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.
Settled by community votes across 8 shared challenges, with an AI judge weighing in on each.
Qwen Image Max
21.5
arena score
#35 of 62 in Text-to-Image
Skill signature
· Text-to-Image
Recraft V4
25.6
arena score
#11 of 62 in Text-to-Image
Vote tally
Where the votes landed
Qwen Image Max
0.0%
win rate
Ties
0.0%
Recraft V4
100.0%
win rate
0.0%
0.0% ties
100.0%
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.”
Qwen Image Max
Recraft V4
AI Judge Analysis
Qwen Image Max
- + Excellent photographic quality with realistic wood textures and soft lighting.
- + Accurate reflections and refractions of the blue sphere and the table within the glass cube.
- + Modern and clean aesthetic with vibrant colors.
- − The glass cube has some geometric inconsistencies where the back panes meet.
- − The blue sphere appears to be floating without a visible support structure, which might be a physics issue depending on the interpretation.
Recraft V4
- + Successfully includes all requested elements including the green plant visible through the glass.
- + The glass cube has a solid, heavy-duty feel with realistic thickness.
- + Good lighting and shadows that anchor the objects to the wooden table.
- − The blue sphere is quite dark and lacks the vibrant blue requested in the prompt.
- − The book's placement looks slightly awkward as it hangs off the edge of the cube significantly.
Verdict: Both models followed the prompt perfectly, including the specific spatial arrangements of the sphere, book, and plant. Qwen Image Max is the likely winner due to its superior lighting, texture rendering, and the overall clarity of the glass, whereas Recraft V4 produced a much darker, slightly less polished image.
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.”
Qwen Image Max
Recraft V4
AI Judge Analysis
Qwen Image Max
- + Excellent depiction of aged, battle-worn skin with deep wrinkles and realistic dirt.
- + Highly intricate engraving patterns on the plate armor.
- + Strong use of warm lighting and bokeh to create atmosphere.
- − The braids appear somewhat disconnected from the scalp at certain points.
- − The buckle placement on the chest is slightly nonsensical and merges with the leather.
Recraft V4
- + Superior integration of the braided hair and beads into the character's scalp.
- + Excellent metallic texture with realistic weathering and scuff marks.
- + Better rendering of light reflecting off the facial features.
- − The engraving on the armor is less sharp and detailed than the rival model.
- − The background architectural details are a bit soft/blurry, losing some environmental context.
Verdict: Qwen Image Max excels in hyper-detailed textures, particularly the skin's wear and tear and the fine engravings on the armor. However, Recraft V4 delivers a more cohesive portrait with better anatomical accuracy regarding the hair and a more natural glow from the torchlight. While both followed the prompt accurately, Recraft V4 feels slightly more realistic in its composition.
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.”
Qwen Image Max
Recraft V4
0% wins
0% ties
100% wins
AI Judge Analysis
Qwen Image Max
- + Excellent typography with a cohesive fiery visual style.
- + High-quality, photorealistic textures on the patty and bun.
- + Vibrant color palette that enhances the 'magic' and 'fiery' themes.
- − The burger is not fully 'exploded', as most components are still stacked.
- − Lacks the vertical separation requested for all components.
Recraft V4
- + Successfully achieves the 'exploded' look with clear vertical suspension.
- + Text placement follows a dynamic editorial layout.
- + Highly realistic lighting on individual food items.
- − The starburst element looks like a flat graphic compared to the photorealistic burger.
- − The fiery background is less prominent and atmospheric than Model A.
Verdict: Recraft V4 followed the 'exploded' instruction much better, displaying distinct layers of the burger, whereas Qwen Image Max focused more on a cohesive, impactful advertisement style with superior typography. While Qwen offers better overall visual flair, Recraft V4 is the winner for its superior adherence to the specific structural layout requested.
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.”
Qwen Image Max
Recraft V4
AI Judge Analysis
Qwen Image Max
- + Excellent texture on the capybara's fur and the leather interior.
- + Cinematic lighting that captures the feeling of a New York night.
- + Highly detailed dashboard and interior components.
- − The capybara's hands look more like monkey or human hands than capybara paws.
- − The human passenger in the back looks a bit distorted and lacks clarity.
Recraft V4
- + Successfully includes the text 'NYC TAXI' on the driver's cap.
- + Better anatomical representation of the capybara's paws on the wheel.
- + Composition effectively uses the car frame to establish the setting.
- − The overall image is slightly grainier and less sharp than Model A.
- − The capybara appears smaller in scale relative to the car seat compared to Model A.
Verdict: Qwen Image Max delivers a more photorealistic and high-fidelity image with superior textures and lighting. However, Recraft V4 followed the specific instruction for a 'taxi driver cap' more accurately by including text and provided more realistic anatomical paws for the capybara. Qwen Image Max is the winner for its impressive professional-grade visual quality and character detail.
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.”
Qwen Image Max
Recraft V4
AI Judge Analysis
Qwen Image Max
- + Excellent typography style that matches the gothic aesthetic
- + Very clean layout with perfectly rendered scroll and parchment textures
- + Highly accurate adherence to border details including both thorns and webs
- − The transition between the central illustration and the parchment background is slightly harsh
Recraft V4
- + Atmospheric lighting with realistic textures on the jack-o-lantern and fallen leaves
- + Good blend of background elements and central focal point
- + Intricate cobweb border detail
- − The 'scroll banner' is just a flat white rectangle, missing the requested aesthetic
- − The bottom text is not centered properly and feels disconnected
- − Missed the thorn element requested for the border
Verdict: Qwen Image Max is the superior choice for this task as it handled the graphic design elements much better, producing a professional-looking invitation with elegant gothic typography and a well-executed scroll banner. Recraft V4 produced a beautiful, atmospheric image, but failed on the specific layout requests like the thorns and the stylistic look of the scroll banner.
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.”
Qwen Image Max
Recraft V4
AI Judge Analysis
Qwen Image Max
- + Excellent 3D miniature/cartoon aesthetic with high-quality PBR-style lighting and shadows.
- + Perfect adherence to the 45-degree isometric perspective and diorama request.
- + Clean, bold text rendering with a well-integrated flag icon.
- − The sushi pieces are slightly crowded on the plate.
Recraft V4
- + Sharp, professional typography and clean layout.
- + High individual texture detail on the salmon and ginger.
- + Solid adherence to the background and framing requirements.
- − The base material (appearing like salt or ice) looks a bit messy compared to the 'ultra-clean' request.
- − Less 'cartoon' in style than requested, leaning more towards photorealism.
- − The plate has a gritty texture that detracts from the 'soft refined' request.
Verdict: Qwen Image Max followed the stylistic instructions much more closely, delivering a perfect '3D cartoon' miniature with a clean glass diorama base and soft, refined lighting. While Recraft V4 produced a high-quality realistic image with great typography, it failed to capture the specific 'cartoon miniature' aesthetic requested in the prompt.
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.”
Qwen Image Max
Recraft V4
AI Judge Analysis
Qwen Image Max
- + Excellent fur texture and lighting on the animals
- + Active interaction between the animals (tumbling/playing)
- + Vibrant colors and beautiful floral environment
- − Completely missed the 'baby bunny' requirement
- − Generated two golden retriever puppies instead of one
- − Butterflies look slightly artificial and illustrative
Recraft V4
- + Successfully included all four requested animals (dog, cat, fox, bunny)
- + Strong sense of motion and 'chasing' as requested
- + Excellent execution of god rays and dew sparkles on the grass
- − The fox's front leg anatomy is slightly distorted
- − The kittens face is a bit flat compared to the other animals
- − Background butterflies are quite small and numerous, looking a bit cluttered
Verdict: Recraft V4 is the winner because it followed the prompt much more accurately, including all four specified animals, whereas Qwen Image Max ignored the bunny and duplicated the puppy. While Qwen Image Max had slightly better fur rendering, Recraft V4 captured the 'chasing' action and environmental details like dew sparkles far more effectively.
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.”
Qwen Image Max
Recraft V4
AI Judge Analysis
Qwen Image Max
- + Perfectly follows the banner requirement for the date.
- + Excellent use of texture and warm tones to create a vintage feel.
- + Clear, well-defined vector emblem style.
- − The line width of the steam is slightly inconsistent with the cloche details.
Recraft V4
- + Beautiful custom typography with a high-end feel.
- + Elegant, minimalist composition.
- + Clean rendering of the cloche icon.
- − Missed the 'banner' requirement for the date, placing it in a semicircle instead.
- − The background is solid white rather than having the requested 'subtle texture'.
Verdict: Qwen Image Max followed the prompt instructions more literally, successfully including the banner for the 'Est. 1720' text and the parchment-like texture on the background. While Recraft V4 produced a more modern, professionally typeset logo, it missed several specific elements of the prompt like the banner and texture, making Qwen Image Max the winner for prompt adherence.
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