GPT Image 2vs.Wan 2.6 Text to Image

Which one is better?

In our own test both are on par. Wan 2.6 Text to Image has no arena rating yet. GPT Image 2 costs 7.0 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: Product photography, first image from the fixed test run — GPT Image 289 out of 100

Wan 2.6 Text to Image: Product photography, first image from the fixed test run — Wan 2.6 Text to Image54 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

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

Wan 2.6 Text to Image: together, requested 1280x1280, stored 1024x1024 (Lanczos3 downscale), n=1, seed=provider random, provider default steps, generated Aug 14, 2026, 12:30 PM. Source

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

GPT Image 2 image SHA 256: 82f6e2369ab4fb6efb0ef48feeff0d14f1d6087c64c35113a983456f0f0879ac

Wan 2.6 Text to Image image SHA 256: cf49d7136a442f4f1c1ae29af99e917aa83bcbf501fdacfe3a13a3b3e74d7f9a

Infographic

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

Wan 2.6 Text to Image: together, requested 1280x1280, stored 1024x1024 (Lanczos3 downscale), n=1, seed=provider random, provider default steps, generated Aug 14, 2026, 12:30 PM. Source

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

GPT Image 2 image SHA 256: 6c15466e258e2b14a8e862959cb6a67b4f7a23896ea5d42c5a5618d848847711

Wan 2.6 Text to Image image SHA 256: 28eecbf460194ec047237c35415d934929baee9de9938bdff435cd21a4416435

Product photography

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

Wan 2.6 Text to Image: together, requested 1280x1280, stored 1024x1024 (Lanczos3 downscale), n=1, seed=provider random, provider default steps, generated Aug 14, 2026, 12:29 PM. Source

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

GPT Image 2 image SHA 256: 471c71b30618afb1a8a67ab8363308d67f99c65ef6740ca72417806d06d3c346

Wan 2.6 Text to Image image SHA 256: e8dbcfd0ce965814d72d676eddf74f723d476c1f78c5928c7b6efbc4eca4765e

Typography and layout

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

Wan 2.6 Text to Image: together, requested 1280x1280, stored 1024x1024 (Lanczos3 downscale), n=1, seed=provider random, provider default steps, generated Aug 14, 2026, 2:01 PM. Source

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

GPT Image 2 image SHA 256: 434cf9939b9be2a2c2711e13d027c9438c47038bb32229ceeaf405d2e89d2afc

Wan 2.6 Text to Image image SHA 256: 7e9557478ee297369d7680b31ab3b23a13c984981c0e0c922ef07372999122a7

The numbers at a glance

Arena ratingfrom votes by users · higher is better

1,382

GPT Image 2

Rank 3 of 21

n/a

Wan 2.6 Text to Image

not in the arena

GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100 · higher is better

GPT Image 2

Rank 15 of 108

Wan 2.6 Text to Image

Rank 44 of 108

Price per imagedollars through the API · lower is better

$0.21

GPT Image 2

expensive

$0.03

Wan 2.6 Text to Image

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

Subscription: No OpenAI subscription includes this model. Through other providers from ≈ €6.36 a month (ElevenLabs Starter, with limited credits). 61 plans in Germany.
Via API: $0.21 per image, 100 images $21.10.

Wan 2.6 Text to Image

Subscription: n/a No plan in Germany names exactly this model.
Via API: $0.03 per image, 100 images $3.

Subscriptions only count plans that name exactly this model. Subscription prices include VAT, API prices are in dollars.

Arena rating (LMArena) from Nov 6, 2026 · GraduallyBench from Nov 3, 2026 · API prices from Nov 6, 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.

Kennzahl	GPT Image 2	Wan 2.6 Text to Image
Ratings
Arena ratingfrom votes by users, higher is better	1,382	n/a
Arena rank	Rank 3 of 21	n/a
Arena votesmore votes, a safer rating	106,737	n/a
GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100	73	63
GraduallyBench by task
Typography and layoutLegible text, hierarchy, and composition	75	41
Product photographyMaterials, reflections, and fine details	89	54
Character and detailAnatomy, clothing, and spatial consistency	60	79
InfographicNumbers, labels, and visual organization	66	77
API price
Per imagelower is better	$0.21	$0.03
100 images	$21.10	$3
Profile
Released	April 2026	January 2026
Weightsopen means: runs locally	proprietary	proprietary
Access	API, Web app	API
Parameters	not published	not published
Largest output	4K	2K
Plans in Germanynaming exactly this model	61	n/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) · Wan 2.6 Text to 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 2Wan 2.6 Text to Image

Text to Image Arena1,1881,018ahead

Artificial Analysis from Nov 6, 2026

All individual values with sources

Rating	GPT Image 2	Wan 2.6 Text to Image	Source
Text to Image Arena	1,188	1,018	Artificial AnalysisRetrieved Nov 6, 2026

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GPT Image 2vs.Wan 2.6 Text to Image

Test images

The numbers at a glance

GPT Image 2

Wan 2.6 Text to Image

All data side by side

Arena ratings by category

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