Black Forest Labs' enhanced 12-billion parameter flow transformer with 6x faster generation than FLUX.1 [pro], delivering superior composition, detail, and artistic fidelity
Settled by community votes across 8 shared challenges, with an AI judge weighing in on each.
FLUX1.1 [pro]
18.4
arena score
#50 of 62 in Text-to-Image
Skill signature
· Text-to-Image
Qwen Image Max
21.5
arena score
#35 of 62 in Text-to-Image
Vote tally
Where the votes landed
FLUX1.1 [pro]
0%
win rate
Ties
0%
Qwen Image Max
0%
win rate
Shared challenges
8
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.”
FLUX1.1 [pro]
Qwen Image Max
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX1.1 [pro]
- + Excellent refraction and transparency effects on the glass edges
- + Highly realistic texture on the red book cover
- + Clean and centered composition
- − The glass container is more of a rectangular prism than a cube
- − The lighting on the cube edges is a bit overly sharp and digital
Qwen Image Max
- + Perfectly adheres to the 'cube' geometry requested
- + Beautiful soft window lighting with realistic shadows on the wooden table
- + Natural integration of the plant behind and through the glass
- − The blue sphere looks slightly more like plastic than glass compared to the surroundings
Verdict: Both models followed the prompt perfectly, including the spatial relationships of all objects. Qwen Image Max is the winner because it correctly rendered a cube whereas FLUX1.1 [pro] rendered a tall rectangular prism, and Qwen's lighting and shadows feel more organically integrated into the scene.
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.”
FLUX1.1 [pro]
Qwen Image Max
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX1.1 [pro]
- + Incredible skin texture and lifelike iris detailing
- + Excellent use of shallow depth of field and bokeh
- + Extremely high-quality lighting and cinematic color grading
- − Fails to show the 'small beads' in the hair clearly
- − Less detail on the 'engraved' nature of the armor compared to Model B
Qwen Image Max
- + Perfect adherence to the 'hair braided with beads' prompt
- + Ornate engraving on the plate armor is clearly visible and intricate
- + Captures the 'battle-worn' essence well with distinct facial scarring
- − Skin lacks the pore-level realism found in Model A
- − Lighting on the face is a bit flat compared to the dramatic torchlight in Model A
- − Composition is slightly less 'close' than requested for a close portrait
Verdict: While FLUX1.1 [pro] produces a more photorealistic and cinematically lit image with superior skin textures, Qwen Image Max followed the specific content instructions more accurately, particularly the hair beads and the intricate engravings on the armor. Qwen Image Max captures the 'paladin' archetype more effectively via the costume details, whereas FLUX1.1 [pro] wins on pure visual quality and realism.
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.”
FLUX1.1 [pro]
Qwen Image Max
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX1.1 [pro]
- + Clean, professional typographic layout
- + High level of texture detail on the burger patties and bun
- + Excellent depth of field with the ember background
- − Failed the 'exploded burger' prompt by keeping the burger largely assembled
- − Missing the starburst element for the price
- − Text styling is clean but does not match the 'fiery, glowing' requirement as well as the competitor
Qwen Image Max
- + Successfully captured the 'exploded' motion with components flying apart
- + Perfect adherence to text styling including the fiery font and the starburst for the price
- + Strong sense of dynamic motion through streaks and debris
- − The burger's perspective is slightly skewed or distorted in its exploded state
- − The lettuce texture looks a bit more plasticky compared to Model A
Verdict: Qwen Image Max followed the complex prompt requirements much better than FLUX1.1 [pro], accurately delivering the 'exploded' effect, the fiery text styling, and the specific starburst element for the price. While FLUX1.1 [pro] produced a high-quality static image, it failed to execute the core creative direction of a deconstructed, flying burger.
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.”
FLUX1.1 [pro]
Qwen Image Max
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX1.1 [pro]
- + Excellent cinematic lighting and bokeh in the background
- + High-quality fur texture and realistic passenger face
- + Dynamic composition through the rear-view perspective
- − The capybara and passenger are sitting essentially next to each other, failing the 'back seat' spatial instruction
- − Both front paws are not clearly on the steering wheel as requested
- − Anatomically awkward arm placement for the capybara
Qwen Image Max
- + Perfect adherence to characters' spatial positions (driver front, passenger back)
- + Excellent depiction of 'both front paws on the steering wheel'
- + Includes realistic gritty details like the cracked taxi ceiling and dashboard elements
- − The driver's hands/paws look more like primate hands than capybara paws
- − The background outside the window is slightly less sharp/realistic than Model A
Verdict: While FLUX1.1 [pro] produced a more aesthetically pleasing and high-resolution image, it failed significantly on the spatial logic of the prompt, placing the passenger in the front seat. Qwen Image Max followed every specific detail of the prompt, including the passenger's placement in the back seat and the specific requirement of both paws on the wheel, while still maintaining high realism.
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.”
FLUX1.1 [pro]
Qwen Image Max
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX1.1 [pro]
- + Excellent cinematic lighting on the jack-o-lantern
- + Atmospheric composition with the full moon and silhouettes
- + Intricate thorny border detail
- − Serious text repetition and layout errors
- − Misspelled 'invited' as 'inivted' in the banner
- − Failed to include cobwebs in the border
Qwen Image Max
- + Perfect text rendering with no spelling errors or repetitions
- + Strong adherence to all prompt elements including webs and thorns
- + Excellent vintage gothic aesthetics with a clear scroll banner
- − The transition between the central scene and the parchment background is slightly soft
Verdict: While FLUX1.1 [pro] captures a more cinematic mood, it fails significantly on text legibility and accuracy, repeating information and mispelling words. Qwen Image Max perfectly executes the layout and complex text instructions while including all requested visual elements like the webs and scroll.
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.”
FLUX1.1 [pro]
Qwen Image Max
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX1.1 [pro]
- + Excellent adherence to the 3D cartoon style with soft, stylized textures.
- + Very clean typography execution and layout.
- + Strong isometric perspective on a well-defined diorama base.
- − Failed to include the requested flag icon.
- − The garnish includes small red tomatoes which are unconventional for sushi.
Qwen Image Max
- + Includes all requested elements including the flag icon.
- + Highly realistic PBR materials, especially on the salmon and glass base.
- + Excellent rice grain detail and texture rendering.
- − The scale of the 'SUSHI' text is slightly inconsistent with the 'JAPAN' text.
- − Leaner composition with more empty space on the plate compared to Model A.
Verdict: Both models followed the complex prompt well, but they took different stylistic paths. FLUX1.1 [pro] leaned into the '3D cartoon' and 'soft' aspects of the prompt with a charming, toy-like aesthetic, while Qwen Image Max focused on the 'realistic PBR materials' and 'high clarity' for a more premium, photographic miniature look. Qwen Image Max is the winner for including the flag icon and delivering superior material realism.
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.”
FLUX1.1 [pro]
Qwen Image Max
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX1.1 [pro]
- + Excellent backlit fur texture with realistic rim lighting
- + Soft, dreamlike composition that matches a joyful vibe
- + High fidelity and consistent lighting across the characters
- − Failed to include all requested animals, missing the red fox kit
- − The butterflies appear as glowing shapes rather than detailed insects
Qwen Image Max
- + Includes all requested animals: retriever, tabby kitten, bunny (interpreted as a second pup or hybrids), and fox kit
- + Excellent adherence to the 'tumbling together' and 'god rays' specificities
- + Detailed butterflies with distinct wing patterns
- − The fox's limb placement on the puppy's head is anatomically awkward
- − The kitten has an oddly elongated tail and slightly stiff posture
- − Slightly less realistic, leaning more towards a digital painting aesthetic
Verdict: FLUX1.1 [pro] produced a more aesthetically pleasing and high-quality image with superior lighting, but it failed to follow the prompt's request for four specific animals, including only three and omitting the fox. Qwen Image Max successfully included all the requested creatures and captured the dynamic action of tumbling, though it suffered from some minor anatomical clipping and a less realistic finish.
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.”
FLUX1.1 [pro]
Qwen Image Max
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX1.1 [pro]
- + Excellent vintage engraving style
- + Ornate border design adds to the classic feel
- + High-quality vector aesthetic
- − Failed spelling of the requested name 'Florian'
- − The steam effect is very thin and easy to miss
- − Typography layout is a bit cluttered
Qwen Image Max
- + Perfect adherence to spelling and text requirements
- + Clear and stylized steam effect
- + Cleaner minimalist composition consistent with a logo
- − The parchment background texture is a bit generic
- − The cloche illustration lacks the fine detail seen in the competitor
Verdict: While FLUX1.1 [pro] offers a more sophisticated and authentic vintage art style, it significantly fails the prompt by misspelling the primary brand name as 'Fratilian'. Qwen Image Max follows all text instructions perfectly and provides a cleaner, more practical logo design that is ready for use, despite its slightly simpler illustration style.
Next steps
Explore each model
The Max series of Tongyi Qwen’s image generation model excels across a wide range of generation tasks. Compared with the Plus series, it significantly reduces the “AI-like” feel in generated images, enhancing their realism. It delivers more lifelike material textures for human subjects, finer and more detailed natural textures, and more visually appealing text rendering.