Skip to content

Side-by-side comparison · Image, Logo & Design

ChatGPT Images vs FLUX vs Krea

Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.

Best overall

ChatGPT Images

4.2

Free to start

FLUX

4.0

From From $0.041 per image

Krea

3.9

From $9/mo

Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.

At a glance

Best overallEasiest to use

Pick it if: Anyone who already uses ChatGPT and wants quick, accurate images without learning another tool.

FLUX4.0
Best value

Pick it if: Developers, designers and hands-on marketers who want precise, cheap image generation and editing without a subscription.

Krea3.9

Pick it if: Designers, creative teams and hands-on marketers who want fast, controllable image making with many models.

ChatGPT Images scores highest overall, but FLUX gives you more for your money. Which one is right comes down to what you value most.

Overview

AttributeChatGPT ImagesFLUXKrea
In one lineMake and edit images inside ChatGPT by describing what you want, words included.Black Forest Labs' image models: pay per image in the browser or run them free yourself.Real-time image generation, an upscaler and dozens of AI models in one creative studio.
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemiumFreemium
Starting priceFreeFrom $0.041 per image$9/mo
Free plan Yes No Yes
Works with Claude Code No Yes Yes

Rating breakdown

Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.

AttributeChatGPT ImagesFLUXKrea
Overall rating4.2Winner4.03.9
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
5.0
3.0
3.5
FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.
4.0
4.0
4.5
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.
4.5
4.5
4.0
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.
4.0
4.5
3.5
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.
3.5
4.0
4.0

Feature comparison

A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.

AttributeChatGPT ImagesFLUXKrea
Access & platform
Free plan Yes No Yes
Mobile app Yes No Yes
Desktop app Yes No No
Browser extension Yes No No
API access Yes Yes Yes
Teams & business
Team workspace Yes Yes Yes
Enterprise plan or SSO Yes Yes Yes
Connects to other apps Yes Yes Yes
Open source or self-hosted No Yes No
AI abilities
Works with your files Yes Yes Yes
Understands images Yes Yes Yes
Makes images Yes Yes Yes
Makes video Yes Yes Yes
Writes code Yes No No
Runs agents or automations Yes No Yes
Learns your brand or style Yes No Yes
Works in many languages Yes Yes No
Capabilities score16/ 1710/ 1712/ 17

Pricing

Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.

AttributeChatGPT ImagesFLUXKrea
Plans

Free

Free

A few images a day.

Open weights

Free

Developers and hobbyists with a decent graphics card.

Free

Free

Learning the tools.

Go

See website

Light users who hit the free limits.

Playground and APIOur pick

From $0.041 per image

Anyone who wants the best FLUX models without a subscription.

Basic

$9/mo, or $5/mo billed yearly

Light personal or freelance use.

PlusOur pick

See website

Most marketers and business owners.

Self-hosting licence

Custom

Companies running FLUX on their own servers.

ProOur pick

$35/mo, or $21/mo billed yearly

Designers and marketers generating most days.

Pro

See website

Heavy daily users.

Max

$105/mo, or $63/mo billed yearly

Heavy users and video work.

Business

See website

Teams who need shared workspaces and admin.

Business

$200/mo, or $160/mo billed yearly

Creative teams of up to 50.

Enterprise

Custom

Large studios and brands.

Which plan to pickFree is enough to find out if the quality suits you. Plus is the one to buy if you make images most days, because the limits stop getting in the way and you get the whole assistant too. Pro is only for people living in ChatGPT all day.Top up $10 to $20 of Playground credits and you will get a couple of hundred standard images. If you already pay for Krea, Magnific or Leonardo, try FLUX there first. Only look at open weights or a self-hosting licence if you have a developer and a reason to run it yourself.Basic on yearly billing is one of the cheapest ways into a full AI studio with a commercial licence. Pro is the plan for anyone using it weekly, because it unlocks every model. Watch the compute meter on video and premium models in your first month.

Key features

AttributeChatGPT ImagesFLUXKrea
Standout features
  • Edit by conversation
  • Accurate text
  • Reference images
  • Thinking mode
  • Lives inside ChatGPT
  • API as gpt-image-2
  • FLUX 3 Image
  • Box layouts
  • Precise edits
  • Open models
  • Pay as you go
  • Video and MCP
  • Realtime
  • Enhancer
  • Krea 3 editing
  • Train your own
  • Krea Agent
  • Apps, API and MCP

Pros and cons

AttributeChatGPT ImagesFLUXKrea
Pros
  • No learning curve: describe it, then describe the fix
  • Reliable text and faithful use of your logo and product photos
  • Included in every ChatGPT plan, including Free
  • Handles many languages well
  • Thinking mode makes complex layouts and infographics workable
  • FLUX 3 Image is among the most precise editors available
  • No subscription, and cheap per image
  • Open models you can run privately on your own PC
  • Built into many apps you may already use
  • Same price in the Playground and the API
  • Real-time generation that no rival matches
  • Its own fast, cheap editing model in Krea 3
  • Many leading image and video models under one plan
  • Cheap entry plan with unlimited relaxed generations
  • Strong developer and designer integrations
Cons
  • Slower than dedicated generators
  • Free plan limits run out quickly on a busy day
  • Less distinctive artistic style than Midjourney
  • Limited fine control over composition compared with a design tool
  • No vector output
  • The Playground is a developer test bench, not a friendly design app
  • Licences are confusing: some open models are non-commercial
  • Strict filters, and users say the open models are weak at people
  • 4K images are expensive at about 61 cents each
  • Reviews of the small Klein model are mixed
  • Compute units are spent at different rates per model, so costs are hard to predict
  • Reviewers report trouble cancelling, surprise charges and slow support
  • Busy interface with a lot of tools to learn
  • Some users found the Enhancer changed colours or added grain
  • Performance can dip at peak times

Who each one is for

AttributeChatGPT ImagesFLUXKrea
Best for
  • Mockups and signage with real text
  • Editing an image by describing changes
  • Social tiles and quick marketing visuals
  • Multilingual text in images
  • Precise layouts with elements placed where you want
  • Editing one part of a photo and keeping the rest
  • Cheap images through an API
  • Running a model on your own computer
  • Sketching ideas and seeing them rendered live
  • Upscaling and enhancing images
  • Fast product photo edits
  • Trying many models in one place
You'll find it used by
  • Small business owners
  • Marketers
  • Product teams
  • Anyone on ChatGPT
  • Developers
  • Designers
  • AI hobbyists
  • Product teams
  • Agencies
  • Designers
  • Creative directors
  • Marketers
  • Architects
  • Content creators

Questions people ask

Which is better, ChatGPT Images, FLUX or Krea?

ChatGPT Images scores highest overall in our ratings (ChatGPT Images 4.2/5, FLUX 4.0/5 and Krea 3.9/5). ChatGPT Images is best for mockups and signage with real text and editing an image by describing changes. FLUX is best for precise layouts with elements placed where you want and editing one part of a photo and keeping the rest. Krea is best for sketching ideas and seeing them rendered live and upscaling and enhancing images.

Which is cheaper, ChatGPT Images, FLUX or Krea?

ChatGPT Images: It's free to use. FLUX: There's no free plan. Paid plans start at From $0.041 per image. Krea: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $9/mo.

Which is easier to use, ChatGPT Images, FLUX or Krea?

ChatGPT Images rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Anyone who already uses ChatGPT and wants quick, accurate images without learning another tool.

How we compare

Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.

Swap in another tool

More tools from Image, Logo & Design in the library.