Black Forest Labs' 12 billion parameter distilled image generation model optimized for speed, capable of generating high-quality images in just 4 inference steps
Settled by community votes across 12 shared challenges, with an AI judge weighing in on each.
FLUX.1 [schnell]
18.7
arena score
#48 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 [schnell]
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 [schnell]
Nano Banana
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [schnell]
- + Excellent sharpness and texture on the wooden table and Monstera plant.
- + Highly realistic glass reflections and refractions.
- − Failed the spatial prompt logic by adding a second blue sphere on top of the book.
- − The sphere inside the cube is too large compared to the 'small' descriptor in the prompt.
Nano Banana
- + Perfect adherence to the spatial constraints and object counts.
- + Accurate interpretation of 'small sphere' relative to the cube size.
- + Excellent lighting effects with dust motes and soft window shadows.
- − The glass cube appears slightly less refractive and more like a simple hollow box.
- − The plant in the background is slightly noisier/less detailed than the one in Model A.
Verdict: Nano Banana is the clear winner as it followed every part of the prompt correctly, whereas FLUX.1 [schnell] hallucinated an additional blue sphere on top of the book. Nano Banana also captured the atmospheric 'soft window light' more effectively with its use of shadows and dust particles.
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 [schnell]
Nano Banana
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [schnell]
- + Excellent texture on the wet pavement and realistic reflections.
- + High degree of realism in the facial features and hair of the subject.
- + Strong cinematic lighting that feels professional yet candid.
- − The background cars are too sharp, missing the requested motion blur.
- − The man's hands are a bit garbled and anatomically confusing where they grip the handlebars.
Nano Banana
- + Successfully captured the visible falling rain and wet clothing textures.
- + Better adherence to the 'motion blur from passing cars' instruction.
- + Composition feels more 'candid' and organic for a street photo.
- − The bike anatomy is slightly off, particularly where the kickstand and rear hub interact.
- − The man's face is partially obscured by the hat, losing some detail requested in natural skin texture.
Verdict: Both models performed well, but Nano Banana captured the specific atmosphere of rain and motion blur requested in the prompt more effectively. FLUX.1 [schnell] produced a higher-fidelity face and better surface reflections, but the background cars were static, failing a key part 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.”
FLUX.1 [schnell]
Nano Banana
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [schnell]
- + Extremely high-fidelity skin texture showing fine pores and wrinkles.
- + Intense, lifelike gaze and facial detail.
- + Includes beads in the braids as requested.
- − Composition is a bit too tight, cutting off most of the ornate armor.
- − Lighting feels a bit flat on the face despite the background glow.
- − Missing the bokeh sparks mentioned in the prompt.
Nano Banana
- + Excellent depiction of ornate engraved plate armor and leather textures.
- + Effective use of bokeh sparks and torchlight atmosphere.
- + Captures the 'battle-worn' aesthetic well with clear scars and dirt.
- − Eyes look slightly glassy and less lifelike compared to the other model.
- − The skin texture is somewhat smoother and less detailed than Image A.
Verdict: Nano Banana is the winner as it better balances the ornate armor, lighting, and environmental effects requested in the prompt, whereas FLUX.1 [schnell] creates a superior facial portrait but fails to showcase the armor or the requested sparks. Nano Banana successfully incorporates the leather straps, cloth underlayers, and atmospheric lighting that define the character's setting.
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 [schnell]
Nano Banana
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [schnell]
- + Clean minimalist aesthetic with good white space
- + Professional font choice and headline hierarchy
- − Nonsense text and gibberish headers (e.g., 'ORFEFUS')
- − Poor categorization matching, as the 'Pizza' category text is disconnected from the pizza images
Nano Banana
- + Excellent text legibility with real words and prices
- + Perfect adherence to requested sections (Appetizers, Pizza, Mains)
- + High-quality, vibrant food photography in a structured grid
- − Minor spelling error in 'APPETIERS'
- − Food photos include breakfast items like pancakes which might not fit the 'Pizza/Mains' categories
Verdict: Nano Banana is the clear winner as it produces a functional, legible menu with high-quality photography and vibrant colorful accents exactly as requested. While FLUX.1 [schnell] captures a decent minimalist look, its use of gibberish text and poor layout organization makes it unusable as a 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.”
FLUX.1 [schnell]
Nano Banana
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [schnell]
- + Excellent photorealistic texture on the burger bun and melted cheese
- + Strong sense of heat and embers in the background
- − Failed to render the full text correctly, displaying 'AGIC BURGER' instead of 'MAGIC BURGER'
- − The burger is mostly assembled rather than properly 'exploded' into individual components
- − Confusing and messy price starburst with multiple conflicting figures
Nano Banana
- + Perfect execution of the 'exploded' view where all components are separated
- + Flawless text rendering with the requested fiery, glowing effect
- + Accurate price rendering in a glowing starburst as requested
- − The 'Limited Time Only' subtitle lacks the same fiery intensity as the main header
Verdict: Nano Banana followed every instruction perfectly, specifically capturing the 'exploded' layout of the burger components and rendering the fiery text with 100% accuracy. FLUX.1 [schnell] struggled with the text, misspelling the title and creating a cluttered price tag, while also failing to actually separate the burger layers as requested.
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 [schnell]
Nano Banana
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [schnell]
- + Legible chalk-like texture on the individual letters.
- + Includes the requested date and price points.
- − Significant spelling errors throughout the menu items.
- − Title text is missing letters and is not in the requested elegant cursive style.
- − The background environment is flat and lacks the 'cozy café' atmosphere.
Nano Banana
- + Excellent prompt adherence with nearly perfect spelling of all complex menu items.
- + Beautiful cozy café setting with realistic lighting, depth of field, and brick textures.
- + Text style accurately reflects authentic chalk handwriting with natural slants and variations.
- − The text is slightly thin, making some of the smaller details at the bottom harder to read.
- − Lacks a very heavy cursive 'elegant' style for the title, though it is more stylistic than the body text.
Verdict: Nano Banana is the clear winner as it perfectly captured the complex menu text requested with zero spelling errors, whereas FLUX.1 [schnell] struggled with basic words like 'April' and 'Mushroom'. Nano Banana also provided a much more immersive and visually appealing 'cozy café' background that feels professional and realistic.
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 [schnell]
Nano Banana
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [schnell]
- + Excellent fur texture and lighting on the capybara.
- + Logical placement of the businesswoman in the actual backseat.
- + Clear, legible text on the hat.
- − The capybara's paws are not both on the steering wheel as requested (one is resting low).
- − The hat looks more like a swim cap or beanie than a traditional driver's cap.
Nano Banana
- + Both paws are clearly on the steering wheel.
- + The hat model is a more accurate representation of a chauffeur or taxi driver cap.
- + The capybara has a very realistic 'professional' side profile.
- − The passenger is sitting in the front passenger seat instead of the requested back seat.
- − The lighting is slightly flatter and less cinematic than the competitor.
- − The woman's hand holding the phone has some anatomical merging/blurring issues.
Verdict: FLUX.1 [schnell] produced a more visually striking and polished image with correct seating arrangements, although it failed the specific instruction for 'both front paws on the steering wheel'. Nano Banana followed the paw instruction and cap style more accurately but placed the passenger in the front seat, which contradicts the prompt's layout. FLUX.1 [schnell] is preferred for its superior rendering of textures and correct spatial logic.
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 [schnell]
Nano Banana
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [schnell]
- + Strong composition and color palette
- + Atmospheric background lighting
- − Numerous spelling errors including repeated and hallucinated words
- − Layout of text is cluttered at the bottom
Nano Banana
- + Perfect text rendering for all requested details
- + Excellent adherence to the 'webs and thorns' border prompt
- + Clean and readable layout
- − Slightly more generic 'clipart' feel for the central pumpkin
- − Parchment texture is limited to the corners
Verdict: Nano Banana is the clear winner as it successfully rendered all text elements accurately, whereas FLUX.1 [schnell] struggled with significant typos and redundant text lines. Nano Banana also followed the specific stylistic prompt for a thorn and web border much more effectively than the competitor.
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 [schnell]
Nano Banana
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [schnell]
- + Excellent PBR material rendering on the salmon and rice textures.
- + Perfect adherence to the 45-degree isometric angle.
- + Clean and professional graphic design aesthetic.
- − Failed to include the word 'SUSHI' in the text element.
- − The salmon topping has strange red artifacts or markings.
Nano Banana
- + Successfully included all requested text ('JAPAN' and 'SUSHI').
- + Includes a variety of sushi types on a creative wooden diorama base.
- + High-quality 3D cartoon style with consistent lighting.
- − The isometric angle is slightly lower than the requested 45-degree top-down view.
- − The text is not perfectly centered as requested.
Verdict: Nano Banana followed the text instructions more accurately by including both 'JAPAN' and 'SUSHI', whereas FLUX.1 [schnell] missed the second word. However, FLUX.1 [schnell] achieved a much more professional 'miniature' look with superior material shaders, while Nano Banana opted for a more complex scene that arguably fulfilled the 'diorama' prompt better.
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 [schnell]
Nano Banana
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [schnell]
- + vibrant and saturated color palette
- + excellent fur texture on the retriever
- − failed to include a distinct rabbit
- − less convincing god ray effects
Nano Banana
- + included all four requested animal species
- + superior rendering of god rays and dew sparkles
- + dynamic interaction and tumbling poses
- − more stylized and less hyper-photorealistic
- − visible artifacts on the fox's front paws
Verdict: Nano Banana adhered much better to the prompt instructions by including the rabbit and depicting the specific 'tumbling' action requested. While FLUX.1 [schnell] has slightly more realistic lighting on the golden retriever, it missed a core subject and felt more like a static portrait.
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 [schnell]
Nano Banana
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [schnell]
- + Clean vector lines and symmetrical layout
- + Follows the warm brown and light background color scheme well
- + Distinct cloche icon with solid graphic presence
- − Misspelled the name completely as 'Framilan'
- − Incorrect year '7720' instead of 1720
- − Missing the steam element requested in the prompt
Nano Banana
- + Excellent typography with perfect spelling of 'Caffè Florian'
- + Accurate representation of 'Est. 1720' on a banner as requested
- + Includes subtle steam swirls and a high level of intricate detail
- − Slightly less 'minimalist' than Model A due to the ornate border
- − The steam effect is a bit abstract compared to a standard steam icon
Verdict: Nano Banana is the clear winner as it followed every textual requirement of the prompt, including the specific name and the correct historical date. While FLUX.1 [schnell] produced a clean vector aesthetic, it failed significantly on text rendering, hallucinating 'Framilan' and '7720'.
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 [schnell]
Nano Banana
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [schnell]
- + Strong minimalist vector aesthetic
- + Excellent color palette application
- + Creative layout using orbital rings as structural elements
- − Text is largely illegible gibberish
- − Fails to follow the specific 6-step sequence requested
- − Rocket design looks more like a cartoon shuttle than a Saturn V
Nano Banana
- + Perfectly follows requested information hierarchy and steps
- + Highly legible and accurate text rendering
- + Clean, consistent iconography for each mission phase
- − Skips step 5 (Descent) in the visual sequence numbering
- − Slightly less 'poster-like' and more like a simple web graphic
- − Layout is a bit safe and conventional
Verdict: Nano Banana is the clear winner as it successfully follows the logical sequence of the mission and provides clear, legible text. FLUX.1 [schnell] has a more sophisticated artistic layout, but the text is garbled and it fails to represent the specific 6-step mission timeline requested in the prompt.
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