Recraft's latest text-to-image generation model with high-quality output, supporting various aspect ratios and custom color palettes
Settled by community votes across 13 shared challenges, with an AI judge weighing in on each.
Recraft V4
25.6
arena score
#11 of 62 in Text-to-Image
Skill signature
· Text-to-Image
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo
10.7
arena score
#61 of 62 in Text-to-Image
Vote tally
Where the votes landed
Recraft V4
100.0%
win rate
Ties
0.0%
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo
0.0%
win rate
100.0%
0.0% ties
0.0%
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
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4
- + Excellent adherence to spatial relationships, placing the book on top and sphere inside.
- + Highly realistic photographic quality with natural lighting and textures.
- + Accurate glass refraction and reflections on the table surface.
- − The sphere is slightly dark, though still clearly blue.
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo
- + Vibrant colors and clean, modern aesthetic.
- + Correctly implements the lighting direction from the left.
- − Failed the spatial prompt: the red book is inside the cube instead of on top.
- − The glass cube has a black frame not requested in the prompt, looking more like a display case.
- − The plant is to the side rather than behind the cube as requested.
Verdict: Recraft V4 followed every detail of the complex spatial prompt perfectly, creating a highly realistic scene with the book on top and the sphere inside. Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo failed to follow the positioning instructions, placing the book inside the cube and the plant to the side.
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
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4
- + Excellent adherence to the 'candid street photo' aesthetic with realistic rain and bokeh.
- + Captures all prompt elements including motion blur from cars and reflections on wet pavement.
- + Natural skin textures and clothing details that look authentic and non-stylized.
- − The anatomy of the bicycle frame is slightly nonsensical where the man's hand meets the fork.
- − The rain effect is somewhat heavy and uniform across the foreground.
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo
- + High clarity on the subject and the bicycle.
- − Failed to include motion blur from cars as requested.
- − The skin and hair have a plastic, CGI-like appearance that violates the 'no stylization' and 'natural skin' requirements.
- − Strong anatomical distortions, particularly with the man's hands and the placement of his feet relative to the bike.
Verdict: Recraft V4 successfully captured the complex atmospheric requirements of the prompt, including cinematic lighting, wet reflections, and a realistic street photography feel. Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo failed on almost every technical aesthetic requirement, producing a plastic-looking image with significant anatomical errors and no motion blur.
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
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4
- + Exquisite detail on the engraved plate armor and leather straps
- + Highly realistic skin textures with convincing dirt and scarring
- + Perfectly followed the prompt for torchlight lighting and bokeh sparks
- − None notable
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo
- + Ornate armor design with high contrast gold accents
- + Clean rendering of facial hair and braids
- − The character looks too clean and 'model-like' for a battle-worn description
- − Blood on the face looks like unrealistic red paint
- − Missed the requirement for braided hair with beads
Verdict: Recraft V4 produced a masterfully detailed and atmospheric image that perfectly captured the 'battle-worn' aesthetic with realistic skin textures and lighting. Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo created a much more idealized, 'plastic' looking character with less adherence to the specific details like the beads in the braids.
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
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4
- + Excellent text rendering with no spelling errors.
- + Clean, professional layout that perfectly follows the prompt's structural requirements.
- + High-quality, realistic food photography with consistent lighting.
- − The grid is slightly loose compared to a tight geometric grid.
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo
- + Strong vibrant colors and high-contrast photography.
- + Artistic interpretation of the 'grid' concept with visually interesting food styling.
- − Text is largely illegible gibberish except for section headers.
- − Spells 'Mains' as 'Mians'.
- − Layout feels more like a mood board than a functional restaurant menu.
Verdict: Recraft V4 produced a fully functional, professional-grade menu design with accurate text, clear categorization, and realistic food imagery that perfectly matches the prompt. Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo failed to generate usable text and struggled with a coherent layout, resulting in a design that looks more like a collage than a menu.
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
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo
100% wins
0% ties
0% wins
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4
- + Excellent typography rendering with the requested fiery effect and starburst.
- + Perfect adherence to the 'exploded' layout requirement showing individual components.
- + High degree of photorealistic detail in the food textures and sauces.
- − The 'fiery background' is a bit subtle, relying mostly on embers and sparks.
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo
- + Strong visual energy and vibrant use of fire and smoke.
- + Good sense of motion and glow throughout the scene.
- − Failed to include all requested text (title, secondary message, price).
- − Failed to produce an 'exploded' burger, showing an assembled one instead.
- − The image style is overly illustrative/CG and lacks the requested photorealism.
Verdict: Recraft V4 followed every instruction in the prompt, including complex text integration and specific layout requirements for an exploded burger. Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo failed to include any of the required text and did not follow the 'exploded' instruction, providing a standard assembled burger instead. Recraft V4 is the clear winner for its superior prompt adherence and professionalism as an advertisement.
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
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4
- + Excellent typography with perfect spelling of all menu items.
- + Realistic chalkboard texture with authentic chalk dust and smudges.
- + Great aesthetic coherence between the illustrations and the text.
- − The font looks slightly too clean, bordering on a digital 'handwritten' font rather than raw chalk.
- − The title is not in 'elegant cursive' as requested, but rather a simple print style.
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo
- + The text has a thicker, more authentic chalk-stroke appearance.
- + Dynamic layout with columns and bold header.
- − Extremely poor spelling and nonsensical words (e.g., 'ocotpgs', 'trulale').
- − Failed to include the specific date and price points requested in the prompt.
- − The 'handwriting' is inconsistent and looks like a distorted digital brush.
Verdict: Recraft V4 followed the prompt instructions almost perfectly, rendering all text and prices accurately with zero spelling errors. In contrast, Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo struggled with basic legibility and failed to include the specific details and date requested. Recraft V4 is the clear winner for its functional and visually pleasing execution of the menu content.
The Reversed Rodeo
Text-to-Image“Horse riding astronaut in space — horse on top, not vice versa. Surreal, highly detailed, cinematic.”
Recraft V4
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4
- + Excellent cinematic lighting and texture
- + Highly detailed environment with realistic asteroid effects
- + Artistically superior composition and mood
- − Failed the specific spatial instruction; the astronaut is riding the horse
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo
- + Clean, high-contrast imagery
- + Sharp rendering of the space suit
- − Failed the specific spatial instruction; the astronaut is riding the horse
- − Composition is somewhat flat and less surreal
- − Anatomical issues with the horse's hooves merging into shadows
Verdict: Both Recraft V4 and Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo completely failed the challenging spatial prompt to have the horse on top of the astronaut. However, Recraft V4 produced a significantly more cinematic and detailed image that captured the 'surreal' and 'cinematic' keywords better than the simpler composition of Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo.
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
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4
- + Excellent photorealism with a cinematic, slightly grainy film look.
- + Perfect text rendering of 'NYC TAXI' on the cap.
- + Seamless integration of all prompt elements, including the passenger's expression and reflection.
- − The capybara's hands/paws on the wheel are slightly distorted compared to the rest of the realism.
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo
- + Strong lighting contrast and vibrant colors.
- − The capybara's anatomy is less realistic, appearing more like a mask or hybrid.
- − Text on the hat is blurry and illegible.
- − The passenger is extremely blurred and lacks the specific expression requested.
Verdict: Recraft V4 followed every detail of the prompt, including the specific text on the hat and the bored expression of the passenger, all while maintaining a highly realistic photographic style. Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo produced a more digital-looking image with anatomical inconsistencies and failed to render the text or passenger clearly.
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
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4
- + Excellent typography rendering for both the title and the fine print
- + Highly detailed and atmospheric composition with realistic textures
- + Superior adherence to the content of the prompt, including all text fields
- − The border is slightly clipped at the top left and right edges
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo
- + Clean graphic style with high contrast
- + Good interpretation of the 'thorns' part of the border prompt
- − Failed to include most of the requested text and banner
- − The style is more cartoonish/clipart than the requested 'cinematic' and 'vintage' look
- − The background lack details like the moody night sky clouds
Verdict: Recraft V4 followed the complex prompt instructions perfectly, rendering all requested text accurately with beautiful gothic typography and a rich, cinematic atmosphere. Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo failed to include the scroll banner or the event details at the bottom, and the overall aesthetic was too simplified and clean for a 'vintage gothic' theme.
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
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4
- + Perfect text rendering of 'JAPAN' and 'SUSHI' with clean typography.
- + Excellent adherence to the solid light blue background and minimalist aesthetic.
- + High visual clarity and realistic textures in the sushi rendered.
- − The 'diorama base' looks more like a block of salt or ice than a traditional miniature diorama.
- − The 45-degree isometric angle is slightly skewed toward a traditional perspective.
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo
- + Strong adherence to the '3D cartoon miniature diorama' style with a clear wooden base.
- + Good isometric projection and composition.
- − Text rendering is poor, with 'SUSHI' misspelled as 'SIIHI'.
- − The flag icon is generic and does not accurately represent the Japanese flag.
- − Included extra elements like signs and poles that weren't specifically requested, cluttered look.
Verdict: Recraft V4 is the clear winner due to its flawless text rendering and clean, professional aesthetic that perfectly matches the 'ultra-clean' requirement. While Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo captured the 'cartoon miniature' style well, it failed significantly on text accuracy and the specific flag requested.
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
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4
- + Follows all prompt subjects including the golden retriever, kitten, bunny, and fox kit.
- + Excellent adherence to the 'hyper-photorealistic' style with detailed fur and realistic lighting.
- + Dynamic composition that effectively captures the 'chasing' and 'tumbling' action in a meadow.
- − The kitten's front paws are slightly anatomicaly confusing as they blend into its chest.
- − A few butterflies are quite small and clustered, slightly cluttering the center background.
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo
- + Creates a very cute, stylized aesthetic with bright, clean colors.
- + Backlighting (rim light) on the animals' fur is well-executed for a warm vibe.
- − Failed to include all requested animals, missing the bunny and failing to clearly distinguish a fox kit.
- − The style is more digital/painterly rather than the requested 'hyper-photorealistic'.
- − Anatomical glitches, such as the kitten's paw appearing to emerge from the puppy's chest.
Verdict: Recraft V4 is the clear winner as it successfully rendered all four requested animals in a highly realistic style that matched the prompt's complexity. In contrast, Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo failed on several prompt requirements, missing subject matter and producing a more artificial, cartoonish look with significant anatomical errors.
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
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4
- + Excellent minimalist vector execution.
- + Very high-quality typography with accurate spelling and accents.
- + Clean, modern interpretation of the vintage request with professional spacing.
- − Missed the request for a banner element.
- − Texture is very subtle, almost non-existent on the white background.
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo
- + Includes the requested banner element.
- + Good use of the vintage texture and warm color palette.
- + Strong classic etching-style illustration.
- − Spelling error in the name ('Caffeé' and 'Florin' instead of 'Caffè Florian').
- − Cloche is oddly merged with a mug/cup shape, leading to a confusing silhouette.
- − Artifacts/smudges on the text within the banner.
Verdict: Recraft V4 produced a much more professional and usable logo with perfect typography and a clean vector style, though it skipped the banner. Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo captured more of the specific prompt elements like the banner and heavy texture, but suffered from typos and anatomical oddities in the illustration.
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
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4
- + Excellent text rendering with no spelling errors.
- + Perfect adherence to the 6 specific stages requested in the prompt.
- + Clean, modern flat-vector aesthetic with consistent iconography.
- − The layout is a bit sparse with too much white space between stages.
- − The 'Saturn V' icon is a simplified rocket that lacks some detail.
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo
- + Strong NASA-inspired vintage aesthetic with dynamic composition.
- + Includes creative visual elements like the lunar surface and astronaut.
- − Poor text rendering with numerous spelling errors ('Laurch', 'Lamnar', 'Apoll.o').
- − Failed to follow the requested 6-step structure, consolidating and skipping steps.
- − Contains garbled 'lorem ipsum' style text in the descriptions.
Verdict: Recraft V4 followed the complex instructional prompt perfectly, delivering all six specific stages of the mission with perfectly spelled labels and clean vector icons. Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Turbo failed on text accuracy and the specific structural requirements of the infographic, producing a more artistic but less functional result.
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Distilled version of SD 3.5 Large that generates high-quality images in just 4 steps, offering faster inference and reduced costs