MAI-Image-2.6
- Elo
- 1,137 Elo · rank 3
- Price
- Paid
- API
- Yes
- Weights
- No
WHAT IT DOES
MAI-Image-2.6 is Microsoft AI's image model for text-to-image and image editing. The model card dates the 2.6 release to 14 August 2026 and the faster MAI-Image-2.6-Flash release to 4 September 2026. It is a diffusion model with a maximum of 2,359,296 pixels, equivalent to 1,536 by 1,536, and either side can run past 1,536 if the total stays inside that cap. The 4 September post adds multi-image reference editing, web grounding, and dynamic aspect ratios, and puts both models in public preview on Microsoft Foundry and in the MAI Playground. Weights are not released.
WHY WE PICKED IT
On 2 October 2026 it is third on Artificial Analysis AA-Image-Editing v2.0, at 1,137 Elo, and fifth on AA-Image-T2I v2.0, at 1,149 Elo. Microsoft's 4 September post said it was first for editing and second for text-to-image as of that day. The board has moved. It is still the strongest non-OpenAI model on the editing board, at a representative price of $38.90 per 1,000 images.
QUICK FACTS
STRENGTHS
- ✓1,137 Elo, rank 3, on AA-Image-Editing v2.0 (15,488 votes, 2 October 2026)
- ✓1,149 Elo, rank 5, on AA-Image-T2I v2.0 the same day, inside a rank band of 4 to 5
- ✓Multi-image reference editing, web grounding, and dynamic aspect ratios, per the 4 September 2026 post
- ✓Representative API price on that board of $38.90 per 1,000 images
LIMITATIONS
- ⚠Public preview. The model card points at Azure AI Foundry and MAI Playground product terms, not a downloadable weight
- ⚠Microsoft's announcement does not publish a per-image list price. The $38.90 figure is Artificial Analysis's representative price
- ⚠Text-to-image still trails GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst (max), GPT Image 2.5 Flare (max), GPT Image 2 (high), and Grok Imagine Image 2.0
- ⚠A free quota on the MAI Playground was not stated on the model card or the 4 September post
GETTING STARTED
Try it in the MAI Playground, or call it from Microsoft Foundry while the public preview is open. The model card caps output at 2,359,296 pixels. This listing is the full MAI-Image-2.6. Flash is the separate, faster model announced the same week.
BENCHMARKS
OFFICIAL LINKS
SIMILAR TOOLS
PRICING
Requires a paid subscription.
FEATURED IN GUIDES
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EXPLORE ALTERNATIVES
Compare MAI-Image-2.6 with 5+ similar image → image AI tools.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is MAI-Image-2.6 free?
No, MAI-Image-2.6 requires a paid subscription.
Does MAI-Image-2.6 have an API?
Yes, MAI-Image-2.6 offers an API for programmatic integration.
What is MAI-Image-2.6 best for?
MAI-Image-2.6 is best for Editing. MAI-Image-2. On 2 October 2026 it is third on Artificial Analysis AA-Image-Editing v2.0, at 1,137 Elo, and fifth on AA-Image-T2I v2.0, at 1,149 Elo. Microsoft's 4 September post said it was first for editing and second for text-to-image as of that day. The board has moved. It is still the strongest non-OpenAI model on the editing board, at a representative price of $38.90 per 1,000 images.
What platforms does MAI-Image-2.6 support?
MAI-Image-2.6 supports web, api.
Is MAI-Image-2.6 open source?
No, MAI-Image-2.6 is not open source.
How do I get started with MAI-Image-2.6?
Try it in the MAI Playground, or call it from Microsoft Foundry while the public preview is open. The model card caps output at 2,359,296 pixels. This listing is the full MAI-Image-2.6. Flash is the separate, faster model announced the same week.
How do I generate images with MAI-Image-2.6?
MAI-Image-2.6 creates images from text descriptions. Enter detailed prompts describing the image you want, including style, composition, colors, and subject matter. It excels at 1,137 elo, rank 3, on aa-image-editing v2.0 (15,488 votes, 2 october 2026).
How do I edit images with MAI-Image-2.6?
MAI-Image-2.6 transforms and edits existing images. Upload an image and use text prompts or controls to modify style, enhance quality, remove objects, or apply transformations. It excels at 1,137 elo, rank 3, on aa-image-editing v2.0 (15,488 votes, 2 october 2026).
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