Image Model Selection Guide

Choose the best AI model for your image generation needs across 70 available models.

Quick Decision Guide

By Primary Goal

Need photorealism? → flux-schnell, flux-dev, sdxl-realvis-v4, sdxl-realvis-v5-lightning

Need anime/illustration? → sd15-counterfeit-v3, sdxl-animagine-v3-1, illustrious-mistoon-anime

Need artistic/creative? → sdxl-dreamshaper, sd15-dreamshaper-v8, sd15-ghostmix

Need maximum quality? → ultra-imagen, premium-midjourney-v7, premium-gemini-3-pro, pro-flux-11

Need speed? → flux-schnell, flux-juggernaut-lightning, ultra-fast-imagen, professional-qwen-lightning-4

Need commercial licensing? → professional-bria-32, professional-bria-fibo, premium models

By Use Case

Product Photography

{
  model: "sdxl-realvis-v4",
  prompt: "product photo of [item], white background, professional lighting"
}

Social Media Graphics

{
  model: "sdxl-dreamshaper",
  prompt: "modern design, vibrant colors, eye-catching"
}

Character Portraits

{
  model: "flux-dev",
  prompt: "portrait of [character], professional lighting, detailed"
}

Anime/Manga Art

{
  model: "sd15-counterfeit-v3",
  prompt: "anime [character], vibrant colors, detailed"
}

Concept Art

{
  model: "sdxl-dreamshaper",
  prompt: "concept art, highly detailed, digital painting"
}

Wallpapers

{
  model: "flux-dev",
  prompt: "epic landscape, wide angle, highly detailed"
}

Architecture Comparison

FLUX Architecture (14 models)

Overview: State-of-the-art diffusion models with excellent photorealism and speed. Includes 13 models in the FLUX tier plus pro-flux-11 in Premium.

Strengths:

• Best photorealistic quality
• Fast generation (especially schnell variant)
• Great detail and composition
• Excellent prompt following

Best For:

• Professional photography
• Product shots
• Realistic portraits
• Architectural visualization

Recommended Models:

• flux-schnell - Ultra-fast, great for testing and iteration
• flux-dev - Advanced quality, balanced speed
• flux-2-dev - Latest FLUX.2 for experimentation
• flux-hidream-full - Maximum quality photorealism
• flux-hunyuan-3 - Tencent 80B MoE with sharp text rendering

Example:

{
  model: "flux-schnell",
  prompt: "professional portrait, studio lighting, highly detailed",
  width: 1024,
  height: 1024,
  steps: 10
}

SDXL Architecture (16 models)

Overview: Versatile Stable Diffusion XL models supporting diverse styles.

Strengths:

• Highly versatile
• Good balance of quality and speed
• Wide variety of specialized models
• Excellent for both realistic and artistic

Best For:

• Artistic styles
• Creative exploration
• Balanced realistic/artistic needs
• Anime (via Animagine variant)

Recommended Models:

• sdxl-dreamshaper - Most popular, versatile
• sdxl-realvis-v4 - Top photorealism
• sdxl-animagine-v3-1 - Best SDXL anime
• sdxl-juggernaut-11 - Professional quality

Example:

{
  model: "sdxl-dreamshaper",
  prompt: "fantasy landscape, concept art, vibrant colors",
  width: 1024,
  height: 1024,
  steps: 25
}

SD 1.5 Architecture (18 models)

Overview: Classic Stable Diffusion with extensive community support.

Strengths:

• Many specialized variants
• Excellent for anime/illustration
• Good for artistic styles
• Fast generation

Best For:

• Anime and manga
• Illustrations
• Artistic styles
• Creative projects

Recommended Models:

• sd15-dreamshaper-v8 - Most popular SD 1.5
• sd15-counterfeit-v3 - Best anime
• sd15-realistic-vision-v6 - Realistic style
• sd15-rev-animated - Animated illustrations

Example:

{
  model: "sd15-counterfeit-v3",
  prompt: "anime girl, vibrant colors, detailed, cherry blossoms",
  width: 768,
  height: 1024,
  steps: 12
}

Premium Models (20 models)

Overview: High-end proprietary models from major AI providers including Google, OpenAI, Midjourney, ByteDance, and Ideogram.

Strengths:

• Maximum quality
• Commercial licensing often included
• Advanced capabilities
• Consistent results

Important: Premium models do not support the steps parameter. Most require 1024×1024 minimum dimensions (check minDimensions field).

Best For:

• Commercial projects
• Professional applications
• Maximum quality requirements
• Licensed content

Recommended Models:

• ultra-imagen - Google Imagen 4 Ultra (highest quality)
• premium-midjourney-v7 - Midjourney V7 (cinematic realism)
• premium-gemini-3-pro - Gemini 3 Pro (4K output, reasoning)
• premium-ideogram-30 - Ideogram 3.0 (design-level, sharp text)
• pro-flux-11 - FLUX.1.1 Pro (latest professional)
• professional-bria-32 - Commercial licensed
• premium-gpt-image-1 - OpenAI GPT Image 1 (advanced prompt following)

Example:

{
  model: "ultra-imagen",
  prompt: "professional product photography, commercial quality",
  width: 1024,
  height: 1024
  // No steps parameter for premium models
}

Model Deep Dives

Top 10 Models Detailed

1. flux-schnell

Category: Fast Architecture: FLUX Steps Support: ✓

Best For:

• Quick iterations and testing
• Prototyping
• High-volume generation
• General-purpose photorealism

Strengths:

• Ultra-fast generation (4 steps)
• Good quality despite speed
• Excellent for testing prompts
• Great balance of quality/speed

Example Use Cases:

• Social media content
• Rapid prototyping
• Testing prompt variations
• High-volume needs

Recommended Settings:

{
  model: "flux-schnell",
  steps: 4,    // Fast
  guidance: 7
}

2. sdxl-realvis-v4

Category: Realistic Architecture: SDXL Steps Support: ✓

Best For:

• Cinematic photography
• Professional portraits
• Photorealistic scenes
• High-quality realistic images

Strengths:

• Top SDXL photorealism
• Excellent lighting and detail
• Great for portraits
• Cinematic quality

Example Use Cases:

• Professional headshots
• Cinematic scenes
• Photorealistic art
• Portrait photography

Recommended Settings:

{
  model: "sdxl-realvis-v4",
  steps: 30,
  guidance: 8
}

3. sd15-dreamshaper-v8

Category: Realistic/Artistic Architecture: SD 1.5 Steps Support: ✓

Best For:

• Versatile generation
• Artistic and realistic blend
• Creative projects
• General purpose

Strengths:

• Most popular SD 1.5
• Very versatile
• Good at many styles
• Reliable results

Example Use Cases:

• Creative art
• Mixed styles
• General imagery
• Experimentation

Recommended Settings:

{
  model: "sd15-dreamshaper-v8",
  steps: 20,
  guidance: 7.5
}

4. sd15-counterfeit-v3

Category: Anime Architecture: SD 1.5 Steps Support: ✓

Best For:

• Anime characters
• Manga illustrations
• Vibrant anime art
• Character design

Strengths:

• Best anime quality
• Vibrant colors
• Great character details
• Popular anime style

Example Use Cases:

• Anime characters
• Manga panels
• Character illustrations
• Anime wallpapers

Recommended Settings:

{
  model: "sd15-counterfeit-v3",
  steps: 12,
  guidance: 7,
  negativePrompt: "realistic, 3d, photo"
}

5. flux-dev

Category: Realistic Architecture: FLUX Steps Support: ✓

Best For:

• Advanced photorealism
• Professional work
• High-quality outputs
• Balanced quality/speed

Strengths:

• Advanced FLUX quality
• Great photorealism
• Good prompt following
• Professional results

Example Use Cases:

• Professional photography
• High-quality portraits
• Product photography
• Architectural renders

Recommended Settings:

{
  model: "flux-dev",
  steps: 20,
  guidance: 8
}

6. sdxl-dreamshaper

Category: Artistic Architecture: SDXL Steps Support: ✓

Best For:

• Creative and artistic work
• Fantasy scenes
• Concept art
• Versatile generation

Strengths:

• Most downloaded SDXL
• Very versatile
• Great for creativity
• Good at many styles

Example Use Cases:

• Fantasy art
• Concept designs
• Creative projects
• Artistic exploration

Recommended Settings:

{
  model: "sdxl-dreamshaper",
  steps: 25,
  guidance: 8
}

7. ultra-imagen

Category: Professional Architecture: Premium Steps Support: ✗

Best For:

• Maximum quality
• Commercial projects
• Professional applications
• Licensed content

Strengths:

• Google Imagen 4 Ultra
• Highest quality available
• Commercial licensing
• Consistent results

Example Use Cases:

• Commercial photography
• Marketing materials
• Professional content
• High-end projects

Recommended Settings:

{
  model: "ultra-imagen",
  width: 1024,
  height: 1024
  // No steps parameter
}

8. sdxl-juggernaut-11

Category: Realistic Architecture: SDXL Steps Support: ✓

Best For:

• Professional photography
• Photorealistic scenes
• High-quality portraits
• Commercial work

Strengths:

• Latest Juggernaut
• Improved photorealism
• Professional quality
• Great details

Example Use Cases:

• Professional photos
• High-quality portraits
• Product photography
• Realistic scenes

Recommended Settings:

{
  model: "sdxl-juggernaut-11",
  steps: 30,
  guidance: 9
}

9. sdxl-animagine-v3-1

Category: Anime Architecture: SDXL Steps Support: ✓

Best For:

• High-quality anime
• SDXL anime generation
• Character designs
• Anime illustrations

Strengths:

• Top anime SDXL model
• Great character details
• Good composition
• Higher resolution support

Example Use Cases:

• Anime characters
• High-res anime art
• Character designs
• Anime wallpapers

Recommended Settings:

{
  model: "sdxl-animagine-v3-1",
  steps: 28,
  guidance: 7
}

10. flux-juggernaut-lightning

Category: Fast Architecture: FLUX Steps Support: ✓

Best For:

• Ultra-fast high quality
• Quick professional results
• High-volume needs
• Rapid iteration

Strengths:

• Lightning fast
• Professional quality
• Great efficiency
• Excellent value

Example Use Cases:

• Quick professional work
• High-volume generation
• Fast prototyping
• Efficient workflows

Recommended Settings:

{
  model: "flux-juggernaut-lightning",
  steps: 4,
  guidance: 7.5
}

New Premium Models

premium-midjourney-v7

Category: Premium Architecture: Specialized Steps Support: ✗ Min Dimensions: 1024×1024

Best For:

• Cinematic imagery
• Grand atmospheric scenes
• Photorealistic art
• Editorial content

Strengths:

• Next-gen Midjourney quality
• Emphasis on realism
• Grand cinematic imagery
• Atmospheric tone

Example:

{
  model: "premium-midjourney-v7",
  prompt: "cinematic landscape, dramatic lighting, atmospheric",
  width: 1024,
  height: 1024
  // No steps parameter
}

premium-gemini-3-pro

Category: Premium Architecture: Specialized Steps Support: ✗ Min Dimensions: 1024×1024

Best For:

• Complex visual tasks
• Multi-image blending
• 4K output
• Reasoning-based composition

Strengths:

• Advanced reasoning for lighting and camera angles
• Multi-image generation with character identity
• 4K output support
• Google’s latest technology

Example:

{
  model: "premium-gemini-3-pro",
  prompt: "professional composition, detailed lighting, 4k quality",
  width: 1024,
  height: 1024
}

flux-hunyuan-3

Category: Professional Architecture: FLUX Steps Support: ✓

Best For:

• Text rendering in images
• Bilingual content (Chinese/English)
• World-knowledge reasoning
• High-detail generation

Strengths:

• Tencent 80B MoE model
• Sharp text rendering
• World-knowledge reasoning
• Professional quality

Example:

{
  model: "flux-hunyuan-3",
  prompt: "sign with text 'Hello World', urban scene, photorealistic",
  width: 1024,
  height: 1024,
  steps: 20
}

professional-qwen-lightning-4

Category: Fast Architecture: Specialized Steps Support: ✗

Best For:

• Ultra-fast generation
• High-volume workflows
• Quick iterations
• Cost-effective premium quality

Strengths:

• 25× faster than full Qwen-Image
• Minimal quality loss
• LoRA distillation efficiency
• Best value for speed

Example:

{
  model: "professional-qwen-lightning-4",
  prompt: "professional product photo, studio lighting",
  width: 1024,
  height: 1024
}

Model Comparison Tables

Performance Comparison

Style Specialization

Model Selection Workflow

Step 1: Define Your Requirements

Ask yourself:

1. What style do I need? (photorealistic, anime, artistic, etc.)
2. What’s my use case? (social media, print, commercial, etc.)
3. Do I need commercial licensing?
4. How fast does it need to be?
5. What quality level is required?

Step 2: Choose Architecture

Based on your style requirement:

• Photorealism → FLUX or SDXL Realistic
• Anime/Illustration → SD 1.5 Anime or Illustrious
• Artistic/Creative → SDXL Artistic
• Premium/Commercial → Premium models

Step 3: Select Specific Model

Within your chosen architecture, pick based on:

• Speed needs
• Quality requirements
• Specific features

Step 4: Test and Iterate

async function testModels(prompt: string) {
  const modelsToTest = [
    'flux-schnell',
    'sdxl-realvis-v4',
    'sd15-dreamshaper-v8',
  ];
 
  for (const model of modelsToTest) {
    const response = await fetchWithPayment('https://api.x-router.ai/v1/images/generate', {
      method: 'POST',
      headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
      body: JSON.stringify({
        prompt,
        model,
        width: 512,
        height: 512,
        seed: 42,  // Same seed for comparison
      }),
    });
 
    const data = await response.json();
    console.log(`${model}: ${data.images[0].url}`);
  }
}

Special Considerations

Steps Parameter Support

Not all models support the steps parameter:

Support Steps: FLUX, SDXL, SD 1.5, Pony, Illustrious No Steps: Premium models

Check the model’s supportsSteps field:

const response = await fetch('https://api.x-router.ai/v1/images/models');
const data = await response.json();
 
const model = data.models.find(m => m.id === 'flux-schnell');
console.log(`Supports steps: ${model.supportsSteps}`);

Resolution Requirements

Most models support 128-2048 pixels, but premium models may have different requirements:

Standard Models: 128×128 to 2048×2048 Premium Models: Often 1024×1024 minimum

Always check documentation or test with estimates.

Commercial Licensing

For commercial use, consider:

• Premium models (often include licensing)
• professional-bria-32, professional-bria-fibo
• Check specific model terms

Example Model Selection Scenarios

Scenario 1: E-commerce Product Photos

Requirements:

• Photorealistic
• Professional quality
• Clean backgrounds
• Consistent style

Recommended Model: sdxl-realvis-v4 or flux-dev

Example:

{
  model: "sdxl-realvis-v4",
  prompt: "product photo of [item], white background, professional studio lighting, highly detailed",
  negativePrompt: "shadows, reflections, clutter, low quality",
  width: 1024,
  height: 1024,
  steps: 30,
  guidance: 9
}

Scenario 2: Social Media Content Creator

Requirements:

• Fast generation
• Variety of styles
• Good quality
• High volume

Recommended Model: flux-schnell or sdxl-dreamshaper

Example:

{
  model: "flux-schnell",
  prompt: "modern design, vibrant colors, eye-catching, professional",
  width: 1024,
  height: 1024,
  steps: 4,
  guidance: 7
}

Scenario 3: Anime Art for Game

Requirements:

• Anime style
• Character consistency
• Vibrant colors
• Multiple variations

Recommended Model: sd15-counterfeit-v3

Example:

{
  model: "sd15-counterfeit-v3",
  prompt: "anime character, [description], vibrant colors, detailed",
  negativePrompt: "realistic, 3d, photo, western",
  width: 768,
  height: 1024,
  steps: 12,
  guidance: 7,
  seed: 12345  // For consistency
}

Scenario 4: Professional Marketing Campaign

Requirements:

• Maximum quality
• Commercial licensing
• Consistent brand style
• Professional results

Recommended Model: ultra-imagen or premium-ideogram-30

Example:

{
  model: "ultra-imagen",
  prompt: "professional marketing photo, [description], commercial quality, brand-appropriate",
  negativePrompt: "amateur, low quality, unprofessional",
  width: 1024,
  height: 1024
}

Quick Reference Cheat Sheet

Related Resources

• Available Models API - Complete model list with details
• Image Generation Basics - Getting started guide
• Quality Optimization - Improve image quality
• API Reference - Complete API documentation