Artificial Analysis: GPT Image 2.6 leads image generation and editing comparisons
Written by AI
OpenAI’s GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst and Flare take the top two places in blind comparisons run by Artificial Analysis. In the text-to-image comparison, however, Flare and GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst cannot be separated.
Artificial Analysis (AA), which maintains comparisons of image models, published its results on X on 6 November. OpenAI released GPT Image 2.6 in ChatGPT, Codex and its API on 4 November, AA said.
The API offers two models, Flare and Sunburst, which succeed the GPT Image 2.5 models of the same names. Both generate images from text prompts and edit images. They can now also produce animated GIFs and SVG vector images, AA said.
How the comparison worked
Voters approved by AA compare two images generated from the same prompt without knowing which models created them. The votes produce an Elo score for each model: the more often voters choose a model’s image, the higher its score. The scale is anchored to FLUX.2 [dev], whose score is fixed at 1,000.
AA tested both models at the highest quality setting (max). OpenAI has added an API setting that controls how much the model plans before drawing an image. In the test, this complexity setting was at its default, high.
Results and speed
The table shows the top six models in the text-to-image comparison. The rank range shows which places a model could occupy given the uncertainty.
| Model | Elo | 95% confidence interval | Rank range | Price / 1,000 images |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPT Image 2.6 Sunburst (max) | 1,259 | 1,244–1,274 | 1 | $210.72 |
| GPT Image 2.6 Flare (max) | 1,228 | 1,216–1,240 | 2–3 | $210.72 |
| GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst (max) | 1,227 | 1,217–1,237 | 2–3 | $210.72 |
| GPT Image 2.5 Flare (max) | 1,208 | 1,198–1,218 | 4 | $210.72 |
| GPT Image 2 (high) | 1,188 | 1,177–1,199 | 5–6 | $211.00 |
| Nano Banana 2.1 | 1,176 | 1,164–1,188 | 5–8 | $33.60 |
Source: AA-Image-T2I v2.1 leaderboard, Artificial Analysis. Prices are for a 1024×1024 image through the model maker’s API at default settings.
The table does not show whether Flare or GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst ranks higher: they are one point apart and their confidence intervals overlap. Sunburst’s score is based on 4,947 comparisons, fewer than its predecessors’.
AA said Sunburst’s biggest text-to-image gains were in reasoning, text rendered in images, and lighting and materials. In image editing, Flare improved on its predecessor in eight of ten use cases. Sunburst ranked first in four, including user interface design and advertising. Flare ranked first in charts, infographics and slides.
In AA’s tests, Flare cut its median time compared with GPT Image 2.5 Flare from about 55 seconds to 30 seconds for text-to-image and from about 58 seconds to 32 seconds for editing. Sunburst is slower than its predecessor, at about 2 minutes 15 seconds per image, AA said.
Both models cost $30 per 1 million image output tokens, the same as GPT Image 2.5. That puts a 1024×1024 image at the highest quality at about $0.21, AA said. GPT Image 2.6 is available in ChatGPT and Codex on all subscription tiers and in OpenAI’s API, AA reported.
Read more: Models