8-step generation
Decoupled-DMD distillation collapses 20–50 steps into 8 with minimal quality loss.
Open source · Apache 2.0 · #1 on Artificial Analysis at launch
Z-Image Turbo
Photoreal images in 8 steps — the fastest, cheapest model here.
Z-Image Turbo is Tongyi Lab's 6B-parameter open-source model that outruns rivals several times its size. Generate with it online below — no GPU, no ComfyUI, free credits to start, and just 2 credits per image.
The live tool runs Z-Image Turbo — the same open-source 6B model published by Tongyi Lab — through the Evolink backend. Every example image on this page was generated with this exact tool.
8 steps
Per finished image
Sub-second
Inference on H800 GPUs
6B params
Runs under 16GB VRAM
2 credits
Cheapest model on this site
Why Z-Image Turbo is different
Most open models chase quality by adding parameters. Z-Image Turbo distills a strong base model down to 8 sampling steps with Decoupled-DMD, keeping photoreal quality while cutting compute to a fraction — which is exactly why it can be the cheapest option here.
01 · Real renders, this exact tool
What 2 credits buys you
Every image below was generated with the Z-Image Turbo tool at the top of this page — no cherry-picking from official galleries. Photoreal portraits, cinematic night scenes, and clean product shots are its home turf.
Golden-hour portrait
Backlit rim light, sharp catchlights, believable skin — from a one-line photographic prompt.
Neon night scene
Wet-asphalt reflections and legible Japanese neon — cinematic color straight out of the model.
Studio product shot
Commercial lighting and clean composition, ready for an e-commerce mockup.
Apache 2.0 weights
Fully open source on Hugging Face and GitHub, commercial use permitted.
Punches above its size
#1 open-source model on Artificial Analysis at launch, ahead of FLUX.2 [dev] and HunyuanImage 3.0.
Bilingual text
Native English and Chinese rendering for short headlines and labels.
How to use Z-Image Turbo online
1
Describe the shot
Write a concrete prompt: subject, lighting, lens or style. Photographic language — “85mm, golden hour, shallow depth of field” — plays to its strengths.
2
Generate in seconds
Pick an aspect ratio and go. At 2 credits per image, running five variations costs less than one render on most other models.
3
Iterate or upgrade
Re-roll until the composition clicks, then take the winning prompt to Wan 2.7 or Qwen Image for a final native-2K pass.
Z-Image Turbo next to the other models here
Use Z-Image Turbo to explore fast and cheap; switch models when a draft needs dense text, editing, or maximum resolution.
| Capability | Z-Image Turbo | Qwen Image | Wan 2.7 Image | Nano Banana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Credits / image | 2 | 4 | 6 | 5 |
| Generation speed | Fastest (8 steps) | Moderate | Moderate | Fast |
| Open source | Apache 2.0 | Earlier versions | No | No |
| Photorealism | Excellent | Strong | Excellent | Strong |
| Dense text & layouts | Short text only | Excellent | Good | Basic |
| Image editing | No | Single reference | Up to 9 references | Yes |
| Best fit | Fast drafts, photoreal tests | Posters & multilingual layouts | Native-2K hero images | Everyday edits |
Explore more image models
Qwen Image
4 credits / image
Step up to Qwen Image when a draft needs real typography, dense layouts, or multilingual text.
OpenWan 2.7 Image
6 credits / image
The flagship native-2K model here — re-render your best Z-Image draft at full detail.
Try nowQwen Image Edit
4 credits / image
Need to edit an existing photo instead of generating from scratch? Use the Qwen editor.
OpenZ-Image Turbo FAQ
What is Z-Image Turbo?
Z-Image Turbo is a 6-billion-parameter text-to-image model from Alibaba’s Tongyi Lab, released as open source on November 26, 2025 under the Apache 2.0 license. It is the distilled, speed-optimized variant of Z-Image: thanks to Decoupled-DMD distillation it generates a finished image in just 8 sampling steps, reaching sub-second inference on data-center GPUs.
Can I use Z-Image Turbo online for free?
Yes. The generator at the top of this page runs Z-Image Turbo online — no local GPU, no ComfyUI setup. New Google sign-ups get free credits, and at 2 credits per image Z-Image Turbo is the cheapest model on Wan27Image, so the free allowance goes further here than on any other model.
How fast is Z-Image Turbo?
Z-Image Turbo needs only 8 diffusion steps per image — most models need 20 to 50. On enterprise H800 GPUs that translates to sub-second generation; through the hosted tool on this page a typical request finishes in a few seconds including network time.
Is Z-Image Turbo really open source?
Yes. The weights are published on Hugging Face and GitHub under Apache 2.0, which permits commercial use. Because the model fits under 16GB of VRAM, it also runs locally on consumer cards like an RTX 3090 or 4080 — the tool here is simply the zero-setup way to use the same model.
How good is Z-Image Turbo compared with bigger models?
At launch it ranked #1 among open-source text-to-image models on the Artificial Analysis Image Arena, ahead of FLUX.2 [dev], HunyuanImage 3.0, and Qwen-Image — models several times its size. It is strongest at photorealistic scenes, portraits, and clean product shots.
Can Z-Image Turbo render text inside images?
Yes, within limits. Native bilingual rendering of English and Chinese is one of its differentiators, and it handles short headlines and labels well. For dense multi-paragraph layouts, newspaper pages, or small type, a layout specialist like Qwen Image is the better pick.
Does Z-Image Turbo support image editing?
No — Z-Image Turbo is text-to-image only. If you need to edit or restyle an existing photo, use Qwen Image Edit or the Nano Banana editing models on this site; both accept reference images.
How many credits does Z-Image Turbo cost here?
Z-Image Turbo costs 2 credits per image — the lowest of any model on Wan27Image. That makes it ideal for rapid idea exploration: sketch ten variations here, then re-render the winner on a heavier model if you need more polish.
Draft at the speed of thought
Test a prompt in the embedded tool above, or open the full workspace for history, downloads, and a larger canvas.
Editing an existing photo instead? Try Qwen Image Edit