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

Stable Diffusion XL vs FLUX.1 [dev]

Newest: FLUX.1 [dev] · Widest inputs: Stable Diffusion XL · Image editing: Stable Diffusion XL. Not enough arena votes yet for a quality score, so this is a spec comparison.

Stability AI
Stable Diffusion XL
Released Jul 9, 2023
- Text to image
- Image editing
- Arena—
- From—
- Max size—
Full specs Remove Stable Diffusion XL
Black Forest Labs
FLUX.1 [dev]
Released Aug 1, 2024
- Text to image
- Arena969
- From—
- Max size—
Full specs Remove FLUX.1 [dev]
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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.

NewestFLUX.1 [dev]Stable Diffusion XL Jul 9, 2023 · FLUX.1 [dev] Aug 1, 2024
Widest inputsStable Diffusion XLStable Diffusion XL: Text prompts, Reference images · FLUX.1 [dev]: Text prompts
Image editingStable Diffusion XLTakes a reference image as input: Stable Diffusion XL yes · FLUX.1 [dev] no
Self-hostingFLUX.1 [dev]Downloadable weights (FLUX.1 [dev] Non-Commercial License)
Most API hostsSame reachStable Diffusion XL: 1 · FLUX.1 [dev]: 1

02 — Side by side

Every spec in one table

Dashes mean the data is not published.

Stable Diffusion XL vs FLUX.1 [dev] specifications side by side
Specification	Stable Diffusion XLStability AI	FLUX.1 [dev]Black Forest Labs
Quality (blind human votes)
Text to image arenaElo-style score · higher is better	—	969 ±4#78 of 82 · 49,221 votes
Output
Produces	Images	Images
Inputs
Text prompts	Yes	Yes
Reference images (editing)	Yes	No
Access
Weights	Proprietary	OpenFLUX.1 [dev] Non-Commercial License
API hosts	1	1
Released	Jul 9, 2023	Aug 1, 2024

03 — Questions

Which should you choose?

Which is better, Stable Diffusion XL or FLUX.1 [dev]?

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.

What is the difference between Stable Diffusion XL and FLUX.1 [dev]?

Stable Diffusion XL is an image model from Stability AI (Jul 9, 2023), taking text prompts and reference images and producing images. FLUX.1 [dev] is an image model from Black Forest Labs (Aug 1, 2024), taking text prompts and producing images.

Which is newer?

Stable Diffusion XL Jul 9, 2023; FLUX.1 [dev] Aug 1, 2024.

Which can edit an existing image?

Takes a reference image as input: Stable Diffusion XL yes; FLUX.1 [dev] no.

Can I run any of these on my own hardware?

FLUX.1 [dev]. Downloadable weights (FLUX.1 [dev] Non-Commercial License).