AI image generation is trending like crazy. But with so many tools out there, which one is actually the best for your workflow? Today we benchmark four image-generation OpenClaw skills with the same prompt set—so you can pick what wins for you, not what just looks good in a demo.
Benchmark criteria
- Output quality — detail richness & visual beauty
- Generation speed — time from submit to result
- Chinese understanding — how well it follows Chinese prompts
- Onboarding / usage barrier — API keys & configuration complexity
- Cost — free vs paid
Test prompt
> "An orange cat sitting on the moon, looking at the Earth, sci-fi style, high definition details"
Contenders
🥇 #1 Doubao Image Gen (ByteDance)
Skill: nano-banana-pro
Tech: Seedream-family models
- Output quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — rich details, natural lighting
- Speed: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — about 15–20 seconds
- Chinese understanding: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — perfect follow-through
- Onboarding: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ — needs an API key (easy to apply)
- Cost: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ — free quota for new users
Pros: excellent Chinese support; no need to translate; supports 2K output; no watermark; multiple styles.
Cons: requires a Byte/Volcano engine account; queueing can happen at peak times.
Overall score: 9.2 / 10
🥈 #2 DALL·E 3 (OpenAI)
Skill: steipete-openai-image-gen
Tech: GPT-4o image generation
- Output quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — strong artistic feel
- Speed: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ — about 30–45 seconds
- Chinese understanding: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ — best with English prompts
- Onboarding: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ — requires OpenAI API key; restricted access in some regions
- Cost: ⭐⭐☆☆☆ — relatively expensive
Pros: unique styles; integrates well with the ChatGPT ecosystem.
Cons: Chinese prompt quality can drop without special network access; cost is higher.
Overall score: 7.8 / 10
🥉 #3 Midjourney API
Note: Midjourney API is mentioned in this benchmark, but the corresponding skill isn't currently listed in this directory.
- Output quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ — industry-leading art ceiling
- Speed: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ — about 40–60 seconds
- Chinese understanding: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ — needs English prompts
- Onboarding: ⭐⭐☆☆☆ — needs Discord; complex setup
- Cost: ⭐⭐☆☆☆ — subscription; relatively expensive
Pros: top-tier visual styles; variety.
Cons: higher access barrier; relies on Discord; no direct API calling (often needs third-party wrappers).
Overall score: 7.5 / 10
🏅 #4 Stable Diffusion XL
Note: SDXL is included in this benchmark, but the corresponding skill isn't currently listed in this directory.
- Output quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ — depends on models & parameters
- Speed: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ — local deployment about 5–10 seconds
- Chinese understanding: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ — often needs translation / English prompts
- Onboarding: ⭐☆☆☆☆ — requires local deployment; complex setup
- Cost: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — fully free locally
Pros: local privacy; customizable; no extra cost.
Cons: high deployment barrier; needs strong GPU; output quality can be unstable.
Overall score: 6.8 / 10
Scorecard
| Skill | Quality | Speed | Chinese | Onboarding | Cost | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doubao | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | 9.2 |
| DALL·E 3 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ | ⭐⭐☆☆☆ | 7.8 |
| Midjourney | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ | ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ | ⭐⭐☆☆☆ | ⭐⭐☆☆☆ | 7.5 |
| SDXL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ | ⭐☆☆☆☆ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 6.8 |
Verdict
- Top pick: Doubao Image Gen — best overall for most users; fast and Chinese-friendly.
- Art-focused: Midjourney — best if you can accept higher setup barriers.
- Geek pick: Stable Diffusion — for advanced users who need local/private control.
Recommendations
- General users: choose Doubao Image Gen.
- Designers: Midjourney + Doubao combination.
- Developers: SDXL local deployment for full control.
- Enterprises: Doubao API for stable, reliable usage.
Image vendors and model behavior change quickly. This article is an editorial snapshot for directory selection—not a certified benchmark. Always check the linked skill pages and upstream docs before using in production.