AI image model comparison
Z-Image vs Flux 2
Flux 2 ranks ahead of Z-Image on Arena's text-to-image and text-rendering boards, and it edits and combines input images, which Z-Image does not take on Mage. Z-Image is the low-cost draft model: 10 Gems an image on Mage against 40, and both run unlimited from the Basic plan.
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.
| Z-Image | Flux 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Alibaba Source | Black Forest Labs Source |
| Where it runs | Open weights, hosted on Mage's GPUs | Open weights, hosted on Mage's GPUs |
| Released | November 26, 2025 Source | November 25, 2025 Source |
| Price on Mage, from | 10 Gems ($0.01) per image | 40 Gems ($0.04) per image |
| Unlimited on Mage from | Basic | Basic |
| Top resolution on Mage | 2K | 2K |
| Aspect ratios on Mage | 21:9, 16:9, 3:2, 5:4, 1:1, 4:5, 2:3, 9:16, 9:21 | 21:9, 16:9, 3:2, 5:4, 1:1, 4:5, 2:3, 9:16, 9:21 |
| Reference images on Mage, up to | None | 3 |
| Search grounding | None documented Source | None documented Source |
| Arena text-to-image | #59 of 82 Source | #38 of 82 Source |
| Arena text rendering | #62 of 82 Source | #31 of 82 Source |
| Arena image edit | Not ranked Source | #45 of 61 Source |
| Watermark | None stated Source | A sample pixel-layer watermark in its reference code Source |
Last checked October 2026
Which should you use?
Choose Z-Image for
- Photoreal drafts at volume
- Finding the shot fast: composition and framing
- A lower price: 10 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 Z-Image Turbo, the version of Z-Image that Mage runs, 59th. Neither score is marked preliminary.
The two arrived the same week: Black Forest Labs released Flux 2 on November 25, 2025, and Alibaba's Tongyi-MAI team released Z-Image Turbo on November 26, 2025.
Text in images
Arena's text-rendering board puts Flux 2 Dev 31st and Z-Image Turbo 62nd. The makers of Z-Image say it renders complex Chinese and English text accurately, so it is worth a try for signs in both languages.
Image inputs
Z-Image 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
Z-Image starts at 10 Gems (about $0.01) 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 Z-Image?
Can Z-Image edit images?
Which costs less on Mage?
Can I use both on Mage?
Keep comparing
Try Z-Image 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 Z-Image