AI Showdown: Top 10 Image Generators of June 2025 Unveiled!

Image generation tools have flooded the market. Over the past three years, nearly all major tech companies, along with several lesser-known entities, have ventured into this rapidly evolving field. A model that is leading today could become outdated in just a few months due to advancements made by competitors.

This ongoing progression is tracked by Artificial Analysis through its Text to Image Arena, which features a dynamic leaderboard of various models. Here are the key trends as of June 2025.

The Top 10 Image Generators of June 2025

OpenAI, a leader in AI-driven text generation, had previously shown weaknesses in image generation capabilities. While its 2022 release, DALL-E, initially impressed, OpenAI had fallen behind due to the surge of new entrants in the field. However, with the introduction of 4o Image Generation, OpenAI has regained ground. For the third consecutive month, this model tops the Text to Image Arena.

Joining OpenAI on the podium are ByteDance’s Seedream 3.0, maintaining its position from May, and Google, which has climbed back into the top three with Imagen 4 Preview. The top 10 also includes other familiar names known for their high rankings, such as Recraft (Recraft V3), Black Forest (FLUX.1 Kontext), Ideogram (Ideogram 3.0), and Reve (Reve Image).

Here are the top 10 AI image generators according to the Text to Image Arena:

1. GPT-4o : 1,166 (Elo score)
2. Seedream 3.0 : 1,163
3. Imagen 4 Preview : 1,114
4. Recraft V3 : 1,112
5. Imagen 4 Ultra Experimental : 1,112
6. FLUX.1 Kontext : 1,111
7. Imagen 3 (v002) : 1,097
8. Ideogram 3.0 : 1,091
9. Reve Image : 1,090
10. FLUX1.1 [pro] Ultra : 1,090

View the full rankings

Evaluation Criteria in the Text to Image Arena

The Text to Image Arena operates on a simple yet effective principle: two AI-generated images are shown to a user randomly without any information about their origin. The user then votes for the image they find more compelling. These votes contribute to a ranking system based on the Elo score, similar to those used in chess and esports, to gauge the relative performance of each model. This leaderboard is updated hourly by Artificial Analysis, an independent body ensuring the reliability of the process.

However, the ranking system is not without its flaws. It is dependent on the models tested and the conditions under which the duels occur. For instance, the LMArena, which evaluates generalist AI models using an Elo score system, recently revised its methodology to introduce several rankings, including one dedicated to image generation models. While it also places OpenAI at the top, it does not mention Seedream.