FP8 quantized variant of Black Forest Labs' FLUX.1 [schnell] model, offering ~2x faster inference with reduced precision while maintaining high-quality image generation in 4 steps
Settled by community votes across 3 shared challenges, with an AI judge weighing in on each.
FLUX.1 [schnell] FP8
17.8
arena score
#36 of 44 in Text-to-Image
Skill signature
Not enough comparable category data
The chart appears once both models have ratings across at least three shared arena categories.
Recraft V4 Pro
24.3
arena score
#18 of 44 in Text-to-Image
Vote tally
Where the votes landed
FLUX.1 [schnell] FP8
0%
win rate
Ties
0%
Recraft V4 Pro
0%
win rate
Shared challenges
3
Challenge by challenge
The strongest take from each model on every shared challenge, with the AI judge's read.
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.”
FLUX.1 [schnell] FP8
Recraft V4 Pro
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [schnell] FP8
- + Captures a very authentic, messy chalk texture
- + Includes the specific date 'APRIL 30, 2026' as requested
- − Significant spelling errors and word repetitions (e.g., 'Risortto', 'Griffled')
- − Layout is cluttered and lacks the requested 'elegant cursive' for the title
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Perfect spelling of all menu items including the truncated prompt
- + Clean and readable layout that professionalizes the cafe setting
- + Excellent chalk texture on the board surface itself
- − The text looks more like a digital font rather than genuine individual handwriting
- − Missed the 'elegant cursive' requirement for the title
Verdict: Recraft V4 Pro is the clear winner for its superior text rendering, correctly interpreting and completing the prompt's final item as 'Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies' with zero spelling errors. While FLUX.1 [schnell] FP8 achieved a more authentic 'handwritten' feel with irregular slants, it failed on basic legibility and accuracy.
The Reversed Rodeo
Text-to-Image“Horse riding astronaut in space — horse on top, not vice versa. Surreal, highly detailed, cinematic.”
FLUX.1 [schnell] FP8
Recraft V4 Pro
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [schnell] FP8
- + Successfully followed the specific 'horse on top' instruction
- + High level of surrealism and cinematic lighting
- + Unique interpretation of tech/horse merging
- − Anatomical fusion of the two horses is a bit messy
- − A bit of ambiguity in what represents the 'astronaut' besides the backpack
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Excellent photographic realism and textures
- + Beautiful cinematic lighting and particle effects
- + Strong composition and sense of scale
- − Failed the primary prompt instruction of having the horse on top
- − Interpretative failure yields a standard trope image
Verdict: Recraft V4 Pro produced a visually stunning and technically superior image, but completely ignored the core constraint of the prompt ('horse on top, not vice versa'). FLUX.1 [schnell] FP8 successfully captured the surreal request, even though the execution of the horses' anatomy is somewhat chaotic.
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.”
FLUX.1 [schnell] FP8
Recraft V4 Pro
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [schnell] FP8
- + Strong 'vintage parchment' feel aesthetic
- + Good cinematic glow on the central jack-o-lantern
- + Creative use of layered banners
- − Poor text rendering with numerous typos and garbled words
- − Missed several specific event details requested in the prompt
- − Composition feels a bit cramped and muddy
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Perfect text rendering for all requested details and banners
- + High-quality photographic textures and lighting
- + Captures the gothic atmosphere with distinct thorns and spiderweb details
- − The white text box for the slogan looks slightly modern compared to the gothic theme
- − Less 'parchment' texture than requested in the prompt
Verdict: Recraft V4 Pro significantly outperforms FLUX.1 [schnell] in this challenge due to its perfect handling of the complex text requirements and event details. While FLUX.1 [schnell] captures a better vintage parchment texture, it fails at basic spelling and logic within the invitation text, making it unusable for its intended purpose.
Next steps
Explore each model
Recraft's latest image generation model at ~2048px resolution with stronger composition, refined lighting, and realistic materials for print-ready and large-scale work