GPT Image 2.5 Flare vs GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst GPT Image 2.5 Flare vs Sunburst: two versions, the same 8 pictures
GPT Image 2.5, OpenAI's image model, comes in two versions in chatmodel: Flare and Sunburst. We gave both exactly the same descriptions to see if you'd notice the difference.
By chatmodel team Tested with GPT Image 2.5 Flare and GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst Updated
The short answer
For new pictures you'll hardly tell them apart: 7 of our 8 tests were a tie. Use Flare to create pictures from a description; it was also a little quicker. Sunburst is the version meant for precise edits of a photo you upload.
- GPT Image 2.5 Flare: 1 win
- GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst: 0 wins
- 7 ties
Pick GPT Image 2.5 Flare if…
- You're making a new picture from a description.
- You want the result a few seconds sooner.
Pick GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst if…
- You want to change a photo you already have and keep the rest exactly as it is.
You don't have to choose: in chatmodel you can use both in the same conversation.
GPT Image 2.5 Flare vs GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst at a glance
| GPT Image 2.5 Flare | GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | OpenAI | OpenAI |
| Made for | Creating new pictures | Precise edits of your own photos |
| Speed, in our test | About 11 to 14 seconds a picture | About 15 to 18 seconds a picture |
| Rounds won (of 8) | 1 (+7 ties) | 0 (+7 ties) |
| Edits your own photos | Yes | Yes |
| Came out | September 2026 | September 2026 |
| On chatmodel | Included in Pro | Included in Pro |
The 8 tests, picture by picture
The same description to both, one try each, nothing retouched. Press “Try these words” to make your own.
Test 1 · A poster with real words on it
A poster with words on it: Flare, by a whisker
The description both got
A vintage travel poster with the words "VISIT LISBON" in bold letters at the top, a yellow tram climbing a steep hill at sunset, terracotta rooftops and the river in the distance, mid-century illustration style, flat colors
Winner: GPT Image 2.5 Flare. Both spelled “VISIT LISBON” right and drew the yellow tram. Flare's poster is a touch bolder and fills the frame better. You'd be happy with either.
Test 2 · A card with a name on it
A card with a name on it: a tie
The description both got
A birthday card with the words "Happy 60th, Maria!" in elegant gold letters, surrounded by spring flowers and a small cake with candles, soft watercolor style
A tie. Both wrote “Happy 60th, Maria!” perfectly, with flowers and a cake. Flare stacked the words; Sunburst put them on one line. It's down to taste.
Test 3 · A warm family portrait
A family portrait: a tie
The description both got
A smiling grandmother in her sixties picking ripe tomatoes in a sunlit vegetable garden, straw hat, soft golden evening light, natural skin texture and laugh lines, shallow depth of field, 50mm documentary photo
A tie. Almost the same grandmother, the same garden and the same golden light. The main difference is the color of her shirt.
Test 4 · Food that looks good enough to eat
Food that looks good enough to eat: a tie
The description both got
A homemade apple pie with a golden lattice crust on a rustic wooden table by a rainy window, a wisp of steam rising, cinnamon sticks and a cup of tea beside it, cozy autumn kitchen, food magazine photo
A tie. Both made the same cozy pie by a rainy window, with tea and cinnamon. Side by side they look like two photos from the same shoot.
Test 5 · A pet portrait
A pet portrait: a tie
The description both got
A fluffy orange cat asleep on a sunny window seat next to a stack of old books and a potted fern, soft morning light, warm and cozy home photo
A tie. The same fluffy orange cat on the same window seat. Sunburst wrote readable titles on the book spines, a nice small detail.
Test 6 · Something that could never happen
Something impossible, a dog on the moon: a tie
The description both got
A golden retriever wearing a small astronaut helmet sitting on the surface of the moon, the blue Earth rising behind him, footprints in the grey dust, playful, photorealistic
A tie. Both made a happy golden retriever in a helmet with the Earth rising behind it. Very hard to tell apart.
Test 7 · A scene from a dream
A scene from a dream: a tie
The description both got
A giant whale made of clear glass floating above desert sand dunes at sunrise, sunlight refracting through its body and throwing rainbow patterns on the sand, a lone traveler looking up, photorealistic, wide shot
A tie. The same glass whale over the dunes at sunrise, with the traveler looking up. Both beautiful.
Test 8 · A painting in a classic style
A painting in a classic style: a tie
The description both got
A watercolor painting of a small Tuscan village on a hilltop with cypress trees and a winding road, loose brushstrokes, soft pastel colors, white paper showing through, painted by hand
A tie. Both painted a soft watercolor Tuscan village with cypress trees and a winding road. Sunburst framed it a little tighter.
Scorecard
| Test | Winner |
|---|---|
| 1. A poster with real words on it | GPT Image 2.5 Flare |
| 2. A card with a name on it | Tie |
| 3. A warm family portrait | Tie |
| 4. Food that looks good enough to eat | Tie |
| 5. A pet portrait | Tie |
| 6. Something that could never happen | Tie |
| 7. A scene from a dream | Tie |
| 8. A painting in a classic style | Tie |
| Total | GPT Image 2.5 Flare 1 · GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst 0 · 7 ties |
Why two versions?
Companies sometimes release the same model tuned for different jobs. With GPT Image 2.5, Flare is the everyday version for creating pictures, and Sunburst is tuned for careful edits, where it has to change one thing and leave the rest of your photo alone. In this test we only made new pictures, which is why they came out so similar.
How we tested
We gave both versions the same 8 descriptions, one try each, and kept the first picture without retouching it. Ask again and you’ll get a slightly different picture, so treat this as a guide. We didn’t test photo editing here.
What changed
- First test: GPT Image 2.5 Flare and Sunburst, 8 descriptions, one try each.