ZMIME
Image model comparison · 2 models · Updated Nov 2, 2026

FLUX.1 [schnell] vs Imagen 3

Newest: Imagen 3 · Image editing: Neither edits images · Self-hosting: FLUX.1 [schnell]. Not enough arena votes yet for a quality score, so this is a spec comparison.

  1. Black Forest Labs

    FLUX.1 [schnell]

    Released Aug 1, 2024

    • Text to image
    • Arena—
    • From—
    • Max size—
    Full specs Remove FLUX.1 [schnell]

  2. Google

    Imagen 3

    Released Oct 15, 2024

    • Text to image
    • Arena1,057
    • From$0.04/image
    • Max size—
    Full specs Remove Imagen 3

  3. Add a model

    Make it a three-way comparison.

01 — At a glance

Where they differ

Quality is the arena score from blind, side-by-side human votes. Price, length and resolution come from each lab’s own listings.

  • NewestImagen 3FLUX.1 [schnell] Aug 1, 2024 · Imagen 3 Oct 15, 2024
  • Widest inputsSame inputsFLUX.1 [schnell]: Text prompts · Imagen 3: Text prompts
  • Image editingNeither edits imagesTakes a reference image as input: FLUX.1 [schnell] no · Imagen 3 no
  • Self-hostingFLUX.1 [schnell]Downloadable weights (Apache 2.0)
  • Most API hostsFLUX.1 [schnell]FLUX.1 [schnell]: 2 · Imagen 3: 1
02 — Side by side

Every spec in one table

Dashes mean the data is not published.

FLUX.1 [schnell] vs Imagen 3 specifications side by side
SpecificationFLUX.1 [schnell]Black Forest LabsImagen 3Google
Quality (blind human votes)
Text to image arenaElo-style score · higher is better—1,057 ±3#65 of 82 · 359,756 votes
Price
Starting price—$0.04/image standard
How it is billed—Per image
Output
ProducesImagesImages
Inputs
Text promptsYesYes
Reference images (editing)NoNo
Access
WeightsOpenApache 2.0Proprietary
API hosts2 (best)1
ReleasedAug 1, 2024Oct 15, 2024
03 — Questions

Which should you choose?

Which is better, FLUX.1 [schnell] or Imagen 3?

Neither model has enough arena votes for a reliable quality score yet, so this page compares specs only. Run the same three or four prompts through each and judge the results.

Which is cheaper?

Imagen 3 costs from $0.04/image (standard). FLUX.1 [schnell] has no published per-image price. Prices are list rates and change often; check the lab before budgeting.

What is the difference between FLUX.1 [schnell] and Imagen 3?

FLUX.1 [schnell] is an image model from Black Forest Labs (Aug 1, 2024), taking text prompts and producing images. Imagen 3 is an image model from Google (Oct 15, 2024), taking text prompts and producing images.

Which is newer?

FLUX.1 [schnell] Aug 1, 2024; Imagen 3 Oct 15, 2024.

Which can edit an existing image?

Takes a reference image as input: FLUX.1 [schnell] no; Imagen 3 no.

Can I run any of these on my own hardware?

FLUX.1 [schnell]. Downloadable weights (Apache 2.0).

04 — Keep comparing

Related comparisons