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AI image models released in 2026

AI image models their vendors released in 2026, judged blind on the same scenes as the rest of the scale.

A real photograph is 100. Scores above 100 sit at the scale's ceiling; parity is not claimed.

How the scale works →

Score

GPT Image 2 is OpenAI's image generation model. It turns text prompts into photoreal images and edits existing ones: inpainting, changes guided by reference images, and follow-the-brief composition for hero images and campaign visuals.

by OpenAIApr 2026$0.058 / img

104

Qwen Image 2.0 Pro is the Pro version of Alibaba's Qwen Image 2.0. It generates images from text prompts with more detail and realism than the base version, for product shots, interiors and social media visuals.

by AlibabaMar 3, 2026$0.076 / img

80

Qwen Image 2.0 is Alibaba's image generation model from the Qwen Image family. It creates images from text prompts and is known for rendering text on images, which makes it handy for product shots, posters and layouts.

by AlibabaFeb 10, 2026$0.035 / img

65

FLUX.2 Klein is a compact open-weights model from Black Forest Labs' FLUX.2 family. It generates images from text prompts and reference images quickly, which makes it a good fit for drafts and exploring many ideas.

by Black Forest LabsJan 15, 2026$0.012 / img

24