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
Seedream 4.0
24.7
arena score
#15 of 62 in Text-to-Image
Vote tally
Where the votes landed
DALL-E 2
0.0%
win rate
Ties
0.0%
Seedream 4.0
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
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Matches the 'soft window light' lighting instruction well.
- + Includes a glass cube and wooden texture.
- − Confuses the elements: the blue sphere is replaced by a massive blue pot.
- − The red book is inside/part of the cube instead of on top.
- − Poor overall prompt adherence regarding object placement and scale.
Seedream 4.0
- + Perfect adherence to all spatial instructions and object colors.
- + High visual quality with realistic refraction and reflections in the glass cube.
- + Composition accurately captures the plant behind the glass and the book on top.
- − The glass box appears slightly rectangular rather than a perfect cube.
- − Minor perspective inconsistency with the table's edge.
Verdict: Seedream 4.0 followed the complex spatial instructions perfectly, placing every object exactly where requested with high realism. DALL-E 2 struggled significantly with prompt adherence, failing to differentiate the objects and their relative positions, resulting in a confused composition with incorrect scales.
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
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Strong bokeh and shallow depth of field effects.
- + Effective capture of wet pavement reflections.
- − Subject is almost entirely out of focus, losing all facial detail.
- − Fails to show an 'elderly Japanese man' clearly as requested.
- − Low resolution and messy composition.
Seedream 4.0
- + Perfectly depicts all prompt elements including the elderly man, red bike, and rain.
- + Includes motion blur from a passing car exactly as requested.
- + Excellent skin textures and realistic street photography aesthetic.
- − Minor logic issues with bicycle chain/pedal assembly.
- − Tools on the ground look slightly distorted.
Verdict: Seedream 4.0 followed every detail of the prompt, including complex secondary instructions like motion blur from passing cars and natural skin texture. DALL-E 2 produced an abstract, poorly focused image that failed to showcase the primary subject of the prompt.
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
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Textural ruggedness on the metal surface
- − Extremely low resolution and clarity
- − Fails to render lifelike eyes or intricate facial details
- − Composition is abstract and messy, losing the character portrait intent
Seedream 4.0
- + Flawless adherence to all prompt details including braids with beads and narrow depth of field
- + Exceptional visual quality with lifelike eyes and skin textures
- + Beautiful cinematic lighting and intricate engraving on the armor
- − None notable
Verdict: Seedream 4.0 provided a stunning, photorealistic portrait that perfectly captured every specific element of the prompt, from the beaded braids to the bokeh sparks. DALL-E 2 produced an abstract, low-quality image that failed to depict a coherent person or the requested 'lifelike eyes'.
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
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Strong bold sans-serif typography that feels modern.
- + High-quality abstract food imagery that creates a premium feel.
- + Good use of white space and minimalist layout.
- − Text is illegible gibberish.
- − The grid layout of images feels more like a brochure or book spread than a functional menu.
- − Fails to clearly define the requested sections (appetizers, pizza, mains).
Seedream 4.0
- + Successfully includes the requested section headers (Appetizers, Pizza, Mains) with correct spelling.
- + Clear grid layout that utilizes vibrant color accents for different sections.
- + Food photography is recognizable and realistic.
- − The composition is a bit basic and lacks the professional design polish of a high-end menu.
- − Some awkward cropping on the bottom-most image.
- − The typography feels a bit generic compared to the first model.
Verdict: Seedream 4.0 is the clear winner for its superior prompt adherence, correctly rendering the specific text headers 'Appetizers', 'Pizza', and 'Mains' and organizing them into a logical grid. While DALL-E 2 produced a more artistically striking image, its failure to generate readable text or the requested categories makes it less useful as a menu design template.
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
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Captures the energetic, fiery essence requested in the background
- + Good vertical composition emphasizing the 'exploded' aspect
- − Text is severely misspelled and barely legible
- − Food doesn't look appetising or photorealistic due to heavy artifacts
- − Missing several requested elements like the price starburst
Seedream 4.0
- + Excellent text rendering for both 'MAGIC BURGER' and secondary messages
- + Photorealistic food textures and clear separation of burger components
- + Perfect adherence to all prompt elements including the starburst price tag
- − Price text is €5.99 instead of the requested €6.99
- − The background embers look slightly more like a 3D render than a natural photograph
Verdict: Seedream 4.0 follows the prompt requirements to a high degree of accuracy, delivering clear, readable text and distinct burger components whereas DALL-E 2 fails significantly on text legibility and image clarity. While Seedream 4.0 misses the exact price requested, its visual quality and composition are vastly superior to the messy and artifact-heavy output from DALL-E 2.
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
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + The chalk texture on individual strokes is reasonably convincing.
- − The text is completely illegible and contains gibberish words.
- − It failed to include the specified date, menu items, or prices.
- − The image is a tight crop with no cafe background or context.
Seedream 4.0
- + Excellent font rendering with near-perfect spelling of all requested items.
- + Realistic chalk smudge effects and hand-drawn variation in the lettering.
- + Captures the cozy café environment in the background as requested.
- − Minor spacing issue where 'Brown Butter' is truncated to 'Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies'.
- − The date, while clear, has a slightly different slant than the header text.
Verdict: Seedream 4.0 followed the prompt instructions with high precision, accurately rendering the specific text, prices, and date requested in a believable chalk style. DALL-E 2 completely failed the text-rendering portion of the prompt, producing illegible nonsense characters and ignoring the specific menu item list.
The Reversed Rodeo
Text-to-Image“Horse riding astronaut in space — horse on top, not vice versa. Surreal, highly detailed, cinematic.”
DALL-E 2
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Successfully captures a surreal, lonely atmosphere
- + Distinct cinematic lighting on the horizon
- − Lower resolution and visible noise throughout
- − The horse's anatomy is distorted with poorly defined limbs
- − Fails to meet the surreal logic of 'horse on top' if interpreted as a role reversal
Seedream 4.0
- + Excellent high-resolution detail and clarity
- + Dynamic and aesthetically pleasing composition
- + Intricate textures on the spacesuit and horse's coat
- − Completely ignores the specific prompt instruction 'horse on top, not vice versa'
- − The horse's mane follows terrestrial gravity rather than a zero-G or surreal look
Verdict: Both models failed the negative constraint to have the horse riding the astronaut (the 'horse on top' instruction). However, Seedream 4.0 is the superior image due to its significantly higher visual fidelity, cinematic lighting, and better anatomical rendering compared to the muddy and distorted output of 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
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Attempts to show the perspective from inside the car
- − Extreme anatomical distortion in the human's face and hands
- − The capybara is unrecognizable and appears like a low-resolution statue
- − Fails significantly on almost all aspects of realism and composition
Seedream 4.0
- + Excellent adherence to all prompt details including the capybara's clothing and expression
- + High photographic realism and believable lighting from the city and interior
- + Perfectly captures the 'bored' expression of the passenger as requested
- − Minor text artifacts on the taxi door and cap
Verdict: Seedream 4.0 followed the prompt perfectly, delivering a high-quality, photorealistic image with correct character placement and expressions. DALL-E 2 struggled significantly, producing a nightmarish image with severe anatomical failures and poor rendering of both the capybara and the passenger.
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
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Strong hand-drawn vintage aesthetic
- + Expressive gothic typography style
- − Text is mostly gibberish and ignores requested details
- − Low image resolution and blurry artifacts
- − Failed to include the central jack-o-lantern and specific border elements
Seedream 4.0
- + Excellent adherence to all prompt details including specific text
- + High visual quality with cinematic lighting and crisp details
- + Perfect representation of border, bats, and central jack-o-lantern
- − Some minor distortions in the scroll banner text
Verdict: Seedream 4.0 significantly outperforms DALL-E 2 by accurately rendering nearly all requested text and visual elements, such as the thorny border and the central glowing jack-o-lantern. DALL-E 2 produced an abstract, blurry image with illegible text that missed most of the specific prompt requirements.
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
Seedream 4.0
0% wins
0% ties
100% wins
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Features a minimalist composition.
- + Captures a bright, vibrant color palette.
- − Failed significantly on text rendering, displaying 'Sush' instead of the requested words.
- − Poor prompt adherence regarding the miniature diorama and sushi variety.
- − Low visual quality with blurry textures and unrecognizable shapes.
Seedream 4.0
- + Excellent prompt adherence with accurate 'JAPAN' and 'SUSHI' text and a flag icon.
- + High-quality 3D isometric rendering with soft, refined textures as requested.
- + Clean composition with a well-defined raised diorama base.
- − The lighting is a bit flat across the sushi pieces.
- − Minor repetitiveness in the sushi roll designs.
Verdict: Seedream 4.0 followed every instruction in the prompt, including the specific text layout, the flag icon, and the 45-degree isometric style. In contrast, DALL-E 2 produced a low-quality image with incorrect text and unrecognizable objects, failing to capture the 'miniature 3D cartoon' aesthetic entirely.
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
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Captures a sense of dynamic movement with the puppy chasing a butterfly
- − Severely lacks the requested quantity of animals
- − High amount of digital artifacts and blurred, unrecognizable shapes in the background
- − Anatomical distortions on the puppy and the objects intended to be animals
Seedream 4.0
- + Excellent prompt adherence including all four specific animals
- + Beautiful lighting with visible god rays and dew sparkles as requested
- + High resolution with sharp textures on fur and flowers
- − The fox has a slightly unusual anatomical pose while tumbling
Verdict: Seedream 4.0 followed the complex prompt perfectly, including the golden retriever, kitten, bunny, and fox kit, all rendered with exceptional detail and lighting. DALL-E 2 struggled significantly, producing a messy composition with only one clear animal and several distorted, low-quality artifacts where other subjects should have been.
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
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Follows the warm brown and light background color scheme.
- + Captures a very abstract minimalist cloche shape.
- − Text is completely garbled and nonsensical.
- − Lacks the requested 'Est. 1720' banner and steam details.
- − Vector graphics are rough and poorly rendered.
Seedream 4.0
- + Perfect text rendering for both the restaurant name and the date banner.
- + Follows all prompt elements including cloche, steam, and vintage texture.
- + Excellent composition with professional vector emblem aesthetics.
- − None notable for this specific request.
Verdict: Seedream 4.0 is the clear winner as it followed every instruction perfectly, including complex text and specific design elements like the 'Est. 1720' banner. DALL-E 2 failed significantly on the text, providing unreadable characters and missing several key components of the prompt.
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
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 2
- + Captures the navy and red color palette effectively.
- + Maintains a complex abstract diagram feel.
- − Fails entirely to create legible text or follow the specific mission steps.
- − The icons are unrecognizable and cluttered.
- − Layout is disorganized with excessive gibberish.
Seedream 4.0
- + Accurately depicts all six requested steps with appropriate icons.
- + Legible text with correct labels for the mission phases and astronauts.
- + Clean, modern vector aesthetic that aligns perfectly with the prompt.
- − Minor spelling error in 'Surfcce'.
- − Iconography is slightly crowded in the top half.
Verdict: Seedream 4.0 is the clear winner as it directly follows the requested instructional sequence and produces legible, thematic content. DALL-E 2 fails significantly on prompt adherence, producing incoherent text ('ALLPOO APPLOO') and abstract shapes that do not represent an infographic.
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ByteDance's image generation model with integrated text-to-image and image editing capabilities in a unified architecture, supporting up to 4K resolution