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
Recraft V4.1
17.6
arena score
#53 of 62 in Text-to-Image
Vote tally
Where the votes landed
DALL-E 2
0%
win rate
Ties
0%
Recraft V4.1
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
Recraft V4.1
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Features a wooden table with realistic reflections.
- − Fails almost all prompt instructions regarding spatial arrangement.
- − The cube contains a red shape instead of a blue sphere.
- − The plant is in a giant blue pot that occupies most of the frame rather than being behind a glass cube.
Recraft V4.1
- + Excellent adherence to all spatial instructions in the prompt.
- + High visual quality with realistic caustics and glass refraction.
- + Accurate lighting direction from the left as requested.
- − The blue sphere appears to be floating unnaturally in the center of the cube.
Verdict: Recraft V4.1 followed every detail of the complex spatial prompt perfectly, placing the blue sphere inside the cube, the book on top, and showing the plant through the glass. DALL-E 2 failed significantly, confusing the colors of the objects and missing the red book entirely.
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
Recraft V4.1
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Successfully captures reflections on wet pavement
- + Conveys an 'imperfect framing' look through a tight, amateur-style crop
- − Extreme lack of focus makes it impossible to see the man's face or age
- − Low image resolution and significant artifacts
- − Composition is overly obscured and difficult to read
Recraft V4.1
- + Excellent adherence to technical prompts including shallow depth of field and rain effects
- + Highly realistic skin textures and clothing details
- + Strong composition that balances the subject with the motion blur of passing cars
- − The red of the bicycle is slightly desaturated compared to the 'red bicycle' prompt instruction
Verdict: Recraft V4.1 is the clear winner as it provides a sharp, high-quality image that satisfies all prompt requirements, including the elderly subject's features and the specific environmental effects. DALL-E 2 fails the prompt by producing an image so out of focus that the primary subject (an elderly Japanese man) is unrecognizable.
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
Recraft V4.1
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Successfully captures warm bokeh lighting.
- − Extreme lack of clarity and low resolution.
- − Failed to render a discernible face or lifelike eyes.
- − Armor looks like corroded texture rather than ornate engraved plate.
Recraft V4.1
- + Excellent adherence to all prompt details including braided hair with beads and scars.
- + High visual quality with realistic skin textures and fine engraving on the armor.
- + Effective use of lighting and bokeh sparks to create atmosphere.
- − The leather strap across the chest is slightly simple compared to the armor detail.
Verdict: Recraft V4.1 followed every instruction in the prompt with high fidelity, producing a cinematic and detailed portrait with clear textures. DALL-E 2 failed significantly, producing a blurry, unrecognizable image that lacks the required facial features and 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
Recraft V4.1
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Strong bold sans-serif typography on the right page
- + High-contrast, vibrant color palette
- − Text is nonsensical gibberish
- − Food images are abstract shards rather than a professional grid of photos
- − Layout feels more like a magazine spread than a functional menu
Recraft V4.1
- + Perfect adherence to specific menu sections like Appetizers, Pizza, and Mains
- + Excellent text readability with actual dish descriptions and prices
- + Clean, professional grid layout that matches the 'modern minimalist' prompt
- − One 'Gluten Free' tag is floating awkwardly in the center of the page
Verdict: Recraft V4.1 followed every instruction in the prompt, creating a perfectly functional, readable menu with clear sections and high-quality food photography. In contrast, DALL-E 2 produced an abstract design with illegible text and fragmented food imagery that does not serve the purpose of a restaurant menu.
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
Recraft V4.1
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Captures a strong sense of fiery energy and glowing light
- + Dynamic motion is well-conceived with the swirling embers
- − Text is heavily garbled and mispelled
- − The burger components lack photorealistic detail and look messy
- − Fails to include several requested text elements like the price and secondary message
Recraft V4.1
- + Perfect text rendering for all requested strings including 'MAGIC BURGER', 'LIMITED TIME ONLY', and the price
- + Excellent separation and photorealistic detail of the burger ingredients
- + Great use of transparency and smoke to create a dynamic atmosphere
- − The starburst for the price is a bit simple compared to the high-quality rendering of the rest of the image
Verdict: Recraft V4.1 followed every instruction perfectly, producing a professional-grade advertisement with crisp text and realistic food textures. In contrast, DALL-E 2 produced an abstract, messy image with illegible text and poor adherence to the specific components of the prompt.
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
Recraft V4.1
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Features a realistic chalk texture on a blackboard background.
- − The text is completely illegible gibberish.
- − Fails to follow any of the specific wording requested in the prompt.
- − Poor overall resolution and clarity.
Recraft V4.1
- + Perfect text rendering of the entire complex menu including specific dates and prices.
- + High-quality realistic chalk texture with natural-looking handwriting variations.
- + Excellent composition with clear spacing and a professional aesthetic.
- − The title is in print-style handwriting rather than the requested 'elegant cursive'.
Verdict: Recraft V4.1 followed the prompt with incredible accuracy, rendering every specific menu item and the exact date requested with perfect legibility. DALL-E 2 failed the task entirely, producing unreadable nonsense text that does not resemble the instructions. Recraft V4.1 is the clear winner for its superior text-handling capabilities.
The Reversed Rodeo
Text-to-Image“Horse riding astronaut in space — horse on top, not vice versa. Surreal, highly detailed, cinematic.”
DALL-E 2
Recraft V4.1
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Captured a grainier, more surrealist artistic aesthetic.
- + The horse has clear physical distortion that fits the surreal prompt.
- − Failed the spatial reasoning instruction to put the horse on top of the astronaut.
- − Low resolution with significant noise and muddy textures.
- − The horse anatomy is poorly rendered, particularly the legs and tail.
Recraft V4.1
- + High resolution with impressive lighting and cinematic atmosphere.
- + Excellent detail in the astronaut suit and horse's mane.
- + Dynamic composition with floating asteroids and nebulae.
- − Failed to follow the specific instruction of 'horse on top, not vice versa'.
- − Too literal in its interpretation of 'horse riding' despite the specific reversal request.
Verdict: Both models failed the specific prompt trick to have the horse on top of the astronaut, defaulting instead to a standard astronaut riding a horse. Recraft V4.1 is the superior image due to its 훨씬 higher visual fidelity, cinematic lighting, and sharp textures compared to the blurry and low-quality output from DALL-E 2.
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
Recraft V4.1
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Attempts to follow the perspective of being inside the taxi.
- − Extreme anatomical distortions in the human face and hands
- − The capybara looks like an unrealistic plastic statue
- − Failed to depict a yellow taxi driver cap
- − Composition is cluttered and chaotic with poor lighting
Recraft V4.1
- + High photographic realism with convincing lighting and textures
- + Excellent prompt adherence including the cap, the calm expression, and the steering wheel placement
- + Perfect portrayal of the bored businesswoman in the background
- + Great composition showing both the interior and exterior context of the New York taxi
- − The scale of the capybara is slightly large for the driver's seat
- − The cap is missing a brim or structured logo despite being the correct color
Verdict: Recraft V4.1 is the clear winner as it produced a highly realistic, coherent, and accurately detailed image that perfectly followed the complex prompt. DALL-E 2 produced a low-quality image with severe artifacts, distorted human features, and an unrecognizable version of a capybara.
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
Recraft V4.1
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Captures a very authentic vintage, weathered parchment aesthetic.
- + Strong border detailing and aged ink style.
- − Failed significantly on text legibility with numerous misspellings.
- − Lacks the central glowing jack-o-lantern requested.
- − Image quality is muddy and low resolution compared to Model B.
Recraft V4.1
- + Excellent text rendering, correctly spelling all requested names, dates, and locations.
- + Perfect adherence to prompt elements including the central jack-o-lantern, bats, and moon.
- + High visual quality with sharp details and professional lighting.
- − The font for the bottom details is a bit plain compared to the gothic theme.
- − The parchment texture is less 'weathered' than the vintage look requested in Model A.
Verdict: Recraft V4.1 is the clear winner as it successfully rendered almost all text elements accurately, whereas DALL-E 2 produced illegible gibberish. Recraft V4.1 also followed the visual instructions for a glowing jack-o-lantern and specific layout details, resulting in a functional and high-quality invitation.
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
Recraft V4.1
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Features a clean, solid light blue background.
- + Provides an isometric perspective as requested.
- − Failed to render the word 'JAPAN' and misspelled sushi as 'Sush'.
- − Low visual quality with abstract, unappetizing shapes that do not resemble sushi.
- − The composition is unbalanced and the lighting is harsh rather than gentle.
Recraft V4.1
- + Perfect adherence to text and icon requirements, including the flag.
- + Excellent material rendering with realistic PBR textures on the sushi and wood.
- + Accurately depicts the 3D miniature diorama style with soft, professional lighting.
- − None significant; perfectly matches all prompt parameters.
Verdict: Recraft V4.1 followed every instruction in the prompt, including complex text rendering, the flag icon, and the miniature diorama aesthetics. DALL-E 2 failed significantly, producing garbled text, missing the primary word 'JAPAN', and creating abstract shapes that bear little resemblance to the requested subject matter.
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
Recraft V4.1
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Successfully includes multiple butterflies in the scene.
- + Captures basic elements of the prompt like the puppy and kitten.
- − Low image resolution with significant artifacts and smearing.
- − Severe anatomical deformities on the kitten's paws and the fox/bunny figure.
- − The 'fox' is an unrecognizable brown lump and lacks the requested details.
Recraft V4.1
- + Outstanding photorealistic detail in the fur, eyes, and environment.
- + Perfect adherence to the prompt, including all four specific animals neatly integrated.
- + Beautiful lighting with visible god rays and dew sparkles as requested.
- − The fox kit has a slightly elongated neck to fit the composition.
Verdict: Recraft V4.1 delivers a masterpiece that perfectly follows every detail of the prompt, showing all four animals with incredible clarity and emotional expression. In contrast, DALL-E 2 struggles significantly with anatomy, resolution, and composition, resulting in a distorted and muddy image. Recraft V4.1's lighting and texture work are far superior.
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
Recraft V4.1
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Follows the requested color palette well.
- + Captures a vintage, textured aesthetic.
- − Text is completely illegible and gibberish.
- − The cloche dome is poorly defined and looks like a rough sketch.
- − Fails to include the 'Est. 1720' banner.
Recraft V4.1
- + Excellent text rendering accurately displaying the name and date.
- + Clean vector-style execution with professional composition.
- + Follows all prompt elements including the cloche, steam, and banner.
- − Texture is very subtle, bordering on a completely clean digital look.
Verdict: Recraft V4.1 is the clear winner as it perfectly adheres to the text requirements and stylistic elements of the prompt, creating a professional-looking logo. DALL-E 2 fails significantly on the text, producing illegible characters and neglecting the specific banner requested.
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
Recraft V4.1
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Successfully captures a vintage technical diagram aesthetic.
- + Strong adherence to the requested navy and red color palette.
- − Text is completely illegible and gibberish.
- − The layout is chaotic and fails to present a clear 6-step infographic sequence.
- − Heavy artifacts and poorly defined icons.
Recraft V4.1
- + Excellent adherence to the requested 6-step structure and specific icons.
- + Perfect text rendering for titles, steps, and crew names.
- + Clean, professional flat-vector aesthetic with consistent iconography.
- − Step numbering contains a minor error (two labeled as '04' and missing '05').
- − The Saturn V rocket interpretation is slightly simplified.
Verdict: Recraft V4.1 followed the complex prompt instructions perfectly, delivering a logical 6-step infographic with readable text and clear iconography that matches the requested NASA-inspired palette. DALL-E 2 produced a messy, incoherent collection of shapes and nonsensical text that completely failed the infographic task.
Next steps
Explore each model
Recraft's V4.1 standard tier text-to-image model — refines V4's photorealism with more natural lighting, softer gradients, and sharper illustration styles for everyday creative work