Recraft 4.1 vs Ideogram V4 (Standard) and Flux 2: the same 6 prompts
We ran Recraft 4.1 and its two closest rivals through six fixed prompts inside Krater on 27 Sep 2026. 1:1, 1024 px, one image per prompt, default settings, no prompt tuning, first output kept. Every output below is the first result, unedited.
Recraft 4.1: 9 credits per image, 14.7 s median, 2/6 prompts passed
Ideogram V4 (Standard): 3 credits per image, 11 s median, 6/6 prompts passed
Flux 2: 4 credits per image, 7.3 s median, 6/6 prompts passed
Product photo
Tests: photorealism, materials, lighting
Studio product photograph of a matte black ceramic coffee mug with a walnut wood lid, on a light grey concrete surface, soft window light from the left, shallow depth of field, a few coffee beans scattered in the foreground, no text, no logo.
Candid photograph of a woman in her sixties with short grey hair laughing while holding a yellow bicycle helmet in both hands, standing on a cobblestone street in Copenhagen at golden hour, 85mm lens, natural skin texture, both hands fully visible.
Minimalist concert poster. Large headline text reading "NORTH SEA JAZZ" at the top, smaller text "Rotterdam 10 to 12 July" at the bottom, a single saxophone silhouette in the middle, mustard yellow background, navy blue ink, risograph print style.
Children's book illustration of a small red fox reading a map under an oversized green umbrella in the rain, forest in the background, watercolor and ink, warm palette, whimsical, storybook style.
Flat lay photograph on a white table: exactly three green apples in a row on the left, one blue ceramic bowl on the right containing exactly two lemons, a folded red napkin above the bowl, shot from directly above, even lighting.
Clean infographic showing a simple three-step process, horizontal, with three numbered circles connected by arrows. Labels under the circles read "Plan", "Build" and "Launch". Flat vector style, white background, teal and charcoal colours, sans-serif text.
Pass, partial and fail are about following the prompt (text, counts, layout, constraints), not about taste. Same prompt, same settings, no model-specific tuning. Read the full 10-model test
Features
Design-Grade
Output quality suitable for professional design work
Style Consistency
Maintain visual consistency across generations
Vector-Style
Clean, sharp graphics suitable for branding
Fast Iteration
Quick generation for design exploration
Use cases
Brand Design
Icons, illustrations, and brand assets 1:1
Web Design
UI components and web graphics 16:9
Print Materials
High-quality graphics for print 9:16
Presentations
Professional visuals for slides 1:1
Stats
Pro Quality
4K Resolution
Vector Style
Loved by designers
Recraft is the first AI model that produces output I'd actually use in client work. Julia B., Brand Designer
The illustration quality is outstanding. Clean, professional, and consistent. Henry T., Art Director
Perfect for generating design assets quickly. Saves hours of illustration work. Faye L., UI Designer
Comparison
Midjourney: $30/mo; Discord required
Adobe Firefly: $23/mo; Limited styles
Recraft Direct: $25/mo; Limited exports
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Recraft?
Recraft is an AI model focused on generating professional-quality design assets, illustrations, and vector-style graphics.
Is it good for design work?
Yes, Recraft produces output quality suitable for professional design and branding projects.