Black Forest Labs' aesthetically-tuned 12-billion parameter flow transformer optimized for high-quality images with incredible aesthetics, suitable for personal and commercial use
Settled by community votes across 13 shared challenges, with an AI judge weighing in on each.
FLUX.1 Krea [dev]
#47 of 62 in Text-to-Image
Recraft V4 Pro
#18 of 62 in Text-to-Image
Where the votes landed
FLUX.1 Krea [dev]
0%
win rate
Ties
0%
Recraft V4 Pro
0%
win rate
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.”
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 Krea [dev]
- + Excellent photorealistic lighting and bokeh effect.
- + Perfectly captures the request of the plant being visible 'through' the glass.
- + The glass cube has realistic thickness and internal reflections.
- − The plant is more behind-and-to-the-right than directly centered behind the cube.
Recraft V4 Pro
- + High resolution with sharp textures on the book and table.
- + Accurately places the plant behind the cube.
- + Strong adherence to the window light direction.
- − The 'cube' is visually disjointed, appearing more like several glass slabs rather than a coherent hollow cube.
- − Physics of the blue sphere inside look flat, lacking convincing depth and refraction.
Verdict: FLUX.1 Krea (dev) produces a much more natural and cohesive image with believable optical physics and soft, professional-grade lighting. While Recraft V4 Pro has sharp textures, it fails to render the glass cube as a convincing 3D object, making the sphere appear pasted inside.
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.”
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 Krea [dev]
- + Excellent depiction of motion blur on passing cars requested in the prompt.
- + Captures a convincing 'imperfect' snapshot composition.
- + Accurately represents the 50mm lens look with natural background compression.
- − The man appears to be simply holding the bike rather than actively repairing it.
- − The bicycle's rear structure and chain/pedal area have slight geometric inconsistencies.
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Stronger 'repairing' action with the subject leaning over the bike.
- + Beautiful reflections and lighting that create a cinematic atmosphere.
- + High level of detail in skin texture and clothing.
- − Failed to include the requested motion blur on the background vehicles.
- − The rain effect looks slightly like static noise rather than falling droplets in some areas.
Verdict: FLUX.1 Krea [dev] adhered better to the technical photographic requirements, specifically the motion blur and the 'imperfect framing' of a candid street shot. However, Recraft V4 Pro produced a more emotive and detailed scene that captured the 'repairing' aspect of the prompt more effectively, even though it missed the motion blur detail.
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.”
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 Krea [dev]
- + Excellent shallow depth of field with high-quality bokeh sparks
- + Masterful engraving textures and metallic sheen on the armor
- + Very intense, lifelike eyes and facial expression
- − The blood spatter looks a bit like paint rather than battle-worn dirt or scars
- − Less visible context for the 'warm torchlight' source
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Features a more complex and intricate braided hairstyle with colored beads
- + Successfully integrates actual fire sources into the background environment
- + High level of detail on the floral engravings of the plate armor
- − The lighting on the face is quite flat despite the surrounding torches
- − The 'warm' color palette is undermined by a cool, blue-gray tone in the shadows
Verdict: FLUX.1 Krea [dev] produces a more cinematic portrait with superior depth of field and texture rendering, making the paladin feel immediate and real. Recraft V4 Pro captures the specific details of the hair braids and environments better, but fails to match the lighting quality and photographic realism seen in the FLUX output.
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.”
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 Krea [dev]
- + Excellent professional document layout with a realistic drop shadow effect.
- + Good use of vibrant orange accents that give a cohesive brand feel.
- − Text consists of illegible gibberish and distorted characters.
- − Duplicate section headings for 'Appetizers' and missing unique 'Mains' content.
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Perfectly legible, high-quality typography with logical menu descriptions.
- + Accurate adherence to the grid layout with specific food photos for each item.
- + Successfully included all requested sections: Appetizers, Pizza, and Mains.
- − The composition is a bit flat compared to the realistic presentation of the other model.
Verdict: Recraft V4 Pro is the clear winner as it produces a fully functional menu with readable English text, correct pricing, and accurate categorizations that perfectly match the prompt. FLUX.1 Krea [dev] creates a visually pleasing template, but the text is completely illegible and it repeats sections, making it unusable for a real design task.
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.”
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 Krea [dev]
- + Excellent photorealistic lighting and texture on the burger components
- + Dramatic and vibrant fire background that creates high impact
- + Clean and legible central typography
- − Failed the starburst requirement for the price
- − The price tag is not rendered with a fiery effect
- − The 'exploded' effect is minimal with most components still touching
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Perfect adherence to the 'exploded' request with dynamic suspension of all items
- + Accurately rendered fiery, glowing text for all required elements
- + Correct placement of the price within a fiery starburst
- − The lighting on the burger is slightly flatter compared to the vibrancy of the background
- − The secondary text 'LIMITED TIME ONLY' is less prominent than requested
Verdict: Recraft V4 Pro is the clear winner as it followed every complex instruction in the prompt, including the specific fiery text effects and the starburst for the price. While FLUX.1 Krea produced a highly appetizing and high-quality image, it failed to execute several key layout and styling requirements like the starburst and the fully exploded burger effect.
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.”
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 Krea [dev]
- + Excellent chalk texture and natural variations in the lettering
- + Captures an 'elegant cursive' style as requested for the header
- + Cozy interior lighting and realistic chalkboard surface details
- − Several spelling errors and hallucinated text strings like 'Gruffle' and 'Clvricuations'
- − Repetition of items that weren't in the prompt to fill space
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Perfect text accuracy for all three requested items including the partial final item
- + Captures the atmosphere of a cafe entrance well
- + Very clean and readable layout
- − Text looks more like a digital font than natural chalk handwriting
- − Header is in a simple block font rather than the requested 'elegant cursive'
- − Lacks the natural variations in letter size and slant requested in the prompt
Verdict: Recraft V4 Pro followed the specific text instructions perfectly, including the partial prompt string, but failed to capture the 'handwritten chalk' aesthetic, looking more like a digital overlay. FLUX.1 Krea [dev] suffered from significant spelling hallucinations and repetitions, yet it significantly outperformed on the stylistic requirements for chalk texture and natural handwriting variations. FLUX.1 Krea [dev] is preferred for its superior artistic realism, despite the spelling issues.
The Reversed Rodeo
Text-to-Image“Horse riding astronaut in space — horse on top, not vice versa. Surreal, highly detailed, cinematic.”
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 Krea [dev]
- + Excellent photorealistic lighting on the horse and suit.
- + High-quality Earth background with realistic atmospheric haze.
- + Clear, cinematic composition.
- − Failed the primary logic constraint by placing the astronaut on top of the horse.
- − The mechanical parts attached to the horse's base are anatomically confusing.
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Atmospheric and detailed background with asteroids and a moon.
- + Dynamic sense of motion with the splashing ice/debris particles.
- + High levels of fine detail in the horse's mane and suit texture.
- − Failed the primary logic constraint by placing the astronaut on top of the horse.
- − Anatomical issues with the horse's right front leg merging into the background debris.
Verdict: Both models failed the negative constraint to depict a 'horse on top' of an astronaut, instead providing the standard astronaut-on-horse interpretation. FLUX.1 Krea [dev] is preferred for its superior lighting and cleaner, more believable cinematic rendering compared to the cluttered and anatomically messy Recraft V4 Pro.
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.”
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 Krea [dev]
- + Excellent fur texture on the capybara
- + High photographic clarity and sharp details
- + Accurate depiction of the businesswoman on her phone
- − Included an extra passenger in the front seat not requested in the prompt
- − The capybara's hat looks like a plastic hard hat rather than a driver's cap
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Perfect composition with only the requested characters
- + Rain effect adds a lot of atmosphere and realism to the Manhattan night setting
- + Driver's cap looks authentic and professional
- − Capybara paws on the steering wheel look slightly distorted
- − Background lights are a bit heavily smeared
Verdict: Recraft V4 Pro followed the prompt instructions more accurately by only including the capybara and the businesswoman, whereas FLUX.1 Krea added an extra person in the front seat. Recraft V4 Pro also created a much more atmospheric and believable scene with the rain on the window and a more realistic driver's hat, despite slightly muddier textures in the background.
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.”
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 Krea [dev]
- + Elegant illustrative style with vintage parchment aesthetic
- + High-quality gothic font choice for the header
- + Great balance of the central jack-o-lantern and decorative border
- − Significant text errors including 'Pasty Halloween' and multiple typos in the fine print
- − The parchment paper texture feels a bit flat compared to the cinematic lighting request
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Perfect text accuracy for all requested details and dates
- + Strong cinematic lighting with atmospheric clouds, moon, and lightning
- + Clear adherence to the 'thorns' element in the border design
- − The font for the bottom details is very modern and lacks the requested gothic/vintage feel
- − The transition between the top sky and the bottom black text area is a bit abrupt
Verdict: Recraft V4 Pro is the winner because it followed all text prompts perfectly, including the specific date and address. While FLUX.1 Krea [dev] captured the 'vintage gothic' aesthetic better in its font choices, it failed significantly on text rendering, producing several spelling errors and distorted words.
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.”
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 Krea [dev]
- + Excellent typography with a friendly, bold cartoon aesthetic.
- + Superior 3D lighting and soft PBR materials that perfectly match the 'miniature' request.
- + Clean, minimalist composition that feels professional and intentional.
- − Includes only a single piece of sushi instead of a selection.
- − The flag icon is a physical object rather than a graphic element as might be expected in layout design.
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Provides a nice variety of sushi types including nigiri, maki, and gunkan.
- + Accurately places the flag icon as a graphic element at the top.
- + Text is sharp and centered correctly.
- − The 'diorama base' is made of loose rice, which looks messy and unappealing compared to a clean base.
- − The rendering of the salmon and roe lacks the 'soft refined texture' requested, appearing slightly grainy.
- − Shadows are less defined, resulting in a flatter 3D look.
Verdict: FLUX.1 Krea [dev] captured the desired 3D miniature aesthetic much better, using soft lighting and a clean geometric base that gives it a high-quality 'toy' feel. Recraft V4 Pro followed the layout instructions for the flag better and provided more variety in the food, but the texture of the rice base and the overall lighting were less visually appealing.
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.”
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 Krea [dev]
- + Excellent soft lighting and bokeh effect
- + High aesthetic appeal with a warm 'wholesome' vibe
- + Very clean fur textures and expressive faces
- − Failed to include the bunny
- − Included two kittens instead of the requested animals
- − Background is somewhat generic and lacks vertical depth
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Successfully included all four requested animals
- + Superior rendering of 'god rays' and morning dew on grass
- + More realistic landscape composition with rolling hills
- − The fox's tail is positioned oddly near the kitten's head
- − The transition between the puppy's body and the grass is slightly muddy
- − Butterflies are a bit small and less prominent
Verdict: Recraft V4 Pro is the clear winner for its superior prompt adherence, successfully including the golden retriever, kitten, fox, and bunny whereas FLUX.1 Krea [dev] missed the bunny and added an extra kitten. While both images have excellent lighting, Recraft V4 Pro better captured the specific ecological details like the dew sparkles and god rays requested in the prompt.
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.”
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 Krea [dev]
- + Excellent vintage texture and weathered paper effect.
- + Consistent etching style between the illustration and typography.
- − Serious spelling error in the main brand name ('FLANOR'IN' instead of 'Florian').
- − The steam effect looks more like a wick or a nozzle on top of the dome.
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Perfect text rendering with correct spelling and accent marks.
- + Clean, professional typography that fits the 'classic' and 'vector' request.
- + Logical placement of steam coming from underneath the cloche.
- − Minimal texture on the background compared to the prompt's request for 'subtle texture'.
- − The composition is a bit more standard and less artistic than the first option.
Verdict: Recraft V4 Pro is the clear winner because it correctly spelled the brand name 'Caffè Florian', whereas FLUX.1 Krea [dev] failed significantly on the primary text. Recraft V4 Pro also delivered a cleaner vector-style logo that is much more usable for actual branding purposes, despite having a slightly simpler background.
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.”
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 Krea [dev]
- + Excellent large-scale composition of the lunar surface.
- + Features a clean dark background consistent with a space theme.
- − Fails most specific prompt instructions, including the numbered steps and specific icons.
- − Text rendering is messy and includes gibberish like 'Ficenc k Duct'.
- − Includes nonsensical icons like a planet with rings for Step 1.
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Perfect adherence to all 6 requested steps with corresponding icons.
- + High-quality typography with legible, correct text and labels.
- + Strictly follows the requested NASA-inspired color palette and flat-vector style.
- − The layout is a bit scattered, with several blank white spaces.
- − The 'Saturn V' rocket icon is slightly simplified and lacks fine geometric detail.
Verdict: Recraft V4 Pro is the clear winner as it followed every instruction in the complex prompt, including specific iconography for each of the six mission steps and legible text. FLUX.1 Krea failed to follow the logical sequence of the infographic and produced significant text artifacts and incorrect icons.
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