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Recraft V4 Pro Recraft AI Recraft V4.1 Recraft AI

Settled by community votes across 13 shared challenges, with an AI judge weighing in on each.

Recraft V4 Pro

24.3 arena score

#18 of 62 in Text-to-Image

Skill signature · Text-to-Image

Recraft V4.1

17.6 arena score

#53 of 62 in Text-to-Image

Vote tally

Where the votes landed

Recraft V4 Pro

0%

win rate

Ties

0%

Recraft V4.1

0%

win rate

Shared challenges 13

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.”

Recraft V4 Pro
Recraft V4.1

AI Judge Analysis

Recraft V4 Pro

  • + Excellent photographic realism and texture in the wood and glass.
  • + Strong lighting coherence with the window in the background.
  • + Good scaling of objects within the scene.
  • The sphere is quite large, pushing the definition of 'small'.
  • The plant is mostly to the side rather than 'behind' and visible through the glass.

Recraft V4.1

  • + Perfect adherence to the 'small' sphere requirement.
  • + Successfully placed the plant behind the cube so it is visible through the glass.
  • + Includes a visually interesting floating effect for the sphere.
  • The sphere is levitating, which feels slightly surreal compared to the rest of the scene.
  • The perspective on the red book is slightly warped at the binding.

Verdict: Recraft V4.1 is the winner because it adhered more accurately to the specific spatial instructions, placing the plant behind the glass cube and keeping the sphere small as requested. While Recraft V4 Pro has slightly more naturalistic textures, Recraft V4.1 followed the prompt's structural requirements more reliably.

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.”

Recraft V4 Pro
Recraft V4.1

AI Judge Analysis

Recraft V4 Pro

  • + Excellent full-body composition with strong reflections on the pavement.
  • + The bokeh and background lighting feel more cinematic and atmospheric.
  • + High level of detail in the bicycle textures and the man's clothing.
  • The man's hands are quite distorted and merged with the bicycle seat.
  • The framing is very centered and clean, ignoring the 'imperfect framing' prompt.

Recraft V4.1

  • + The skin texture and facial details are exceptionally realistic and grit-heavy.
  • + Captures the 'imperfect framing' prompt better with a tighter, more candid-feeling crop.
  • + Stronger depiction of 'light rain' appearing on the jacket surface.
  • The bicycle frame geometry is somewhat broken and disconnected on the right side.
  • Less interesting background with more static car lights compared to Model A.

Verdict: Recraft V4.1 (Image B) nails the 'natural skin texture' and 'imperfect framing' requests, producing a more authentic candid look, although the bicycle anatomy is slightly flawed. Recraft V4 Pro (Image A) offers a much more cinematic and aesthetically pleasing wide shot with superior reflections, but fails on the finer details of the hands and the specific request for imperfect framing.

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.”

Recraft V4 Pro
Recraft V4.1

AI Judge Analysis

Recraft V4 Pro

  • + Excellent intricate engraving on the plate armor
  • + Highly defined braids with clearly visible beads as requested
  • + Strong sense of cinematic lighting and atmosphere
  • Symmetry of the facial expression feels slightly stiff
  • Scars are very faint, leaning more into dirt rather than battle-worn texture

Recraft V4.1

  • + Outstanding lifelike eyes with realistic lighting reflection
  • + Clearer depiction of 'faint scars' on the forehead and cheek
  • + High level of detail on the leather straps and textured under-layers
  • The beads in the hair are less prominent and distinct than Model A
  • Composition is slightly angled, making the armor patterns less focal than the face

Verdict: Recraft V4 Pro offers better adherence to the specific 'beads' and 'ornate engraving' prompts with a very balanced composition. However, Recraft V4.1 produces a more lifelike and emotive portrait with superior rendering of skin textures, scars, and the requested leather/cloth details. Recraft V4.1 is the winner due to the higher quality of the focal point (the face) and the realistic material interaction.

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.”

Recraft V4 Pro
Recraft V4.1

AI Judge Analysis

Recraft V4 Pro

  • + Excellent layout alignment with a consistent 3x3 grid that maximizes readability.
  • + Flawless text rendering with clear descriptions and perfectly positioned pricing.
  • + High-quality, realistic food photography that maintains consistent lighting and style.
  • The 'Mains' category header slightly overlaps with the images above it compared to the other sections.

Recraft V4.1

  • + Effective use of color-coded accents for the different menu sections.
  • + Clean, modern sans-serif typography with professional spacing.
  • + Creative include of a 'Gluten Free' tag that fits the casual dining theme.
  • The image grid is irregular and less professional than the requested grid layout.
  • Pricing and text alignment are slightly inconsistent on the right-hand side.
  • The spacing on the far right creates too much white space between some food photos and the text.

Verdict: Recraft V4 Pro produced a superior, shelf-ready menu design with a perfectly balanced grid and flawlessly rendered text for every item. While Recraft V4.1 offered nice colorful accents and additional details like tags, its layout was less organized and failed to execute the grid request as effectively as Recraft V4 Pro.

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.”

Recraft V4 Pro
Recraft V4.1

AI Judge Analysis

Recraft V4 Pro

  • + Excellent photorealistic texture on the burger bun and patty.
  • + Highly professional layout that looks like a real advertisement.
  • + Includes all requested elements, including the smaller tomato and onion ring details.
  • The '€6.99' text is a bit flat compared to the fiery effect requested.
  • The 'Magic Burger' text is a bit generic in its font choice.

Recraft V4.1

  • + Strong typography for 'Magic Burger' with a clear fiery, glowing effect.
  • + Good sense of motion with the sauce splashes and embers.
  • + Vibrant colors and high contrast.
  • The burger ingredients look less realistic and more like stock photos pasted together.
  • The starburst element for the price looks like low-quality clip art.
  • The bottom bun is missing from the 'exploded' view, leaving the composition feeling incomplete.

Verdict: Recraft V4 Pro is the winner because it produces a cohesive, professional-grade advertisement with superior photorealism in the food textures. While Recraft V4.1 has more creative typography for the main title, the lower quality of its price starburst and the less realistic burger assembly make it feel less polished.

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.”

Recraft V4 Pro
Recraft V4.1

AI Judge Analysis

Recraft V4 Pro

  • + Excellent spelling accuracy across all text items
  • + Clean and well-organized composition
  • Text looks like a digital font rather than authentic handwriting
  • The 'elegant cursive' requirement for the title was ignored
  • The white text lacks a convincing chalk texture and appears too opaque and uniform

Recraft V4.1

  • + Perfectly captures the authentic grainy chalk texture and handwriting style requested
  • + Natural variations in letter size and slant create a realistic look
  • + Strong adherence to the 'handwritten-style' and 'no digital fonts' instruction
  • Small typo in 'Truffle' (appears to have an extra 'f')
  • The title is not in 'elegant cursive' as requested, though it is more stylistic than the body text

Verdict: Recraft V4.1 is the clear winner for its superior ability to mimic the physics of chalk on a chalkboard, whereas Recraft V4 Pro produced text that looks like a clean digital font overlay. While Recraft V4 Pro had slightly better spelling, Recraft V4.1's adherence to the stylistic requirements of the prompt—specifically the gritty chalk texture and natural handwriting variations—makes it much more effective at fulfilling the creative brief.

The Reversed Rodeo

Text-to-Image

“Horse riding astronaut in space — horse on top, not vice versa. Surreal, highly detailed, cinematic.”

Recraft V4 Pro
Recraft V4.1

AI Judge Analysis

Recraft V4 Pro

  • + Excellent cinematic lighting and atmosphere
  • + High detail in the terrain textures and space background
  • + Dynamic composition with a sense of motion
  • Completely failed the semantic instruction to have the horse on top of the astronaut
  • Common anatomical issues with horse leg positioning in motion

Recraft V4.1

  • + Bright, vibrant colors and nebulae
  • + Clear rendering of the astronaut and horse elements
  • Completely failed the semantic instruction to have the horse on top of the astronaut
  • The horse's front legs appear distorted and unnatural
  • The composition feels less cinematic and more like a standard digital composite

Verdict: Both Recraft V4 Pro and Recraft V4.1 failed the core challenge of the prompt, which was to reverse the typical roles and have the horse on top of the astronaut. Because both models failed the primary instruction, the quality of the image becomes the deciding factor; Recraft V4 Pro is the winner due to its superior cinematic lighting, better integration of the subjects into the environment, and higher overall visual detail.

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.”

Recraft V4 Pro
Recraft V4.1

AI Judge Analysis

Recraft V4 Pro

  • + Excellent photorealism with convincing lighting and rain effects
  • + The capybara is clearly wearing a dark jacket as requested
  • + Strong atmospheric composition that feels like a real movie still
  • The capybara's paws look more like claws/fingers than natural capybara anatomy

Recraft V4.1

  • + The capybara's fur texture is highly detailed and realistic
  • + Accurately depicts the bored expression of the passenger
  • + Included the front paws on the steering wheel clearly
  • The capybara is not wearing the requested dark jacket
  • The human passenger has a third hand/severely distorted arm anatomy holding the phone

Verdict: Both models captured the surreal prompt well, but Recraft V4 Pro is the clear winner due to image coherence. While Recraft V4.1 failed to include the jacket and suffered from significant anatomical defects with the passenger's hands, Recraft V4 Pro delivered a high-quality, cinematic image with consistent lighting and adhered to all prompt details.

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.”

Recraft V4 Pro
Recraft V4.1

AI Judge Analysis

Recraft V4 Pro

  • + Excellent text legibility and alignment
  • + High contrast with cinematic lighting
  • + Perfect adherence to all specific text details like the banner
  • Lacks the requested 'dark parchment' texture
  • The border feels a bit repetitive and digital

Recraft V4.1

  • + Beautiful gothic typography for the title
  • + Captures the 'vintage parchment' aesthetic perfectly
  • + Denser, more atmospheric background details like twisted trees
  • Text layout at the bottom is less polished and slightly uneven
  • The banner text is very small and harder to read

Verdict: Recraft V4.1 is the overall winner because its artistic style aligns much better with the 'vintage gothic' and 'parchment' request, featuring superior typography and background depth. While Recraft V4 Pro has cleaner information layout and legibility, it looks more like a modern digital composite rather than a vintage invitation.

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.”

Recraft V4 Pro
Recraft V4.1

AI Judge Analysis

Recraft V4 Pro

  • + Excellent text rendering and placement centered at the top
  • + Very realistic PBR textures on the roe and nori
  • + Clean, high-clarity 3D diorama aesthetic
  • The base choice of a mound of salt/sugar is a bit unconventional for the diorama
  • Small icon is placed above the text rather than inline

Recraft V4.1

  • + Sophisticated miniature diorama base with legs and realistic textures
  • + Elegant composition with extra props like chopsticks and wasabi
  • + Excellent lighting and shadow depth
  • Text layout is shifted to the left rather than perfectly centered
  • Salmon texture on the nigiri looks slightly plastic compared to Model A

Verdict: Recraft V4 Pro followed the layout instructions more precisely, particularly with the centered text and specific 'small flag icon' positioning. Recraft V4.1 created a more aesthetically pleasing miniature scene with a better diorama base, though it drifted slightly on the text alignment.

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.”

Recraft V4 Pro
Recraft V4.1

AI Judge Analysis

Recraft V4 Pro

  • + Excellent depiction of dew sparkles and individual fur textures
  • + Strong atmospheric god rays in the background
  • + Includes all four requested animals with clear, distinct features
  • The cat's anatomy is slightly warped with an extra-long front leg
  • The composition feels a bit crowded and flat

Recraft V4.1

  • + Superb dynamic composition with animals interacting in a more natural way
  • + Beautiful rim lighting from the sunrise across the fur
  • + Captures the 'playful' and 'tumbling' aspect of the prompt more effectively
  • Minor anatomical oddity on the puppy's back-left paw
  • The butterfly is less prominent than in the other image

Verdict: Both models handled the complex task of rendering four different baby animals well, but Recraft V4.1 is the winner due to its superior composition and more joyful, dynamic atmosphere. While Recraft V4 Pro captures beautiful textures and dew, Recraft V4.1 creates a more cohesive scene where the animals are truly playing and looking towards a single focal point.

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.”

Recraft V4 Pro
Recraft V4.1

AI Judge Analysis

Recraft V4 Pro

  • + Excellent hand-drawn illustrative style for the cloche
  • + Perfect typography with a tailored, vintage feel
  • + Sophisticated use of the banner at the bottom for balance
  • The steam lines are a bit thick compared to the fine detail of the dome

Recraft V4.1

  • + Clean vector aesthetic that matches a modern minimalist logo
  • + Accurate text rendering and prompt adherence
  • + Good use of negative space in the cloche
  • Typography is slightly more generic and less artisanal than Model A
  • The banner placement feels slightly cramped between the icon and the text

Verdict: Both models followed the prompt exceptionally well, but Recraft V4 Pro produced a more artistically cohesive emblem with superior typography that feels truly 'vintage'. Recraft V4.1 is very clean and usable as a modern vector, but lacks the character and sophisticated textures found in the first image.

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.”

Recraft V4 Pro
Recraft V4.1

AI Judge Analysis

Recraft V4 Pro

  • + Excellent text rendering with accurate descriptions for each mission stage.
  • + Superior iconography that specifically illustrates each unique phase, such as the descent path and landing surface.
  • + Clean, professional layout that uses whitespace effectively like a real infographic.
  • The Saturn V rocket illustration is slightly out of proportion compared to the other icons.

Recraft V4.1

  • + Striking high-contrast aesthetic with a dark navy background.
  • + Uniform icon style across all steps creating a cohesive visual language.
  • Contains numbering errors in the sequence (two steps labeled '04' and skipping '05').
  • Uses identical icons for 'Descent' and 'Landing', reducing the informative value of the infographic.
  • Text under icons is repetitive and lacks the descriptive detail requested.

Verdict: Recraft V4 Pro is the clear winner as it provides a functional infographic with accurate, descriptive text and distinct icons for every stage of the mission. While Recraft V4.1 has a bold visual style, it suffers from numbering errors and lacks the specific iconography required for a differentiated step-by-step guide.

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