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What is Flux?
Flux is a family of image generation models created by Black Forest Labs. Its open versions can be run locally for free, and the Pro versions are available via API and on multiple platforms.
Pros
- Open source: free when run locally
- Excellent at rendering text inside images
- API available
Cons
- Running it locally requires a powerful GPU
- Less artistic polish than Midjourney
What Flux is like in practice
Where it stands out
It is among the models that best render legible words inside an image, solving generators' historic weak point and making it very useful for posters, covers and thumbnails. And it ships with open weights: you can run it yourself, integrate it via a cheap API or fine-tune it to a style of your own.
Where it falls short
It is more neutral than its rivals and follows instructions more literally, which gives control to anyone who describes precisely and punishes vague prompts with flat results. If you expected to type a sentence and receive something beautiful, there is more work here. The powerful versions also need considerable video memory to run locally.
How its pricing works
Its open variants download and run with no per-image cost if you have a capable graphics card; the most powerful versions are paid via API, at prices far below a closed subscription. Check the specific variant's licence: some restrict commercial use and they are not all the same.
Is Flux right for you?
Yes, if…
You have a GPU and want unlimited, free generation, or you need an API to build it into a product. It is among the best at rendering legible text inside images.
No, if…
You have neither the hardware nor the patience to configure anything: locally it needs a powerful GPU. And if artistic finish is what you want, Midjourney is still ahead.
Frequently asked questions
Is Flux free?
The open versions are, if you run them on your own computer. The Pro versions are paid.
Compare Flux head to head
Pricing, features and limits of Flux against its direct rivals.
Where Flux appears
Rankings where we have picked this tool.