Black Forest Labs

FLUX.1 Review

The new open-source model rivaling Midjourney quality

FLUX.1 by Black Forest Labs (founded by ex-Stability AI team) is the newest generation open-source image model that many consider to rival Midjourney in quality. Available in Pro (best quality), Dev (open-weight), and Schnell (fastest) versions, FLUX has quickly become the community favorite for open-source image generation in 2025.

★★★★☆ 8.9/10 (4,300 reviews)
Free plan available API access
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8.9
Overall Score
Output Quality 9.2/10
Ease of Use 7.5/10
Value for Money 9.5/10
Reliability 8.4/10
Feature Depth 8.6/10
Pricing
Free: Via Hugging Face and third-party platforms

Paid: $0.04/image via API
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FLUX.1: Pros and Cons

What We Love
  • Quality rivals Midjourney
  • Open weight Dev version
  • Extremely detailed outputs
  • Better text generation than SD
  • Fast Schnell version available
  • Strong anatomical accuracy
Room to Improve
  • Newer — fewer tutorials and resources
  • Technical setup for local use
  • Pro version requires paid API
  • Less polished UI than Midjourney

Who Should Use FLUX.1?

✓ FLUX.1 is best for:

  • Open-source enthusiasts wanting quality
  • Developers building image apps
  • Professional quality without Midjourney subscription
  • Technical users wanting maximum control

✗ FLUX.1 is NOT ideal for:

  • Absolute beginners
  • Users wanting a polished web UI

How Does FLUX.1 Compare?

See side-by-side comparisons of FLUX.1 against its top competitors:

⚡ FLUX.1 vs Midjourney → ⚡ FLUX.1 vs Stable Diffusion → ⚡ FLUX.1 vs DALL-E 3 → Browse all comparisons →

FLUX.1 — Frequently Asked Questions

Is FLUX.1 free to use?+
Yes, FLUX.1 offers a free plan with Via Hugging Face and third-party platforms. Paid plans start at $0.04/image via API.
What is FLUX.1 best for?+
FLUX.1 is best for Open-source enthusiasts wanting quality, Developers building image apps, Professional quality without Midjourney subscription, Technical users wanting maximum control. It's particularly strong for users who need quality rivals midjourney.
How does FLUX.1 compare to alternatives?+
FLUX.1 scores 8.9/10 overall on AICompare's independent testing. Key differentiators include: Quality rivals Midjourney and Open weight Dev version. Main limitations: Newer — fewer tutorials and resources and Technical setup for local use.
Does FLUX.1 have an API?+
Yes, FLUX.1 offers API access. There is a free API tier available.

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Not sure if FLUX.1 is right for you?

Compare FLUX.1 side-by-side with Midjourney and Stable Diffusion in our detailed head-to-head breakdowns.

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