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AI image model comparison

Krea 2 vs Flux 2

Flux 2 ranks ahead of Krea 2 on Arena's text-to-image and text-rendering boards, and it edits and combines input images, which Krea 2 does not take on Mage. Krea 2 is the cheaper first pass, with a strong look from short prompts: 20 Gems an image on Mage against 40.

Try Krea 2 TurboTry Flux 2

Side by side

Prices, plans, resolutions, ratios, and reference limits are Mage's own, for the model compared. Makers, release dates, search grounding, and watermarks are what each maker publishes. Arena ranks come from its text-to-image and text-rendering boards of October 26, 2026 and its image-edit board of October 23, 2026. Arena ranks each open-weights model as Arena runs it, not as Mage hosts it. "Not ranked" means the board does not list the version Mage runs.

Krea 2Flux 2
Made byKrea SourceBlack Forest Labs Source
Where it runsOpen weights, hosted on Mage's GPUsOpen weights, hosted on Mage's GPUs
ReleasedJune 22, 2026 SourceNovember 25, 2025 Source
Price on Mage, from20 Gems ($0.02) per image40 Gems ($0.04) per image
Unlimited on Mage fromBasicBasic
Top resolution on Mage2K2K
Aspect ratios on Mage21:9, 16:9, 3:2, 5:4, 1:1, 4:5, 2:3, 9:16, 9:2121:9, 16:9, 3:2, 5:4, 1:1, 4:5, 2:3, 9:16, 9:21
Reference images on Mage, up toNone3
Search groundingNone documented SourceNone documented Source
Arena text-to-image#52 of 82 Source#38 of 82 Source
Arena text rendering#57 of 82 Source#31 of 82 Source
Arena image editNot ranked Source#45 of 61 Source
WatermarkNone stated SourceA sample pixel-layer watermark in its reference code Source

Last checked October 2026

Which should you use?

Choose Krea 2 for

  • Quick first passes on composition and mood
  • A strong built-in look from short prompts
  • A lower price: 20 Gems an image on Mage

Choose Flux 2 for

  • Higher Arena ranks for text-to-image and text rendering
  • Edits and combinations from up to 3 input images
  • Long prompts with many conditions that all have to show

Image quality

In Arena's blind text-to-image votes, Flux 2 Dev ranks 38th of 82 and Krea 2 Turbo, the version of Krea 2 that Mage runs, 52nd. Neither score is marked preliminary.

Krea released Krea 2 Turbo on June 22, 2026 as a fine-tuned, distilled checkpoint of Krea 2. Black Forest Labs released Flux 2 on November 25, 2025.

Text in images

Arena's text-rendering board puts Flux 2 Dev 31st and Krea 2 Turbo 57th. For signs, labels, and posters, Flux 2 is the safer pick of the two.

Image inputs

Krea 2 makes images from a prompt alone on Mage, with no reference images, Characters, or edits, and Arena's image-edit board does not list it. Flux 2 takes up to 3 input images to edit or combine, and ranks 45th of 61 for image editing.

Resolution and shape

Both render up to 2K on Mage in the same 9 aspect ratios, from 9:21 to 21:9.

Price on Mage

Krea 2 starts at 20 Gems (about $0.02) per image on Mage and runs unlimited from the Basic plan. Flux 2 starts at 40 Gems (about $0.04) per image on Mage and runs unlimited from the Basic plan.

A little more clarity

Questions

Is Flux 2 better than Krea 2?
On Arena's leaderboards, yes: Flux 2 Dev ranks ahead of Krea 2 Turbo for text-to-image and text rendering. Krea 2 is the pick for cheap first passes with a strong look from short prompts.
Can Krea 2 edit images?
Not on Mage: Krea 2 makes images from a prompt alone. Flux 2 takes up to 3 input images to edit or combine.
Which costs less on Mage?
Krea 2 starts at 20 Gems (about $0.02) per image on Mage and runs unlimited from the Basic plan. Flux 2 starts at 40 Gems (about $0.04) per image on Mage and runs unlimited from the Basic plan.
Can I use both on Mage?
Yes. Both run in the same prompt box on Mage, on the same Gems and plans, and through the Mage API and the Mage MCP server for Claude and ChatGPT, so you can try a prompt on each and keep the better image.

Try Krea 2 and Flux 2 on one prompt

Run the same prompt on both in Mage's prompt box and keep the better image. New accounts get 300 free Gems.

Try Krea 2 Turbo