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GPT Image 2.5 Sunburstvs.GPT Image 1 Mini

Which one is better?

In our own test, GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst leads. GPT Image 1 Mini has no arena rating yet. GPT Image 1 Mini has no API price.

Same prompt, two images

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

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst: Infographic, first image from the fixed test run
GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst91 out of 100
GPT Image 1 Mini: Infographic, first image from the fixed test run
GPT Image 1 Mini8 out of 100

Result for “Infographic”:GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst ahead

Prompt given to both modelsCreate a square German infographic titled SO FUNKTIONIERT PHOTOSYNTHESE. Show exactly four numbered steps in this order: 1 LICHT, 2 WASSER, 3 CO₂, 4 ZUCKER + SAUERSTOFF. Use a clean editorial science style with one plant cross-section, simple arrows, high contrast, legible labels, and no other text.

What the rating looks at: Numbers, labels, and visual organization.

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

GPT Image 1 Mini: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, quality low, Fal rounds per-request image plus text-token cost up to $0.01 for the fixed prompts, estimated cost $0.010000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:52 PM. Source

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

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst image SHA 256: 2bcd5e2358dbf9e2f11336ebf6c4a4a15e0a9a10261dd74378d40985ac68ec6d

GPT Image 1 Mini image SHA 256: c0e2174457ec7197947f10d76d4c5a8fa49aec091b31652f0247cf7e11e903ba

Infographic

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

GPT Image 1 Mini: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, quality low, Fal rounds per-request image plus text-token cost up to $0.01 for the fixed prompts, estimated cost $0.010000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:52 PM. Source

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

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst image SHA 256: 7dab94e5588be73aefe08f23f9d56ced4e2ddb2b29f754db41b057025cf34847

GPT Image 1 Mini image SHA 256: 08bac6b96a08de0ca51bedd1b6f0648e65d24461446b15231e80f668aaf6d603

Product photography

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

GPT Image 1 Mini: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, quality low, Fal rounds per-request image plus text-token cost up to $0.01 for the fixed prompts, estimated cost $0.010000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:51 PM. Source

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

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst image SHA 256: c648276704e06f7925f2325e8ffff0d9d0a9bd6c5bb4866785abac92ce97ff9a

GPT Image 1 Mini image SHA 256: a5e15f006cd5c689b9588fa55b37ea0d610cd9edb4bd167fabefda5d72f21480

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 Mini: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, quality low, Fal rounds per-request image plus text-token cost up to $0.01 for the fixed prompts, estimated cost $0.010000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:51 PM. Source

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

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst image SHA 256: fd6a3767ba8253869cb94d5346f025541dac924c2190df2c37b366b182986cf8

GPT Image 1 Mini image SHA 256: 16fcb3be0f7ea7a48eabaacb5052ebccc221c00dd9ed3ff9d8e2f38f91b66c15

The numbers at a glance

Arena ratingfrom votes by users · higher is better
1,427

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst

Rank 1 of 22

n/a

GPT Image 1 Mini

not in the arena

GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100 · higher is better
77

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst

Rank 4 of 74

26

GPT Image 1 Mini

Rank 60 of 74

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

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst

expensive

n/a

GPT Image 1 Mini

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 2.5 Sunburst

Subscription
No OpenAI subscription includes this model. Through other providers from ≈ €6.39 a month (ElevenLabs Starter, with limited credits). 62 plans in Germany.
Via API
$0.21 per image, 100 images $21.07.

GPT Image 1 Mini

Subscription
No OpenAI subscription includes this model. Through other providers from €6.83 a month (Poe Basic, with limited points). 14 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.

KennzahlGPT Image 2.5 SunburstGPT Image 1 Mini
Ratings
Arena ratingfrom votes by users, higher is better1,427n/a
Arena rankRank 1 of 22n/a
Arena votesmore votes, a safer rating40,323n/a
GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 1007726
GraduallyBench by task
Typography and layoutLegible text, hierarchy, and composition4847
Product photographyMaterials, reflections, and fine details9343
Character and detailAnatomy, clothing, and spatial consistency748
InfographicNumbers, labels, and visual organization918
API price
Per imagelower is better$0.21n/a
100 images$21.07n/a
Profile
ReleasedSep 8, 2026n/a
Weightsopen means: runs locallyproprietaryunknown
Lifecycleno noticeDeprecated; API shutdown announced for December 1, 2026
AccessAPIAPI
Parametersnot publishednot published
Largest output3,840 × 2,160 pixelsnot consistently published
Plans in Germanynaming exactly this model6214

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 Mini 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 2.5 Sunburst and GPT Image 1 Mini from the same arena and category. Older model versions are not used as substitutes.

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