FLUX
State-of-the-art image models — open weights and a pro API.
Standout features
FLUX, from Black Forest Labs, offers state-of-the-art image generation as both open weights you can self-host and a hosted pro API.
Worldwide search interest, indexed 0–100 · Google Trends.
FLUX is a family of state-of-the-art image models from Black Forest Labs — the team behind Stable Diffusion — offered as open weights and a hosted pro API.
- By Black Forest Labs (Freiburg, Germany), founded 2024.
- Founders are the original Stable Diffusion researchers.
- Open-weight + closed Pro variants; FLUX.2 (Nov 2025).
- Powers image features at Adobe, Canva, Meta and more.
FLUX is built for builders.
- Open weights ([dev], Apache-2.0 [schnell]).
- A hosted Pro model via API.
- FLUX.2: up to 10 reference images, 4K.
- Strong photorealism + prompt following.
Open to self-host; API by usage.
FLUX fits builders and tinkerers.
- Developers integrating image generation.
- Teams wanting self-hosted control.
- Power users who tinker with open models.
- Non-technical users wanting a polished app (Midjourney / ChatGPT).
- People needing a turnkey editor (Firefly).
No tool is perfect — the trade-offs to weigh:
- Not a consumer app — API/tools, not a UI.
- Self-hosting needs real GPUs.
- Open weights raise misuse questions.
- You assemble the workflow yourself.
- ✓State-of-the-art quality
- ✓Open weights you can self-host
- ✓Strong hosted Pro API
- ✓From the Stable Diffusion team
- ✓Widely adopted by big platforms
- ✕Not a consumer app
- ✕Self-hosting needs GPUs
- ✕Open weights raise misuse questions
- ✕You build the workflow yourself
Developers and power users praise FLUX for state-of-the-art quality and genuinely useful open weights they can self-host. The caveats are that it’s an API/model rather than a polished app, and self-hosting needs real GPUs. Sentiment is very positive in technical circles.
FLUX is made by Black Forest Labs, founded by the original Stable Diffusion researchers.
Company figures are drawn from public disclosures and reputable trackers (gathered Jun 2026). User and revenue numbers are estimates and move fast.
Pick up to two other coding tools to see them head-to-head on the same rubric.