Black Forest Labs' open-weights image generation model with frontier performance, available for non-commercial local deployment
Settled by community votes across 4 shared challenges, with an AI judge weighing in on each.
FLUX.2 [dev]
24.5
arena score
#17 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
26.4
arena score
#8 of 44 in Text-to-Image
Vote tally
Where the votes landed
FLUX.2 [dev]
33.3%
win rate
Ties
0.0%
Recraft V4
66.7%
win rate
33.3%
0.0% ties
66.7%
Shared challenges
4
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.”
FLUX.2 [dev]
Recraft V4
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.2 [dev]
- + Perfect adherence to spatial instructions with the sphere resting on the bottom of the cube.
- + Excellent realism in the texture of the red book and the wooden table grain.
- + Very natural lighting and reflections that match the 'left window' source description.
- − The glass cube has quite thick edges which slightly obscures the sphere.
Recraft V4
- + Exceptional glass rendering with high clarity and convincing refraction.
- + Beautiful bokeh effect on the plant in the background.
- + High level of detail on the paper texture of the book pages.
- − The blue sphere is levitating inside the cube rather than resting on the surface.
- − The scale of the sphere is slightly larger than 'small' relative to the cube.
Verdict: FLUX.2 [dev] followed the prompt's logical spatial arrangement better, placing the sphere realistically inside the cube. Recraft V4 produced a slightly more stylized and polished image with superior glass rendering, but failed physics by showing a floating sphere. FLUX.2 [dev] is the winner for its superior prompt adherence and natural lighting.
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.”
FLUX.2 [dev]
Recraft V4
50% wins
0% ties
50% wins
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.2 [dev]
- + Excellent skin texture and realistic facial details
- + Accurate motion blur on the passing vehicle in the background
- + Stronger 'candid' feel with the tighter 50mm-style framing
- − The physics of the bicycle handlebars and cables are slightly confusing
- − Rain is very subtle, almost unnoticeable on the clothing
Recraft V4
- + Very effective reflections on the wet pavement
- + Good sense of depth with multiple layers of street activity
- + Captures the environment well with signs and pedestrians
- − The subject's face is obscured and less detailed
- − The bicycle has structural issues particularly where the frame meets the wheel
- − The rain effect looks like a post-process overlay rather than being integrated
Verdict: FLUX.2 [dev] produces a much more realistic portrait with superior skin textures and a more convincing 'candid camera' aesthetic. Recraft V4 captures the street atmosphere and wet pavement reflections well, but it fails on the finer details of the man's face and the mechanical structure of the bicycle.
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.”
FLUX.2 [dev]
Recraft V4
0% wins
0% ties
100% wins
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.2 [dev]
- + Excellent adherence to the bead requirement with colorful, distinct beads in the braids.
- + Very high-quality skin texture showing realistic pores and fresh battle wounds.
- + Superior background composition with a clear, bright torch providing strong directional lighting.
- − The engraving on the armor looks slightly flat compared to the metal's surface.
- − The 'battle-worn' appearance feels a bit like makeup rather than deep-seated grime.
Recraft V4
- + Exceptional armor engraving that feels embossed and physically part of the plate.
- + Better depiction of a 'battle-worn' character with more natural-looking dirt and intensity.
- + Excellent leather and cloth textures underneath the armor pieces.
- − The beads in the hair are very subtle and blend into the hair color.
- − The lighting is somewhat muddy compared to the requested warm torchlight reflection.
Verdict: FLUX.2 [dev] excels in literal prompt adherence, specifically regarding the beads and the lifelike quality of the eyes and skin. However, Recraft V4 captures the 'battle-worn' paladin aesthetic with more grit and superior armor detailing, making it feel more like a cohesive character portrait. FLUX.2 [dev] is the winner for its clarity, vibrant lighting, and precise execution of all requested elements.
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.”
FLUX.2 [dev]
Recraft V4
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.2 [dev]
- + Excellent texture on fur and whiskers
- + Realistic lighting with soft backlighting and God rays
- + Clean, masterpiece-quality rendering
- − Static composition rather than 'tumbling and chasing'
- − Included an extra rabbit that wasn't' requested
Recraft V4
- + Captures requested movement of 'chasing' and 'tumbling' perfectly
- + Includes all requested animals and many butterflies
- + Dynamic composition with great depth of field
- − The fox's front legs look anatomically distorted while running
- − Some butterflies look slightly like stickers rather than being integrated into the scene
Verdict: Recraft V4 followed the complex action requirements of the prompt much more effectively, showing the animals in motion rather than posing. While FLUX.2 [dev] produced a cleaner, more realistic static portrait, it failed to capture the 'tumbling' and 'chasing' aspect and added an extra animal.
Next steps
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Recraft's latest text-to-image generation model with high-quality output, supporting various aspect ratios and custom color palettes