MAI-Image-2.5vs.Hy Image 3.5 Preview

Which one is better?

In our own test both are on par. Hy Image 3.5 Preview has no arena rating yet. Hy Image 3.5 Preview has no API price.

Test images

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

MAI-Image-2.5: Product photography, first image from the fixed test run — MAI-Image-2.570 out of 100

Hy Image 3.5 Preview: Product photography, first image from the fixed test run — Hy Image 3.5 Preview15 out of 100

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

MAI-Image-2.5: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, provider default 1K resolution, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.048508, generated Aug 14, 2026, 1:26 PM. Source

Hy Image 3.5 Preview: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, resolution 1K, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.024000, generated Nov 2, 2026, 3:01 PM. Source

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

MAI-Image-2.5 image SHA 256: ca1c58688ae4601975d7e1f7b58bb43a0a999e736f610d9f51cd11e06284bced

Hy Image 3.5 Preview image SHA 256: 03261ac75753d1e9cab07ba1311aa4697e6b2c93af575780d40fd2b1d718cb70

Infographic

MAI-Image-2.5: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, provider default 1K resolution, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.048538, generated Aug 14, 2026, 1:26 PM. Source

Hy Image 3.5 Preview: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, resolution 1K, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.024000, generated Nov 2, 2026, 3:02 PM. Source

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

MAI-Image-2.5 image SHA 256: eaf00a906231e8859f98ef5dc2cce7e8017797819aea453305a4ef0e970d4dbf

Hy Image 3.5 Preview image SHA 256: 953e4cae6dbff16ccb03179c9681395c41cd69c129c2656c0f134cf5058e1210

Product photography

MAI-Image-2.5: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, provider default 1K resolution, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.048513, generated Aug 14, 2026, 1:25 PM. Source

Hy Image 3.5 Preview: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, resolution 1K, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.024000, generated Nov 2, 2026, 3:01 PM. Source

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

MAI-Image-2.5 image SHA 256: 67d4930b711fac61482231c4bc270cfcdb41c1b0daf653045781fb2126e237dd

Hy Image 3.5 Preview image SHA 256: 8d1dba97e0e067970403a0632fd53ad20a566a96b2564f712c42855299bec14e

Typography and layout

MAI-Image-2.5: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, provider default 1K resolution, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.048473, generated Aug 14, 2026, 2:03 PM. Source

Hy Image 3.5 Preview: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, resolution 1K, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.024000, generated Nov 2, 2026, 3:01 PM. Source

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

MAI-Image-2.5 image SHA 256: 4c8a60555b57b8c3b5ebaa131371d1bba9d31bfafe7aaa772554969f7c28cb08

Hy Image 3.5 Preview image SHA 256: e4eed56fff7004829fd7249f72597f0201bc4e0be033ccfad8987d8458585135

The numbers at a glance

Arena ratingfrom votes by users · higher is better

1,253

MAI-Image-2.5

Rank 9 of 21

n/a

Hy Image 3.5 Preview

not in the arena

GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100 · higher is better

MAI-Image-2.5

Rank 26 of 108

Hy Image 3.5 Preview

Rank 66 of 108

Price per imagedollars through the API · lower is better

$0.048

MAI-Image-2.5

fairly cheap

n/a

Hy Image 3.5 Preview

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.

MAI-Image-2.5

Subscription: No Microsoft AI subscription includes this model. Through other providers from €19.04 a month (Magnific Premium, with limited credits). 6 plans in Germany.
Via API: $0.048 per image, 100 images $4.81.

Hy Image 3.5 Preview

Subscription: n/a No plan in Germany names exactly this model.
Via API: No API price known. Access: API.
Weights: unknown.

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	MAI-Image-2.5	Hy Image 3.5 Preview
Ratings
Arena ratingfrom votes by users, higher is better	1,253	n/a
Arena rank	Rank 9 of 21	n/a
Arena votesmore votes, a safer rating	61,222	n/a
GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100	69	45
GraduallyBench by task
Typography and layoutLegible text, hierarchy, and composition	82	45
Product photographyMaterials, reflections, and fine details	70	15
Character and detailAnatomy, clothing, and spatial consistency	55	50
InfographicNumbers, labels, and visual organization	69	71
API price
Per imagelower is better	$0.048	n/a
100 images	$4.81	n/a
Profile
Released	June 2026	Sep 22, 2026
Weightsopen means: runs locally	proprietary	unknown
Lifecycle	Preview in Microsoft Foundry	Public preview; T2I, I2I, and multi-turn editing
Access	API, Web app	API
Parameters	20 billion	not published
Largest output	1,048,576 pixels	not consistently published
Plans in Germanynaming exactly this model	6	n/a

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

Sources: MAI-Image-2.5 model source, status source (verified Aug 15, 2026) · Hy Image 3.5 Preview model source, status 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 and Hy Image 3.5 Preview from the same arena and category. Older model versions are not used as substitutes.

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