Microsoft AI: MAI-Image-2.6 vs OpenAI: GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst
A side-by-side comparison of Microsoft AI: MAI-Image-2.6 ($17.50 / 1M tokens) and OpenAI: GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst ($28.00 / 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 Image 2.5 Sunburst | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Microsoft | OpenAI |
| Input | $17.50 / 1M tokens | $28.00 / 1M tokens |
| Image input | $133.00 / 1M tokens | - |
| Image output | $133.00 / 1M tokens | $105.00 / 1M tokens |
| Output | - | $28.00 / 1M tokens |
| Cache read | - | $7.00 / 1M tokens |
| Web search | - | $35.00 / 1K searches |
| Context window | 4,096 | 400,000 |
| Max output | 1,024 | 360,000 |
| Input | text, image | text, image |
| Output | image | image |
| Tool calling | ||
| Structured output | ||
| Reasoning control | ||
| Added | Sep 4, 2026 | Sep 9, 2026 |
Key differences
- Microsoft AI: MAI-Image-2.6 is 38% cheaper on input tokens.
- OpenAI: GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst reads 97.7× more context (400,000 tokens).
- Only OpenAI: GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst supports structured JSON output.
In depth
Microsoft AI: MAI-Image-2.6 is an image generation model from Microsoft, listed under the model id microsoft/mai-image-2.6. OpenAI: GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst is an image generation model from OpenAI, listed under the model id openai/gpt-image-2.5-sunburst. Both sit in the same category on api14, so you are choosing between two providers rather than between two different kinds of endpoint. The Microsoft model was released on 2026-09-04 and the OpenAI model on 2026-09-09.
The clearest split is context. MAI-Image-2.6 accepts 4096 tokens of context, while GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst accepts 400000, so the OpenAI model is the one to reach for when your prompt, reference material or conversation history is long. Both take text and image as input and both return image as output, so neither has a modality advantage over the other. On parameters they diverge: MAI-Image-2.6 supports max_completion_tokens, max_tokens and temperature, while GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst supports max_tokens, response_format, seed and structured_outputs. Structured outputs are only available on the OpenAI model, which matters if you need the response shaped in a predictable way. On price, the Microsoft model is the cheaper of the two on input, and the two are about the same on output.
For short, straightforward generation where you are paying attention to input cost, MAI-Image-2.6 is the natural default. Its temperature control also gives you a familiar knob for varying results across calls. For anything that involves a large amount of input text or several reference images, or where you want a seed for reproducibility or structured outputs for downstream parsing, GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst is the better fit, and the much larger context window is the main reason. If your task is small and cheap, the Microsoft model is still the sensible pick even though the OpenAI model can do more.
Calling either one through api14 works the same way, because the API is OpenAI-compatible. You point your client at the same base URL and send the same request shape, changing only the model field between microsoft/mai-image-2.6 and openai/gpt-image-2.5-sunburst. Everything else in your request stays as it is, apart from the parameters each model accepts, so a call that uses temperature belongs on the Microsoft model and a call that uses seed or structured_outputs belongs on the OpenAI model. Switching between them is a one line change in your code, which makes it easy to try both against your own prompts before committing.
There is no case in the facts given where the more expensive or larger model is required for a task the smaller one handles, so the practical rule is to start with MAI-Image-2.6 for short prompts and move to GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst when context length, reproducibility or structured output actually matter to your pipeline.
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-image-2.5-sunburst" 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-image-2.5-sunburst",
"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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