What is the best AI text-to-image model?

Based on blind community voting, GPT Image 1.5 is currently the #1 ranked AI text-to-image model with an Elo rating of 1280. Rankings update in real time as new votes come in.

How are AI text-to-image models ranked on Lumenfall?

Lumenfall Arena ranks AI models through blind community voting. In each matchup, two models generate from the same prompt and voters pick the better result without seeing model names. Votes are processed using TrueSkill, a Bayesian rating algorithm developed by Microsoft Research, that produces a single Elo score reflecting each model's relative quality.

What is an Elo rating for AI models?

An Elo rating is a numerical score representing a model's skill relative to other models. Under the hood, Lumenfall uses TrueSkill, which tracks two values per model: mu (estimated skill) and sigma (uncertainty). The displayed Elo is calculated as 1000 + 10 x (mu - 3*sigma), a conservative lower bound. A model must prove itself consistently across many matchups to earn a high rating.

Best AI Models for Art

Art · Text-to-Image

Elo rankings from blind votes across 2 challenges in this category.

Imagen 3.0 Generate 002

Stable Diffusion 3.5 Medium

Highlights

10 images

Price · Performance

Best models, by

Every ranked model plotted by price against its Elo. The upper-left frontier is the best value: top quality at the lowest cost.

Best Text-to-Image Models by Price

1 model without pricing omitted.

Best AI Models for Art

31 models ranked · Last update: July 29, 2026 1:28 AM

#	Model	Price	¢/img	Elo
1	GPT Image 1.5 OpenAI	$	0.9¢	1280
2	GPT Image 2 OpenAI	$$	3.9¢	1248
3	DALL-E 3 OpenAI	$$	4¢	1232
4	DALL-E 2 OpenAI	$$	1.6¢	1224
5	Seedream 4.5 ByteDance	$$	4¢	1208
6	Qwen Image 2.0 Alibaba	$$	3.5¢	1201
7	FLUX.2 [klein] 4B Black Forest Labs	$	0.1¢	1196
8	Nano Banana Pro Google	$$$	6.7¢	1195
9	FLUX.1 Kontext [max] Black Forest Labs	$$$	8¢	1186
10	Qwen Image Alibaba	$$	2¢	1184

11	Imagen 3.0 Generate 002 Google	$$	3¢	1183
12	FLUX.2 [dev] Turbo fal	$	0.8¢	1180
13	Nano Banana 2 Google	$$	2.2¢	1176
14	FLUX1.1 [pro] Black Forest Labs	$$	4¢	1155
15	Stable Diffusion 3.5 Medium Stability AI	$$	2¢	1140
16	FLUX.1 [schnell] FP8 Black Forest Labs	Free	Free	1139
17	Seedream 4.0 ByteDance	$$	3¢	1137
18	Recraft V4 Recraft AI	$$	4¢	1135
19	Nano Banana Google	$$	3.9¢	1129
20	HiDream I1 Full HiDream AI	$$$	5¢	1127
21	Recraft V4 Pro Recraft AI	$$$$	25¢	1126
22	Wan 2.7 Pro Alibaba	$$$	7.5¢	1126
23	GPT Image 1 OpenAI	$$	1.1¢	1125
24	Grok Imagine Image Pro xAI	$$$	7¢	1121
25	Wan 2.7 Alibaba	$$	3¢	1119
26	FLUX.1 [dev] Black Forest Labs	$$	2.5¢	1109
27	FLUX.1 Krea [dev] Black Forest Labs	$$	2.5¢	1080
28	FLUX.2 [dev] Flash fal	$	0.5¢	1073
29	Bria FIBO Bria	$$	4¢	1049
30	Qwen Image 2.0 Pro Alibaba	$$$	7.5¢	1038

OpenAI dominates the Art category with a top-three sweep, led by GPT Image 1.5 (1280 Elo) which maintains a commanding 87.5% win rate despite a low image cost. While high-priced models frequently lead the overall leaderboard, artistic performance here favors efficiency: the top-ranked GPT Image 1.5 is significantly cheaper and 32 Elo points stronger than the more expensive GPT Image 2.

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Highlighted challenges

GPT Image 2 is first to make it GPT Image 2

Text-to-Image Art Photorealism

The Reversed Rodeo

This competition tests how well AI image models truly understand language versus how much they rely on visual habits from their training data. The prompt is deliberately simple on the surface but devilishly hard in practice. Most models default to the familiar trope of an astronaut riding a horse. By forcing the reversal, we measure three critical capabilities that separate good models from great ones: Strict instruction following (including negations) Accurate subject-object relationships and spatial hierarchy Resistance to strong dataset biases

Text-to-Image 3D Imaging & Modeling Photorealism

Geometric Composition

A spatial-reasoning test. Each object has a precise relationship (inside, on top, behind, seen through the glass), so it measures whether a model follows explicit placement instructions and handles transparency and refraction rather than just approximating the scene.

View all challenges

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Models · slot A

Art · Text-to-Image

Highlights

Best models, by

Best Text-to-Image Models by Price

Best Text-to-Image Models by Speed

Best AI Models for Art

Highlighted challenges

The Reversed Rodeo

Geometric Composition

Cast your vote

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