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 Pro
24.3
arena score
#18 of 44 in Text-to-Image
Vote tally
Where the votes landed
FLUX.2 [dev]
100.0%
win rate
Ties
0.0%
Recraft V4 Pro
0.0%
win rate
100.0%
0.0% ties
0.0%
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 Pro
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.2 [dev]
- + Excellent adherence to the spatial arrangement of a green plant being physically behind the cube.
- + High-quality rendering of light passing through the glass and reflecting on the table.
- + Realistic material textures for the wooden table and red book.
- − The glass cube is rendered more like a thin-walled vessel than a solid glass cube.
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Beautiful glass refraction and internal reflections within the sphere and cube.
- + Strong adherence to the 'small' sphere prompt relative to the cube size.
- + The cube feels more like a solid object due to the base thickness.
- − Failed to place the green plant behind the cube; it is placed to the side instead.
- − The red book appears to be hovering slightly off the surface of the glass.
Verdict: FLUX.2 [dev] is the clear winner for its superior adherence to the spatial requirements of the prompt, particularly in placing the plant behind the glass cube as requested. While Recraft V4 Pro has slightly more artistic refraction within the glass, it fails to follow the layout instructions and has minor physics issues with the book placement.
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 Pro
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.2 [dev]
- + Excellent adherence to the 'imperfect framing' and 'candid' street photography style.
- + Highly realistic skin textures and fine details on the hands and face.
- + Effective motion blur from a passing vehicle that feels dynamic and natural.
- − The complexity of the bicycle handlebars results in some messy, nonsensical wire and metal intersections.
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Strong cinematic mood with high-contrast reflections and atmospheric lighting.
- + Good depiction of light rain and puddles on the pavement.
- − The 'motion blur from passing cars' is missing, as the background vehicle appears mostly static.
- − The subject's hands and face lack the high-fidelity realism and skin texture seen in the competing model.
- − The framing is very centered and conventional, missing the 'imperfect' request.
Verdict: FLUX.2 [dev] followed the technical requirements of the prompt much more closely, particularly the motion blur and the specific photography style noted for a 50mm lens. While Recraft V4 Pro produced a beautiful, atmospheric image, its lack of background motion and more digitized skin textures make it less successful in achieving the 'no stylization' and 'candid' street photo look.
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 Pro
100% wins
0% ties
0% wins
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.2 [dev]
- + Excellent realization of 'warm torchlight' acting as a primary light source.
- + Highly detailed leather straps with realistic wear and buckle hardware.
- + Clearer representation of bokeh sparks and shallow depth of field.
Recraft V4 Pro
- + More intricate and delicate engraving across the entire plate armor set.
- + Braids are more complex and incorporate the beads more realistically into the hairstyle.
- + Atmospheric background with architectural elements like arches.
- − Lighting is somewhat flat and lacks the specific 'warm glow' asked for in the prompt.
- − The 'leather straps' requested are largely absent from the chest area.
- − The skin is very dark/shadowed, making the 'faint scars' difficult to see.
Verdict: FLUX.2 [dev] followed the lighting and material specificities more closely, producing a vibrant image with realistic leather textures and prominent warm torchlight. Recraft V4 Pro excelled at the ornate armor engravings and hair styling, but it missed the mark on the warm lighting and the inclusion of detailed leather straps as a secondary material.
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 Pro
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.2 [dev]
- + Excellent application of rim lighting and golden hour atmosphere
- + Extremely high level of fur and whisker detail
- + Clean, balanced composition with soft, dreamy background
- − Included two bunnies instead of one
- − Animals are mostly static rather than 'tumbling' or 'chasing'
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Successfully captured the dynamic movement and 'tumbling' requested in the prompt
- + Accurate count of each required animal species
- + Excellent rendering of dew sparkles on the wildflowers
- − The kitten's front right paw is anatomically distorted
- − The lighting feels slightly colder and less 'golden' than requested
- − The rabbit's expression is a bit startled/wide-eyed compared to the others
Verdict: Recraft V4 Pro followed the prompt instructions more accurately by including only one of each animal and portraying them in motion, though it suffered from minor anatomical artifacts on the kitten's paw. FLUX.2 [dev] produced a much more aesthetically pleasing and high-quality image with superior lighting, but failed the specific count by adding an extra bunny and depicted the animals in a sitting pose rather than playing.
Next steps
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Recraft's latest image generation model at ~2048px resolution with stronger composition, refined lighting, and realistic materials for print-ready and large-scale work