GPT Image 2 vs Seedream 5 Pro for prompt-faithful image generation
The results split by task, with GPT Image 2 stronger across more of these scenarios. Choose GPT Image 2 for source preservation, reference-based edits, relighting, material rendering, anatomy, and product scene changes; choose Seedream 5 Pro for multilingual typography, advertising layouts, and cross-ratio outpainting. Counting and structured UI graphics ended level.
Side-by-side facts
| Feature | GPT Image 2 | Seedream 5 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Developer | OpenAI | ByteDance |
| Availability on Banana Pie | Available now | Available now |
| Credits from | 20 credits | 25 credits |
| Max resolution | 4K | 2K |
| Reference images | Up to 8 | Up to 8 |
Scenario by scenario
Same prompt. Two models. Judge the difference in the published images below.
Product material and lighting
Better here: GPT Image 2LEFT better satisfies the material, refraction, and lighting requirements while still meeting the object constraints. RIGHT is closer on the half-fill level, but LEFT has the stronger overall match to the prompt.
- Exactly one transparent rectangular perfume bottle is visible, with no text, logo, or extra objects: tie. Both images show a single transparent rectangular perfume bottle on wet black stone, with no visible text, logo, plants, or separate extra objects.
- The bottle is visibly filled halfway with amber liquid: right does better. The right bottle's amber liquid sits close to the halfway point of the bottle body, while the left bottle appears filled slightly above halfway in the visible front chamber.
- The glass refraction and the reflection on the wet black stone are physically coherent: left does better. The left image has cleaner glass edges, more consistent refraction through the rectangular walls, and a reflection that aligns with the bottle and amber liquid; the right image has a less convincing curved internal tube/refraction line through the liquid.
- Upper-left lighting produces consistent highlights and a plausible contact shadow: left does better. The left image clearly has strong illumination from the upper left, matching the bright highlights and shadow falling to the right; the right image has plausible highlights but the direction is less clearly upper-left and the contact shadow is less distinct.
Prompt & settings used
Prompt
A premium product photograph of exactly one transparent rectangular perfume bottle, half filled with amber liquid, standing upright on wet black stone. Light comes from the upper left, creating coherent refraction, a contact shadow, and one subtle reflection. No text, logo, plants, or extra objects.
Multilingual typography
Better here: Seedream 5 ProRight follows the prompt more closely because it preserves the required four-line structure and exact text, while Left incorrectly splits the first line into two separate lines.
- The poster contains exactly four centered text lines and no additional text: Right does better. Right shows exactly four centered lines: "MOONLIGHT MARKET", "月光市集", "18 OCT", and "RIVER HALL". Left shows five centered lines because "MOONLIGHT MARKET" is split into "MOONLIGHT" and "MARKET".
- The four lines read exactly "MOONLIGHT MARKET", "月光市集", "18 OCT", and "RIVER HALL" in that order: Right does better. Right renders the four lines exactly as "MOONLIGHT MARKET", "月光市集", "18 OCT", and "RIVER HALL". Left renders the text as "MOONLIGHT", "MARKET", "月光市集", "18 OCT", and "RIVER HALL", so the first line is not exact and the line count/order format is wrong.
- "月光市集" is red and the other three lines are black: Tie. Both images render "月光市集" in red, and the English/date lines are black.
- All text is legible, evenly spaced, and visually aligned: Right does better. Right's text is legible, centered, and evenly spaced as a compact poster layout. Left is legible and centered, but the split title creates less even visual spacing and breaks the intended four-line alignment.
Prompt & settings used
Prompt
Design a clean cream-colored vertical event poster. Show exactly four centered text lines and no other text: "MOONLIGHT MARKET", "月光市集", "18 OCT", and "RIVER HALL". Render "月光市集" in red and all other lines in black.
Human anatomy and contact
Better here: GPT Image 2Left better satisfies the hand-count and five-finger requirements, despite Right having somewhat cleaner-looking finger anatomy.
- Exactly two fully visible hands are present, with no extra hands or people: Left does better. Left shows exactly two hands and one person, with both hands more fully visible over the bowl. Right also shows exactly two hands and no extra people, but the hand inside the bowl has its thumb hidden, so it is less fully visible.
- Each hand has exactly five distinct, naturally formed fingers: Left does better. Left appears to show five digits on each hand, though some are clay-covered and partly close together. Right’s hand inside the bowl only clearly shows four fingers, with no distinct thumb visible; the outer hand appears to have five digits.
- The fingers, joints, and contact with the clay are anatomically plausible: Right does better. Right’s visible fingers and knuckles look more naturally proportioned and the grip on the bowl is plausible. Left’s clay-covered fingers make the anatomy harder to read, and some fingertips on the left-side hand look slightly crowded or fused near the clay contact.
- The clay bowl, spinning wheel, and shaping action are clearly recognizable: Tie. Both images clearly show a clay bowl on a spinning wheel with hands shaping or steadying the clay; Left emphasizes the spinning wheel blur and interior contact, while Right shows the bowl form and wheel clearly.
Prompt & settings used
Prompt
A photorealistic close-up of an adult potter shaping a clay bowl on a spinning wheel. Both hands are fully visible, each with five natural fingers touching the clay. No other people or hands. Soft window light.
Counting and attribute binding
Depends on the taskBoth images satisfy the requested counts, positions, colors, shapes, materials, right-facing mug handle, and absence of extra text or objects. The differences are minor and do not create a clear rubric-level winner.
- Exactly three red cubes appear on the left, two blue spheres on the right, and one yellow mug centered behind them: tie; both images show three red cubes on the left, two blue spheres on the right, and a single yellow mug behind the objects near the center.
- The specified colors, shapes, and materials are correctly bound to each object: tie; both show red cube shapes, blue glass-like spheres, and a yellow glossy ceramic-looking mug. The wood texture on the cubes is a bit clearer on the right, while both still satisfy the binding.
- The mug handle clearly points to the right: tie; in both images the mug handle is visible on the right side of the mug.
- No additional objects or text are visible: tie; neither image shows extra objects or any rendered text.
Prompt & settings used
Prompt
On a matte gray table, exactly three red wooden cubes form a row on the left, exactly two blue glass spheres sit on the right, and one yellow ceramic mug stands centered behind them. The mug handle points right. No other objects or text.
Advertising composition
Better here: Seedream 5 ProRight follows the text and layout constraints better overall, despite left placing the shoe more clearly in the lower-right.
- Exactly one silver shoe appears in the lower-right and an orange trail begins from the bottom-left: left does better. Left has one silver shoe clearly anchored in the lower-right and the orange trail visibly starts at the bottom-left; right has one silver shoe and a bottom-left orange trail, but the shoe sits more mid-right/lower-half than firmly lower-right.
- The only visible text is "RUN LIGHT" and "42 KM", both spelled correctly: right does better. Right shows only "RUN LIGHT" and "42 KM". Left shows "RUN LIGHT" and "42 KM" correctly, but also has extra visible shoe text "AERO".
- The top 15 percent remains visibly uncluttered, with the headline positioned directly below it: right does better. Right keeps the top area empty and places "RUN LIGHT" just below it in the upper-left. Left also has an uncluttered top area, but the headline is much lower, not directly below the empty top band.
- All required elements are fully visible and form a clear visual hierarchy: right does better. Right keeps the shoe, orange trail, headline, and badge fully visible with a clean ad layout; left has a strong hierarchy, but the extra "AERO" text on the shoe conflicts with the requested limited text and adds visual clutter.
Prompt & settings used
Prompt
Create a vertical social ad for a fictional running shoe named AERO. Keep the top 15 percent empty. Directly below it, place the headline "RUN LIGHT" in the upper-left. Show exactly one silver shoe in the lower-right, an orange trail curving from the bottom-left, and a round badge reading "42 KM". No other shoes or text.
Structured UI graphic
Depends on the taskBoth images satisfy the structured pricing graphic requirements with exact text, three columns, three rows per column, and one blue SELECT button per column. Neither has a clear rubric-based advantage.
- The graphic contains the exact title "CHOOSE YOUR PLAN" and exactly three columns labeled "STARTER", "PRO", and "TEAM": tie, both images show the title exactly as "CHOOSE YOUR PLAN" and the three column labels exactly as "STARTER", "PRO", and "TEAM".
- Each column contains exactly three aligned rows labeled "PROJECTS", "STORAGE", and "SUPPORT": tie, both images show each column with exactly the row labels "PROJECTS", "STORAGE", and "SUPPORT" in the same order and aligned across the columns.
- Each column contains exactly one blue button labeled "SELECT": tie, both images show one blue button per column, each labeled exactly "SELECT".
- The columns are evenly aligned, with no additional columns or text: tie, both images use three evenly spaced columns with no extra columns and no additional rendered text beyond "CHOOSE YOUR PLAN", "STARTER", "PRO", "TEAM", "PROJECTS", "STORAGE", "SUPPORT", and "SELECT".
Prompt & settings used
Prompt
Create a clean horizontal pricing comparison graphic titled "CHOOSE YOUR PLAN". Use exactly three equal columns labeled "STARTER", "PRO", and "TEAM". Under each column, show exactly three aligned rows labeled "PROJECTS", "STORAGE", and "SUPPORT", followed by one blue button labeled "SELECT". White background, dark navy text, no additional columns or text.
Six-reference object binding and edit
Better here: GPT Image 2Left is the stronger edit overall. It wins the object-position and base-scene preservation criteria by a clear margin, while Right's main advantage is the more faithful two-lemon appearance.
- Criterion 1: Left does better. Its navy mug closely preserves the base mug's lower-left position, size, and right-facing handle orientation, while its striped napkin occupies the original towel area with a fold and stripe pattern closely matching Reference 3. Right has the correct replacements, but both are smaller and shifted relative to the base scene.
- Criterion 2: Left does better. Both remove the pear and blue notebook and show one orange plus a mustard-yellow hardcover notebook with a black elastic band, but Left keeps both replacements closer to the original pear and notebook positions and proportions.
- Criterion 3: Right does better. Both show exactly two lemons to the right of the mug with no extras, but Right more closely reproduces Reference 6 by retaining the large green leaf on the left lemon; Left omits that leaf.
- Criterion 4: Left does substantially better. It retains the wide framing, original tabletop boundaries, recognizable wood knots and grain, and the base spacing among the edited object locations. Right changes the framing and scale, crops away more of the table, and shifts the object arrangement upward and inward.
Reference images
Prompt & settings used
Prompt
Use Reference 1 as the base tabletop scene. Replace the red mug with the exact dark navy-blue mug from Reference 2 in the same position and orientation. Replace the folded white towel with the exact green-and-white striped napkin from Reference 3 in the same folded area. Replace the green pear with exactly one orange from Reference 4 in the same position. Replace the blue notebook with the exact mustard-yellow hardcover notebook from Reference 5 in the same position. Add exactly the two lemons from Reference 6 to the right of the mug. Preserve the wooden table, camera, framing, wood grain, lighting, shadows, and all other spatial relationships from Reference 1. Do not copy the white product backgrounds from References 2–6, duplicate any asset, or add other objects.
In-image text replacement
Better here: GPT Image 2Both outputs render the requested text correctly, but the left output follows the edit-only requirement much more closely by preserving the original image outside the replaced lettering.
- Exact text replacement: Both sides render "NIGHT OWL" exactly, with "MORNING BEAN" completely removed.
- No additional or malformed characters: Both sides show only "NIGHT OWL" with clean, correctly formed letters and no extra marks.
- Font character, spacing, and perspective: Left is closer to the reference, retaining the tall sans-serif lettering, broad spacing, centered placement, and original sign perspective. Right uses similar lettering but changes the sign's scale and viewing angle more noticeably.
- Material, lighting, and surrounding scene: Left preserves the original sign texture, shadows, storefront framing, and overall scene almost exactly. Right visibly alters the crop, viewpoint, storefront proportions, lamp positions, windows, plants, and surrounding details.
Reference images
Prompt & settings used
Prompt
Replace only the sign text with exactly "NIGHT OWL". Preserve the original font style, spacing, perspective, sign material, lighting, and everything else.
Multi-reference identity and garment transfer
Better here: GPT Image 2LEFT is the stronger result overall. It preserves the person and original composition much more faithfully while also transferring more of the jacket's specific construction and surface detail.
- Identity, expression, hair, pose, body proportions, and framing: LEFT does better. Its face, expression, hair silhouette, hand pose, body scale, and crop closely track Reference 1, while RIGHT makes the person smaller in frame and visibly changes facial proportions, hair placement, and hand positioning.
- Jacket material, color, collar, buttons, pockets, and sleeve patch: LEFT does better. It more closely reproduces Reference 2's pale blue denim, thick cream sherpa collar, chest-pocket construction, bronze hardware, seam pattern, and red upper-sleeve patch. RIGHT captures the main design but simplifies the denim detailing and changes the front opening and button arrangement more substantially.
- Full replacement without mannequin or product background: The two are even. Both completely replace the black suit jacket with the denim jacket while retaining the original indoor wall and curtain setting, with no visible mannequin or white product backdrop.
- Physical coherence of hands, fit, occlusion, shadows, and lighting: LEFT does better. It retains the original hands more faithfully, places both cuffs naturally around the wrists, and integrates the jacket with consistent scene lighting and plausible folds. RIGHT is broadly coherent, but its altered hand geometry and flatter garment structure are less faithful and natural.
Reference images
Prompt & settings used
Prompt
Use the portrait in Reference 1 for the person and the isolated jacket in Reference 2 for the garment. Dress the person from Reference 1 in the exact jacket shown in Reference 2. Preserve the person's identity, face, expression, skin, hair, hands, pose, body proportions, background, framing, and lighting from Reference 1. Preserve the jacket's material, color, collar, buttons, pockets, and sleeve patch from Reference 2. Do not copy the ghost mannequin or white product background.
Coherent scene relighting
Better here: GPT Image 2Left wins overall. Both create credible golden-hour relighting, with Right having especially crisp directional projections, but Left achieves strong coherent lighting while preserving the original room and objects much more faithfully.
- Warm golden-hour light clearly enters from the left window: Left does slightly better; the visible low sun at the left window and bright warm illumination spreading across the room make the source especially explicit, though Right also shows convincing warm light entering from that side.
- Highlights and shadow directions respond coherently to the new light source: Right does slightly better; its window-frame projections, plant shadow, sofa highlights, and long shadows all consistently extend away from the left window. Left is also coherent, but some wall illumination is softer and less geometrically defined.
- The result is more than a uniform yellow color filter: Both satisfy this well; each adds localized window-shaped highlights, directional object shadows, bright exposed surfaces, and darker occluded areas rather than merely tinting the scene.
- No furniture or decor is moved, added, removed, or redesigned: Left does substantially better and closely preserves the reference composition and object designs. Right changes the framing and visibly alters the sofa, coffee-table proportions and placement, lamp position, plant scale, rug placement, and window proportions.
Reference images
Prompt & settings used
Prompt
Change the lighting to warm golden-hour sunlight entering from the left window. Do not move, add, remove, or redesign any object. Update highlights and shadows coherently.
Cross-ratio outpainting
Better here: Seedream 5 ProRight wins because it preserves the original cabin, shoreline, and overall internal composition more faithfully. Left has somewhat smoother extensions, but it alters the source scene more noticeably.
- Criterion 1: Left does slightly better. Both outputs are landscape and extend the sky, ocean, and beach on both sides, but Left’s added areas have more continuous natural texture and detail.
- Criterion 2: The two are even. Both keep the cabin centered and preserve approximately the original vertical framing without visible stretching or cropping.
- Criterion 3: Right does better. Its cabin shape, muted color, roof proportions, door hardware, straight horizon, and shoreline bands more closely match the reference; Left noticeably changes the cabin’s proportions and intensifies the scene’s colors and cloud structure.
- Criterion 4: Left does slightly better. Its beach and sky transitions are more evenly blended, while Right shows subtle vertical texture and tonal transitions in the sand near the sides of the centered original area. Neither output shows obvious mirrored filler or repeated objects.
Reference images
Prompt & settings used
Prompt
Expand the canvas to a 16:9 landscape by naturally continuing the beach, ocean, and sky on both sides. Keep the complete original image centered without cropping, stretching, letterboxing, or modifying it.
Product preservation across scene change
Better here: GPT Image 2Left preserves the reference sneaker more faithfully while integrating it into a clearer and more physically convincing wet basketball-court scene.
- Court-at-dusk placement: Left does better. The visible hoop, backboard, fence, court markings, floodlights, wet pavement, and sunset sky establish the requested scene more convincingly; Right has a wet fenced court at dusk, but no hoop is visible.
- Sneaker consistency: Left does better. Its silhouette, toe and heel proportions, layered sole, lace arrangement, panel stitching, white leather texture, and three-quarter camera angle stay closer to the reference. Right alters the shoe proportions and simplifies some upper and lace details.
- Geometric side mark: Left does better. Its black mark retains the reference's long left arm, angled upper branch, central junction, and descending right arm at closely matching proportions. Right's mark is recognizable but appears shorter, thicker, and more compressed.
- Physical coherence: Left does better. The shoe has a grounded contact shadow, a substantial wet-surface reflection, and subdued illumination consistent with the darker dusk environment. Right also includes shadow and reflection, but the shoe is unusually bright relative to the scene and the contact shadow is heavier and more cut out.
Reference images
Prompt & settings used
Prompt
Place the sneaker on a wet outdoor basketball court at dusk. Preserve the exact sneaker shape, black geometric side mark, materials, stitching, sole geometry, and camera angle. Add physically coherent contact, reflections, and dusk lighting.
Cost & latency
GPT Image 2 starts at 20 credits, while Seedream 5 Pro starts at 25 credits, so GPT Image 2 is the lower-credit option for these image runs. In this fixed-prompt run, the observed latency samples for GPT Image 2 ranged from 81370ms to 189546ms, while Seedream 5 Pro ranged from 38569ms to 141015ms; treat those as run samples, not benchmark figures.
How we compared & disclosure
For each scenario, the same fixed prompt was run with each model, and the selected outputs were published. Public images carry a Banana Pie watermark. Banana Pie sells access to both GPT Image 2 and Seedream 5 Pro, so this page is a reproducible side-by-side run rather than an independent benchmark or absolute ranking.
Banana Pie sells paid access to this model alongside other models in one studio. Our verdicts come from tests run through the same pipeline our users get.