Text to image
Elo · text-to-image arena
Qwen Image overview
Qwen Image by Alibaba Cloud
It excels at creative content generation across diverse visual styles and scenarios, providing users with an intuitive text-to-image synthesis experience.
Qwen Image specs
- Model ID
alibaba/qwen-image- Developer
- Alibaba Cloud
- Input
- Text, Image
- Output
- Image
- Endpoint
POST https://api.aimlapi.com/v1/images/generations
Qwen-Image by Alibaba Cloud is a leading open-source image processing high-quality image generation with efficient megapixel-based pricing. It provides scalable, cost-effective solutions for diverse image-centric tasks including creative content generation, visual data analytics, and image-based automation workflows. Qwen-Image supports advanced visual reasoning, and flexibility for commercial and research use under the Apache 2.0 license, making it ideal for multimedia applications, marketing tech, and scientific imaging.
Performance Benchmarks
- High-fidelity image generation suitable for both artistic and analytical use cases
- Robust support for large-scale image inputs and outputs with efficient processing pipelines
Key Capabilities
- Image Generation: Produces photorealistic and stylized images based on text prompts
- Visual Reasoning: Capable of interpreting image content for complex analytic tasks
- Open-Source Flexibility: Apache 2.0 licensed for easy adoption in commercial and academic environments
Optimal Use Cases
- Multimedia Content Creation: Marketing visuals, social media assets, and storytelling imagery
- Scientific and Medical Imaging: Automated analysis and enhanced visualization
- E-commerce: Product image refinement and customizable design generation
- Data Annotation: Assisting in labeling and dataset augmentation
- Interactive Applications: Real-time image assistance in creative software
Comparison with Other Models
Vs GPT-4o: Qwen-Image outperforms GPT-4o in rendering and accurately placing multi-line text, especially in Chinese, while providing free or more affordable usage. In contrast, GPT-4o offers broader capabilities and integration with the ChatGPT ecosystem but is approximately twice as expensive
Vs Seedream 3.0: Both excel in handling Chinese and English text, yet Qwen-Image stands out with open-source accessibility and a better price point. Seedream 3.0 provides faster generation speeds and stable commercial support
Vs Midjourney: Qwen-Image achieves comparable quality in prompt fidelity and text rendering while remaining open and more affordable. Midjourney continues to be a commercial favorite for creative projects with fast generation speeds and rich visual variety but at a higher cost.
Limitations
Qwen-Image offers excellent price-performance balance but may lag behind some proprietary solutions in ultra-high-definition and niche domain-specific enhancements. Processing speed and output quality may vary depending on megapixel load and task complexity.
Use cases
- Multimedia Content Creation: Marketing visuals, social media assets, and storytelling imagery
- Scientific and Medical Imaging: Automated analysis and enhanced visualization
- E-commerce: Product image refinement and customizable design generation
- Data Annotation: Assisting in labeling and dataset augmentation
- Interactive Applications: Real-time image assistance in creative software
Qwen Image benchmarks by 
Artificial Analysis
Human-preference results for Qwen Image in text to image, next to models available on AI/ML API. Data retrieved Nov 3, 2026.
AI/ML API price
USD per generation
Models on AI/ML API
Arena results for models you can call with the same API key.
Text to image
Blind pairwise human votes on images generated from text prompts. Qwen Image ranks #75 of 98.
Qwen Image API pricing
| Usage | Price | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Image generation | $0.035 | per generation |
Prices from the AI/ML API price list, checked on Nov 4, 2026.
Qwen Image vs other image models: prices
AI/ML API rates for 5 models, per generation.
| Model | Per generation |
|---|---|
 Qwen Image | $0.035 |
| Qwen Image 2.0 | $0.035 |
| Qwen Image 3 | $0.075 |
| Qwen Image 3 Edit | $0.075 |
| Qwen Image 2.0 Pro | $0.075 |
How to use the Qwen Image API
View docs
Build with your agent
Give your agent the model details, code and documentation.
Paste it into your coding agent to build the integration.
1Get your API key
Create API keyexport AIMLAPI_KEY="8f2b4c7d9a1e6b3f…"2Make your first request
curl 'https://api.aimlapi.com/v1/images/generations' \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $AIMLAPI_KEY" \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{
"model": "alibaba/qwen-image",
"prompt": "A ginger cat asleep on a stack of exactly three hardcover books in a rainy bookshop window at dusk. Gold lettering on the glass reads OPEN LATE. Warm lamp light inside, raindrops and blurred neon reflections outside, 35mm film photo."
}'import os
import requests
headers = {
"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['AIMLAPI_KEY']}",
"Content-Type": "application/json",
}
payload = {
"model": "alibaba/qwen-image",
"prompt": "A ginger cat asleep on a stack of exactly three hardcover books in a rainy bookshop window at dusk. Gold lettering on the glass reads OPEN LATE. Warm lamp light inside, raindrops and blurred neon reflections outside, 35mm film photo."
}
response = requests.post("https://api.aimlapi.com/v1/images/generations", headers=headers, json=payload, timeout=120)
response.raise_for_status()
print(response.json())const response = await fetch("https://api.aimlapi.com/v1/images/generations", {
method: "POST",
headers: {
Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.AIMLAPI_KEY}`,
"Content-Type": "application/json",
},
body: JSON.stringify({
"model": "alibaba/qwen-image",
"prompt": "A ginger cat asleep on a stack of exactly three hardcover books in a rainy bookshop window at dusk. Gold lettering on the glass reads OPEN LATE. Warm lamp light inside, raindrops and blurred neon reflections outside, 35mm film photo."
}),
});
if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`HTTP ${response.status}`);
console.log(await response.json());Models similar to Qwen Image
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Qwen Image FAQ
What inputs and outputs does Qwen Image support?
Qwen Image takes image, text as input and returns image.
How much does Qwen Image cost?
Qwen Image costs $0.035 per generation on AI/ML API, billed as you go with no subscription.
How is Qwen Image billed?
Qwen Image is billed per generation, a fixed charge per output rather than by prompt length.
Can Qwen Image take an existing image as input?
Yes, Qwen Image accepts image input as well as a text prompt.
Who created Qwen Image?
Qwen Image was built by Alibaba Cloud.
How do I call Qwen Image on AI/ML API?
Send a request to https://api.aimlapi.com/v1/images/generations with qwen-image as the model id.
Is Qwen Image available through a single API key?
Yes. Qwen Image is served through AI/ML API, so the same key and endpoint format used for other models applies.
What model type is Qwen Image classified as?
Qwen Image is an image generation model.
What is the Qwen Image model ID?
Use alibaba/qwen-image as the model parameter. Requests go to https://api.aimlapi.com/v1/images/generations with your AI/ML API key.