Black Forest Labs' 12-billion parameter flow transformer for high-quality text-to-image generation, suitable for personal and commercial use with streaming support
Settled by community votes across 12 shared challenges, with an AI judge weighing in on each.
FLUX.1 [dev]
24.6
arena score
#16 of 62 in Text-to-Image
Skill signature
· Text-to-Image
Nano Banana
23.8
arena score
#21 of 62 in Text-to-Image
Vote tally
Where the votes landed
FLUX.1 [dev]
0%
win rate
Ties
0%
Nano Banana
0%
win rate
Shared challenges
12
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.”
FLUX.1 [dev]
Nano Banana
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [dev]
- + Excellent photorealistic texture on the red book and glass surfaces.
- + Superior lighting and reflections, accurately capturing the window light.
- + High clarity and sharp focus on the central objects.
- − The glass cube has internal vertical structural lines that make it look more like a frame than a solid cube.
Nano Banana
- + Successfully placed the green plant behind the cube as requested.
- + Good atmospheric lighting with visible dust motes in the air.
- + Accurate representation of the blue sphere suspended inside the cube.
- − The red book lacks realistic texture and looks somewhat flat.
- − The image has a softer, lower-resolution feel compared to Model A.
Verdict: FLUX.1 [dev] produced a far more crisp and professional photograph with stunning realistic textures, though it struggled to put the plant clearly behind the cube. Nano Banana followed the spatial instructions of the prompt more literally by placing the plant behind the glass, but the overall image quality and realism are significantly lower. FLUX.1 [dev] is preferred for its superior aesthetic and lighting quality.
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.”
FLUX.1 [dev]
Nano Banana
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [dev]
- + Excellent depiction of skin texture and rainy lighting
- + Accurate 50mm shallow depth of field effect
- + Highly realistic clothing and fabric physics
- − The man is holding the bicycle rather than repairing it
- − Motion blur of cars is subtle compared to the requested prompt
Nano Banana
- + Better adherence to the 'repairing' action in the prompt
- + Composition feels more 'candid' and imperfect as requested
- + Detailed reflections on the wet pavement
- − The bicycle frame geometry is slightly warped/unnatural
- − The straw hat is an unusual choice for a rainy day
- − Skin textures are slightly less detailed than the competitor
Verdict: FLUX.1 [dev] wins on pure technical image quality and the realism of the subject's skin and clothing, though it misses the specific 'repairing' action. Nano Banana adheres better to the requested composition and activity, but the bicycle's physical structure is less coherent and the choice of a straw hat in rain feels less authentic to the setting.
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.”
FLUX.1 [dev]
Nano Banana
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [dev]
- + Extremely realistic skin texture and lifelike eyes.
- + Excellent use of shallow depth of field and soft bokeh.
- + Subtle, realistic dirt and freckles that look natural.
- − Fails to include the requested beads in the hair braids.
- − The character looks more like a modern model than a 'battle-worn paladin'.
- − The armor lacks the specific engravings requested in the prompt.
Nano Banana
- + Perfect adherence to specific details like the beads in hair and ornate engravings.
- + Captures the 'battle-worn' aesthetic much better with visible scars and grit.
- + Superior rendering of complex textures like leather straps and embroidered cloth.
- − The eyes look slightly less lifelike and more illustrated compared to Model A.
- − The facial proportions are slightly stylized, leaning towards a high-end cinematic/video game look.
Verdict: While FLUX.1 [dev] produces a more photorealistic face, it misses several key technical prompt requirements like hair beads and ornate engravings. Nano Banana followed the prompt much more accurately, creating a character that truly looks like a battle-worn paladin with all the specific textures and accessories requested.
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.”
FLUX.1 [dev]
Nano Banana
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [dev]
- + Excellent professional graphic design layout with whitespace utilization.
- + Higher resolution text rendering for small body copy.
- + Clean, modern aesthetic that feels realistic for a high-end casual restaurant.
- − Failed the instruction to include a grid of photos.
- − Missed the 'Pizza' specific section header, grouping it under other categories.
- − Text content is mostly gibberish/lorem ipsum.
Nano Banana
- + Adhered perfectly to the request for a grid of photos.
- + Accurately included all three requested section headers: Appetizers, Pizza, and Mains.
- + Used colorful accents and legible English text for menu items.
- − Layout feels a bit cluttered and lacks the professional polish of a real menu.
- − Misspelled the header 'APPETIERS'.
- − The grid photos are somewhat generic and not perfectly integrated into the white background.
Verdict: Nano Banana followed the specific structural instructions much better, providing the requested grid and all three specific headers, although it suffered from a spelling error in a primary heading. FLUX.1 [dev] produced a more aesthetically pleasing and professionally balanced graphic design, but ignored the grid requirement and missed one of the three mandatory sections.
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.”
FLUX.1 [dev]
Nano Banana
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [dev]
- + Excellent photorealistic rendering of the food texture
- + Clean and minimalist composition
- + Successfully followed the fiery bottom background instruction
- − Missed the main 'MAGIC BURGER' title completely
- − Failed to render the price within a starburst
- − Composition is static rather than dynamic and exploded
Nano Banana
- + Perfect adherence to all text requirements including 'MAGIC BURGER' and the starburst
- + Very dynamic 'exploded' composition with a strong sense of motion
- + Consistent fiery glowing effect across all text elements
- − The 'MAGIC BURGER' text has a slight outer glow that feels a bit digital/dated
- − Background texture is slightly less realistic than the burger itself
Verdict: Nano Banana is the clear winner as it followed every part of the prompt, including the specific text strings, the starburst container for the price, and the 'exploded' dynamic layout. FLUX.1 [dev] produced a high-quality food image but failed to include the primary title and lacked the requested motion and starburst element.
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.”
FLUX.1 [dev]
Nano Banana
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [dev]
- + Excellent legibility for all requested text including the truncated menu item.
- + Successfully rendered the specific date requested in the prompt.
- + Captures a realistic chalk texture with slight variations in letter height and spacing.
- − The cursive title is fairly simple and leans more towards print-script than 'elegant cursive'.
- − The bottom sentences contain minor spelling artifacts like 'drish' and 'ufor'.
Nano Banana
- + Beautiful composition and lighting that perfectly captures the 'cozy café' atmosphere.
- + Superior handwriting style that looks very natural and follows the angle of the board accurately.
- + Accurately completed the partial prompt 'Brown But...' to 'Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies'.
- − The date is slightly cramped at the top of the board.
- − The background blur is a bit heavy on the right side of the image.
Verdict: FLUX.1 [dev] followed the text instructions with high precision and clarity, but the overall image feels a bit sterile. Nano Banana created a much more atmospheric and believable scene with superior handwriting aesthetics and background detail, despite slightly smaller text. Nano Banana is the winner for its artistic composition and how well it integrated the chalkboard into a realistic environment while completing the partial text correctly.
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.”
FLUX.1 [dev]
Nano Banana
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [dev]
- + Excellent photorealism and fur texture on the capybara.
- + Successfully places the passenger in the back seat as requested.
- + High-quality lighting and bokeh effect for the city background.
- − The capybara's paws are positioned awkwardly and look slightly like bird talons.
- − The passenger is looking at the phone but appears to be sitting in the middle of the back seat or leaning into the front space.
Nano Banana
- + Natural composition from a side-view perspective.
- + The capybara's hand/paw on the steering wheel looks very realistic.
- + The taxi driver cap is styled closer to a traditional chauffeur/taxi hat.
- − Failed the spatial prompt: the passenger is sitting in the passenger seat (front) rather than the back seat.
- − The image quality is slightly softer/lower resolution compared to the other model.
- − The steering wheel placement is confusing relative to the driver's seat.
Verdict: FLUX.1 [dev] followed the spatial instructions much better, correctly placing the passenger in the back seat and providing a sharp, high-fidelity image. While Nano Banana created a very believable capybara driver, it failed to place the businesswoman in the back seat, making the scene less accurate to the prompt.
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.”
FLUX.1 [dev]
Nano Banana
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [dev]
- + Strong illustration style with bold, cinematic lighting
- + Creative thorn-path border that frames the central elements well
- − Major text hallucinations including 'Halloween Rant' instead of 'Invitation'
- − Repeats the time '7pm' twice and includes random periods and commas in the date
Nano Banana
- + Perfect text adherence with nearly flawless rendering of all requested details
- + Includes all requested elements like webs, thorns, and parchment textures correctly
- + Superior composition with a more legible and elegant gothic hierarchy
- − The parchment texture is slightly repetitive at the edges
- − The jack-o-lantern is a bit small relative to the overall frame
Verdict: Nano Banana significantly outperforms FLUX.1 [dev] by accurately rendering every specific line of text requested, whereas FLUX.1 [dev] struggled with spelling and formatting. Nano Banana's inclusion of spiders webs and the specific parchment texture also makes it a better match for the 'vintage' aspect of the 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.”
FLUX.1 [dev]
Nano Banana
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [dev]
- + Excellent soft lighting and refined PBR textures
- + Beautiful diorama perspective with a cohesive aesthetic
- + Appealing miniature cartoon style
- − Text rendering is poor with spelling errors like 'SUSH CATON'
- − Unnecessary addition of flowers that was not in the prompt
Nano Banana
- + Perfect text rendering of 'JAPAN' and 'SUSHI'
- + Strong adherence to all prompt elements including the flag icon and wood texture
- + High clarity with a very clean isometric composition
- − The rice texture is slightly bumpy/chunky for a 'soft refined' look
- − Text placement is at the top left/center rather than strictly top-center
Verdict: While FLUX.1 [dev] produces a more artistically 'soft' and atmospheric image, it fails significantly on the text rendering. Nano Banana follows the prompt more accurately, delivering clean, legible text and a more diverse variety of sushi while maintaining a perfect 45-degree isometric view.
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.”
FLUX.1 [dev]
Nano Banana
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [dev]
- + Warm, aesthetically pleasing lighting and rim-light effects.
- + Consistent 'chibi' or stylized art style across all characters.
- − Failed to include a tabby kitten.
- − The characters look like 3D rendered toys rather than 'hyper-photorealistic' animals.
- − Missing the specific species requested, opting for two dogs and two fox-like creatures instead.
Nano Banana
- + Successfully included all four requested animals: puppy, tabby kitten, bunny, and fox kit.
- + Effective use of god rays and dew sparkles as requested.
- + Better fur texture and anatomical realism that leans closer to 'photorealistic' despite the cute proportions.
- − The fox kit has a slightly awkward pose with its paws.
- − The butterflies look a bit pasted on rather than integrated into the scene.
Verdict: Nano Banana followed the prompt far more accurately by including all four distinct animals, whereas FLUX.1 [dev] omitted the kitten and doubled up on canine-like figures. Furthermore, Nano Banana captured the technical requirements like dew sparkles and god rays more effectively, making it the superior interpretation despite some minor anatomical awkwardness.
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.”
FLUX.1 [dev]
Nano Banana
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [dev]
- + Strong minimalist vector aesthetic
- + Includes the requested steam element on the cloche
- − Major spelling errors ('Café Flariláan', 'RESEAURANT')
- − Extraneous, nonsensical numbers (11011, 1941) clutter the design
Nano Banana
- + Perfect text rendering for both name and date
- + Excellent vintage emblem composition with elegant scrollwork
- + Professional and clean vector lines
- − Steam element is very abstract/stylized compared to a literal interpretation
Verdict: Nano Banana is the clear winner as it successfully rendered all text perfectly, whereas FLUX.1 [dev] suffered from multiple misspellings and included random numerical artifacts. Nano Banana's composition much better captures the 'vintage minimalist' and 'vector emblem' style requested in 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.”
FLUX.1 [dev]
Nano Banana
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [dev]
- + Captures a more creative, artistic take on the infographic theme.
- + Adheres well to the requested color palette.
- − Text is largely gibberish and poorly rendered.
- − Logical flow of information is confusing and lacks the specific steps requested.
Nano Banana
- + Excellent text legibility and logical numbering.
- + Strong adherence to the 'flat-vector' style with very clean icons.
- + Accurately represents the specific mission steps and crew details.
- − Missing step 5 (Descent) and skips directly to step 6.
- − Composition has a large amount of empty space at the bottom.
Verdict: Nano Banana is the clear winner for its superior text rendering and clean iconography that actually conveys information, whereas FLUX.1 [dev] produced illegible text and a disorganized layout. Even though Nano Banana skipped one of the six requested steps, the overall coherence and professional vector aesthetic make it much more useful as an infographic.
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