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MAI-Image-2.6vs.Stable Diffusion 3 Medium

Which one is better?

In our own test, MAI-Image-2.6 leads. Stable Diffusion 3 Medium has no arena rating yet. Stable Diffusion 3 Medium has no API price.

Test images

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

MAI-Image-2.6: Product photography, first image from the fixed test run
MAI-Image-2.688 out of 100
Stable Diffusion 3 Medium: Product photography, first image from the fixed test run
Stable Diffusion 3 Medium26 out of 100

Result for “Product photography”:MAI-Image-2.6 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-2.6: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, provider default resolution, received 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.039287, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:42 AM. Source

Stable Diffusion 3 Medium: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, prompt expansion disabled, estimated cost $0.035000, generated Nov 2, 2026, 3:25 PM. Source

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

MAI-Image-2.6 image SHA 256: d35364051eca0758b88795df477d282641f6ca6892e81b904352e3fd5489ae69

Stable Diffusion 3 Medium image SHA 256: 23f00c74639e751fd6130d5f0e06539379c3a631d3f3cfde39c43e31973f5ef4

Infographic

MAI-Image-2.6: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, provider default resolution, received 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.039317, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:42 AM. Source

Stable Diffusion 3 Medium: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, prompt expansion disabled, estimated cost $0.035000, generated Nov 2, 2026, 3:26 PM. Source

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

MAI-Image-2.6 image SHA 256: cdc9c16cd554a18da292c721b142e5d78dd042fdde2539f797612bfd9cd674ef

Stable Diffusion 3 Medium image SHA 256: d3247357eaa74b5b9157558cec7ffc4942c0a0fe09b5b7d661289d63c0359fbb

Product photography

MAI-Image-2.6: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, provider default resolution, received 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.039292, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:41 AM. Source

Stable Diffusion 3 Medium: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, prompt expansion disabled, estimated cost $0.035000, generated Nov 2, 2026, 3:25 PM. Source

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

MAI-Image-2.6 image SHA 256: a66f522e0ff2012b95dc3bc123216de7807206c9e91dd7711cd78eb34a234beb

Stable Diffusion 3 Medium image SHA 256: 7214318e9962af2466367b9ac75231f5b794a5db5a0b6d11d6e6f6a378cb28b6

Typography and layout

MAI-Image-2.6: openrouter, aspect ratio 1:1, provider default resolution, received 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, actual cost $0.039252, generated Nov 1, 2026, 8:41 AM. Source

Stable Diffusion 3 Medium: fal, requested 1024x1024, n=1, seed=provider random, prompt expansion disabled, estimated cost $0.035000, generated Nov 2, 2026, 3:25 PM. Source

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

MAI-Image-2.6 image SHA 256: 48fa1551aee7dcd737179b5ae860d30562fbd234321b8d8ade334cb40291fb47

Stable Diffusion 3 Medium image SHA 256: 9dd323604b3bfc1742a51a2ca225f9c0f8dfbe79f5fa68e6024015316c596a54

The numbers at a glance

Arena ratingfrom votes by users · higher is better
1,331

MAI-Image-2.6

Rank 4 of 21

n/a

Stable Diffusion 3 Medium

not in the arena

GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 100 · higher is better
68

MAI-Image-2.6

Rank 28 of 108

34

Stable Diffusion 3 Medium

Rank 78 of 108

Price per imagedollars through the API · lower is better
$0.039

MAI-Image-2.6

fairly cheap

n/a

Stable Diffusion 3 Medium

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-2.6

Subscription
n/a No plan in Germany names exactly this model.
Via API
$0.039 per image, 100 images $3.89.

Stable Diffusion 3 Medium

Subscription
n/a No plan in Germany names exactly this model.
Via API
No API price known. Access: API, local.
License
Open weights.

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.

KennzahlMAI-Image-2.6Stable Diffusion 3 Medium
Ratings
Arena ratingfrom votes by users, higher is better1,331n/a
Arena rankRank 4 of 21n/a
Arena votesmore votes, a safer rating38,071n/a
GraduallyBenchour own rating, 0 to 1006834
GraduallyBench by task
Typography and layoutLegible text, hierarchy, and composition6231
Product photographyMaterials, reflections, and fine details8826
Character and detailAnatomy, clothing, and spatial consistency6346
InfographicNumbers, labels, and visual organization6134
API price
Per imagelower is better$0.039n/a
100 images$3.89n/a
Profile
ReleasedJul 31, 2026Jun 12, 2024
Weightsopen means: runs locallyproprietaryopen
LifecyclePreview in Microsoft Foundryno notice
AccessAPIAPI, local
Parametersnot published2 billion
Largest output2,359,296 pixelsnot consistently published
Plans in Germanynaming exactly this modeln/an/a

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

Sources: MAI-Image-2.6 model source, status source (verified Sep 24, 2026) · Stable Diffusion 3 Medium 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-2.6 and Stable Diffusion 3 Medium from the same arena and category. Older model versions are not used as substitutes.

More comparisons

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