Recraft V4 Pro vs Seedream 4.5
Head-to-head across 12 challenges
Recraft V4 Pro
50.0%
win rate
Ties
25.0%
Seedream 4.5
25.0%
win rate
Challenge Results
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.”
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Excellent photographic quality with realistic textures on the book and wood.
- + Impressive refractive and reflective details in the glass and the sphere.
- − The sphere is floating in the center of the cube, which defies gravity in an unrealistic way.
- − The plant behind the cube is slightly out of focus and less distinct than requested.
Seedream 4.5
- + Perfect adherence to physics with the sphere resting on the bottom of the cube.
- + Strong composition that clearly shows the plant behind and through the glass.
- + Accurate lighting coming from the left as requested.
- − The lighting on the book is slightly flat compared to the dramatic lighting in Model A.
- − The glass edges and corners look a bit thin and less substantial.
Verdict: Both models followed the prompt instructions accurately, but Seedream 4.5 is the winner because it placed the sphere on the floor of the cube, providing a more grounded and realistic interpretation compared to Recraft V4 Pro's floating sphere. Seedream 4.5 also provided a clearer view of the green plant through the glass, which was a specific requirement of the prompt.
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.”
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Excellent mood and cinematic lighting with realistic rain effects.
- + Very natural skin texture and clothing details on the subject.
- + Strong adherence to the 'imperfect framing' request by cutting off the head of the subject slightly.
- − The man is standing and inspecting the bike rather than actively 'repairing' it.
- − Lacks the requested motion blur from passing cars; the background taxi is relatively sharp.
Seedream 4.5
- + Successfully captures the motion blur of passing cars requested in the prompt.
- + Clearly depicts the act of 'repairing' with a wrench and specific posture.
- + Good facial detail showing age and expression.
- − The bicycle anatomy is physically impossible, with the chain passing through the frame and rear stay.
- − The lighting on the man's face feels a bit artificial compared to the environment.
Verdict: Recraft V4 Pro creates a more believable, cinematic atmosphere with superior texture and lighting, though it interprets 'repairing' more passive-aggressively. Seedream 4.5 follows the technical elements of the prompt better (motion blur and active repair) but suffers from significant AI artifacts in the bicycle's geometry, which breaks the realism requested.
Modern Clean Menu
Text-to-Image“Modern minimalist restaurant menu design, white background with colorful food photos in grid, sections for appetizers/pizza/mains, bold sans-serif fonts, vibrant accents, clean professional layout for casual dining.”
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Perfectly legible text with correct spelling in all sections.
- + Comprehensive grid layout that matches each item to its description and price.
- + High-quality, realistic food photography that corresponds perfectly to the labels.
- − Small typo in the word 'spaghettlith' under the Spaghetti Bolognese item.
Seedream 4.5
- + Clean minimalist aesthetic with vibrant colored borders for each section.
- + Clear separation of categories (Appetizers, Pizza, Mains) as requested.
- − Text is largely gibberish with many spelling errors and repeated words.
- − Food photos don't always match the menu items, and the grid is less informative.
- − Borders around images appear a bit heavy-handed compared to the minimalist prompt.
Verdict: Recraft V4 Pro produced a highly functional and professional menu with excellent text rendering and a logical 3x3 grid that follows every part of the prompt. Seedream 4.5 captured the minimalist style well but failed significantly on text legibility and detail accuracy. Recraft V4 Pro is the clear winner for its usability and high-quality food item representation.
Magic Burger Explosion: Fiery Photorealism Challenge
Text-to-Image“Ad for 'Magic Burger'. Dynamic, exploded burger with all components (bun, patty, cheese, lettuce, tomato, sauce) suspended in mid-air. Emphasize photorealistic detail and a sense of motion. Dark, fiery background with glowing embers. Integrate text: 'MAGIC BURGER' as a prominent title, 'LIMITED TIME ONLY' as a secondary message, and '€6.99' in a starburst, all rendered with a fiery, glowing effect.”
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Excellent crispness and photorealistic texture on the meat patty and fresh vegetables.
- + Superior typography integration with clean, readable fire effects within the lettering.
- + Dynamic exploded view that clearly separates every layer of the burger as requested.
- − The background fire effect is a bit subtle compared to the dramatic lighting requested.
- − The starburst for the price is slightly less integrated into the 'fiery' theme than the main text.
Seedream 4.5
- + Intense, cinematic fiery background that perfectly matches the 'dark, fiery, glowing' prompt.
- + Excellent motion blur on flying ingredients creates a strong sense of action.
- + The price starburst has a very impressive glowing, molten effect.
- − The burger is less of an 'exploded' view and more of a tilted whole burger, missing the distinct layer separation.
- − The main title font is a bit warped and the fire effect around the letters is somewhat messy.
- − The burger textures look slightly more illustrative and less photorealistic than Image A.
Verdict: Recraft V4 Pro delivers a superior layout for a technical food advertisement, with highly detailed ingredient textures and professional-grade typography. While Seedream 4.5 captures the 'fiery' atmosphere and sense of motion more aggressively, it fails to provide the requested 'exploded' burger view, making Recraft V4 Pro the more effective and accurate choice.
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.”
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Excellent text legibility and accuracy
- + High-quality realistic environment rendering
- − The text looks like a digital font rather than natural chalk handwriting
- − Failed to use elegant cursive for the header
- − The chalk texture on the letters is too clean and uniform
Seedream 4.5
- + Successfully captured the realistic chalk handwriting style requested
- + Used an elegant handwritten header as prompted
- + Excellent chalk texture and natural variation in lettering
- − Repeated the price and name for the first item
- − The perspective on the bottom text is slightly cramped
Verdict: Seedream 4.5 much better adhered to the stylistic requirements of the prompt, providing a convincing handwritten chalk aesthetic with varied slants and textures, whereas Recraft V4 Pro produced text that looks like a clean digital font. Although Seedream 4.5 had a minor repetition error in the first menu item, its superior artistic execution of the 'handwritten-style' and 'cursive chalk' requirements makes it the stronger response.
The Reversed Rodeo
Text-to-Image“Horse riding astronaut in space — horse on top, not vice versa. Surreal, highly detailed, cinematic.”
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Excellent cinematic lighting and atmosphere.
- + High resolution with fine details in the astronaut suit and horse mane.
- + Followed the positional requirement of the horse being the mount.
- − The composition is a bit conventional for a 'surreal' prompt.
Seedream 4.5
- + Vibrant, colorful nebula background.
- + Dynamic, energetic posing of the horse.
- − Lower technical quality with visible artifacts around the horse's legs.
- − Anatomical errors where the astronaut's leg merges awkwardly with the horse.
- − The horse's face and bridal details are somewhat garbled.
Verdict: Recraft V4 Pro is the clear winner due to its superior image clarity, realistic lighting, and polished details. While Seedream 4.5 offers a more vibrant color palette, it suffers from significant anatomical merging issues and lower overall resolution compared to the crisp execution of Recraft V4 Pro.
The Capybara Taxi Driver
Text-to-Image“Photorealistic scene inside a yellow New York taxi at night. A capybara is driving, wearing a yellow taxi driver cap and a dark jacket. It has a calm, professional expression and both front paws on the steering wheel. In the back seat sits a human businesswoman in a coat, looking at her phone with a completely normal, bored expression (as if this is just another normal ride). Through the windows you can see the streets of Manhattan at night with blurred lights. Realistic taxi interior, photorealistic, detailed fur and fabric, 35mm lens, night lighting with reflections, shallow depth of field.”
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Excellent photorealism with detailed textures on the fur and car interior.
- + Atmospheric lighting and rain effects that enhance the New York night aesthetic.
- + High resolution rendering with clear text on the taxi cap.
- − The capybara is not wearing the requested dark jacket.
- − Only one paw is visible on the steering wheel instead of both.
- − The capybara is positioned awkwardly high and large for the driver's seat.
Seedream 4.5
- + Perfect adherence to the prompt, including the dark jacket and both paws on the wheel.
- + Captures the 'bored' expression of the passenger very well.
- + Centrally framed composition that clearly shows both characters.
- − Image resolution and sharpness are significantly lower than Model A.
- − The steering wheel and hands appear somewhat blurry or distorted.
- − The lighting is flat compared to the cinematic quality of the first image.
Verdict: Recraft V4 Pro produces a much more visually stunning and realistic image with impressive rainy atmosphere, but it fails multiple prompt requirements like the jacket and the specific paw placement. Seedream 4.5 follows every detail of the prompt accurately, but the overall image quality is softer and less polished. Seedream 4.5 is the winner for its superior instruction following, despite the lower fidelity.
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.”
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Excellent text rendering with no spelling errors.
- + Highly detailed, cinematic lighting on the central jack-o-lantern.
- + Integrated gothic border frame that feels unified with the image.
- − The parchment texture is less prominent than in Model B.
- − The scroll banner for the sub-text is very small and lacks prominence.
Seedream 4.5
- + Clearer parchment aesthetic with torn edges.
- + Better adherence to the 'scroll banner' request for the sub-text.
- + Distinct border elements featuring thorns and webs as requested.
- − The text is slightly less polished than Model A.
- − Lighting is a bit more flat and less atmospheric than Model A.
Verdict: Both models followed the complex prompt very well, including all specific text and stylistic elements. Recraft V4 Pro produced a more cinematic and visually impressive central image with superior typography, while Seedream 4.5 adhered more closely to the 'dark parchment poster' and 'scroll banner' layout details. Recraft V4 Pro is the winner due to its higher overall graphical quality and more professional font choices.
Isometric Miniature Diorama Scenes
Text-to-Image“Create a clear, 45° top-down isometric miniature 3D cartoon scene of Japan's signature dish: sushi, with soft refined textures, realistic PBR materials, gentle lighting, on a small raised diorama base with minimal garnish and plate. Solid light blue background. At top-center: 'JAPAN' in large bold text, 'SUSHI' below it, small flag icon. Perfectly centered, ultra-clean, high-clarity, square format.”
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Excellent text rendering with clean, stylized font spacing.
- + High-quality realistic PBR textures on the sushi and rice grains.
- + Properly centered composition with clean lighting.
- − The sushi roll construction has some slightly messy structural artifacts on the top.
- − Doesn't strictly follow the 'miniature/isometric' diorama aesthetic as well as Model B.
Seedream 4.5
- + Perfect adherence to the isometric miniature diorama style.
- + Bold, clear typography and a cute flag icon execution.
- + Clean 3D cartoon aesthetic with pleasing soft textures.
- − The text 'SUSHI' is slightly misaligned with the text 'JAPAN'.
- − Lower detail on the actual sushi materials compared to Model A.
Verdict: Both models performed exceptionally well on the text and prompt adherence. Recraft V4 Pro has superior material realism and text spacing, while Seedream 4.5 better captured the requested isometric diorama block aesthetic. Seedream 4.5 is the overall winner for better interpreting the 'miniature 3D cartoon scene' and layout instructions.
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.”
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Excellent photorealistic texture and lighting
- + Highly detailed fur and realistic facial proportions
- + Subtle, natural-looking god rays and dew
- − The fox's back legs/body positioning looks slightly physically awkward
- − Color palette is a bit muted compared to 'warm golden' request
Seedream 4.5
- + Perfectly captures the 'joyful wholesome vibe' with vibrant colors
- + Dynamic sense of movement and tumbling
- + Great execution of sunbeams and sparkling dew effects
- − The fox has overly stylized, 'Disney-fied' eyes that lean away from the photorealistic requirement
- − Some floating artifacts/bubbles that weren't specifically requested
Verdict: Recraft V4 Pro succeeds in the 'hyper-photorealistic' part of the prompt with incredibly realistic textures and natural animal anatomy. However, Seedream 4.5 better captures the 'joyful' and 'wholesome' atmosphere of the scene with more dynamic posing and warmer lighting, even if the fox looks a bit more like a 3D animation character than a real animal.
Vintage Cafe Logo
Text-to-Image“Vintage minimalist restaurant logo for "Caffè Florian", retro cloche dome with steam and "Est. 1720" banner, classic typography, warm brown and cream tones, subtle texture on light background, vector emblem style.”
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Excellent typography with a hand-drawn feel
- + Sophisticated woodcut style illustation
- + Clean, balanced layout that feels professional and high-end
- − The 'Est. 1720' banner is quite small compared to the text
- − The steam effect is very minimal
Seedream 4.5
- + Strong minimalist vector shapes
- + Clearer representation of the banner
- + Accurate color palette according to prompt
- − Typography is a bit generic and the arching is slightly uneven
- − The cloche looks more like a 2D icon than a vintage emblem
- − Composition feels slightly more 'clip-art' than 'bespoke logo'
Verdict: Recraft V4 Pro produces a high-quality, professional logo with beautiful custom typography and a detailed woodcut-style illustration that perfectly fits the 'vintage' prompt. Seedream 4.5 creates a functional minimalist vector emblem, but it lacks the artistic depth and character found in the Recraft V4 Pro image.
Apollo 11: Journey to Tranquility
Text-to-Image“Create a clean, modern vector infographic poster about the Apollo 11 mission. NASA-inspired palette (navy, white, muted red, light gray). Flat-vector style, crisp lines, consistent iconography, subtle gradients only. Steps (stop at landing): 1. Launch (Saturn Vicon) 2. Earth Orbit (Earth + orbit ring icon) 3. Translunar (trajectory arc icon) 4. Lunar Orbit (Moon + orbit ring icon) 5. Descent (lunar module descending icon) 6. Landing (lunar module on the surface icon) Small supporting elements (minimal text): • Crew strip: three silhouette icons with only last names: Armstrong, Aldrin, Collins. • Landing site marker: Moon pin labeled "Tranquility" only. Layout constraints: generous margins, large readable labels, clean background with subtle stars. Vector-only, print-poster look, high resolution.”
AI Judge Analysis
Recraft V4 Pro
- + Excellent typography with clean, legible text for every stage of the mission.
- + High-quality vector icons that perfectly match the 'flat' and 'crisp' style requested.
- + Follows the NASA-inspired color palette accurately and consistently across the layout.
- − The layout is a bit scattered, lacking a strong linear flow compared to a traditional timeline.
- − Translunar icon is a bit simplistic compared to the detailed Earth and Moon icons.
Seedream 4.5
- + Strong linear composition that logically follows the sequence of events (1-6).
- + Effective use of negative space with a professional infographic feel.
- + Good use of the requested color palette.
- − Icon for step 5 (Descent) is a satellite rather than a descending lunar module.
- − Overall less detailed information/descriptions compared to the competing model.
- − The transition from the timeline bar to the icons feels a bit disconnected.
Verdict: Recraft V4 Pro is the superior choice because it provided accurate, descriptive text for every mission stage and higher-quality vector icons that strictly adhered to the prompt. While Seedream 4.5 had a cleaner linear layout, it failed to represent the 'Descent' stage correctly, using a satellite icon instead of a lunar module.
Recraft V4 Pro
Recraft's latest image generation model at ~2048px resolution with stronger composition, refined lighting, and realistic materials for print-ready and large-scale work
Seedream 4.5
ByteDance's latest image generation model unifying text-to-image and image editing in a single architecture, with improved text rendering and 30-40% faster generation than v4.0