Flux
FreeState-of-the-art open model
About Flux
FLUX.1 from Black Forest Labs is the model quietly powering half the AI image pipelines you've encountered online — open weights, fast inference, and photorealism that rivals anything behind a paywall. The default choice for developers building image generation into products, and increasingly the standard API model for teams that want quality without lock-in.
Pricing plans
- Self-host, unlimited
- Full model access
- Fast, commercial licence
- No subscription
- Highest quality
- Up to 4K
How Flux compares
| Directr tier | S | S | S | S |
| Price | Free (open weights) | Included in ChatGPT Plus | From $10/mo | Free (self-hosted) |
| Free tier | Free | None | None | Free |
| API access | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Output | Up to 4K | 1024px | Up to 4K | Unlimited |
Alternatives to Flux
GPT-4's image generation module makes prompt iteration genuinely conversational — describe what you want, describe what you'd change, and the model follows complex multi-part instructions better than most alternatives. Accessible directly inside ChatGPT with no extra subscription required, making it the lowest-friction entry point for anyone already using OpenAI products.
Still the benchmark for painterly, atmospheric, and artistically ambitious image generation. V6 produces stunning results for concept art, illustration, fashion, and editorial — with an aesthetic distinct enough to have genuinely influenced visual culture broadly. Community-first with a Discord-native workflow, though web access and an API are now available.
The model that democratised AI image generation — fully open-source, runs on your own hardware, and offers complete control over fine-tuning, custom checkpoints, and generation pipelines. No output limits, no content restrictions, no subscription. Steeper learning curve than hosted alternatives, but the ceiling for what you can produce is effectively unlimited.