The question: Which AI model is best for generating images?
Which AI image model to use, piece by piece
In this article
There is no best image model: there is a best one for each piece. If the image carries text, GPT Image 2.5 or GPT Image 2; if the type is the star, Ideogram 4; for people with editorial posing, Soul 2; for photos of your product, Marketing Studio; for realistic skin and materials, Qwen Image 3; and for quick sketches, Nano Banana. In Aura Studio they are all in one place and an image costs between 3 credits and 5 credits. Prices as of 17 October 2026.
It happens all the time: the generator is chosen out of habit, then fought with all afternoon, because it is being asked for exactly what it does worst.
The models and what each one is for
| Model | What it is for | Per image | In euros |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPT Image 2.5 Flare | Text-heavy layouts and transparent backgrounds, in half the time | 5 credits | €0.25 |
| GPT Image 2 | Sharp text inside the image: posters, labels, infographics | 4 credits | €0.20 |
| Marketing Studio | Product shots and ads built from your product | 5 credits | €0.25 |
| Soul 2 | People with fashion-editorial posing and styling | 3 credits | €0.15 |
| Ideogram 4 | When the type and the graphic design are the piece | 5 credits | €0.25 |
| Qwen Image 3 | Realistic skin, hair and materials; handles long instructions | 3 credits | €0.15 |
| GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst | Fine detail and repeated edits without drifting; slower | 5 credits | €0.25 |
| Nano Banana | Quick sketches to pick a direction before producing | 3 credits | €0.15 |
| Nano Banana 2.1 | Edits your photos keeping the face, and renders text better than v2 | 3 credits | €0.15 |
| Grok Imagine 2 | A different take on the same brief, to compare | 5 credits | €0.25 |
One credit is €0.05 at the standard rate. Prices come from the same table that bills, so this list updates itself if a price changes.
How to choose in three questions
Does the image carry text? A poster, a label, an infographic, a headline. Then GPT Image 2.5 Flare or GPT Image 2: they are the ones that get the letters right. If what matters is the design of the type —a typographic poster, an event wordmark—, Ideogram 4.
Are there people? For fashion and portraits with magazine posing, Soul 2. For a person who has to look real, with believable pores, hair and fabric, Qwen Image 3.
Is your product in it? With a photo of your product as reference, Marketing Studio places it in other scenes without changing its label. If you will use it a lot, in Aura Studio you can train your product once with 6 to 20 photos (125 credits), and from then on it comes out faithful in every photo.
If none of these fit, GPT Image 2.5 Flare is the default, and for good reason: it handles almost anything.
Cheap sketches first, then the real one
The most expensive mistake is producing on the first try. It works better the other way round:
- Explore: three quick sketches with Nano Banana, at 3 credits each, to choose where the piece is going.
- Produce: with the direction chosen, one single image with GPT Image 2.5 or whichever model the piece needs.
In Aura Studio, Aura decides this on its own: the first piece of a request explores and the next one produces. And if you ask for four, you get four, not twenty for you to sift through.
Why Flux is not on the list
Flux is a good model for many things, but on brand work it does not hold the art direction as consistently as it needs to, and you end up redoing whole batches. So it is not among the models Aura picks or the ones on offer.
Aura Studio is built by the Aether Labs lab, and this list comes from using the models every day on brand work, not from a spec sheet.
If a model fails
It happens: a provider goes down, runs out of balance or rejects a request. Aura Studio has a ladder: if GPT Image 2.5 does not respond, it tries GPT Image 2, then Ideogram (with text) or Nano Banana (without). Every step down is stated in the chat, with the model that delivered. And if the failure is the kind that would bill twice, it asks you instead of stepping down.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best AI image generator?
It depends on the piece. For text inside the image, GPT Image 2.5; for type, Ideogram 4; for people, Soul 2 or Qwen Image 3; for products, Marketing Studio; for sketches, Nano Banana.
Which AI writes text inside images best?
GPT Image 2.5 and GPT Image 2 are the most reliable for legible text. Ideogram 4 is better when the design of the lettering is the piece.
Which model should I use for product photos?
Marketing Studio, with a photo of your product as reference. For daily use, training the product once makes it come out faithful in every image.
How much does it cost to generate an image with AI?
In Aura Studio, between 3 credits (€0.15) and 5 credits (€0.25) per image, depending on the model. No subscription.
Can I use several models without paying for several subscriptions?
Yes. In Aura Studio all 10 image models are paid with the same credits, and you pick one per piece.