FLUX.1 Dev vs SD 3.5 Large

Compare FLUX.1 Dev and SD 3.5 Large: pricing, performance, context window, latency, and best use cases. Side-by-side comparison on XALEN.

Updated 2026-05-21 · By Abhishek Raj · Our methodology

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Feature FLUX.1 Dev SD 3.5 Large
CategoryImageImage
Parameters12B8B
Context WindowN/AN/A
Input Price$0.003/image/1M tokens$0.004/image/1M tokens
Output PriceN/A/1M tokensN/A/1M tokens
Latency~3s~3s

Choose FLUX.1 Dev when:

  • ✓ Custom styles
  • ✓ Fine-tuned imagery
  • ✓ Development
Key Strengths:

Fine-tunable, Good quality, Open weights

Choose SD 3.5 Large when:

  • ✓ Detailed illustrations
  • ✓ Temple artwork
  • ✓ Marketing imagery
Key Strengths:

High quality, Detailed output, Good composition

Verdict: FLUX.1 Dev vs SD 3.5 Large

For cost efficiency, FLUX.1 Dev wins at $0.003/image/1M input tokens. For speed, SD 3.5 Large is faster at ~3s. FLUX.1 Dev excels at Custom styles while SD 3.5 Large is better for Detailed illustrations. Both are available on XALEN through a single API — try them in the Playground to see which fits your workload.

Detailed Analysis

Pricing Comparison

FLUX.1 Dev costs $0.003/image/1M input tokens and N/A/1M output tokens. SD 3.5 Large costs $0.004/image input and N/A output. FLUX.1 Dev is 1.3x cheaper on input tokens. XALEN offers batch processing at 50% discount on both models.

Performance & Context

FLUX.1 Dev has a N/A context window with ~3s latency. SD 3.5 Large offers N/A context at ~3s. Both have identical context windows.

Best For

FLUX.1 Dev (Image) is optimized for: Custom styles, Fine-tuned imagery, Development. SD 3.5 Large (Image) works best for: Detailed illustrations, Temple artwork, Marketing imagery.

Try Both on XALEN

Both models are available through XALEN's OpenAI-compatible API. Switch between them by changing the model parameter:

from xalen import XALEN

client = XALEN(api_key="xln_test_YOUR_KEY")

# Use FLUX.1 Dev
response_a = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="flux-1-dev",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Your question here"}]
)

# Use SD 3.5 Large
response_b = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="stable-diffusion-3-5-large",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Your question here"}]
)

Start Building with XALEN

200+ AI models. One API. Pay-as-you-go.

Get API Key Try in Playground

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, FLUX.1 Dev or SD 3.5 Large?

FLUX.1 Dev (Image, 12B) offers Fine-tunable. SD 3.5 Large (Image, 8B) offers High quality. Choose FLUX.1 Dev for Custom styles or SD 3.5 Large for Detailed illustrations.

How much does FLUX.1 Dev cost vs SD 3.5 Large?

FLUX.1 Dev: $0.003/image/1M input, N/A/1M output. SD 3.5 Large: $0.004/image/1M input, N/A/1M output. Both available on XALEN with batch processing at 50% discount.

Can I use both models on XALEN?

Yes. XALEN provides 200+ models through a single OpenAI-compatible API. Switch between FLUX.1 Dev and SD 3.5 Large by changing the model parameter. No code changes needed.

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Last updated: 2026-05-21. Pricing and specifications may change. Check pricing page for latest rates.