HiDream-O1-Imagevs.Qwen-Image-2.1

Which one is better?

Qwen-Image-2.1 leads in both ratings: in our own test and in the arena. Both are in the lower half there, though. Qwen-Image-2.1 has no API price.

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

Qwen-Image-2.1: Product photography, first image from the fixed test run — Qwen-Image-2.190 out of 100

Result for “Product photography”:Qwen-Image-2.1 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

Qwen-Image-2.1: manual, 1:1, requested and received 1024x1024, one request, first output, Qwen/Qwen-Image-2.1 base, 40 steps, true CFG 1.0, prompt enhancement disabled, no negative prompt, no reference images, seed=1591420783, official Space commit 5694809f4c56a4e8c40787b5392cecac36493c5d, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:49 AM. Source

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

HiDream-O1-Image image SHA 256: 9ac2cbe23ee6a63b0daacd665a40c3471c52c52fd6ad23e46d3027bb95f8c880

Qwen-Image-2.1 image SHA 256: b29bb7e207ad464957ee060bbf0655104bcbece703360254e48daa3ec35a62d7

Infographic

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

Qwen-Image-2.1: manual, 1:1, requested and received 1024x1024, one request, first output, Qwen/Qwen-Image-2.1 base, 40 steps, true CFG 1.0, prompt enhancement disabled, no negative prompt, no reference images, seed=1283422012, official Space commit 5694809f4c56a4e8c40787b5392cecac36493c5d, prior anonymous attempt refused before inference (ZeroGPU quota), completed through authenticated browser, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:49 AM. Source

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

HiDream-O1-Image image SHA 256: 258eece8b53e4df0c990b78dee2e02ec57569b1c823c3feff2ab54671240d66f

Qwen-Image-2.1 image SHA 256: 316e38ed63ff401f86a7ceee9cc65c74413e0e9c7c899a6e6bf453acc2940dac

Product photography

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

Qwen-Image-2.1: manual, 1:1, requested and received 1024x1024, one request, first output, Qwen/Qwen-Image-2.1 base, 40 steps, true CFG 1.0, prompt enhancement disabled, no negative prompt, no reference images, seed=196359631, official Space commit 5694809f4c56a4e8c40787b5392cecac36493c5d, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:49 AM. Source

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

HiDream-O1-Image image SHA 256: 5a9cd3c59556412e4de93a3ef5c4121ec12b6cc02730cad527619c2d8a889783

Qwen-Image-2.1 image SHA 256: 041f559d4261865b327fcae4f8bb0bd3b176c55a3b1255a042ab3e0fc4f9bc4b

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

Qwen-Image-2.1: manual, 1:1, requested and received 1024x1024, one request, first output, Qwen/Qwen-Image-2.1 base, 40 steps, true CFG 1.0, prompt enhancement disabled, no negative prompt, no reference images, seed=158818011, official Space commit 5694809f4c56a4e8c40787b5392cecac36493c5d, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:49 AM. Source

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

HiDream-O1-Image image SHA 256: 418a9b974b87b751ad2e4e98cdf6b8d7e2f8f352aed63d25be84c02377f310d1

Qwen-Image-2.1 image SHA 256: 4670269190f492154c05e3f18c4eb9e3938910ca1aca32503b6a1ceb16d39b38

The numbers at a glance

Arena ratingfrom votes by users · higher is better

1,115

HiDream-O1-Image

Rank 19 of 21

1,227

Qwen-Image-2.1

Rank 14 of 21

GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100 · higher is better

HiDream-O1-Image

Rank 77 of 108

Qwen-Image-2.1

Rank 40 of 108

Price per imagedollars through the API · lower is better

$0.04

HiDream-O1-Image

fairly cheap

n/a

Qwen-Image-2.1

no API price

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.

Qwen-Image-2.1

Subscription: No Alibaba subscription includes this model. Through other providers from ≈ €9.54 a month (Krea Basic, with limited credits). 5 plans in Germany.
Via API: No API price known. Access: local, Web app.
License: Open weights, Qwen Research License: non-commercial use only; commercial use requires a separate license.

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	HiDream-O1-Image	Qwen-Image-2.1
Ratings
Arena ratingfrom votes by users, higher is better	1,115	1,227
Arena rank	Rank 19 of 21	Rank 14 of 21
Arena votesmore votes, a safer rating	79,970	19,378
GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100	34	65
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	34
InfographicNumbers, labels, and visual organization	43	83
API price
Per imagelower is better	$0.04	n/a
100 images	$4	n/a
Profile
Released	May 2026	Sep 20, 2026
Weightsopen means: runs locally	open	openQwen Research License: non-commercial use only; commercial use requires a separate license
Access	API, local	local, Web app
Parameters	8 billion	not published
Largest output	2,048 × 2,048 pixels	2K
Plans in Germanynaming exactly this model	n/a	5

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) · Qwen-Image-2.1 model source, status source (verified Sep 22, 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-ImageQwen-Image-2.1

Text to Image Arena9781,045ahead

Image Editing Arena9531,080ahead

Text to Image: 3D modeling1,1211,214ahead

Text to Image: Agentic image generation1,1111,231ahead

Text to Image: Art1,1171,235ahead

Text to Image: Cartoon1,1181,234ahead

Text to Image: Commercial design1,1301,237ahead

Text to Image: Overall1,1151,227ahead

Text to Image: Photorealism1,1091,230ahead

Text to Image: Portraits1,1051,256ahead

Text to Image: Text rendering1,1341,250ahead

Artificial Analysis from Nov 6, 2026 · LMArena from Nov 6, 2026

All individual values with sources

Rating	HiDream-O1-Image	Qwen-Image-2.1	Source
Text to Image Arena	978	1,045	Artificial AnalysisRetrieved Nov 6, 2026
Image Editing Arena	953	1,080	Artificial AnalysisRetrieved Nov 6, 2026
Text to Image: 3D modeling	1,121	1,214	LMArenaRetrieved Nov 6, 2026
Text to Image: Agentic image generation	1,111	1,231	LMArenaRetrieved Nov 6, 2026
Text to Image: Art	1,117	1,235	LMArenaRetrieved Nov 6, 2026
Text to Image: Cartoon	1,118	1,234	LMArenaRetrieved Nov 6, 2026
Text to Image: Commercial design	1,130	1,237	LMArenaRetrieved Nov 6, 2026
Text to Image: Overall	1,115	1,227	LMArenaRetrieved Nov 6, 2026
Text to Image: Photorealism	1,109	1,230	LMArenaRetrieved Nov 6, 2026
Text to Image: Portraits	1,105	1,256	LMArenaRetrieved Nov 6, 2026
Text to Image: Text rendering	1,134	1,250	LMArenaRetrieved Nov 6, 2026

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