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GPT Image 2.5 Flarevs.MAI-Image-2.6 Flash

Which one is better?

In our own test both are on par. MAI-Image-2.6 Flash has no arena rating yet. GPT Image 2.5 Flare costs 11 times as much per image.

Test images

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

GPT Image 2.5 Flare: Product photography, first image from the fixed test run
GPT Image 2.5 Flare69 out of 100
MAI-Image-2.6 Flash: Product photography, first image from the fixed test run
MAI-Image-2.6 Flash90 out of 100

Result for “Product photography”:MAI-Image-2.6 Flash slightly ahead

Prompt given to both modelsCreate a square premium product photograph of a brushed titanium wristwatch standing upright on dark green marble. The watch has a cream dial, thin black hands set to 10:10, twelve distinct hour markers, a realistic crown, and a dark brown leather strap. Soft window light from the left, controlled reflections, shallow depth of field, no text, no logo, no extra objects.

What the rating looks at: Materials, reflections, and fine details.

“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

GPT Image 2.5 Flare: openai, 1024x1024, quality high, n=1, generated Sep 28, 2026, 8:53 PM. Source

MAI-Image-2.6 Flash: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, provider default resolution, received 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.019587, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:43 AM. Source

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

GPT Image 2.5 Flare image SHA 256: 85b17c41b19389cae3ea073ef582e6065a321d741978e772987d22e3ea3e3b08

MAI-Image-2.6 Flash image SHA 256: d6f2280312404df55179b7cf7d03468df04541eae774cc8d2b35e40e0820f06f

Infographic

GPT Image 2.5 Flare: openai, 1024x1024, quality high, n=1, generated Sep 28, 2026, 8:53 PM. Source

MAI-Image-2.6 Flash: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, provider default resolution, received 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.019598, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:43 AM. Source

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

GPT Image 2.5 Flare image SHA 256: bc752abfce1c0d27b73e4084c3e7d82c4c0f71e0e5af97a80f4b24326cc4686e

MAI-Image-2.6 Flash image SHA 256: 5c40f304b9dad1876a8d2223d22ca0e431ba9fe8a16e878a81743ac8296b6649

Product photography

GPT Image 2.5 Flare: openai, 1024x1024, quality high, n=1, generated Sep 28, 2026, 8:53 PM. Source

MAI-Image-2.6 Flash: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, provider default resolution, received 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.019589, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:43 AM. Source

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

GPT Image 2.5 Flare image SHA 256: 69fedb7d635d1329c461ff1ee9e5cf8384119e218e3b3bdb93b9e11f728335d8

MAI-Image-2.6 Flash image SHA 256: 64376f13e8626feb37db3c138dde381843866e7d58fb87e8076c2fa9003365e4

Typography and layout

GPT Image 2.5 Flare: openai, 1024x1024, quality high, n=1, generated Sep 28, 2026, 8:52 PM. Source

MAI-Image-2.6 Flash: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, provider default resolution, received 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.019575, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:43 AM. Source

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

GPT Image 2.5 Flare image SHA 256: cc90d54a99e1bad9e0cc8e4196746fb1d56a2fdd2a9ee101dbbf270ef5e4b6a8

MAI-Image-2.6 Flash image SHA 256: be8d86a467f73abfce15cdcce3073acc257baf1c87112c2b53a64b36efde0804

The numbers at a glance

Arena ratingfrom votes by users · higher is better
1,401

GPT Image 2.5 Flare

Rank 2 of 21

n/a

MAI-Image-2.6 Flash

not in the arena

GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100 · higher is better
72

GPT Image 2.5 Flare

Rank 18 of 108

67

MAI-Image-2.6 Flash

Rank 31 of 108

Price per imagedollars through the API · lower is better
$0.21

GPT Image 2.5 Flare

expensive

$0.019

MAI-Image-2.6 Flash

cheap

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.

GPT Image 2.5 Flare

Subscription
No OpenAI subscription includes this model. Through other providers from ≈ €6.34 a month (ElevenLabs Starter, with limited credits). 61 plans in Germany.
Via API
$0.21 per image, 100 images $21.07.

MAI-Image-2.6 Flash

Subscription
n/a No plan in Germany names exactly this model.
Via API
$0.019 per image, 100 images $1.95.

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 3, 2026 · API prices 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.

KennzahlGPT Image 2.5 FlareMAI-Image-2.6 Flash
Ratings
Arena ratingfrom votes by users, higher is better1,401n/a
Arena rankRank 2 of 21n/a
Arena votesmore votes, a safer rating39,218n/a
GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 1007267
GraduallyBench by task
Typography and layoutLegible text, hierarchy, and composition6454
Product photographyMaterials, reflections, and fine details6990
Character and detailAnatomy, clothing, and spatial consistency6352
InfographicNumbers, labels, and visual organization9174
API price
Per imagelower is better$0.21$0.019
100 images$21.07$1.95
Profile
ReleasedSep 8, 2026Jul 31, 2026
Weightsopen means: runs locallyproprietaryproprietary
Lifecycleno noticePreview in Microsoft Foundry
AccessAPIAPI
Parametersnot publishednot published
Largest outputnot consistently published2,359,296 pixels
Plans in Germanynaming exactly this model61n/a

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

Sources: GPT Image 2.5 Flare model source (verified Sep 22, 2026) · MAI-Image-2.6 Flash model source, status source (verified Sep 24, 2026)

Arena ratings by category

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

Arena rating per categoryfrom votes by users · higher is betterGPT Image 2.5 FlareMAI-Image-2.6 Flash
Text to Image ArenaGPT Image 2.5 Flare: 1,207MAI-Image-2.6 Flash: 1,120GPT Image 2.5 Flare ahead
Image Editing ArenaGPT Image 2.5 Flare: 1,183MAI-Image-2.6 Flash: 1,145GPT Image 2.5 Flare ahead

Artificial Analysis from Nov 3, 2026

All individual values with sources
RatingGPT Image 2.5 FlareMAI-Image-2.6 FlashSource
Text to Image Arena1,2071,120Artificial AnalysisRetrieved Nov 3, 2026
Image Editing Arena1,1831,145Artificial AnalysisRetrieved Nov 3, 2026

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Predecessor and successor

  • No predecessor recorded for GPT Image 2.5 Flare
  • GPT Image 2.5 Flare has no successor yet
  • No predecessor recorded for MAI-Image-2.6 Flash
  • MAI-Image-2.6 Flash has no successor yet