Flux vs SDXL vs SD 1.5: Real Cost-per-Image Across GPUs (2026)

The comparison benchmarks Flux, SDXL 1.0, and SD 1.5 on consumer GPUs for speed, VRAM use, and image quality.

Flux delivers the best-looking images, but it is much slower and more memory-hungry than SDXL or SD 1.5.

On faster cards like the RTX 4090 and 3090, Flux is usable, but lower-VRAM GPUs can struggle or require tradeoffs.

The article also weighs electricity and subscription costs, helping users choose the most cost-effective model for their workload.