AI Image Generation
DALL-E 3 vs FLUX
A detailed comparison of DALL-E 3 and FLUX — features, pricing, and use cases to help you choose.
Overview
| DALL-E 3 | FLUX | |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | OpenAI | Black Forest Labs |
| Starting Price | $20/mo (via ChatGPT Plus) | $0 (self-hosted) |
| Free Tier | Yes | Yes |
| API Available | Yes | Yes |
Feature Comparison
| Feature | DALL-E 3 | FLUX |
|---|---|---|
| Text-to-image | ✅ | ✅ |
| Text rendering | ✅ | ❌ |
| ChatGPT integration | ✅ | ❌ |
| Inpainting | ✅ | ❌ |
| Superior text rendering | ❌ | ✅ |
| LoRA support | ❌ | ✅ |
| Kontext (image editing) | ❌ | ✅ |
| Multiple model sizes | ❌ | ✅ |
Pricing
DALL-E 3
- Free (limited)
- ChatGPT Plus ($20)
- API
FLUX
- Free (local)
- API via partners
API Pricing
| DALL-E 3 | FLUX | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $0.040/image (1024x1024) | Varies by provider (Replicate, fal.ai, etc.) |
Best For
Choose DALL-E 3 if you need:
- Text in images
- Quick generation via ChatGPT
- Marketing assets
Choose FLUX if you need:
- Text in images
- Photorealism
- Open-source workflows
Limitations
DALL-E 3
- Less artistic than Midjourney
- Limited control over style
FLUX
- High VRAM requirements
- Newer ecosystem
Verdict
Both DALL-E 3 and FLUX are strong choices in the AI Image Generation space. Your decision should depend on your specific needs — text in images vs text in images.
Last updated: 2026-04-10. Pricing and features may have changed since publication.