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
21.3
arena score
#35 of 62 in Text-to-Image
Skill signature
· Text-to-Image
Recraft V4 Pro
24.3
arena score
#18 of 62 in Text-to-Image
Vote tally
Where the votes landed
Qwen Image Max
0%
win rate
Ties
0%
Recraft V4 Pro
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.”
Qwen Image Max
Recraft V4 Pro
AI Judge Analysis
Qwen Image Max
- + Excellent soft lighting and atmospheric quality.
- + Modern, clean aesthetic with sharp geometric shapes.
- + Solid composition and lighting that feels professional.
- − The blue sphere is levitating rather than sitting on a surface.
- − The glass cube has strange mirrored reflections that don't match the background.
Recraft V4 Pro
- + High degree of photorealism, especially in the textures of the book and glass.
- + Excellent handling of transparency and refraction through the glass cube.
- + Followed the prompt accurately with a grounded blue sphere.
- − The plant is slightly cut off at the top of the frame.
- − The composition is a bit tight on the left side.
Verdict: Recraft V4 Pro produced a more physically believable image with superior textures and realistic refractions, successfully grounding the sphere inside the cube. While Qwen Image Max has a very pleasing aesthetic and soft light, it struggled with the internal physics and created confusing reflections within the glass.
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 Pro
AI Judge Analysis
Qwen Image Max
- + Exceptional level of detail in skin texture and scars.
- + Worn, battle-hardened appearance with realistic leather and metal weathering.
- + Very high attention to the individual beads within the braids.
- − The lighting is a bit harsh, creating a slightly stylized look.
- − The proportion of the helmet's gorget area feels slightly oversized.
Recraft V4 Pro
- + More natural, cinematic lighting and color grading.
- + Excellent engraving detail on the pauldrons.
- + Strong atmospheric composition with a realistic stone background.
- − The 'shallow depth of field' is less pronounced with the background still quite visible.
- − Lower contrast on the facial details compared to Model A.
Verdict: Qwen Image Max captures the 'battle-worn' essence more effectively with gritty skin textures and complex hair detailing. Recraft V4 Pro offers a more balanced cinematic composition with elegant armor engravings, but it lacks the extreme textural detail seen in Qwen. Qwen is the preferred choice for its superior interpretation of the character's wear and tear.
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 Pro
AI Judge Analysis
Qwen Image Max
- + Excellent integration of fire effects on the text
- + Strong sense of motion and impact with sparks and lighting
- + Warm and appetizing color palette
- − The burger is not fully 'exploded' as requested; many components are still stacked
- − The 'starburst' for the price is more of a light flare than a graphic shape
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Perfectly follows the 'exploded burger' prompt with all layers clearly suspended
- + Text is sharp, legible, and correctly contains all requested elements
- + High photorealistic detail on the ingredients, especially the patty and bun
- − The composition feels slightly static compared to the more dynamic lighting of Model A
- − The background is a bit plain compared to the fiery concept requested
Verdict: Recraft V4 Pro followed the 'exploded' instruction much better than Qwen Image Max, clearly showing every layer of the burger in mid-air. While Qwen Image Max had superior lighting and fire effects that made for a more punchy advertisement, it failed the core structural request by keeping most of the burger together.
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 Pro
AI Judge Analysis
Qwen Image Max
- + Excellent fur texture and lighting on the capybara
- + High detail in the taxi interior, including the dashboard and ceiling cracks
- + Good composition focusing on the driver's perspective
- − The paws on the steering wheel look like human or monkey hands rather than capybara paws
- − The background street scene feels a bit more generic compared to the rainy atmosphere of the competitor
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Atmospheric use of rain on the windows and bright city bokeh
- + The paws are much more accurate to a capybara's actual anatomy
- + Captures the 'bored businesswoman' prompt perfectly with the phone interaction and expression
- − The capybara's head looks slightly flattened under the hat
- − Slightly lower resolution on the interior textures compared to Model A
Verdict: Both models followed the prompt exceptionally well, but Recraft V4 Pro takes the lead by correctly depicting capybara paws and creating a more immersive rainy Manhattan atmosphere. While Qwen Image Max has sharper interior details, its depiction of monkey-like hands on the steering wheel breaks the realism of the scene.
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 Pro
AI Judge Analysis
Qwen Image Max
- + Excellent layout with all text elements perfectly integrated and legible
- + High-quality gothic aesthetic that fits the 'vintage parchment' prompt perfectly
- + Superior execution of the thorn and web border framing
- − The jack-o-lantern face is slightly generic compared to the background detail
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Atmospheric cinematic lighting with realistic moon and lightning effects
- + High resolution textures on the pumpkin and foliage
- − Missed the 'dark parchment' texture requirement, opting for a modern digital look
- − Text layout is less 'elegant gothic' and feels like simple overlays
- − The banner is very small and lacks the detail of the version in Image A
Verdict: Qwen Image Max is the clear winner as it perfectly captures the 'vintage gothic parchment' aesthetic requested, whereas Recraft V4 Pro produced a modern cinematic image that ignored the paper texture prompt. Qwen Image Max also handled the typography much better, creating a cohesive invitation layout with elegant gothic fonts, while Recraft V4 Pro used standard sans-serif fonts for the event details.
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 Pro
AI Judge Analysis
Qwen Image Max
- + Excellent typography with clean drop shadows and perfect alignment.
- + Highly realistic PBR textures on the fish and salmon roe.
- + Beautifully rendered isometric glass diorama base that adds to the 'miniature' feel.
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Creative use of a rice-textured diorama base.
- + Accurate sushi variety and placement.
- + Clean, minimalist layout with a clear 45-degree angle.
- − The text is plain and lacks the 'bold' and 'refined' feel of the other model.
- − The flag icon is quite large and poorly integrated compared to the prompt.
- − The 'soft refined textures' are a bit grainy, particularly on the base.
Verdict: Qwen Image Max followed the stylistic prompts much better, producing a sophisticated 3D miniature look with superior typography and high-quality material shaders. While Recraft V4 Pro had an interesting interpretation for the diorama base, its text and flag icon felt like an afterthought rather than a professional graphic design element.
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 Pro
AI Judge Analysis
Qwen Image Max
- + Excellent depiction of god rays and vibrant golden sunrise lighting
- + Very detailed fur textures and expressive eyes that match the prompt
- + Captures the tumbling and playful interaction well
- − Failed to include the baby bunny requested in the prompt
- − Includes two golden retriever puppies instead of one
- − Anatomical issues with the fox's front leg merging into the puppy's head
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Accurately includes all four requested animals (puppy, kitten, bunny, fox)
- + Excellent realistic lighting with tangible dew sparkles on the grass
- + Superior photographic realism and composition without merging limbs
- − The fox is slightly blurred in the background
- − The butterflies are less prominent than in the other version
Verdict: Recraft V4 Pro followed the prompt much more accurately by including all four specified animals, whereas Qwen Image Max missed the bunny and duplicated the puppy. Recraft V4 Pro also achieved a higher level of photorealism with better anatomical consistency and more natural lighting.
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 Pro
AI Judge Analysis
Qwen Image Max
- + Excellent typography rendering with the correct accent on 'Caffè'
- + Strong vector emblem composition with a balanced banner
- + Rich texture on the background that enhances the vintage feel
- − The cloche is a bit heavy and occupies large visual space compared to the text
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Elegant and unique 'minimalist' typography style
- + Creative use of whitespace and a more delicate cloche illustration
- + Clean vector style suitable for modern logo application
- − The steam is positioned oddly below the cloche rather than rising from it
- − Missing the accent on 'Caffè' (rendered as 'Caffé')
Verdict: Qwen Image Max followed the prompt more accurately, particularly regarding the text and the rising steam. While Recraft V4 Pro has a more sophisticated and minimalist typographic design, it failed on the grammatical accent and logical placement of the steam.
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