Model Tradeoffs
Recent models and measurement coverage
| Model | Input / 1M | Cached input / 1M | Output / 1M | Comparison status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Standard provider rates are shown before BrightWrapper markup. A frontier point needs independent task-quality, time, and cost measurements for the same configuration. Automatic routing uses complete measured configurations only.
Model Tradeoff Frontier
Calculation notes
Only configurations with published Artificial Analysis Intelligence, task-time, and task-cost measurements are plotted. Cost is Artificial Analysis's weighted average cost per Intelligence Index task. The fixed 100k-input, 20k-output request estimate remains in each model's details.
Fixed-request examples use the listed token rates. DeepSeek V4 Pro uses its peak rate because its off-peak discount depends on request time. Artificial Analysis task costs come from benchmark snapshots and may differ from today's token rates.
Quality and task cost use the September 5 Artificial Analysis v4.2 snapshot where available. Other task-cost results and task-time results come from the August 6 snapshot.
The routing table shows defaults; request-supplied weights can change the selected model.
Text-model routing paths
| Call | Endpoint | Priority map | Current selection | Use |
|---|
Image models
Measured 2026-10-02: six real illustration requests (two reference-anchored pose sheets, a character sheet, two props and a painted set) replayed on each model through BrightWrapper with the same prompt and references. The pictures are in Puppet Sprites' image-model trial.
| Model | Route | Per image | Seconds | References | What it did |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gpt-image-2 high | generate_image | $0.225 | 103 | yes | Most detail; the old default for references. Rarely worth 3.5× medium. |
| gpt-image-2 medium | generate_image | $0.065 | 41 | yes | Matched high's style, layout and identity on all six tasks. Recommended default. |
| gpt-image-2 low | generate_image | $0.015 | 21 | yes | Close to high on sheets and props; sets slightly flatter. Drafts and one-off props. |
| gpt-image-2.5 flare | fal: openai/gpt-image-2.5/flare/(edit|text-to-image) | $0.05 | 24 | yes (edit) | Kept style and pose grid. Reachable through fal although OpenAI's direct API returns model_not_found. |
| gpt-image-2.5 sunburst | fal: openai/gpt-image-2.5/sunburst/(edit|text-to-image) | $0.05 | 36 | yes (edit) | Same as flare, a little warmer. |
| nano-banana-lite | fal: google/nano-banana-lite(/edit) | $0.042 | 8 | yes (edit) | Fastest. Drifted palette; drew labels and rules into pose sheets. |
| nano-banana-2 | fal: fal-ai/nano-banana-2(/edit) | $0.12 | 23 | yes (edit) | Clean, own palette; ignored the requested 3×2 grid. |
| nano-banana-pro | fal: fal-ai/nano-banana-pro(/edit) | $0.15 | 30 | yes (edit) | Recoloured costumes and framed each cell. |
| seedream 5 lite / pro | fal: bytedance/seedream/v5/(lite|pro)/… | $0.035 / $0.113 | 60 / 105 | yes (edit) | Slow; cropped figures or painted backgrounds into sheets. |
| flux kontext max | fal: fal-ai/flux-pro/kontext/max/… | $0.08 | 17 | yes (multi) | Fast; grey backgrounds and changed costume colours. |
| flux 3 | fal: blackforestlabs/flux-3/text-to-image | $0.096 | 49 | no | Good props; sets came back as line drawings. |
| qwen-image-edit 2511 | fal: fal-ai/qwen-image-edit-2511 | $0.06 | 18 | edit only | Turned pose sheets into editorial panels with backgrounds. |
| hunyuan image 3 | fal: fal-ai/hunyuan-image/v3/instruct/… | $0.09 | 61 | yes (edit) | Heavy stylisation; split cells. |
| ideogram 4.5 | fal: ideogram/v4.5 | $0.22 | 14 | no | Photographic props; accepts only its own size table. |
For brief-following illustration that must keep a house style or a character's identity, use
gpt-image-2 with quality: "medium"; drop to low for drafts. Other families
are cheaper or faster but restyle the subject. /api/generate_image accepts reference images
for GPT Image models; other families go through /api/operations/fal/async.
Specialised judgements (which model suits one product's art) belong in that product, as Puppet Sprites does.