Side-by-side comparison to help you choose the right tool for your business
Our Verdict: DALL-E for easy API access and safety, Flux for quality and customization
DALL-E 3 has the easiest API integration in the image generation space — it's built into ChatGPT and OpenAI's API with comprehensive content safety filters. Flux produces higher-quality images with better prompt adherence, especially for text rendering and photorealistic content. If you're adding image generation to an app and want a simple, safe API, DALL-E wins. If image quality and customization matter more than convenience, Flux is the better model.
Teams wanting safe, easy-to-integrate image generation via API
$0.04-0.12 per image (API) / Included in ChatGPT Plus ($20/mo)
beginner
1-2 days
Teams that need maximum image quality with customization options
Free (self-hosted) / $0.003-0.05 per image (API providers)
intermediate
2-5 days
| Feature | DALL-E | Flux |
|---|---|---|
| Image quality | Good (illustrative style) | Excellent (photorealistic) |
| Text rendering | Good | Best-in-class |
| API simplicity | Excellent (OpenAI SDK) | Varies by provider |
| Self-hosting | No | Yes (GPU required) |
| Fine-tuning | No | Yes (LoRA, DreamBooth) |
| Content safety | Built-in (strict) | None (add your own) |
| Generation speed | 5-15 seconds | 2-10 seconds (Schnell) |
| Cost per image | $0.04-0.12 | $0.003-0.05 (or free self-hosted) |
OpenAI's API is the easiest to integrate — one SDK, one billing account, built-in content moderation. Launch in a day, not a week.
Flux Pro's photorealism is leagues ahead of DALL-E 3. Fine-tuning with LoRA lets you match specific photography styles.
Strict content filters mean you'll never accidentally generate inappropriate content. Brand safety is built-in, not bolted on.
Self-hosted Flux with custom LoRA models generates in the studio's art style at $0.003/image. DALL-E's flat style and $0.04+ pricing don't compete.
We implement both options. Tell us your use case and we'll recommend the right fit — then set it up for you.
For convenience and safety, yes. For raw image quality, it's fallen behind. Flux, Midjourney, and even Stable Diffusion 3 produce better images. DALL-E 3's advantage is integration — it's built into the most popular AI platform (ChatGPT) and has the simplest API in the market.
Self-hosted on an A100 GPU: ~$1.50/hour, generating roughly 400-600 images/hour with Schnell = $0.003/image. Via API providers like Replicate or fal.ai: $0.003-0.05 per image depending on model and resolution. At 10,000 images/month, Flux costs $30-500 vs DALL-E's $400-1,200.
Flux Schnell: Yes, Apache 2.0 license allows full commercial use. Flux Dev: No, it's for research and non-commercial use only. Flux Pro: Yes, via API with commercial license from Black Forest Labs. Always check the specific model variant's license.
Flux, especially for photorealistic product shots. DALL-E 3 tends toward an illustrative style that looks AI-generated. Flux with a fine-tuned LoRA on product photography produces images that genuinely look like studio shots.