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
Seedream 4.0
24.7
arena score
#15 of 62 in Text-to-Image
Vote tally
Where the votes landed
Qwen Image Max
0%
win rate
Ties
0%
Seedream 4.0
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
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
Qwen Image Max
- + Excellent photographic realism and texture rendering.
- + Complex reflections and refractions accurately depicted on the glass surfaces.
- + Superior lighting effects with soft window light shadows.
- − The blue sphere appears to be floating unnaturally in the center rather than resting on the bottom.
- − The plant is mostly above/behind the cube rather than being clearly visible through the glass.
Seedream 4.0
- + Correctly places the sphere on the bottom surface of the cube.
- + Very clear visibility of the plant through the glass as requested.
- − The glass cube looks more like an empty tank, lacking the depth and thickness of solid glass.
- − The lighting on the table is a bit harsh compared to the 'soft' request.
Verdict: Qwen Image Max produces a much more visually stunning and realistic image with professional-grade lighting and textures, though it takes a creative liberty by floating the sphere. Seedream 4.0 follows the spatial instructions more literally (sphere on the bottom, plant visible through glass) but suffers from lower overall image quality and less convincing glass rendering.
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
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
Qwen Image Max
- + Excellent adherence to the 'battle-worn' descriptor with deep, realistic skin textures and scars.
- + Highly detailed engraving on the plate armor that matches the 'ornate' request perfectly.
- + Strong technical execution of the leather straps and frayed cloth details.
- − The hair interpretation leans more towards traditional braids/dreads rather than the 'braided with small beads' aesthetic seen in fantasy paladins.
- − The lighting on the face is a bit flat compared to the dramatic torchlight in the background.
Seedream 4.0
- + Superior lighting and atmosphere, with a strong warm glow from the torch hitting the character's side.
- + Excellent interpretation of the hair braids with beads, looking more like a knightly style.
- + Very high visual quality in the eyes and facial expression.
- − The character looks slightly too young and 'clean' for a character described as battle-worn with faint scars.
- − The armor engraving is a bit simpler and less cohesive than Model A.
Verdict: Both models followed the prompt closely, but Qwen Image Max captured the 'battle-worn' texture and intricate armor engraving with greater detail. However, Seedream 4.0 provided a more atmospheric image with better lighting and a more accurate interpretation of the braided hair and beads, making it feel more like a cinematic paladin portrait.
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
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
Qwen Image Max
- + Excellent typography rendering with consistent fiery effects.
- + Highly detailed food textures, particularly in the grilled patty and lettuce.
- + Perfect adherence to the price requested in the prompt.
- − The burger is less 'exploded' than Model B, appearing more like a single unit with a few elements flying off.
Seedream 4.0
- + Captures a better sense of an 'exploded' burger with distinct suspended layers.
- + Dynamic composition with a strong sense of circular motion.
- − Failed the price requirement by displaying '€5.99' instead of '€6.99'.
- − Includes two burgers or a split burger which creates visual confusion.
- − The typography is less integrated and crisp compared to the competition.
Verdict: Qwen Image Max is the superior image due to its perfect adherence to the text requirements, including the correct price and high-quality fiery typography. While Seedream 4.0 follows the 'exploded' instruction better, it fails the basic prompt instruction for the price and produces a confusing double-burger composition.
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
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
Qwen Image Max
- + Excellent close-up detail on the capybara's fur and the leather interior
- + Dynamic lighting and high-quality bokeh through the windows
- + The capybara's expression and posture perfectly match the 'professional' prompt description
- − The fur on the paws looks more like human hands/monkey fur than capybara feet
- − The businesswoman in the back feels slightly disconnected from the composition
Seedream 4.0
- + Natural composition showing both the exterior and interior of the car effectively
- + Accurately captures the businesswoman looking at her phone with a bored expression
- + Includes text/logo on the driver cap which adds to the theme
- − Lower overall resolution and clarity compared to the other image
- − The lighting is flat and lacks the cinematic quality of the city lights
Verdict: Qwen Image Max delivers a much more detailed and photorealistic image with cinematic lighting and a very convincing professional capybara driver. Seedream 4.0 follows the framing instructions well and captures the passenger's expression perfectly, but it falls short in image quality and fine texture 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
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
Qwen Image Max
- + Excellent text rendering with no spelling errors across all requested sections.
- + Strong layout and composition, perfectly containing the border, illustrations, and banners.
- + Highly detailed and crisp border of thorns and webs that feels cohesive with the gothic theme.
- − The central pumpkin lighting is a bit flat compared to the atmospheric background.
- − The parchment texture is relatively clean, lacking some of the 'vintage feel' requested.
Seedream 4.0
- + Beautiful painterly lighting on the pumpkin and ground creating a spooky atmosphere.
- + The torn parchment edges add a nice authentic vintage aesthetic.
- − Text in the scroll banner is garbled and difficult to read.
- − The composition feels slightly cluttered, with the thorns overlapping the text areas awkwardly.
- − Lower overall clarity and resolution in the fine details of the border.
Verdict: Qwen Image Max is the clear winner due to its superior handling of text, which is critical for an invitation; all three requested text areas are perfectly legible and spell-checked. While Seedream 4.0 has more evocative, painterly lighting, it fails to render the text in the scroll banner correctly and the layout feels less organized. Qwen Image Max delivers a polished, production-ready poster that follows all prompt instructions precisely.
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
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
Qwen Image Max
- + Excellent typography with clean drop shadows and perfect alignment.
- + Highly realistic PBR textures, especially on the salmon and glass base.
- + Complex and varied sushi types that look high-quality.
- − The glass base is a bit large, making the 45-degree isometric focus slightly off-center.
Seedream 4.0
- + Perfectly adheres to the small raised diorama base requirement with a bamboo mat.
- + Bright and cheerful cartoon aesthetic that matches the 'soft refined textures' prompt.
- + Consistent isometric perspective.
- − Text rendering is slightly less refined than Model A.
- − Texture on the salmon looks a bit repetitive and flat.
Verdict: Both models followed the complex prompt extremely well, including all text and icon requirements. Qwen Image Max is the winner due to its superior PBR material rendering, particularly the translucency and gloss of the fish and the glass diorama base, which gives it a more professional 3D-rendered look than Seedream 4.0.
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
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
Qwen Image Max
- + Excellent fur texture and facial details on all animals
- + Strong adherence to the 'god rays' and 'wildflower' background elements
- + Natural-looking light interactions with the grass and flowers
- − Failed to include the baby bunny requested in the prompt
- − Includes two golden retriever puppies instead of one
- − The butterfly wings look slightly digital and less organic
Seedream 4.0
- + Successfully included all four requested animals: puppy, kitten, bunny, and fox kit
- + Beautifully captures the 'dew sparkles' and playful tumbling action
- + Excellent composition with more dynamic, joyful energy
- − The fox's anatomy is slightly distorted in its tumbling pose
- − Some dew particles look like floating white dots rather than physical moisture
Verdict: While Qwen Image Max has slightly higher textural realism in the fur, it failed the prompt instruction by omitting the bunny and duplicating the puppy. Seedream 4.0 correctly included all four animals and better captured the joyful, 'tumbling' movement with superior backlighting and dew effects, making it the more successful interpretation.
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
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
Qwen Image Max
- + Excellent typography with perfect spelling and correct accent marks.
- + Superior vector emblem style with clean, professional shading.
- + Very cohesive color palette that strictly follows the warm brown and cream request.
- − The parchment background texture is slightly heavy, leaning more towards a document than a clean logo background.
- − The steam is a bit stylized/curly compared to the more literal steam in model b.
Seedream 4.0
- + Clean layout with nice arced text and a balanced banner.
- + Subtle paper texture that feels appropriate for a minimalist minimalist logo.
- + Good adherence to all prompt elements including the specific date and steam.
- − The cloche rendering is slightly less refined with heavier, somewhat muddy shadows.
- − Lettering is a bit simpler and lacks the professional 'vintage emblem' polish seen in model a.
Verdict: Qwen Image Max produced a more professional-looking vector emblem with superior typography and lighting effects. While Seedream 4.0 followed the layout instructions well, the execution of the cloche illustration and the overall sharpness in Qwen Image Max make it the better choice for a logo design.
Next steps
Explore each model
ByteDance's image generation model with integrated text-to-image and image editing capabilities in a unified architecture, supporting up to 4K resolution