Flux 1 Schnell vs GLM Image

Text rendering is where these models diverge most dramatically. Diffusion models traditionally struggle with text because they process images as continuous patterns rather than discrete characters. The result is often scrambled letters, missing characters, or text that looks almost right but falls into uncanny valley territory.

In our testing, GLM Image consistently produced more accurate text across various prompts. Words remained intact, letter spacing was more natural, and the overall typography integrated better with surrounding imagery. Schnell's text output was more variable— sometimes acceptable, often garbled. If your workflow depends on readable text, the difference is immediately apparent.

Environmental text—signs, storefronts, street names—is everywhere in the real world. When generating scenes that include these elements, text accuracy directly impacts how believable the image feels. A garbled storefront sign immediately breaks immersion.

GLM Image tends to render storefront signage and environmental text with greater fidelity. The letters maintain their shape, word spacing is appropriate, and the text feels integrated into the scene rather than pasted on. Schnell can produce atmospheric scenes but often at the cost of text legibility—the mood is right but you can't read the signs.

When text isn't involved, the comparison becomes more nuanced. Both models can produce compelling portraits, but they bring different strengths. GLM Image's higher quality tier shows in finer details—skin textures, lighting transitions, and environmental elements tend to be more refined.

Schnell compensates with speed and cost. For portraits where you're exploring poses, expressions, or lighting setups, Schnell's 15-to-1 cost advantage means more iterations. Once you've found the composition you want, you might switch to a higher-quality model for the final render—or if text isn't needed, Schnell's output may be sufficient for many applications.

Product visualization is one of GLM Image's strongest use cases. Packaging design almost always includes text—brand names, product descriptions, ingredient lists. Getting this text right determines whether the image works for presentations, mockups, or marketing materials.

In our product photography tests, GLM Image consistently rendered brand names and product text more accurately. The metallic and embossed effects on packaging translated better, and overall composition felt more professional. Schnell can generate the general concept of product packaging but struggles to make the text believable—fine for early ideation, problematic for anything client-facing.

The cost equation changes based on how critical text accuracy is. For a movie poster where the title must be readable, Schnell's low cost becomes deceptive—you might regenerate 10+ times hoping for legible text and still not get there. GLM Image's single accurate generation often proves more efficient despite costing roughly 15x more per image.

Conversely, for images where text is absent or purely decorative, Schnell's advantage is real. For the cost of one GLM Image generation, you can create roughly 15 Schnell images—enough to thoroughly explore a concept, try different angles, and refine your prompt before committing to a higher-quality render. The key is matching the model to your actual requirements rather than defaulting to either extreme.