Hayz Labs · https://hayzlabs.com/reviews/rankings/images/
reviews · best for a job · 5 scored · 1 not yet
Best for images
Making and editing pictures. Ranked by score; on a tie, the cheaper one goes first. 100 is the best available today in this job.
Picked one? Make an image with AI shows how to get good results from it.
New to this? What the scores and labels mean
- 0 to 100
- Our score for one job, like writing or coding, compared with everything else out today. 100 is the best available today. For AI models we build it from public data, such as Arena's blind votes and Epoch AI's independent tests; apps and tools are scored on our own checklist. The same tool can score differently for different jobs, and where two likely ranges overlap, we call it a tie.
- Our verdict
- Use it: a top choice for most people. Worth trying: good, and worth a go. Depends: good for some people or one kind of job. Wait: too early to tell, or not out for everyone yet. Skip: something else does the job better.
- First look
- Just released. We say what it is and whether to bother, and give it a score once public results exist.
- No score yet
- None of the public sources we use covers it yet, or the only evidence is from a source whose numbers we can't use, so we describe it in words instead.
- Best buy
- Nothing cheaper scores as well for that job.
- Best free
- The best score for that job that costs nothing, through a free plan or by running on your own computer.
- Pay as you go
- No monthly plan: you pay for each use, usually through a developer account.
- Checked
- The day we last confirmed the score and the price against the sources. Prices change often, so check the date.
- AI model
- The engine underneath, like GPT or Claude. You use it through an app or, if you code, directly.
- Open source
- Free to download and run on your own computer, so nothing leaves your machine.
The short answer
GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst leads Arena's text to image board and scores 100, at about $0.21 per image at max quality on Artificial Analysis.
- Best
- GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst100Pay as you go
- Best free
- Nano Banana 2.173Free
Read our full take
GPT Image 2.5 Flare scores 92 at the same price, so pick it only for its speed, by OpenAI's account. If price matters more, Nano Banana 2.1 scores 73 at $0.0336 per image at 1K and is free to try in the Gemini app, and Muse Image scores 59 at $0.01 per image and is free in Meta AI. If you want to make images on your own computer, Qwen-Image-2.1 scores 48 as a free download, but its license allows research and evaluation only, not business work. FLUX 3 Image has no score yet, because its rating rests on a source we can't publish numbers from; it costs more per image than Nano Banana 2.1 ($0.048 against $0.0336 at 1K) and supports up to ten reference images. To watch: Midjourney V8.2 is not on any blind leaderboard, so we have not scored it.
Our opinion, checked 11 Oct. The picks come straight from the scores below. How we score
Everything we cover for this job, best score first. Scores whose ranges overlap are tied, so choose on price and fit.
- 1GPT Image 2.5 SunburstOpenAI
Top image model for quality and precise edits, about 21 cents a max-quality image. On a budget, use Nano Banana 2.1.
Best for Designers and developers who need the most accurate image editsYou give up About $0.21 per image at max quality; slower than Flare
10098–100Pay as you go - 2GPT Image 2.5 FlareOpenAI
Second on every image board, at Sunburst's price; OpenAI says it is faster. If waits are fine, Sunburst scores higher.
Best for Apps that need near-top images with shorter waitsYou give up Same token price as Sunburst, which scores higher on every board
9290–94Pay as you go - 3Nano Banana 2.1Google
Near-top image quality for about 3 cents an image, free to try in Gemini. Skip only if you need the very best edits.
Best for Strong images cheaply, or free to try in the Gemini appYou give up Behind both GPT Image 2.5 models on every board, most clearly on edits
7371–75Free - 4Muse ImageMeta
Top 10 image quality for about a cent an image, free in Meta AI. Pick Nano Banana 2.1 if you want the higher rank.
Best for Lots of images on a small budget, free in Meta AIYou give up Ranks below Nano Banana 2.1 and both GPT Image 2.5 models; no data-use statement
5958–60Free - 5Qwen-Image-2.1Alibaba
Best scoring image model you can download and run yourself, but its license bars commercial use. Fine for research.
Best for Researchers and hobbyists who want a strong image model offlineYou give up Licence bars commercial use; needs a capable GPU
4846–49Free - FLUX 3 ImageBlack Forest Labs
Top 10 image model that takes up to ten reference images, about 5 cents each. Plain prompts: Nano Banana 2.1 is cheaper.
Best for Designers who combine up to ten reference images or place items with boxesYou give up Trains on your prompts and outputs unless you email to opt out; no arena rank yet
Not scored yetPay as you go
Score against cost
Up is a better score, left is cheaper. Plans are the cheapest that unlock the scored feature. 2 without a monthly price are left off; see Pay per use.
Images: the best score here is free. Nano Banana 2.1 scores 73.
Names in one box share a score band and a price step; each shows its own score, best first.
Best value: Nano Banana 2.1 (73, free)
Not on the map, as they have no monthly price: GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst (100), GPT Image 2.5 Flare (92).
Show as a table
| Name | Score | Cheapest plan | Price step | Best value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst | 100 · likely 98–100 | No monthly price | ||
| GPT Image 2.5 Flare | 92 · likely 90–94 | No monthly price | ||
| Nano Banana 2.1 | 73 · likely 71–75 | Free | Free | Yes |
| Muse Image | 59 · likely 58–60 | Free | Free | |
| Qwen-Image-2.1 · open source | 48 · likely 46–49 | Free | Free |
Up is a better score, left is cheaper to run. Cost to make 1,000 images (Artificial Analysis), for the 2 scored here that have one; the others are left off rather than mixed with figures from another test.
| # | Name | Score | Source | Cheapest plan | Our verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GPT Image 2.5 SunburstOpenAI · AI model | 100likely 98–100 | Our score | Pay as you go | Worth trying | Top image model for quality and precise edits, about 21 cents a max-quality image. On a budget, use Nano Banana 2.1. |
| 2 | GPT Image 2.5 FlareOpenAI · AI model | 92likely 90–94 | Our score | Pay as you go | Depends | Second on every image board, at Sunburst's price; OpenAI says it is faster. If waits are fine, Sunburst scores higher. |
| 3 | Nano Banana 2.1Google · AI model | 73likely 71–75 | Our score | Free | Use itBest buyBest free | Near-top image quality for about 3 cents an image, free to try in Gemini. Skip only if you need the very best edits. |
| 4 | Muse ImageMeta · AI model | 59likely 58–60 | Our score | Free | Use it | Top 10 image quality for about a cent an image, free in Meta AI. Pick Nano Banana 2.1 if you want the higher rank. |
| 5 | Qwen-Image-2.1Alibaba · Open source | 48likely 46–49 | Our score | Free | DependsBest on your computer | Best scoring image model you can download and run yourself, but its license bars commercial use. Fine for research. |
No score yetCovered here, but no outside source we can score it from yet. | ||||||
FLUX 3 ImageBlack Forest Labs · AI model | – | None we can publish | Pay as you go | Worth trying | Top 10 image model that takes up to ten reference images, about 5 cents each. Plain prompts: Nano Banana 2.1 is cheaper. | |
Nothing matches all of that. , or try everything.
What changed
New leaders and rating changes in images; our working is under Details. All news
No changes yet. This ranking starts on 7 Oct; when a rating moves at a re-check or a new release takes #1, it shows here with the reason.