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GPT Image 2vs.Stable Diffusion 3.5 Medium

Which one is better?

In our own test, GPT Image 2 leads. Stable Diffusion 3.5 Medium has no arena rating yet. Stable Diffusion 3.5 Medium 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: Product photography, first image from the fixed test run
GPT Image 287 out of 100
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Medium: Product photography, first image from the fixed test run
Stable Diffusion 3.5 Medium13 out of 100

Result for “Product photography”:GPT Image 2 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

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: together, 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, provider default steps, generated Aug 14, 2026, 12:13 PM. Source

Stable Diffusion 3.5 Medium: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, estimated cost $0.020000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 9:17 PM. Source

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

GPT Image 2 image SHA 256: 82f6e2369ab4fb6efb0ef48feeff0d14f1d6087c64c35113a983456f0f0879ac

Stable Diffusion 3.5 Medium image SHA 256: 6b8aa732e94479ad302904096c5031908141e4083ee099f080185aa04c2ea800

Infographic

GPT Image 2: together, 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, provider default steps, generated Aug 14, 2026, 12:14 PM. Source

Stable Diffusion 3.5 Medium: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, estimated cost $0.020000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 9:17 PM. Source

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

GPT Image 2 image SHA 256: 6c15466e258e2b14a8e862959cb6a67b4f7a23896ea5d42c5a5618d848847711

Stable Diffusion 3.5 Medium image SHA 256: 61b12e227431387098e51c6ce6d059be9d8df9c85263b994bee62602e2ddfd16

Product photography

GPT Image 2: together, 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, provider default steps, generated Aug 14, 2026, 12:13 PM. Source

Stable Diffusion 3.5 Medium: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, estimated cost $0.020000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 9:16 PM. Source

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

GPT Image 2 image SHA 256: 471c71b30618afb1a8a67ab8363308d67f99c65ef6740ca72417806d06d3c346

Stable Diffusion 3.5 Medium image SHA 256: 2412a20e61c118ce7ab7ff83e285b96eb32d5c0f1171cc769e153db6655b8f67

Typography and layout

GPT Image 2: together, 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, provider default steps, generated Aug 14, 2026, 1:59 PM. Source

Stable Diffusion 3.5 Medium: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, estimated cost $0.020000, generated Nov 1, 2026, 9:16 PM. Source

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

GPT Image 2 image SHA 256: 434cf9939b9be2a2c2711e13d027c9438c47038bb32229ceeaf405d2e89d2afc

Stable Diffusion 3.5 Medium image SHA 256: bc854c3269ea8bada6f764545f4a09abedc110219018c09f2fa5708a14d9af7e

The numbers at a glance

Arena ratingfrom votes by users · higher is better
1,381

GPT Image 2

Rank 3 of 22

n/a

Stable Diffusion 3.5 Medium

not in the arena

GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100 · higher is better
69

GPT Image 2

Rank 12 of 74

16

Stable Diffusion 3.5 Medium

Rank 69 of 74

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

GPT Image 2

expensive

n/a

Stable Diffusion 3.5 Medium

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

Subscription
No OpenAI subscription includes this model. Through other providers from ≈ €6.39 a month (ElevenLabs Starter, with limited credits). 61 plans in Germany.
Via API
$0.21 per image, 100 images $21.10.

Stable Diffusion 3.5 Medium

Subscription
n/a No plan in Germany names exactly this model.
Via API
No API price known. Access: API, local.
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 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 2Stable Diffusion 3.5 Medium
Ratings
Arena ratingfrom votes by users, higher is better1,381n/a
Arena rankRank 3 of 22n/a
Arena votesmore votes, a safer rating103,385n/a
GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 1006916
GraduallyBench by task
Typography and layoutLegible text, hierarchy, and composition4917
Product photographyMaterials, reflections, and fine details8713
Character and detailAnatomy, clothing, and spatial consistency6116
InfographicNumbers, labels, and visual organization7820
API price
Per imagelower is better$0.21n/a
100 images$21.10n/a
Profile
ReleasedApril 2026Oct 29, 2024
Weightsopen means: runs locallyproprietaryopen
AccessAPI, Web appAPI, local
Parametersnot published2.5 billion
Largest output4Knot consistently published
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 model source (verified Aug 15, 2026) · Stable Diffusion 3.5 Medium model 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 and Stable Diffusion 3.5 Medium from the same arena and category. Older model versions are not used as substitutes.

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