GPT Image 1.5vs.Recraft V4.1 Utility Pro

Which one is better?

In our own test both are on par. Recraft V4.1 Utility Pro has no arena rating yet. Recraft V4.1 Utility Pro has no API price.

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

GPT Image 1.5: Character and detail, first image from the fixed test run — GPT Image 1.564 out of 100

Recraft V4.1 Utility Pro: Character and detail, first image from the fixed test run — Recraft V4.1 Utility Pro46 out of 100

Result for “Character and detail”:GPT Image 1.5 slightly ahead

Prompt given to both modelsCreate a square cinematic full-body portrait of a fictional bicycle courier waiting under a transparent umbrella at a rainy tram stop in Hamburg at blue hour. She wears a mustard raincoat, navy trousers, red sneakers, a silver helmet, and carries a teal messenger bag. Keep both hands visible, render the bicycle correctly, use realistic wet-street reflections, and include no readable brand names.

What the rating looks at: Anatomy, clothing, and spatial consistency.

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

Test protocol of the images

Both models receive the same archived prompt in exactly one request, and the first result counts. 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

GPT Image 1.5: together, 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, provider default steps, generated Aug 14, 2026, 12:17 PM. Source

Recraft V4.1 Utility Pro: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, provider default resolution, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.210000, source 2048x2048, stored 1024x1024 (Lanczos3 downscale), generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:40 PM. Source

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

GPT Image 1.5 image SHA 256: 0dff52ccd39400ac66ac8870c9ea937512ff1474688e70118688f420c38c2296

Recraft V4.1 Utility Pro image SHA 256: bd91dab4bec8386e191d73503d7df4b67c3c6019f345d436659db432ca4049f7

Infographic

GPT Image 1.5: together, 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, provider default steps, generated Aug 14, 2026, 12:17 PM. Source

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

GPT Image 1.5 image SHA 256: 1c9ff59c32621c8b48b002dacb0ae66487262280c7c0a5b3d6456c81b248ebe9

Recraft V4.1 Utility Pro image SHA 256: 10f1aa7a0152cbeaa379c9df088528810dbc6f28b1f8064d22dca51107760880

Product photography

GPT Image 1.5: together, 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, provider default steps, generated Aug 14, 2026, 12:16 PM. Source

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

GPT Image 1.5 image SHA 256: 67cfa2f324447027ceb5f82e9446d40a1395b46ce425890a74606b4d97731cf6

Recraft V4.1 Utility Pro image SHA 256: a70ee76cf6bf6561eade58a43f67874358b13d711417b864249fbd386c143b1d

Typography and layout

GPT Image 1.5: together, 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, provider default steps, generated Aug 14, 2026, 1:59 PM. Source

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

GPT Image 1.5 image SHA 256: 6a4cec86850fd371b65274198e2bf630b3cf36a096f9fb953d4bfe17c3222ebe

Recraft V4.1 Utility Pro image SHA 256: de7f5a691e0fe0b251a93730c92603059b25432af9126fee410568fcaf829348

The numbers at a glance

Arena ratingfrom votes by users · higher is better

1,236

GPT Image 1.5

Rank 13 of 22

n/a

Recraft V4.1 Utility Pro

not in the arena

GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100 · higher is better

GPT Image 1.5

Rank 43 of 74

Recraft V4.1 Utility Pro

Rank 35 of 74

Price per imagedollars through the API · lower is better

$0.13

GPT Image 1.5

expensive

n/a

Recraft V4.1 Utility Pro

no API price

Ranks among the 22 image models with an arena rating and the 74 with a GraduallyBench run; prices compared with 28 models with an API price.

GPT Image 1.5

Subscription: No OpenAI subscription includes this model. Through other providers from ≈ €6.39 a month (ElevenLabs Starter, with limited credits). 42 plans in Germany.
Via API: $0.13 per image, 100 images $13.30.

Recraft V4.1 Utility Pro

Subscription: Free to use at Recraft (Recraft Free, with limited credits), more from ≈ €12.78 a month (Recraft Basic, with limited credits). 4 plans in Germany.
Via API: No API price known. Access: API.
Weights: unknown.

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

Arena rating (LMArena) from Oct 28, 2026 · GraduallyBench from Nov 1, 2026 · API prices from Oct 28, 2026 · Subscription database from Sep 29, 2026 (34 days old)

All data side by side

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

Kennzahl	GPT Image 1.5	Recraft V4.1 Utility Pro
Ratings
Arena ratingfrom votes by users, higher is better	1,236	n/a
Arena rank	Rank 13 of 22	n/a
Arena votesmore votes, a safer rating	174,012	n/a
GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100	54	57
GraduallyBench by task
Typography and layoutLegible text, hierarchy, and composition	58	76
Product photographyMaterials, reflections, and fine details	38	42
Character and detailAnatomy, clothing, and spatial consistency	64	46
InfographicNumbers, labels, and visual organization	56	62
API price
Per imagelower is better	$0.13	n/a
100 images	$13.30	n/a
Profile
Released	December 2025	n/a
Weightsopen means: runs locally	proprietary	unknown
Lifecycle	Marked as deprecated by OpenAI; removed from the API on December 1, 2026	Separate API pricing/product SKU; no independent checkpoint identity confirmed
Access	API, Web app	API
Parameters	not published	not published
Largest output	1,536 × 1,024 pixels	not consistently published
Plans in Germanynaming exactly this model	42	4

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

Sources: GPT Image 1.5 model source, status source (verified Aug 15, 2026) · Recraft V4.1 Utility Pro model source, status 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 GPT Image 1.5 and Recraft V4.1 Utility Pro from the same arena and category. Older model versions are not used as substitutes.

Compare another matchup

First image modelSecond image model

More matchups

Compare GPT Image 1.5 and Recraft V4.1 Utility Pro with other important image models.

View the complete image model comparison

Same prompt, two images

The numbers at a glance

GPT Image 1.5

Recraft V4.1 Utility Pro

All data side by side

Arena ratings by category

No shared arena score in the stored snapshot

Compare another matchup

Related image model comparisons