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.2 [flex]
24.8
arena score
#14 of 62 in Text-to-Image
Vote tally
Where the votes landed
DALL-E 2
0.0%
win rate
Ties
0.0%
FLUX.2 [flex]
100.0%
win rate
0.0%
0.0% ties
100.0%
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.2 [flex]
0% wins
0% ties
100% wins
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Features a wooden table with realistic reflections.
- − Failed to include a blue sphere inside the cube, placing a red cube in it instead.
- − Failed to place a red book on top of the cube.
- − The plant is in a blue pot rather than being behind the cube as requested.
- − Low resolution and poor clarity compared to the competitor.
FLUX.2 [flex]
- + Perfect adherence to all spatial instructions in the prompt.
- + High visual quality with realistic refraction through the glass cube.
- + Effective use of soft window light from the left as specified.
- + Excellent rendering of textures, particularly the book and plant.
- − None notable.
Verdict: DALL-E 2 failed on almost every specific instruction, confusing colors and objects (placing a red cube inside instead of a blue sphere and omitting the book entirely). In contrast, FLUX.2 [flex] followed every part of the prompt perfectly, demonstrating superior spatial reasoning and photorealistic rendering.
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.2 [flex]
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Successfully captures the 'imperfect framing' and 'shallow depth of field' aspect of the prompt.
- + Atmospheric and chaotic candid feel.
- − Fails to show the subject's face or ethnicity clearly.
- − Low resolution and lacks the fine detail of natural skin texture requested.
- − The bicycle and the act of 'repairing' are obstructed and poorly defined.
FLUX.2 [flex]
- + Excellent adherence to almost every prompt detail including natural skin texture, elderly Japanese man, and red bicycle.
- + Perfectly captures motion blur from passing cars and light rain effects.
- + Realistic lighting and highly detailed textures on the skin and bicycle.
- − Composition is a bit too 'perfect' for a requested 'imperfect framing' shot.
- − Depth of field is slightly deeper than a typical 50mm wide-open look might suggest.
Verdict: FLUX.2 [flex] provides a much more faithful and high-quality interpretation of the prompt, delivering specific details like the man's age, ethnicity, and the rain effects with high clarity. DALL-E 2 produced an abstract, muddy image that failed to represent the subject or the specific technical requirements for skin texture and cinematic realism.
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.2 [flex]
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Successfully captures a close-up profile view with a blurred background.
- − Extremely poor visual quality with muddy, indistinct textures.
- − Does not accurately render the braided hair, beads, or lifelike eyes requested.
- − The armor looks like rust or molten clay rather than engraved plate.
FLUX.2 [flex]
- + Excellent adherence to all prompt details including braided hair with beads, scars, and specific material textures.
- + High technical quality with sharp details on leather straps and engraved metal.
- + Strong composition with effective use of bokeh sparks and warm torchlight lighting.
- − The scar rendering is slightly stylized compared to the realism of the rest of the image.
Verdict: FLUX.2 [flex] significantly outperforms DALL-E 2 in every category, providing a sharp and detailed interpretation of the prompt with clear engravings, realistic hair, and high-quality textures. DALL-E 2 produced an abstract, low-resolution result that failed to depict the specific features like the eyes and intricate armor details.
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.2 [flex]
0% wins
0% ties
100% wins
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Strong bold sans-serif typography
- + High contrast visual style
- − Nonsensical text and layout
- − Food photos are fragmented and abstract rather than professional
- − Does not follow the grid structure or section requirements
FLUX.2 [flex]
- + Excellent layout that follows all prompt instructions
- + High quality, recognizable food photography in a clear grid
- + Text is legible and categorized by section with prices
- − Some minor spelling errors in small body text
- − Repetitive placeholder names for dishes
Verdict: DALL-E 2 produced an abstract artistic interpretation that fails as a functional menu design, featuring fragmented imagery and garbled text. In contrast, FLUX.1 [flex] followed every prompt requirement perfectly, creating a professional, clean, and modern menu layout with logical sections and appetizing food photography.
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.2 [flex]
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Captures a strong sense of fiery motion and energy
- − Text is heavily garbled and misspelled
- − Food elements lack photorealistic detail and clarity
- − Composition is messy with indistinct ingredients
FLUX.2 [flex]
- + Perfect text rendering of all requested phrases including the price
- + Excellent photorealistic detail in the food textures
- + Strong adherence to all prompt elements including the starburst and ember background
- − The 'exploded' effect is relatively conservative compared to more chaotic interpretations
Verdict: FLUX.2 [flex] successfully followed every instruction in the prompt, producing a high-quality advertisement with perfectly rendered text and appetizing food textures. In contrast, DALL-E 2 failed significantly on text legibility and image clarity, resulting in an abstract and messy composition that does not meet the professional standard requested.
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.2 [flex]
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Successfully captures a messy, hand-drawn chalk texture.
- − Fails completely at rendering legible text.
- − Ignores specific menu items and dates requested in the prompt.
- − Low resolution and lacks the 'cozy café' context.
FLUX.2 [flex]
- + Perfectly renders all requested text including the specific items, prices, and date.
- + Beautifully captures the atmosphere of a cozy café with realistic lighting and wood textures.
- + Excellent chalk texture with realistic smudges and handwritten variations.
- − The handwriting style is slightly too uniform, leaning towards a digital font aesthetic despite the prompt's request for natural variations.
Verdict: FLUX.2 [flex] shows a generational leap over DALL-E 2, following every complex text instruction perfectly and creating a high-fidelity, atmospheric scene. DALL-E 2 fails to produce any legible text and provides a low-quality crop that misses the context of the prompt.
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.2 [flex]
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Successfully captures a cinematic space environment.
- + The gritty texture adds to the surreal feeling.
- − Completely failed the semantic prompt to have the horse on top.
- − Lower resolution with noticeable artifacts on the horse's legs.
- − Very generic interpretation of the prompt.
FLUX.2 [flex]
- + Perfectly adhered to the difficult instruction for the horse to be on top.
- + High resolution with excellent detail in the astronaut's suit and horse's mane.
- + Creative and surreal composition with vibrant colors.
- − The astronaut's hands and the horse's front legs have slight anatomical merging issues.
Verdict: DALL-E 2 produced a standard 'astronaut riding a horse' image, completely ignoring the specific instruction for the horse to be on top. In contrast, FLUX.2 [flex] successfully followed the complex spatial instruction, creating a much higher quality and more creative surreal scene that perfectly matches the prompt.
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.2 [flex]
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Attempts the specified perspective from inside the vehicle.
- − Extremely poor visual quality with horrific anatomical distortions in the human face and hands.
- − The capybara is unrecognizable and looks like a melting plastic statue.
- − Complete failure to adhere to the requested calm, professional tone.
FLUX.2 [flex]
- + Excellent photorealism and high resolution.
- + Perfect adherence to all prompt details, including the cap's color, the jacket, and the bored passenger's expression.
- + Sophisticated lighting and correct anatomical representation of the capybara's paws on the wheel.
- − The perspective is looking into the taxi from a side window rather than being strictly 'inside' the scene as a passenger might be.
Verdict: FLUX.2 [flex] produced a high-quality, professional image that perfectly captures the surreal prompt with realistic execution. In contrast, DALL-E 2 failed significantly, producing nightmare-like distortions, incoherent objects, and failing to correctly render either the animal or the human.
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.2 [flex]
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Successfully captures a weathered, vintage woodcut aesthetic
- + Composes a cohesive, moody color palette consistent with dark parchment
- − Text is largely illegible and contains spelling errors like 'PAARTY'
- − Failed to include the specific event details like date and location
- − Lacks the central glowing jack-o-lantern requested in the prompt
FLUX.2 [flex]
- + Near-perfect adherence to the prompt, including all specific text and event details
- + Excellent rendering of the central jack-o-lantern and gothic border elements
- + High visual clarity and polished, professional layout
- − The parchment texture is a bit clean and lacks the authentic 'dark parchment' grittiness of Model A
Verdict: FLUX.2 [flex] significantly outperforms DALL-E 2 by correctly rendering all requested text and specific details like the date and location. While DALL-E 2 captures a more authentic vintage 'messy' vibe, its failure to generate legible text or the main subject (the jack-o-lantern) makes it unusable for an invitation prompt.
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.2 [flex]
0% wins
0% ties
100% wins
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Matches the requested isometric 45-degree angle.
- + Vibrant lighting and colors.
- − Failed to render the word 'JAPAN' and 'SUSHI' correctly, spelling it 'Sush'.
- − The 'sushi' objects are abstract and poorly defined.
- − Missed the flag icon and top-center text placement requirements.
FLUX.2 [flex]
- + Perfect adherence to all text and icon requirements in the specified layout.
- + High-quality 3D clay-like textures consistent with a 'cartoon miniature' style.
- + Excellent composition with the diorama base and realistic lighting.
- − The perspective is slightly lower than a true 45-degree top-down isometric angle.
Verdict: FLUX.2 [flex] successfully captured every element of the prompt, including the specific text strings, the flag icon, and the miniature diorama aesthetics. DALL-E 2 failed significantly on the text rendering and the overall visual coherence of the sushi objects, resulting in a very abstract and incomplete image.
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.2 [flex]
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Captures a sense of dynamic movement and action.
- − Significant anatomical distortions and blurry textures.
- − Fails to include all requested animals clearly.
- − Butterfly and backgrounds look like a messy digital painting rather than photorealistic.
FLUX.2 [flex]
- + Perfect adherence to the prompt including all four specific animals.
- + Exceptional visual quality with clear fur textures and 'god rays'.
- + Well-balanced composition with an expressive, joyful atmosphere.
- − The lighting on the animals is slightly too uniform compared to the harsh backlighting of the sun.
Verdict: FLUX.2 [flex] successfully rendered every element of the complex prompt with high fidelity and charm, including the specific list of animals and lighting effects. In contrast, DALL-E 2 produced a low-resolution, distorted image with unrecognizable creatures and significant artifacts.
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.2 [flex]
0% wins
0% ties
100% wins
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Follows the warm brown and cream color palette.
- + Successfully generates a cloche dome icon.
- − Text is completely illegible and nonsensical.
- − Lacks the requested banner element.
- − Vector lines are rough and lack professional polish.
FLUX.2 [flex]
- + Perfect text rendering for both 'Caffè Florian' and 'Est. 1720'.
- + Excellently structured vector composition with clear lines and a professional banner.
- + Accurately represents all prompt elements including steam and subtle background texture.
- − The steam element is very subtle, bordering on thin.
Verdict: FLUX.2 [flex] followed every instruction perfectly, producing a professional-grade logo with accurate typography and all requested elements like the banner and steam. DALL-E 2 struggled significantly with the text and overall composition, resulting in a cluttered and illegible design.
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.2 [flex]
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Adheres to the color palette constraints.
- − Text consists of illegible gibberish and misspells the primary header.
- − Fails to follow the requested 6-step logical sequence.
- − Visual style is cluttered and lacks the requested clean vector look.
FLUX.2 [flex]
- + Perfectly follows the 6-step logical sequence with clear iconography.
- + Renders clean, legible text including specific technical labels.
- + High-quality vector aesthetic with a professional layout and balanced composition.
- − The 'Descent' icon is slightly misaligned with its text compared to the grid of other elements.
Verdict: DALL-E 2 fails significantly on both prompt adherence and detail, producing garbled text and a chaotic layout that does not resemble an infographic. FLUX.2 [flex] successfully executes the complex multi-step prompt, delivering a professional-grade vector poster with accurate spelling and iconography.
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