OpenAI's previous generation image model with higher quality than DALL-E 2 and support for larger resolutions
Settled by community votes across 13 shared challenges, with an AI judge weighing in on each.
DALL-E 3
20.5
arena score
#38 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 3
33.3%
win rate
Ties
33.3%
Seedream 4.0
33.3%
win rate
33.3%
33.3% ties
33.3%
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 3
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + High resolution and rich textures on the wooden frame and leather book.
- + Creative interpretation of the sphere containing a miniature landscape.
- + Dynamic lighting with strong shadows and depth.
- − Failed the spatial prompt: the red book is inside the cube rather than on top.
- − The 'cube' is a display case with massive wooden top and bottom plates, not a simple glass cube.
- − Distorts the request by placing the sphere on top of the book.
Seedream 4.0
- + Perfect adherence to all spatial instructions, including the book on top and sphere inside.
- + Naturalistic and realistic rendering of the glass and lighting.
- + The plant is correctly positioned behind the glass as requested.
- − Lower level of intricate texture compared to the other model.
- − The lighting on the cube's base is a bit flat where it meets the table.
Verdict: Seedream 4.0 followed the prompt instructions perfectly, placing objects exactly where specified (book on top, sphere inside, plant behind). DALL-E 3 produced a more visually artistic image but failed significantly on the spatial logic by moving the book inside the cube and the sphere on top of the book.
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 3
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Excellent use of reflections and puddle depth
- + Creative foreground framing using bicycle elements
- + Cinematic atmosphere with strong lighting and mood
- − Anatomical issues with the man's bare feet and overly stretched neck
- − The subject appears somewhat 'painterly' rather than purely high-resolution natural skin
- − The car in the background lacks clear motion blur
Seedream 4.0
- + Successfully captures realistic motion blur on the passing car
- + Very natural, non-stylized skin texture on the man's hands and face
- + Accurate depiction of a 50mm lens perspective and shallow depth of field
- − The visible rain is very sparse and hard to see
- − The bicycle structure becomes cluttered and slightly incoherent around the chain area
- − Composition is a bit center-heavy compared to the dynamic layout of Image A
Verdict: Seedream 4.0 followed the technical requirements for 'motion blur' and 'no stylization' much more accurately, resulting in a photo that feels truly candid and grounded. While DALL-E 3 created a more visually striking and artistic composition with beautiful reflections, it suffered from notable anatomical distortions and a lack of the requested motion blur.
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 3
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Exceptional texture on the engraved armor and leather straps
- + Soft, cinematic lighting that creates a very realistic depth
- + Intense, lifelike expression in the eyes
- − Completely missed the 'braided hair with small beads' prompt
- − Skin texture appears slightly over-processed and 'AI-smooth' despite the scars
Seedream 4.0
- + Followed all prompt instructions including the braided hair and beads
- + Excellent depiction of 'dirt and faint scars' for a battle-worn look
- + Great dynamic lighting from the visible torch and sparks
- − Ornate engraving on the armor is less crisp and detailed than the competitor
- − The eyes are slightly less lifelike and the leather strap transitions are a bit messy
Verdict: While DALL-E 3 produced a high-fidelity image with stunning armor texture, it failed to incorporate the specific request for braided hair with beads. Seedream 4.0 followed the prompt much more accurately and captured the 'battle-worn' aesthetic with more grit and realism, making it the better overall response to the specific instructions.
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 3
Seedream 4.0
0% wins
100% ties
0% wins
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Provides a complete menu layout including pricing columns and descriptive text blocks
- + Features a more sophisticated grid composition with professional food photography
- + Includes all requested sections: appetizers, pizza, and mains in multiple variations
- − Text rendering is mostly gibberish despite following the layout
- − The font style is a bit jittery and inconsistent
Seedream 4.0
- + Excellent text rendering of the category headers in a bold sans-serif font
- + Clear vibrant accents that define the grid structure
- + High-quality, realistic food photography for each section
- − The layout is missing actual menu items and prices, functioning more like a cover page
- − Weak composition on the bottom half with an incomplete grid and empty white space
Verdict: DALL-E 3 creates a much more functional menu design that understands the structural requirements of a restaurant menu, whereas Seedream 4.0 only provides headers with no content. However, Seedream 4.0 excels in typography and image clarity, whereas DALL-E 3 struggles with legible text. Overall, DALL-E 3 is the better design mockup for a professional setting.
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 3
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Excellent texture on the patty and sesame bun.
- + Strong cinematic lighting with glowing embers and ground effects.
- + Layout is balanced and professional for an advertisement.
- − Spelling errors in text including 'MAGIC BURGR' and 'Limiited'.
- − Price tag is in a square rather than the requested starburst.
- − Some floating orange cylinder artifacts that don't belong to a burger.
Seedream 4.0
- + Perfect text rendering for all titles and secondary messages.
- + Accurately follows the starburst requirement for the price tag.
- + Captures the 'fiery' text effect requested in the prompt.
- − Incorrect price point generated (5.99 instead of 6.99).
- − Lower visual quality with a messy 'exploded' composition that looks like two separate burgers.
- − Cheese and sauce textures look somewhat flat and rubbery compared to the other model.
Verdict: Seedream 4.0 followed the specific text and starburst instructions much better than DALL-E 3, despite a minor error in the numeric value. However, DALL-E 3 produced a significantly higher quality image with superior textures and lighting, even though its spelling was poor. Seedream 4.0 is likely preferred for this specific task because its text handling makes it a functional advertisement, whereas DALL-E 3 requires heavy editing to fix the main title.
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 3
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Excellent chalk-like texture on the board surface
- + Atmospheric lighting and café setting
- − Numerous spelling errors including 'Trufle', 'Occtus', and 'Clutee'
- − Calculates price incorrectly and displays ' $234' prominently
- − Handwriting style varies significantly between different sections of the board
Seedream 4.0
- + Perfect text adherence with no spelling errors
- + Highly realistic and consistent chalk handwriting style throughout the board
- + Natural-looking chalk smudges and erasures enhance the authenticity
- − Simple composition compared to the decorative style of the other model
- − The background café area is slightly out of focus
Verdict: Seedream 4.0 is much better for this prompt as it followed the text instructions perfectly with zero spelling errors and a very realistic chalk texture. DALL-E 3 failed significantly on spelling and also failed to follow the instruction for a consistent handwriting style, mixing disparate types of lettering.
The Reversed Rodeo
Text-to-Image“Horse riding astronaut in space — horse on top, not vice versa. Surreal, highly detailed, cinematic.”
DALL-E 3
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Excellent atmospheric lighting and cinematic composition
- + Strong surreal aesthetic with the horse gallopping over clouds in deep space
- + Clean, artifact-free execution of the astronaut and horse proportions
- − Completely failed the negative constraint/spatial instruction of horse riding astronaut (horse on top)
Seedream 4.0
- + Dynamic and powerful posing of the horse and astronaut
- + High-resolution textures on the space suit and horse's fur
- + Good use of reflection in the visor
- − Failed the specific instruction to have the horse on top of the astronaut
- − The horse's front legs exhibit anatomical merging/clumping issues
Verdict: Both models failed to follow the specific spatial instruction to have the horse on top of the astronaut, instead providing a standard 'astronaut riding horse' image. DALL-E 3 is the preferred choice as its composition is more artistic, better lit, and avoids the anatomical merging issues present in the front legs of the horse in the Seedream 4.0 output.
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 3
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Excellent texture on the capybara fur and interior materials
- + High cinematic lighting quality with realistic reflections
- + Successfully included text 'CAPYBARA' on an external shop front as a creative touch
- − Completely failed to include the human businesswoman in the back seat
- − The capybara's paws look more like fingers/hands than actual paws
Seedream 4.0
- + Successfully included all elements of the prompt including the businesswoman
- + The businesswoman's bored expression perfectly matches the prompt instructions
- + Realistic exterior lighting and blurred Manhattan street lights
- − Perspective of the taxi door and window frame is slightly warped
- − The capybara's head looks a bit superimposed over the jacket collar
Verdict: While DALL-E 3 produced a more visually polished and high-resolution image with better lighting, it failed a significant part of the prompt by omitting the passenger. Seedream 4.0 followed the complex instructions much better, correctly depicting the bored businesswoman in the back seat to complete the juxtaposition of the scene.
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 3
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Excellent intricate gothic framing and depth
- + Highly stylized 3D rendered elements like the central pumpkin and trees
- + Sophisticated vintage parchment texture
- − Text consists of gibberish beyond the word 'HALLOWEEN'
- − Fails to include the specific event details required (Date, Time, Location)
Seedream 4.0
- + Perfect text adherence with nearly all required details correctly spelled
- + Includes the specific scroll banner and thorns border mentioned in the prompt
- + Captures the 'moody night sky' requirement better than Image A
- − Slight spelling artifact in the scroll text ('frighs')
- − Graphic design layout is a bit cluttered compared to the more artistic Model A
Verdict: While DALL-E 3 (Image A) produces a more visually stunning and artistic composition with beautiful gothic framing, it completely fails the functional requirements of an invitation by providing garbled text. Seedream 4.0 (Image B) adheres to almost every detail of the prompt, including the specific date, location, and the requested 'thorns' border, making it a much more successful execution of the task.
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 3
Seedream 4.0
0% wins
0% ties
100% wins
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Excellent 3D miniature diorama feel with high-quality soft textures.
- + Clean isometric perspective and lighting.
- + Integrated the flag icon creatively as a physical element in the scene.
- − Failed to place the text at the 'top-center' as requested, moving it to the base instead.
- − Completely missed the word 'SUSHI' in the text rendering.
- − The rice grains look like large white balls, appearing less like realistic sushi.
Seedream 4.0
- + Perfect adherence to text placement and content instructions.
- + Higher variety and more realistic sushi models including nigiri, maki, and ikura.
- + Clean, solid blue background with professional font choice.
- − The 'diorama base' is just a small plate rather than a raised miniature stand.
- − Minor shadowing artifacts where the plate legs meet the floor.
Verdict: Seedream 4.0 followed the complex layout instructions much better than DALL-E 3, correctly placing the specific text and flag icon at the top of the frame. DALL-E 3 produced a better 'diorama' aesthetic but failed on almost all text requirements and logical placement.
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 3
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Excellent depiction of god rays and soft lighting
- + Whimsical interpretation with high-contrast color
- + Very expressive facial features on all animals
- − Failed the hyper-photorealistic requirement, appearing as a 3D digital illustration
- − Anatomical anomalies with the butterflies containing fuzzy mammal-like bodies
- − Scale of the puppy is disproportionately large compared to the fox and cat
Seedream 4.0
- + Successfully achieved the hyper-photorealistic style requested
- + Captured the dynamic 'tumbling' and 'chasing' action perfectly
- + Excellent use of dew sparkles and natural lighting
- − The fox kit has a slightly awkward pose
- − Minor blurriness on some of the background elements
Verdict: Seedream 4.0 significantly outperformed DALL-E 3 by adhering to the 'photorealistic' constraint, whereas DALL-E 3 produced a cartoonish, Pixar-style image. Seedream 4.0 also more effectively captured the kinetic energy of the animals playing in the meadow, while DALL-E 3's butterflies were mutated creature hybrids.
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 3
Seedream 4.0
100% wins
0% ties
0% wins
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Excellent emblem composition with intricate detailing
- + Strong vintage aesthetic with woodcut-style shading
- + Accurate date 'Est. 1720' placement
- − Failed to include the specific text 'Caffè Florian', replacing it with 'Coffee House'
- − Slightly too complex for a 'minimalist' request
Seedream 4.0
- + Perfect text adherence for 'Caffè Florian'
- + Clean, minimalist layout more suitable for a logo
- + Nice subtle texture on the light background
- − The 'Est. 1720' banner is a bit simple compared to the typography above
- − The steam effect is somewhat generic
Verdict: While DALL-E 3 produced a more visually impressive and detailed emblem with beautiful vintage textures, it failed the primary text requirement by substituting 'Coffee House' for the requested name. Seedream 4.0 followed all instructions perfectly, including the specific name and the minimalist style, making it a better choice for an actual logo 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 3
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
DALL-E 3
- + Excellent aesthetic adherence to the NASA-inspired retro-futuristic style.
- + Maintains a very professional vector art style with tight layout and crisp lines.
- + Successfully captures the specific color palette requested.
- − Fails to follow the specific 6-step chronological structure requested in the prompt.
- − Contains illogical visual elements like Space Shuttles which were not part of Apollo 11.
- − Text consists largely of illegible gibberish placeholder lines.
Seedream 4.0
- + Strict adherence to the requested 6-step infographic structure.
- + Highly legible text that correctly identifies names (Armstrong, Aldrin, Collins) and mission phases.
- + Successfully includes all requested icons (Saturn V, orbit rings, trajectory arc, lunar module).
- − Visual style is more basic and lacks the 'modern vector' sophistication of the other model.
- − Slight spelling error in 'Surfce' under step 5.
- − Composition is a bit clinical and lacks the artistic flair requested for a 'poster'.
Verdict: While DALL-E 3 produced a far more beautiful and stylistically accurate 'poster', it failed significantly on the technical details and actual infographic content, including anachronistic Space Shuttles. Seedream 4.0 followed the complex multi-step prompt almost perfectly, delivering an actual functional infographic with correct names and steps, making it the superior choice for this specific task.
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