FreeGPT.IM ·
GPT Image 2.6 vs 2.5: What Changed
GPT Image 2.6 arrived about two months after 2.5. This guide separates what OpenAI claims from what FreeGPT.IM offers, and shows where the credit price changes.
Side-by-side facts
| Side-by-side facts | GPT Image 2.6 | GPT Image 2.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Release | November 4, 2026 | September 8, 2026 |
| Access on FreeGPT.IM | Paid plans only | Free (Flare at 1K) and paid plans |
| API variants | Flare and Sunburst | Flare and Sunburst |
| Speed | OpenAI says 50% faster than before; not tested by us | Baseline for the comparison |
| Resolutions and quality here | 1K, 2K, 4K; five quality levels | 1K, 2K, 4K; five quality levels (paid) |
| OpenAI's newer features | GIF and SVG on paid plans here; image markup and complexity are not offered yet | Not part of 2.5 |
Credits per image
Each cell shows the 2.6 price. Where 2.5 differs, the older price appears first. Flare and Sunburst cost the same, and each reference image adds the same surcharge on both versions.
| Quality | 1K | 2K | 4K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low | 1 → 2 | 4 | 4 → 6 |
| Medium | 4 | 5 → 7 | 6 → 11 |
| High | 6 | 10 | 16 |
| Extra high | 10 | 16 | 24 |
| Maximum | 16 | 30 | 48 |
What we have and have not tested
We have not run a controlled test of 2.6 against 2.5, so this page names no winner. Speed, layout and consistency statements come from OpenAI. Treat them as vendor claims until you repeat them on your own work.
Which should you use?
- Choose 2.6 Sunburst for multi-step edits where a character, product or brand detail has to stay consistent.
- Choose 2.6 Flare for faster drafts, posters and product images, if the small credit difference at low settings is acceptable.
- Stay on 2.5 for the lowest cost at 1K low, or if you have no paid plan.
- From high quality upward the credits match, so testing 2.6 costs no more than 2.5.
A fair way to compare
Use the same prompt, reference images, aspect ratio, resolution and quality on both versions. Run several attempts, keep the failures, and record the time taken and credits spent. Compare the results without knowing which version made each one.