MAI-Image-2.5 Flashvs.Runway Gen-4 Image

Which one is better?

In our own test, MAI-Image-2.5 Flash leads. Neither is in the arena. Runway Gen-4 Image has no API price.

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

MAI-Image-2.5 Flash: Product photography, first image from the fixed test run — MAI-Image-2.5 Flash92 out of 100

Runway Gen-4 Image: Product photography, first image from the fixed test run — Runway Gen-4 Image20 out of 100

Result for “Product photography”:MAI-Image-2.5 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

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

MAI-Image-2.5 Flash: manual, Official Bing Image Creator web app; MAI-Image-2.5-Flash; one request; 1:1; first result; free guest generation; 2026-08-14; https://www.bing.com/images/create/ai-image-generator, generated Aug 14, 2026, 4:23 PM. Source

Runway Gen-4 Image: manual, 1:1, one request, first output (first top-left candidate of native batch), exact UI model Runway Gen-4 Image, provider-default random seed, native resolution provider default, fast mode not offered, no reference images, no selected effects, default content settings, source UI file Firefly_Create a square cinematic full-body portrait of a fictional bicycle courier waiting u 715099.png, source 1080x1080, stored 1024x1024 (Lanczos3 downscale), generated Nov 1, 2026, 10:33 PM. Source

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

MAI-Image-2.5 Flash image SHA 256: a2637943faf5ae5210c69f645f96c70ea0a1d267c38a64705810947d2ba78dc8

Runway Gen-4 Image image SHA 256: 1235971dc0ffbe1e82ce305c9e7608d10a9b604697ec359a332cd4f2d931db71

Infographic

Runway Gen-4 Image: manual, 1:1, one request, first output (first top-left candidate of native batch), exact UI model Runway Gen-4 Image, provider-default random seed, native resolution provider default, fast mode not offered, no reference images, no selected effects, default content settings, source UI file Firefly_Create a square German infographic titled SO FUNKTIONIERT PHOTOSYNTHESE. Show exactly 715099.png, source 1080x1080, stored 1024x1024 (Lanczos3 downscale), generated Nov 1, 2026, 10:33 PM. Source

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

MAI-Image-2.5 Flash image SHA 256: 6af00e502934a24a9e535b3f72d9b1ca545a984fc463e785ffe796a700e015b3

Runway Gen-4 Image image SHA 256: 13955a0ff71a8e54cde4d84a78ace5dba2bc64b8df79c939bffabca22620480c

Product photography

Runway Gen-4 Image: manual, 1:1, one request, first output (first top-left candidate of native batch), exact UI model Runway Gen-4 Image, provider-default random seed, native resolution provider default, fast mode not offered, no reference images, no selected effects, default content settings, source UI file Firefly_Create a square premium product photograph of a brushed titanium wristwatch standing 715099.png, source 1080x1080, stored 1024x1024 (Lanczos3 downscale), generated Nov 1, 2026, 10:31 PM. Source

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

MAI-Image-2.5 Flash image SHA 256: 9cb652604f7c64d8ebaa4303e924155a1f45581a940045be12775419e635bd8f

Runway Gen-4 Image image SHA 256: 24a4b7e7c9ac88d5e5c7a508aca6c7de29c4ca9e55c0d17623005dbe3e6aaadd

Typography and layout

Runway Gen-4 Image: manual, 1:1, one request, first output (first top-left candidate of native batch), exact UI model Runway Gen-4 Image, provider-default random seed, native resolution provider default, fast mode not offered, no reference images, no selected effects, default content settings, source UI file Firefly_Create a square editorial poster for an imaginary night train called MONDFALTER. Show 715099.png, source 1080x1080, stored 1024x1024 (Lanczos3 downscale), generated Nov 1, 2026, 10:31 PM. Source

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

MAI-Image-2.5 Flash image SHA 256: 185a852b71d68ea37a41091b57f3ec02829b2d1e87fd1045939ffa0f8e4c3cf8

Runway Gen-4 Image image SHA 256: 73ca9e031f19143e8227ccfb5d651cd72eed23184d7cf7b980890310d55f7a8d

The numbers at a glance

Arena ratingfrom votes by users · higher is better

n/a

MAI-Image-2.5 Flash

not in the arena

n/a

Runway Gen-4 Image

not in the arena

GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100 · higher is better

MAI-Image-2.5 Flash

Rank 2 of 74

Runway Gen-4 Image

Rank 61 of 74

Price per imagedollars through the API · lower is better

$0.02

MAI-Image-2.5 Flash

cheap

n/a

Runway Gen-4 Image

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.

MAI-Image-2.5 Flash

Subscription: n/a No plan in Germany names exactly this model.
Via API: $0.02 per image, 100 images $2.

Runway Gen-4 Image

Subscription: No Runway subscription includes this model. Through other providers from ≈ €6.39 a month (ElevenLabs Starter, with limited credits). 19 plans in Germany.
Via API: No API price known. Access: API, Web app.
Weights: unknown.

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

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.

Kennzahl	MAI-Image-2.5 Flash	Runway Gen-4 Image
Ratings
Arena ratingfrom votes by users, higher is better	n/a	n/a
Arena rank	n/a	n/a
Arena votesmore votes, a safer rating	n/a	n/a
GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100	84	25
GraduallyBench by task
Typography and layoutLegible text, hierarchy, and composition	66	32
Product photographyMaterials, reflections, and fine details	92	20
Character and detailAnatomy, clothing, and spatial consistency	86	22
InfographicNumbers, labels, and visual organization	92	27
API price
Per imagelower is better	$0.02	n/a
100 images	$2	n/a
Profile
Released	June 2026	n/a
Weightsopen means: runs locally	proprietary	unknown
Lifecycle	Preview in Microsoft Foundry	no notice
Access	API, Web app	API, Web app
Parameters	20 billion	not published
Largest output	1,048,576 pixels	not consistently published
Plans in Germanynaming exactly this model	n/a	19

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

Sources: MAI-Image-2.5 Flash model source, status source (verified Sep 22, 2026) · Runway Gen-4 Image 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 MAI-Image-2.5 Flash and Runway Gen-4 Image from the same arena and category. Older model versions are not used as substitutes.

Compare another matchup

First image modelSecond image model

More matchups

Compare MAI-Image-2.5 Flash and Runway Gen-4 Image with other important image models.

View the complete image model comparison

Same prompt, two images

The numbers at a glance

MAI-Image-2.5 Flash

Runway Gen-4 Image

All data side by side

Arena ratings by category

No shared arena score in the stored snapshot

Compare another matchup

Related image model comparisons