GPT Image 2.5 Sunburstvs.GPT Image 1.5

Is the extra cost worth it?

Probably not. In our own test both are on par. In the arena, GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst leads. GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst costs 1.6 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 Sunburst: Product photography, first image from the fixed test run — GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst87 out of 100

GPT Image 1.5: Product photography, first image from the fixed test run — GPT Image 1.552 out of 100

Result for “Product photography”:GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst 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 Sunburst: openai, 1024x1024, quality high, n=1, generated Sep 28, 2026, 8:51 PM. Source

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: 985a75b38642a9f0e5e0c0e0c67f1b7f67780d42bd2168fa24e9a7a7a94b0da6

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst image SHA 256: 2bcd5e2358dbf9e2f11336ebf6c4a4a15e0a9a10261dd74378d40985ac68ec6d

GPT Image 1.5 image SHA 256: 0dff52ccd39400ac66ac8870c9ea937512ff1474688e70118688f420c38c2296

Infographic

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

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 2.5 Sunburst image SHA 256: 7dab94e5588be73aefe08f23f9d56ced4e2ddb2b29f754db41b057025cf34847

GPT Image 1.5 image SHA 256: 1c9ff59c32621c8b48b002dacb0ae66487262280c7c0a5b3d6456c81b248ebe9

Product photography

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst: openai, 1024x1024, quality high, n=1, generated Sep 28, 2026, 8:51 PM. Source

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 2.5 Sunburst image SHA 256: c648276704e06f7925f2325e8ffff0d9d0a9bd6c5bb4866785abac92ce97ff9a

GPT Image 1.5 image SHA 256: 67cfa2f324447027ceb5f82e9446d40a1395b46ce425890a74606b4d97731cf6

Typography and layout

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst: openai, 1024x1024, quality high, n=1, generated Sep 28, 2026, 8:50 PM. Source

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 2.5 Sunburst image SHA 256: fd6a3767ba8253869cb94d5346f025541dac924c2190df2c37b366b182986cf8

GPT Image 1.5 image SHA 256: 6a4cec86850fd371b65274198e2bf630b3cf36a096f9fb953d4bfe17c3222ebe

The numbers at a glance

Arena ratingfrom votes by users · higher is better

1,427

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst

Rank 1 of 21

1,236

GPT Image 1.5

Rank 13 of 21

GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100 · higher is better

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst

Rank 8 of 108

GPT Image 1.5

Rank 29 of 108

Price per imagedollars through the API · lower is better

$0.21

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst

expensive

$0.13

GPT Image 1.5

expensive

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 Sunburst

Subscription: No OpenAI subscription includes this model. Through other providers from ≈ €6.37 a month (ElevenLabs Starter, with limited credits). 62 plans in Germany.
Via API: $0.21 per image, 100 images $21.07.

GPT Image 1.5

Subscription: No OpenAI subscription includes this model. Through other providers from ≈ €6.37 a month (ElevenLabs Starter, with limited credits). 42 plans in Germany.
Via API: $0.13 per image, 100 images $13.30.

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 (35 days old)

All data side by side

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

Kennzahl	GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst	GPT Image 1.5
Ratings
Arena ratingfrom votes by users, higher is better	1,427	1,236
Arena rank	Rank 1 of 21	Rank 13 of 21
Arena votesmore votes, a safer rating	40,323	174,012
GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100	75	68
GraduallyBench by task
Typography and layoutLegible text, hierarchy, and composition	54	60
Product photographyMaterials, reflections, and fine details	87	52
Character and detailAnatomy, clothing, and spatial consistency	64	89
InfographicNumbers, labels, and visual organization	97	72
API price
Per imagelower is better	$0.21	$0.13
100 images	$21.07	$13.30
Profile
Released	Sep 8, 2026	December 2025
Weightsopen means: runs locally	proprietary	proprietary
Lifecycle	no notice	Marked as deprecated by OpenAI; removed from the API on December 1, 2026
Access	API	API, Web app
Parameters	not published	not published
Largest output	3,840 × 2,160 pixels	1,536 × 1,024 pixels
Plans in Germanynaming exactly this model	62	42

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

Sources: GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst model source (verified Sep 24, 2026) · GPT Image 1.5 model source, status source (verified Aug 15, 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 SunburstGPT Image 1.5

Text to Image Arena1,2231,123ahead

Image Editing Arena1,1991,119ahead

Text to Image: 3D modeling1,4161,218ahead

Text to Image: Agentic image generation1,3971,237ahead

Text to Image: Art1,4091,225ahead

Text to Image: Cartoon1,4561,244ahead

Text to Image: Commercial design1,4191,238ahead

Text to Image: Overall1,4271,236ahead

Text to Image: Photorealism1,4331,247ahead

Text to Image: Portraits1,4611,259ahead

Text to Image: Text rendering1,4661,251ahead

Image Editing: Agentic image generation1,5291,358ahead

Image Editing: Multi-image editing1,5211,342ahead

Image Editing: Agentic multi-image editing1,5411,359ahead

Image Editing: Overall1,5171,368ahead

Artificial Analysis from Nov 3, 2026 · LMArena from Oct 28, 2026

All individual values with sources

Rating	GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst	GPT Image 1.5	Source
Text to Image Arena	1,223	1,123	Artificial AnalysisRetrieved Nov 3, 2026
Image Editing Arena	1,199	1,119	Artificial AnalysisRetrieved Nov 3, 2026
Text to Image: 3D modeling	1,416	1,218	LMArenaRetrieved Oct 28, 2026
Text to Image: Agentic image generation	1,397	1,237	LMArenaRetrieved Oct 28, 2026
Text to Image: Art	1,409	1,225	LMArenaRetrieved Oct 28, 2026
Text to Image: Cartoon	1,456	1,244	LMArenaRetrieved Oct 28, 2026
Text to Image: Commercial design	1,419	1,238	LMArenaRetrieved Oct 28, 2026
Text to Image: Overall	1,427	1,236	LMArenaRetrieved Oct 28, 2026
Text to Image: Photorealism	1,433	1,247	LMArenaRetrieved Oct 28, 2026
Text to Image: Portraits	1,461	1,259	LMArenaRetrieved Oct 28, 2026
Text to Image: Text rendering	1,466	1,251	LMArenaRetrieved Oct 28, 2026
Image Editing: Agentic image generation	1,529	1,358	LMArenaRetrieved Oct 28, 2026
Image Editing: Multi-image editing	1,521	1,342	LMArenaRetrieved Oct 28, 2026
Image Editing: Agentic multi-image editing	1,541	1,359	LMArenaRetrieved Oct 28, 2026
Image Editing: Overall	1,517	1,368	LMArenaRetrieved Oct 28, 2026

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Predecessor and successor

PredecessorGPT Image 2.5 Sunburst vs. GPT Image 2Predecessor of GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst
SuccessorGPT Image 1.5 vs. GPT Image 2Successor of GPT Image 1.5
GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst has no successor yet
No predecessor recorded for GPT Image 1.5

Test images

The numbers at a glance

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst

GPT Image 1.5

All data side by side

Arena ratings by category

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Predecessor and successor

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