Model comparisons
Qwen Image 2.1 Turbo or Z-Image, tier by tier: matched prices, request fields, limits and the content policy measured on each.
Qwen Image 2.1 Turbo text-to-image turns a written brief into one to six images in 8 denoising steps. Fifteen aspect ratios, 1k to 2K at one flat price per image, no content filter, and prompt expansion off by default so your wording is followed.
View model details →View sample outputs →Z-Image from Alibaba's Tongyi team is a compact 6B text-to-image model that returns a photoreal frame in roughly a second. Prompts run up to 1,000 characters, in five aspect ratios, delivered as lossless PNG.
View model details →View sample outputs →Compare
Start with the input you have, the result you want and your budget. These are the differences that affect that choice.
Compare the published examples, then try the same input on both models with matching settings.
The Spicy Index and Freedom Score for both models, from the same daily calculation as the leaderboards.
| Measure | Qwen Image 2.1 Turbo | Z-Image |
|---|---|---|
| Spicy Index | 81.1 | 64.2 |
| Freedom Score | 99.0 | 100.0 |
| Evidence | Tested 6 of 6 probe types · 44 runs | Tested 6 of 6 probe types · 18 runs |
| Range if the rest pass | 99.0–99.0 | 100.0–100.0 |
| Price | $0.0144 per image | $0.016 per image |
| Reviews | Read the Qwen Image 2.1 Turbo review | Read the Z-Image review |
Current price
A start price answers a different question than the one you have. These are the tiers both models publish, matched setting for setting, in US dollars per billed unit with no conversion step in between.
These two bill on different tiers, so there is no row to line up. Each one's own published tiers are listed here instead.
Qwen Image 2.1 Turbo: $0.014 / output images
Z-Image: Prompt expansion: Yes $0.016 / output images
Arithmetic on the published rates at each model's own default setting, not a quote. The console prices your actual settings before a request is accepted.
About this comparison
Every row here is read from the JSON Schema the endpoint validates against, so it matches what the API will really accept rather than a feature list written by hand.
Swipe horizontally to compare all fields.
| Controls and limits | Qwen Image 2.1 Turbo | Z-Image |
|---|---|---|
| Supported tasks | text-to-image | text-to-image |
| Resolution tiers | 1K · 1.5k · 2K | Not offered |
| Aspect ratios | 1:1 · 16:9 · 9:16 · 4:3 · 3:4 · 3:2 · 2:3 · 21:9 · 9:21 · 2:1 · 1:2 · 3:1 · 1:3 · 5:4 · 4:5 | 1:1 · 4:3 · 3:4 · 16:9 · 9:16 |
| High-resolution tier | Yes | No |
| Seed | Yes | Yes |
| Outputs per request | 6 | Not offered |
| Execution | Submit, then poll or take the callback | Submit, then poll or take the callback |
| Request timeout | 30 minutes | 30 minutes |
| Availability | Live | Live |
Do low-filter models allow every request?
Two separate facts sit behind these labels. The first is what we do, which is nothing: no platform content filter, and no maturity flag to set on a request. The second is what each model does on its own, and that is the only part that varies between these two.
Qwen Image 2.1 Turbo
This model declares no content filter. SpicyAPI forwards the request without adding a platform content scan; legal and consent duties remain with the customer.
Z-Image
This model declares no content filter. SpicyAPI forwards the request without adding a platform content scan; legal and consent duties remain with the customer.
Use these content labels to shortlist models, then open each model page for available examples and content-test details.
The label never changes your obligations. Age, consent, real-person likeness and the law where you operate stay with you, and SpicyAPI does not inspect each request.
Can I swap the model ID without changing the request body?
The task lifecycle is shared; the body is not. Each endpoint publishes its own JSON Schema and the API validates against that, so this is the list to reconcile before a switch.
How to choose
Qwen Image 2.1 Turbo supports a high-resolution option.
Compare
The model identifiers are alibaba/qwen-image-2.1-turbo/text-to-image and alibaba/z-image-turbo/text-to-image, and both go in the same field of the same request.
Both run the same way: submit the task, then poll it or take the callback. Queueing and retry logic carry over unchanged.
Both use the same submit-and-track flow, but their required inputs may differ. Check each model page before switching.
One key, one balance, one set of spend caps. Both bill to the same account in US dollars, and the per-key daily, monthly and lifetime limits apply to whichever one you call.
Questions developers ask
The two bill on different tiers, so there is no like-for-like row: Qwen Image 2.1 Turbo starts at $0.014 / output images and Z-Image at $0.01 / output images. Prices may change; check the estimate shown for your actual settings before submitting.
Qwen Image 2.1 Turbo allows 30 minutes per task and Z-Image allows 30. Those are ceilings rather than typical times — most requests finish far sooner — but they are what your own client timeout has to survive.
Prices and capabilities shown here come from the current public model catalogue. Check each model page for its latest inputs and examples.