HiDream-O1-Imagevs.MAI-Image-2.6 Flash

Which one is better?

In our own test, MAI-Image-2.6 Flash leads. MAI-Image-2.6 Flash has no arena rating yet. HiDream-O1-Image costs 2.1 times as much per image.

Test images

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

HiDream-O1-Image: Product photography, first image from the fixed test run — HiDream-O1-Image31 out of 100

MAI-Image-2.6 Flash: Product photography, first image from the fixed test run — MAI-Image-2.6 Flash90 out of 100

Result for “Product photography”:MAI-Image-2.6 Flash 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

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

MAI-Image-2.6 Flash: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, provider default resolution, received 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.019587, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:43 AM. Source

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

HiDream-O1-Image image SHA 256: 9ac2cbe23ee6a63b0daacd665a40c3471c52c52fd6ad23e46d3027bb95f8c880

MAI-Image-2.6 Flash image SHA 256: d6f2280312404df55179b7cf7d03468df04541eae774cc8d2b35e40e0820f06f

Infographic

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

MAI-Image-2.6 Flash: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, provider default resolution, received 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.019598, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:43 AM. Source

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

HiDream-O1-Image image SHA 256: 258eece8b53e4df0c990b78dee2e02ec57569b1c823c3feff2ab54671240d66f

MAI-Image-2.6 Flash image SHA 256: 5c40f304b9dad1876a8d2223d22ca0e431ba9fe8a16e878a81743ac8296b6649

Product photography

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

MAI-Image-2.6 Flash: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, provider default resolution, received 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.019589, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:43 AM. Source

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

HiDream-O1-Image image SHA 256: 5a9cd3c59556412e4de93a3ef5c4121ec12b6cc02730cad527619c2d8a889783

MAI-Image-2.6 Flash image SHA 256: 64376f13e8626feb37db3c138dde381843866e7d58fb87e8076c2fa9003365e4

Typography and layout

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

MAI-Image-2.6 Flash: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, provider default resolution, received 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.019575, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:43 AM. Source

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

HiDream-O1-Image image SHA 256: 418a9b974b87b751ad2e4e98cdf6b8d7e2f8f352aed63d25be84c02377f310d1

MAI-Image-2.6 Flash image SHA 256: be8d86a467f73abfce15cdcce3073acc257baf1c87112c2b53a64b36efde0804

The numbers at a glance

Arena ratingfrom votes by users · higher is better

1,115

HiDream-O1-Image

Rank 19 of 21

n/a

MAI-Image-2.6 Flash

not in the arena

GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100 · higher is better

HiDream-O1-Image

Rank 77 of 108

MAI-Image-2.6 Flash

Rank 31 of 108

Price per imagedollars through the API · lower is better

$0.04

HiDream-O1-Image

fairly cheap

$0.019

MAI-Image-2.6 Flash

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.

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.

MAI-Image-2.6 Flash

Subscription: n/a No plan in Germany names exactly this model.
Via API: $0.019 per image, 100 images $1.95.

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 (38 days old)

All data side by side

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

Kennzahl	HiDream-O1-Image	MAI-Image-2.6 Flash
Ratings
Arena ratingfrom votes by users, higher is better	1,115	n/a
Arena rank	Rank 19 of 21	n/a
Arena votesmore votes, a safer rating	77,624	n/a
GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100	34	67
GraduallyBench by task
Typography and layoutLegible text, hierarchy, and composition	18	54
Product photographyMaterials, reflections, and fine details	31	90
Character and detailAnatomy, clothing, and spatial consistency	45	52
InfographicNumbers, labels, and visual organization	43	74
API price
Per imagelower is better	$0.04	$0.019
100 images	$4	$1.95
Profile
Released	May 2026	Jul 31, 2026
Weightsopen means: runs locally	open	proprietary
Lifecycle	no notice	Preview in Microsoft Foundry
Access	API, local	API
Parameters	8 billion	not published
Largest output	2,048 × 2,048 pixels	2,359,296 pixels
Plans in Germanynaming exactly this model	n/a	n/a

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

Sources: HiDream-O1-Image model source (verified Aug 15, 2026) · MAI-Image-2.6 Flash model source, status source (verified Sep 24, 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 betterHiDream-O1-ImageMAI-Image-2.6 Flash

Text to Image Arena9751,120ahead

Image Editing Arena9551,145ahead

Artificial Analysis from Nov 3, 2026

All individual values with sources

Rating	HiDream-O1-Image	MAI-Image-2.6 Flash	Source
Text to Image Arena	975	1,120	Artificial AnalysisRetrieved Nov 3, 2026
Image Editing Arena	955	1,145	Artificial AnalysisRetrieved Nov 3, 2026

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Predecessor and successor

No predecessor recorded for HiDream-O1-Image
HiDream-O1-Image has no successor yet
No predecessor recorded for MAI-Image-2.6 Flash
MAI-Image-2.6 Flash has no successor yet

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