Microsoft AI: MAI-Image-2.6 vs OpenAI: GPT-5 Image
A side-by-side comparison of Microsoft AI: MAI-Image-2.6 ($17.50 / 1M tokens) and OpenAI: GPT-5 Image ($35.00 / 1M tokens) using current USD prices and capabilities from the api14 catalog. Both run through the same OpenAI-compatible API.
Specifications
| Microsoft AI: MAI-Image-2.6 | OpenAI: GPT-5 Image | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Microsoft | OpenAI |
| Input | $17.50 / 1M tokens | $35.00 / 1M tokens |
| Image input | $133.00 / 1M tokens | - |
| Image output | $133.00 / 1M tokens | $140.00 / 1M tokens |
| Output | - | $35.00 / 1M tokens |
| Cache read | - | $4.38 / 1M tokens |
| Web search | - | $35.00 / 1K searches |
| Context window | 4,096 | 400,000 |
| Max output | 1,024 | 128,000 |
| Input | text, image | image, text, file |
| Output | image | image, text |
| Tool calling | ||
| Structured output | ||
| Reasoning control | ||
| Added | Sep 4, 2026 | Oct 14, 2025 |
Key differences
- Microsoft AI: MAI-Image-2.6 is 50% cheaper on input tokens.
- OpenAI: GPT-5 Image reads 97.7× more context (400,000 tokens).
- Only OpenAI: GPT-5 Image supports structured JSON output.
- Only OpenAI: GPT-5 Image supports reasoning effort control.
In depth
Microsoft AI: MAI-Image-2.6 is an image model from Microsoft, listed under the model id microsoft/mai-image-2.6. OpenAI: GPT-5 Image is an image model from OpenAI, listed under the model id openai/gpt-5-image. Both sit in the same image category on api14, so the choice between them is less about what they produce at the surface level and more about how much surrounding work you need the model to do.
The two differ sharply in scale and in what they accept and return. MAI-Image-2.6 has a context window of 4096 tokens, takes text and image as input, and returns images only. GPT-5 Image has a context window of 400000 tokens, takes image, text and file as input, and can return both image and text. GPT-5 Image is also the only one of the two with structured outputs and with reasoning, and it exposes a much wider parameter surface, including include_reasoning, reasoning, response_format, seed, structured_outputs, logprobs, top_logprobs, top_p and verbosity. MAI-Image-2.6 supports a smaller set: max_completion_tokens, max_tokens and temperature. On price, MAI-Image-2.6 is the cheaper of the two on input; output pricing is not meaningfully different between them.
For straightforward image generation from a short text prompt, or from a text prompt plus a reference image, MAI-Image-2.6 is usually the leaner call. Its cheaper input pricing and its simple parameter set make it a reasonable default when the prompt is small and you just want an image back. Reach for GPT-5 Image when the job is bigger than a single prompt: long inputs, attached files, requests where you want the model to reason before producing the image, or pipelines where you need structured output, a seed for reproducibility, or text alongside the image. The 400000 token context is the deciding factor whenever your prompt, references or instructions would not fit comfortably in 4096 tokens.
Calling either model through api14 works the same way, because the API is OpenAI-compatible. You send your request to the same endpoint with the same request shape, and the only thing you change is the model id: microsoft/mai-image-2.6 for the Microsoft model, openai/gpt-5-image for the OpenAI model. Keep in mind that the parameters are not interchangeable. If you switch to GPT-5 Image you can add reasoning, response_format, seed, structured_outputs and the rest, but if you switch back to MAI-Image-2.6 you should trim your payload to max_completion_tokens, max_tokens and temperature, since the other fields are not supported there.
There are still cases where MAI-Image-2.6 is the better pick even though GPT-5 Image is the larger model. If your inputs are short, you do not need text output or structured output, and input cost matters to you, the Microsoft model does the job without the extra surface area. GPT-5 Image earns its place when context length, file input, reasoning or structured output are actual requirements rather than nice-to-haves.
Switch with one string
Both models use the same endpoint and request shape. Change the model value from "microsoft/mai-image-2.6" to "openai/gpt-5-image" and prompts, streaming and tools keep working.
import OpenAI from "openai";
const client = new OpenAI({
baseURL: "https://api14.com/api/v1",
apiKey: process.env.API14_API_KEY,
});
const result = await client.images.generate({
"model": "openai/gpt-5-image",
"prompt": "A minimalist product photo of a ceramic mug on a wooden table",
"n": 1,
"aspect_ratio": "1:1"
});
import { writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";
await writeFile("image.png", Buffer.from(result.data[0].b64_json, "base64"));
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