FLUX1.1 [pro]vs.SANA-1.5 1.6B 1024px

Which one is better?

In our own test, FLUX1.1 [pro] leads. Neither is in the arena. Neither has an API price.

Test images

Same task, the first image of each. The task with the biggest difference is preselected.

FLUX1.1 [pro]: Typography and layout, first image from the fixed test run — FLUX1.1 [pro]42 out of 100

SANA-1.5 1.6B 1024px: Typography and layout, first image from the fixed test run — SANA-1.5 1.6B 1024px3 out of 100

Result for “Typography and layout”:FLUX1.1 [pro] ahead

Prompt given to both modelsCreate a square editorial poster for an imaginary night train called MONDFALTER. Show the exact German headline MONDFALTER and the exact subline BERLIN NACH LISSABON. Use a restrained midnight-blue and warm-cream palette, one stylized moth, strong Swiss-grid typography, generous negative space, and no additional words or logos.

What the rating looks at: Legible text, hierarchy, and composition.

“Ahead”: better in all three rating rounds. “Slightly ahead”: a higher value, but not in every round.

Test protocol of the images

Each test attempt uses the same archived prompt and one request. The first output of that attempt counts. Repeats after technical test failures are disclosed for the affected images. Files are normalized to 1,024 × 1,024 pixels without cropping. Provider resolution, randomness, quality tier and prompt processing can still differ. The images are a practical visual test, not a reconstruction of the arena configuration.

Character and detail

FLUX1.1 [pro]: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=1598804755, prompt expansion disabled, estimated cost $0.040000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 9:00 PM. Source

SANA-1.5 1.6B 1024px: manual, local PyTorch 2.13.0, Diffusers 0.36.0; Efficient-Large-Model/SANA1.5_1.6B_1024px_diffusers@b77948f2b4eed5c728e9b828ccff07f7427b43cc; native 1024x1024, 1:1; one request, first output; steps=20, guidance=4.5, seed=4913908686846438154; mps for text encoder and denoising; cpu for native VAE decode; bfloat16 for text encoder and transformer; float32 for VAE; native prompt preprocessing lowercases input; optional instruction disabled, generated Nov 2, 2026, 5:32 PM. Source

Protocol gradually-image-comparison-v1. Prompt SHA 256: 985a75b38642a9f0e5e0c0e0c67f1b7f67780d42bd2168fa24e9a7a7a94b0da6

FLUX1.1 [pro] image SHA 256: b475e58b4513d0ed851a405764c795b380f352ddff2599324a6ddf4046a2ca83

SANA-1.5 1.6B 1024px image SHA 256: abc8d1fcb514ea7754211b79030abbf92ef83a61e546f19b217ccb06df0aaf45

Infographic

FLUX1.1 [pro]: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=2834891197, prompt expansion disabled, estimated cost $0.040000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 9:00 PM. Source

SANA-1.5 1.6B 1024px: manual, local PyTorch 2.13.0, Diffusers 0.36.0; Efficient-Large-Model/SANA1.5_1.6B_1024px_diffusers@b77948f2b4eed5c728e9b828ccff07f7427b43cc; native 1024x1024, 1:1; one request, first output; steps=20, guidance=4.5, seed=1936313402304398258; mps for text encoder and denoising; cpu for native VAE decode; bfloat16 for text encoder and transformer; float32 for VAE; native prompt preprocessing lowercases input; optional instruction disabled, generated Nov 2, 2026, 5:33 PM. Source

Protocol gradually-image-comparison-v1. Prompt SHA 256: ed65cb4e6a51e2336f8b149ad4cbb16e020f07d527ad94362e719d2dcf91d94f

FLUX1.1 [pro] image SHA 256: 2e27914d8784b0c4df1bb786934c4269230e1b2a6657fa500cb3cf46c3244041

SANA-1.5 1.6B 1024px image SHA 256: 828815adaab125d67312b64061f9b5a448558e9ac56ec9aa5ce8cf00cb63c481

Product photography

FLUX1.1 [pro]: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=1611870596, prompt expansion disabled, estimated cost $0.040000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 9:00 PM. Source

SANA-1.5 1.6B 1024px: manual, local PyTorch 2.13.0, Diffusers 0.36.0; Efficient-Large-Model/SANA1.5_1.6B_1024px_diffusers@b77948f2b4eed5c728e9b828ccff07f7427b43cc; native 1024x1024, 1:1; one request, first output; steps=20, guidance=4.5, seed=1353667313865032696; mps for text encoder and denoising; cpu for native VAE decode; bfloat16 for text encoder and transformer; float32 for VAE; native prompt preprocessing lowercases input; optional instruction disabled, generated Nov 2, 2026, 5:32 PM. Source

Protocol gradually-image-comparison-v1. Prompt SHA 256: c67fd71e91304458a2feef5c91efa8677260fab0c0099a29a2c52cb579f5b2f3

FLUX1.1 [pro] image SHA 256: 4e45c833a1cfb178fdb2be4962709d5add987ae330bb860e739a934623327ad8

SANA-1.5 1.6B 1024px image SHA 256: a43c512ad071c0d7526e16f69874b653f073c532403114299c8fde43770a72c8

Typography and layout

FLUX1.1 [pro]: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=22370095, prompt expansion disabled, estimated cost $0.040000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 9:00 PM. Source

SANA-1.5 1.6B 1024px: manual, local PyTorch 2.13.0, Diffusers 0.36.0; Efficient-Large-Model/SANA1.5_1.6B_1024px_diffusers@b77948f2b4eed5c728e9b828ccff07f7427b43cc; native 1024x1024, 1:1; one request, first output; steps=20, guidance=4.5, seed=2028788407160516328; mps for text encoder and denoising; cpu for native VAE decode; bfloat16 for text encoder and transformer; float32 for VAE; native prompt preprocessing lowercases input; optional instruction disabled; two submissions: first attempt produced no image after a documented MPS VAE decoding crash; technical repeat kept the same prompt and seed, generated Nov 2, 2026, 5:31 PM. Source

Protocol gradually-image-comparison-v1. Prompt SHA 256: 2e012c3d14ee5dd02203a94f394ca80a5038cdebd6032b25a8b8a221f2255419

FLUX1.1 [pro] image SHA 256: 30f27d636afd6c596e3314f7412ca3a0497be81362e72e40fbf8d8517adb80ab

SANA-1.5 1.6B 1024px image SHA 256: 7c58a1c863d5b8d22d06ed159b89aa64d13cf9a44f7b3d4871683f491f0bb75c

The numbers at a glance

Arena ratingfrom votes by users · higher is better

n/a

FLUX1.1 [pro]

not in the arena

n/a

SANA-1.5 1.6B 1024px

not in the arena

GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100 · higher is better

FLUX1.1 [pro]

Rank 81 of 108

SANA-1.5 1.6B 1024px

Rank 107 of 108

Price per imagedollars through the API · lower is better

n/a

FLUX1.1 [pro]

no API price

n/a

SANA-1.5 1.6B 1024px

no API price

Ranks among the 21 image models with an arena rating and the 108 with a GraduallyBench run; prices compared with 28 models with an API price.

FLUX1.1 [pro]

Subscription: No Black Forest Labs subscription includes this model. Through other providers from ≈ €9.54 a month (Krea Basic, with limited credits). 14 plans in Germany.
Via API: No API price known. Access: API.
Weights: unknown.

SANA-1.5 1.6B 1024px

Subscription: n/a No plan in Germany names exactly this model.
Via API: No API price known. Access: local.
License: Open weights.

Subscriptions only count plans that name exactly this model. Subscription prices include VAT, API prices are in dollars.

GraduallyBench from Nov 3, 2026 · Subscription database from Sep 29, 2026 (38 days old)

All data side by side

The better value is bold. For ratings only when the gap is clear.

Kennzahl	FLUX1.1 [pro]	SANA-1.5 1.6B 1024px
Ratings
Arena ratingfrom votes by users, higher is better	n/a	n/a
Arena rank	n/a	n/a
Arena votesmore votes, a safer rating	n/a	n/a
GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100	33	4
GraduallyBench by task
Typography and layoutLegible text, hierarchy, and composition	42	3
Product photographyMaterials, reflections, and fine details	26	0
Character and detailAnatomy, clothing, and spatial consistency	39	4
InfographicNumbers, labels, and visual organization	24	7
API price
Per imagelower is better	n/a	n/a
100 images	n/a	n/a
Profile
Released	n/a	Mar 16, 2025
Weightsopen means: runs locally	unknown	open
Lifecycle	Older, still documented BFL text-to-image API route	no notice
Access	API	local
Parameters	not published	1.6 billion
Largest output	not consistently published	not consistently published
Plans in Germanynaming exactly this model	14	n/a

API prices for one image at 1,024 × 1,024 pixels according to Artificial Analysis.

Sources: FLUX1.1 [pro] model source, status source (verified Nov 1, 2026) · SANA-1.5 1.6B 1024px model source (verified Nov 1, 2026)

Arena ratings by category

From blind votes on LMArena. “Ahead” means the lead is clear.

No shared arena score in the stored snapshot

The stored benchmark database contains no measurement for FLUX1.1 [pro] and SANA-1.5 1.6B 1024px from the same arena and category. Older model versions are not used as substitutes.

More comparisons

Compare FLUX1.1 [pro] and SANA-1.5 1.6B 1024px with the models people compare them with most often.

Compare another matchup

First image modelSecond image model