-Image“Handwritten-style chalkboard menu in a cozy café, all text rendered in the exact same realistic chalk handwriting style with natural variations in letter size, slight slant, and chalk texture — no printed or digital fonts anywhere on the board. Title at the top in elegant cursive chalk handwriting: ‘TODAY’S SPECIALS – APRIL 30, 2026’. Below it, three menu items also in the same handwritten chalk style: ‘Truffle Mushroom Risotto – $24’, ‘Grilled Octopus with Lemon & Herbs – $28’, ‘Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies – $9’. At the very bottom, smaller text in the identical handwritten chalk style (slightly smaller but still clearly legible with the same handwriting characteristics): ‘All items made fresh daily • Ask about our gluten-free options’. Warm ambient café lighting, visible chalk dust and smudges, realistic handwriting imperfections, no clean printed text anywhere.”
DALL-E 2
FLUX.1 Kontext [max]
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + The text has a strong, authentic chalk smudge texture.
- − The text is completely illegible and does not follow the specific prompt instructions.
- − The image quality is low-resolution and lacks any environmental context.
- − The layout is cluttered and unbalanced.
FLUX.1 Kontext [max]
- + Excellent prompt adherence with near-perfect rendering of the complex text requested.
- + The handwriting looks realistic and captures the 'chalkboard' aesthetic perfectly, including the smudged background.
- + High visual quality and clear, readable composition.
- − The handwriting style is more of a print-script than the 'elegant cursive' requested for the title.
Verdict: FLUX.1 Kontext [max] successfully rendered almost all the specific text requested with high clarity and a realistic aesthetic, whereas DALL-E 2 produced illegible gibberish that ignored the prompt details. FLUX.1 Kontext [max] is the clear winner for its superior text-rendering capabilities and context preservation.
The Reversed Rodeo
Text-to-Image“Horse riding astronaut in space — horse on top, not vice versa. Surreal, highly detailed, cinematic.”
DALL-E 2
FLUX.1 Kontext [max]
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Successfully placed the horse on top of the astronaut as requested
- + Effective surreal atmosphere with grainy, cosmic textures
- − Lower resolution with significant noise and artifacts
- − Poor anatomical representation of the horse's legs and the astronaut's body
FLUX.1 Kontext [max]
- + High photographic resolution with excellent clarity
- + Strong cinematic lighting and lens flare effects
- + Anatomically correct horse and detailed spacesuit
- − Failed the core specific prompt instruction of having the 'horse on top'
- − Produced a conventional rather than surreal interpretation
Verdict: DALL-E 2 successfully followed the difficult spatial reasoning instruction to put the horse on top of the astronaut, though the image quality is low and distorted. FLUX.1 Kontext [max] produced a much higher quality, cinematic image but completely ignored the 'horse on top, not vice versa' instruction. DALL-E 2 wins for prompt adherence despite its poor visual execution.
The Capybara Taxi Driver
Text-to-Image“Photorealistic scene inside a yellow New York taxi at night. A capybara is driving, wearing a yellow taxi driver cap and a dark jacket. It has a calm, professional expression and both front paws on the steering wheel. In the back seat sits a human businesswoman in a coat, looking at her phone with a completely normal, bored expression (as if this is just another normal ride). Through the windows you can see the streets of Manhattan at night with blurred lights. Realistic taxi interior, photorealistic, detailed fur and fabric, 35mm lens, night lighting with reflections, shallow depth of field.”
DALL-E 2
FLUX.1 Kontext [max]
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Follows the instruction to place the passenger as the primary focus in the frame.
- − Extremely poor visual quality with severe anatomical distortions and artifacts.
- − The capybara is unrecognizable and looks like a distorted statue.
- − Fails to create a realistic taxi interior or a professional expression.
FLUX.1 Kontext [max]
- + Excellent photographic realism with high-quality textures on the capybara fur and clothing.
- + Perfect adherence to the prompt including the taxi cap, jacket, paws on the wheel, and bored passenger.
- + Great depth of field and color balance that captures the Manhattan night vibe.
- − The passenger is holding the phone to her ear like a call instead of looking at it, which slightly misses one detail of the prompt.
Verdict: DALL-E 2 produced a nonsensical, distorted image with significant artifacts and failure to render a recognizable capybara. FLUX.1 Kontext [max] delivered a professional-grade, photorealistic image that expertly captured the surreal juxtaposition of a capybara taxi driver with high technical fidelity.
The Halloween Invitation
Text-to-Image“Vintage gothic Halloween party invitation. Dark parchment poster, spooky border with webs and thorns, central glowing jack-o-lantern, bats, twisted trees, moody night sky. Add elegant gothic title text saying "Halloween Party Invitation", a small scroll banner saying "You are invited to a night of frights", and event details at the bottom: Date: 30.10.2026 Time: 7pm Location: The Arches, NYC Spooky but polished, cinematic lighting, square format.”
DALL-E 2
FLUX.1 Kontext [max]
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Features a hand-drawn, vintage aesthetic that matches the 'parchment' request
- + Creative use of a heavy, ornate border
- − Text is garbled and contains numerous spelling errors
- − Completely missed the specific date and location text requirements
- − The jack-o-lantern is barely recognizable and lacks a 'glow'
FLUX.1 Kontext [max]
- + Perfect text rendering for all requested titles, slogans, and event details
- + Highly detailed and thematic spiderweb/thorn border
- + Excellent cinematic lighting with a clear, glowing central jack-o-lantern
- − Repeats the location text slightly redundantly on the bottom lines
Verdict: FLUX.1 Kontext [max] far outperforms DALL-E 2 by accurately rendering every specific line of text requested in a clean, legible gothic font. While DALL-E 2 captures a nice 'old paper' texture, its failure to generate readable text or a clear central jack-o-lantern makes it unusable as an invitation compared to the polished and visually striking output from FLUX.1 Kontext [max].
Isometric Miniature Diorama Scenes
Text-to-Image“Create a clear, 45° top-down isometric miniature 3D cartoon scene of Japan's signature dish: sushi, with soft refined textures, realistic PBR materials, gentle lighting, on a small raised diorama base with minimal garnish and plate. Solid light blue background. At top-center: 'JAPAN' in large bold text, 'SUSHI' below it, small flag icon. Perfectly centered, ultra-clean, high-clarity, square format.”
DALL-E 2
FLUX.1 Kontext [max]
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Features a minimalist composition that partially follows the isometric angle.
- − Failed to render all the requested text correctly, misspelling sushi as 'Sush' and omitting 'JAPAN'.
- − Low visual quality with blurry textures and incoherent shapes.
- − Missing the required flag icon and diorama base.
FLUX.1 Kontext [max]
- + Excellent adherence to all text requirements, including 'JAPAN', 'SUSHI', and a small flag stylized as a leaf garnish.
- + High-quality 3D render with soft, refined 3D cartoon textures and realistic lighting.
- + Perfectly captures the isometric diorama aesthetic on a wood-style base.
- − The flag icon is interpreted very subtly as a leaf shape rather than a literal graphic flag.
Verdict: FLUX.1 Kontext [max] outperformed DALL-E 2 in every metric, delivering a high-quality 3D miniature with perfect text rendering and adherence to the isometric diorama prompt. DALL-E 2 failed on the text elements, produced incoherent objects, and lacked the '3D cartoon' aesthetic requested.
Adorable Baby Animals in Sunny Meadow
Text-to-Image“Hyper-photorealistic scene of fluffy baby animals—a golden retriever puppy, tabby kitten, baby bunny, and red fox kit—with big expressive eyes and ultra-detailed soft fur, playfully chasing butterflies and tumbling together in a lush wildflower meadow, warm golden sunrise light with god rays and dew sparkles, joyful wholesome vibe, 8K masterpiece.”
DALL-E 2
FLUX.1 Kontext [max]
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Attempts to capture a more active, 'chasing' motion as requested in the prompt.
- − Severely lacks photorealism with significant anatomical distortions in the kitten and rabbit.
- − Butterfly assets appear flat, pasted on, and distorted with unnatural colors.
- − Does not include all four animals clearly; the fox appears missing or unrecognizable as a blurry lump.
FLUX.1 Kontext [max]
- + Excellent photorealistic quality with incredibly detailed fur texture and expressive eyes.
- + Perfectly adheres to all requested subjects, including the golden retriever, tabby, bunny, and fox.
- + Beautiful lighting with clear god rays and a cohesive, professional composition.
- − The animals are sitting together rather than 'tumbling and chasing' each other.
- − The bokeh effect on the background flowers is slightly repetitive.
Verdict: FLUX.1 Kontext [max] far outperforms DALL-E 2 in every technical metric, providing stunning fur detail, realistic anatomy, and beautiful lighting that matches the '8K masterpiece' request. While DALL-E 2 attempted the specific action of chasing, the resulting image is full of artifacts and lacks the required subjects, whereas FLUX.1 Kontext [max] created a coherent and visually appealing scene with all four animals.
Vintage Cafe Logo
Text-to-Image“Vintage minimalist restaurant logo for "Caffè Florian", retro cloche dome with steam and "Est. 1720" banner, classic typography, warm brown and cream tones, subtle texture on light background, vector emblem style.”
DALL-E 2
FLUX.1 Kontext [max]
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Minimalist vector shapes
- + Warm tonal palette used as requested
- − Nonsensical text and spelling errors
- − Missing requested 'Est. 1720' banner
FLUX.1 Kontext [max]
- + Perfect text rendering for all requested strings
- + Strong adherence to the vintage emblem style
- + Well-placed banner and steam details
- − The accent mark on 'Caffê' is slightly incorrect for the intended language
- − Slightly more complex than a true minimalist logo
Verdict: FLUX.1 Kontext [max] provides a high-quality logo that follows every prompt instruction, including correct text and structural elements like the banner. DALL-E 2 fails significantly on the typography and misses key functional requirements of the brief. FLUX.1 Kontext [max] is the clear winner for its clarity and accuracy.
Apollo 11: Journey to Tranquility
Text-to-Image“Create a clean, modern vector infographic poster about the Apollo 11 mission. NASA-inspired palette (navy, white, muted red, light gray). Flat-vector style, crisp lines, consistent iconography, subtle gradients only. Steps (stop at landing): 1. Launch (Saturn Vicon) 2. Earth Orbit (Earth + orbit ring icon) 3. Translunar (trajectory arc icon) 4. Lunar Orbit (Moon + orbit ring icon) 5. Descent (lunar module descending icon) 6. Landing (lunar module on the surface icon) Small supporting elements (minimal text): • Crew strip: three silhouette icons with only last names: Armstrong, Aldrin, Collins. • Landing site marker: Moon pin labeled "Tranquility" only. Layout constraints: generous margins, large readable labels, clean background with subtle stars. Vector-only, print-poster look, high resolution.”
DALL-E 2
FLUX.1 Kontext [max]
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Matches the requested navy blue background color palette.
- − Text consists entirely of gibberish and visual artifacts.
- − The layout is chaotic and fails to follow the logical 6-step progression.
- − Lacks clear, recognizable iconography despite the complex design.
FLUX.1 Kontext [max]
- + Successfully renders legible text for 'APOLLO 11' and the astronaut names.
- + Follows the vector infographic aesthetic with clean lines and flat-style icons.
- + Logical flow of information from launch to landing.
- − Misses the 'navy' primary background color, opting for a light gray/blue palette.
- − The sequence of steps is somewhat jumbled visually (Earth above Moon for Translunar transition).
- − Small supporting text contains minor spelling errors ('tradienf').
Verdict: DALL-E 2 produced a completely illegible and disorganized image that failed to grasp the prompt's logical requirements. FLUX.1 Kontext [max] delivered a professional-looking vector infographic with clear text, recognizable iconography, and a coherent layout, despite deviating slightly from the requested navy blue background color. FLUX.1 Kontext [max] is the vastly superior choice for any information-based design task.
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