Who created the Flux image model?

Flux is developed by Black Forest Labs, a company founded by the original Stable Diffusion team.

Can I self-host the Flux model?

Yes, the [schnell] and [dev] variants are open-weights and self-hostable, though [dev] requires a GPU with at least 24GB of VRAM for comfortable inference.

How does Flux compare to Midjourney?

Flux.1 [pro] competes with Midjourney v6/v7 on aesthetics and prompt adherence, while offering open-weights options that Midjourney does not.

Is the top-tier Flux model available as open source?

No, Flux Pro is API-only and does not have open weights, whereas the [schnell] and [dev] variants are open-weights.

Flux

Featured✓ Editorially verified

Black Forest Labs' open-weights image model — rivals Midjourney quality.

Freemium· FLUX.2 [max]: $0.07 · FLUX.2 [pro]: $0.03 · FLUX.2 [klein] 9B: $0.015 · FLUX.2 [klein] 4B: $0.014 · FLUX.2 [flex]: $0.05Image GenerationFlux.1 [schnell / dev / pro]9.0 / 10

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In short

Flux provides frontier-tier image quality with open weights for self-hosting and API access for production. It is best for developers needing high-quality, customizable image generation without relying solely on closed-source platforms.

Best for

Pick Flux when you want frontier-tier image quality with open weights or self-hosting options.

Skip if

Skip it if you want a turnkey web app — Midjourney's UX is more polished.

Flux comes from Black Forest Labs, founded by the original Stable Diffusion team. Flux.1 [pro] competes with Midjourney v6/v7 on aesthetics and prompt adherence while [schnell] and [dev] are open-weights and self-hostable. The release reset the open-source image-gen landscape almost overnight.

For self-hosted production, Flux is the new default — better than SDXL on every axis, and trainable. For API access, Flux Pro is available via Replicate, Together, fal, and Black Forest Labs' own API at competitive per-image rates. Inside ComfyUI and the rest of the open-source tooling ecosystem, Flux support is now first-class.

The trade-offs: Flux Pro is API-only (no open weights for the top model), and self-hosting [dev] needs a serious GPU (24GB+ VRAM for comfortable inference). The community ecosystem of LoRAs and fine-tunes is younger than SD's but growing fast.

Editor's take

Flux is the most important image-gen release of the last 18 months. It reset the open-source ceiling, gave Stability a serious competitor, and made "self-hosted production image gen" a realistic choice again.

— The AI Tool Bible editorial team

Pros

✅ Open weights for [schnell]/[dev] variants
✅ Quality rivals Midjourney
✅ Excellent prompt adherence
✅ Self-hostable

Cons

⚠️ [pro] is API-only
⚠️ Self-hosting needs serious GPU

Use cases

open sourceself-hostedhigh quality

Frequently asked

Who created the Flux image model?: Flux is developed by Black Forest Labs, a company founded by the original Stable Diffusion team.
Can I self-host the Flux model?: Yes, the [schnell] and [dev] variants are open-weights and self-hostable, though [dev] requires a GPU with at least 24GB of VRAM for comfortable inference.
How does Flux compare to Midjourney?: Flux.1 [pro] competes with Midjourney v6/v7 on aesthetics and prompt adherence, while offering open-weights options that Midjourney does not.
Is the top-tier Flux model available as open source?: No, Flux Pro is API-only and does not have open weights, whereas the [schnell] and [dev] variants are open-weights.