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 1277. 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 Text Rendering

Text Rendering · Text-to-Image

Elo rankings from blind votes across 7 challenges in this category.

Grok Imagine Image Pro

1229 #17

ImagineArt 1.5 (Preview)

1224 #18

Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large

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 Text Rendering

60 models ranked · Last update: July 27, 2026 6:34 PM

#	Model	Price	¢/img	Elo
1	GPT Image 1.5 OpenAI	$	0.9¢	1277
2	Nano Banana 2 Google	$$	2.2¢	1275
3	Nano Banana Pro Google	$$$	6.7¢	1264
4	FLUX.2 [dev] Turbo fal	$	0.8¢	1255
5	GPT Image 2 OpenAI	$$	3.9¢	1253
6	FLUX.2 [max] Black Forest Labs	$$	3¢	1253
7	FLUX.2 [dev] Flash fal	$	0.5¢	1247
8	Nano Banana 2 Lite Google	$$	1.7¢	1243
9	FLUX.1 [dev] Black Forest Labs	$$	2.5¢	1242
10	FLUX.2 [pro] Black Forest Labs	$$	1.5¢	1241

11	Grok Imagine Image xAI	$$	2¢		1240
12	Seedream 4.5 ByteDance	$$	4¢		1240
13	Seedream 5.0 Lite ByteDance	$$	3.5¢		1233
14	Recraft V4 Recraft AI	$$	4¢		1231
15	Nano Banana Google	$$	3.9¢		1231
16	Grok Imagine Image Pro xAI	$$$	7¢		1230
17	ImagineArt 1.5 (Preview) Vyro AI	$$	3¢	—	1229
18	Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large Stability AI	$$$	6.5¢		1224
19	FLUX.2 [flex] Black Forest Labs	$$$	6¢		1217
20	Seedream 4.0 ByteDance	$$	3¢		1216
21	FLUX.2 [klein] 4B Black Forest Labs	$	0.1¢		1214
22	Recraft V4 Pro Recraft AI	$$$$	25¢		1212
23	Qwen Image 2512 Alibaba	$$	2¢		1210
24	Z-Image Turbo Alibaba	$	0.5¢		1208
25	Imagen 4.0 Ultra Generate 001 Google	$$$	6¢		1205
26	Qwen Image Max Alibaba	$$$	7.5¢		1203
27	Wan 2.6 Alibaba	$$	3¢		1200
28	OmniGen v2 VectorSpaceLab	$$$$	8.8¢		1200
29	FLUX.1 Kontext [max] Black Forest Labs	$$$	8¢		1198
30	Qwen Image 2.0 Pro Alibaba	$$$	7.5¢		1195

GPT Image 1.5 leads the Text Rendering category with a 1277 Elo, edging out the Nano Banana 2 (1275 Elo) despite being significantly more affordable at $0.009 per image. While OpenAI and Google dominate the top three spots, the FLUX.2 [dev] Turbo offers the highest performance for "Fast" models in this category with a 62.6% win rate.

Rivalries

Aggregate head-to-head across the arena

Seedream 4.0 Grok Imagine Image

50% 3 challenges 50%

GPT Image 1.5 Stable Diffusion 3.5 Large

67% 3 challenges 33%

Seedream 4.5 Nano Banana Pro

33% 5 challenges 56%

Grok Imagine Image Pro Nano Banana 2

30% 4 challenges 70%

Think a model is ranked wrong? Cast your vote

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

Text Rendering · 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 Text Rendering

Rivalries

Highlighted challenges

The Reversed Rodeo

Geometric Composition

Cast your vote

Suggest a prompt