GPT Image 2.5 Sunburstvs.HiDream-O1-Image

Which one is better?

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst leads in both ratings: in our own test and in the arena. GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst costs 5.3 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

HiDream-O1-Image: Product photography, first image from the fixed test run — HiDream-O1-Image31 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

HiDream-O1-Image: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=1735022440, estimated cost $0.010486, generated Aug 14, 2026, 1:53 PM. Source

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

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst image SHA 256: 2bcd5e2358dbf9e2f11336ebf6c4a4a15e0a9a10261dd74378d40985ac68ec6d

HiDream-O1-Image image SHA 256: 9ac2cbe23ee6a63b0daacd665a40c3471c52c52fd6ad23e46d3027bb95f8c880

Infographic

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

HiDream-O1-Image: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=1456348218, estimated cost $0.010486, generated Aug 14, 2026, 1:53 PM. Source

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

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst image SHA 256: 7dab94e5588be73aefe08f23f9d56ced4e2ddb2b29f754db41b057025cf34847

HiDream-O1-Image image SHA 256: 258eece8b53e4df0c990b78dee2e02ec57569b1c823c3feff2ab54671240d66f

Product photography

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

HiDream-O1-Image: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=124666889, estimated cost $0.010486, generated Aug 14, 2026, 1:53 PM. Source

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

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst image SHA 256: c648276704e06f7925f2325e8ffff0d9d0a9bd6c5bb4866785abac92ce97ff9a

HiDream-O1-Image image SHA 256: 5a9cd3c59556412e4de93a3ef5c4121ec12b6cc02730cad527619c2d8a889783

Typography and layout

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

HiDream-O1-Image: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=2131088503, estimated cost $0.010486, generated Aug 14, 2026, 2:41 PM. Source

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

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst image SHA 256: fd6a3767ba8253869cb94d5346f025541dac924c2190df2c37b366b182986cf8

HiDream-O1-Image image SHA 256: 418a9b974b87b751ad2e4e98cdf6b8d7e2f8f352aed63d25be84c02377f310d1

The numbers at a glance

Arena ratingfrom votes by users · higher is better

1,427

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst

Rank 1 of 21

1,115

HiDream-O1-Image

Rank 19 of 21

GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100 · higher is better

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst

Rank 8 of 108

HiDream-O1-Image

Rank 77 of 108

Price per imagedollars through the API · lower is better

$0.21

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst

expensive

$0.04

HiDream-O1-Image

fairly 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 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.

HiDream-O1-Image

Subscription: n/a No plan in Germany names exactly this model.
Via API: $0.04 per image, 100 images $4.
License: Open weights.

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	HiDream-O1-Image
Ratings
Arena ratingfrom votes by users, higher is better	1,427	1,115
Arena rank	Rank 1 of 21	Rank 19 of 21
Arena votesmore votes, a safer rating	40,323	77,624
GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100	75	34
GraduallyBench by task
Typography and layoutLegible text, hierarchy, and composition	54	18
Product photographyMaterials, reflections, and fine details	87	31
Character and detailAnatomy, clothing, and spatial consistency	64	45
InfographicNumbers, labels, and visual organization	97	43
API price
Per imagelower is better	$0.21	$0.04
100 images	$21.07	$4
Profile
Released	Sep 8, 2026	May 2026
Weightsopen means: runs locally	proprietary	open
Access	API	API, local
Parameters	not published	8 billion
Largest output	3,840 × 2,160 pixels	2,048 × 2,048 pixels
Plans in Germanynaming exactly this model	62	n/a

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) · HiDream-O1-Image model 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 SunburstHiDream-O1-Image

Text to Image Arena1,223975ahead

Image Editing Arena1,199955ahead

Text to Image: 3D modeling1,4161,122ahead

Text to Image: Agentic image generation1,3971,111ahead

Text to Image: Art1,4091,116ahead

Text to Image: Cartoon1,4561,118ahead

Text to Image: Commercial design1,4191,129ahead

Text to Image: Overall1,4271,115ahead

Text to Image: Photorealism1,4331,109ahead

Text to Image: Portraits1,4611,105ahead

Text to Image: Text rendering1,4661,134ahead

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

All individual values with sources

Rating	GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst	HiDream-O1-Image	Source
Text to Image Arena	1,223	975	Artificial AnalysisRetrieved Nov 3, 2026
Image Editing Arena	1,199	955	Artificial AnalysisRetrieved Nov 3, 2026
Text to Image: 3D modeling	1,416	1,122	LMArenaRetrieved Oct 28, 2026
Text to Image: Agentic image generation	1,397	1,111	LMArenaRetrieved Oct 28, 2026
Text to Image: Art	1,409	1,116	LMArenaRetrieved Oct 28, 2026
Text to Image: Cartoon	1,456	1,118	LMArenaRetrieved Oct 28, 2026
Text to Image: Commercial design	1,419	1,129	LMArenaRetrieved Oct 28, 2026
Text to Image: Overall	1,427	1,115	LMArenaRetrieved Oct 28, 2026
Text to Image: Photorealism	1,433	1,109	LMArenaRetrieved Oct 28, 2026
Text to Image: Portraits	1,461	1,105	LMArenaRetrieved Oct 28, 2026
Text to Image: Text rendering	1,466	1,134	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
GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst has no successor yet
No predecessor recorded for HiDream-O1-Image
HiDream-O1-Image has no successor yet

Test images

The numbers at a glance

GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst

HiDream-O1-Image

All data side by side

Arena ratings by category

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Predecessor and successor

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