ASCII-art bake-off – 7 models × 3 prompts

A benchmark comparing 8 AI models on ASCII-art generation across 3 prompts found Kimi K3 fastest at 14 seconds for the first prompt, while Fable 5 took 353 seconds and cost $1.229, and Opus 5 completed all prompts in about 12-13 seconds each.

🎨 ASCII-art bake-off — 8 models × 3 prompts started 2026-08-18T21:34:14.778Z · rendered 2026-08-18T21:34:14.784Z · COMPLETE overall: 24 done / 24 100% progress by model Kimi K3 p1 done 14sp2 done 559sp3 done 18s Fable 5 p1 done 353sp2 done 21sp3 done 176s Opus 5 p1 done 12sp2 done 13sp3 done 13s Opus 4.5 p1 done 10sp2 done 23sp3 done 21s Sonnet 5 p1 done 282sp2 done 275sp3 done 221s Sonnet 4.5 p1 done 13sp2 done 21sp3 done 21s Haiku 4.5 p1 done 58sp2 done 44sp3 done 83s GPT-5.6 Sol p1 done 128sp2 done 100sp3 done 83s “cat pawing at a butterfly” Kimi K3 — 14s · $0.118 /\ /\ \/ \ / . . \ / . . \/. . . . .. . / \ . | . . | . \ ^^ / . | | /\ /\ \ o.o \ ^ < \ /| |\ \ / | | \ /|| ||\ / || || \ | \ / | | | | | | | | | | | / \ Fable 5 — 353s · $1.229 \ / \\ // o^o / v \ ~ ~ /\/\ /\ /\ '' o.o \ \ ^ < \ \ | \ \ \ | '-. \ \ \ | \ | | \ | | | /\ | | | | | | \ \ | | | | | | / / | | | / / / " , ' , " Opus 5 — 12s · $0.019 , / \ \ / | | -- -- | | / \ \ / ' .-"-. / \ .--. | ,-. | / \ \ -' / | | '-.-' \ / / \ /\ /\ '--' ' ' / \ / \ || o o || \ ^ / || \ '-' / .----''----. \ / / \ | | | ~ ~ ~ ~ | | | \ / '----------' Opus 4.5 — 10s · $0.225 . . /|\/|\ / | | \ \ | | / | | ' ' /\ / \ / /\ \ / | | \/ | /\ /\ \ / o.o | | ^ < / /| |\ / | | | \| |/ | | | / | | / / \/ / / \ \ / \ Sonnet 5 — 282s · $0.400 ^ ^ \/ || /\ o /\ /\ / o.o / ^ < / \ / / / \ | | | | | ~~~ | | | | | | / | | u u ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sonnet 4.5 — 13s · $0.038 .--. .' '. / / \ \ | | | | \ \ / / '. .' '--' , / | / | /\ /\ / | o.o / | ^ < | /| |\ | | | ' | | / \ | | / \ ' ' Haiku 4.5 — 58s · $0.041 < o ^ ^ /| / | | | /\ /\ o o \ / /| |\ / | | \ | | / \ / \ GPT-5.6 Sol — 128s · $0.200 +------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | .==-. .-==. | | . / \/ \ | | \ /\ / | | '-- --' | | . | | . | | /\ /\ | | o.o \ / | | ^ < \/ | | /| |\ \ / | | / | | \ | | / | | \ | | / | | | | .-' | | / | | | | / | | '. \ / \ / | | | | .-----------------. | | | | | | | +------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ “lighthouse in a storm” Kimi K3 — 559s · $0.527 . ' . ' . ' . ' .... / \ . ~~~~ | | ~~~ ' \ /~~~~~ . '....' ~~~ .---. |= O =| '---' ======= | | ======= | | ======== | | ========= | | ======== | | ====== | | ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ / \ ~\/ ~\/~ \/~ ~\/~ \/~ ~\/ / \ /\ \ /\ \ ~\/~ ~\/~ ~\/~ ~\/~ ~\/~ ~\/~ ~\/~ ~\/~ ~\/~ ~\/~ ~ / \ /\ / \ /\ / \ /\ \ / \ /\ \/~~\/ ~ \/~~\/ ~ \/~~\/ ~ \/~~\/ ~ \ /\ \ // \ /\ \ /\ \ /\ / \ \/\ /~/\~ ~ /\~ ~\/ ~\/ ~ \/~ ~\/ /\ \ /\ /\ \ /\ \ / \ /\ /\ / \ /\ ~/\ ~ \/~ ~\/ ~/\~ ~\/ ~\/ /\ /\ \ / \ /\ /\ \ /\ /\ \ / \ /\ /\ /\ / \/~~\ /~\ ~\/~~\ /~~ \/\~ / \ /\ /\ /\ \ /\ /\ /\ \ \ / \/\ /\ \~o ~\/~ o\/~o~ \/~~ o~\/~ oo~\/ /\ /\ / \ / \ /\\ /\ / \ /\ \ /\ ~\/~o ~\/ o~\/ ~o~\/~ o~\/~ ~\/~ o~ \ /\ \ /\ / \ / /\ /\ /\\ / o~ \/o~~\/ o ~o\/~ o~\/o~ \/~o~ ~\/o~\/~ Fable 5 — 21s · $0.094 ,-. .- -. .-. - --. -' ,--. -. -' -..-' /| |\ .--~~~--.. ..-/ | | \~~--.. ~~-.. ..--~~ / | | \ ~~--.. ~~-.. .-~~~ / | | \ ~~--.. ~~-. / | | \ ~~--~ / | | \ | | | | /| |o| |\ / | | | | \ .-' -. ./ / \ \ .-' --. .-' .-' / /^\ /^\ /^\ \ -. -. .-' .-' | |the rocks rise| | -. -. ~ ~ \ ~~.-' | / cliff of dark \ | -.~~ / ~ ~ ~~ ~~ ~ .-'~ / / | stone and | | ~ ~\~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ .-~-' ~~ ~ ~~~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~~~ ~ ~~~ ~~~ ~ ~ ~~~ ~ ~~ ~~ ~~~ ~-. ~~~ ~ ~~~ ~~ ~ ~~~ .-~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~ .-~ ~~~ ~~~ ~.~~~ ~~~ ~~~.~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ Opus 5 — 13s · $0.022 . . . ~ ~ ~ ~ .-. . ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ / \ ~ ~ ~ /||\ ~ ~ ~ \/ \ / . ~ ~ / || \ ~ ~ ~ . | | \ | | | | \ \ . | | \ \ | || | \ \ | || | \ \ . | || | \ \ . | | \ \ /=========\ \ \ / \ \ \ / \ \ \ / \ \ \ / \ \ \ / \ \ \ / \ \ \ / \ \ \ / \ ~ ~ ~ \ ~ ~~ ~ ~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Opus 4.5 — 23s · $0.063 .--. .- ~ ~ -. .-~ C ~-./ . - ~ ~ - . / \ .-~ ~~^~~ ~~~ -. ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ / ~~~ ~~ ~~~ \ \ ~~ ~~~ ~~ / ~~~~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~~ ~ - . . - ~ \ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ / | | . - ~ ~ - . ~-. .-~ | | .-~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~-. / | | \ / ~~ ~~~~ ~~ ~~ \ | | | | | | | | | | ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~ /------\ | | | | | | | | | | \ ~~~~~~ / | | | | | | | | ~-. ~~~ .--~ | | | || | | | | | | || | / / ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ | | | || | | | | | | || | / ~~~ \ / ~~ ~~~~~ ~~ ~~ /^^^^^^^^| |^^^\ ~~~ ~~\ / ~~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~~~~ / ~ ~ ~ ~/ .'^"'^. .'^"'^. .'^"'^. ~\ ~~~~ ~\ / ~~~~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~~~/ ~ ~ ~ / ,/ \./ \./ \, \~ ~~~ ~\ ~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^/~~~~~~~~/^^/^^^/^^/^^^/^^/^^^/^^/^^^/^^/^^^/^~^~^~^~^\~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ Sonnet 5 — 275s · $0.420 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ /^\ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | o | |=======| | o |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | | | o | | | | |. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | | .^. .^. .^. .^. .^. .^. .^. .^. .^. .^. .^. .^. .^. .^. .^. .^. .^. .^. .^. .^. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ |/\||/\||/\||/\||/\||/\||/\||/\||/\||/\|^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~ ~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v ^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~ v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~ ~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^~v~^ ~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v ^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~^v~~ ~^v^~^v^~^v^~^v^~^v^~^v^~^v^~^v^~^v^~^v^~^v^~^v^~^v^~^v^~^v^~^v^~^v^~^v^~^v^~^v^ Sonnet 4.5 — 21s · $0.047 |"""""| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ----- | | | | / \ /|| | \ / || | \ / || | \ / /| /\ \ / / | / \ \ / / | / \ \ / / | / \ / ~~~ \/ / |/ \ / ~~ ~~~ ~~~ \ / /~~~ ~~~ ~~ \/ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~\/ / ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ Haiku 4.5 — 44s · $0.031 . . . . . . . . ~ ~~ | ~~~~ /|\ / | \ / | \ | | | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | | | | | | /| | |\ / | | | \ ~ ~ ~~ / | | | \ ~~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~~ / | | | \ ~~~ ~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~~ / | | | \ ~~~~~ ~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~~ / | | | \ ~~~~~ ~ ~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~ / | | | \ ~~~~ ~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~ / | | | \ ~~ ~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~ / | | | \ ~~~~ ~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ / | | | \ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GPT-5.6 Sol — 100s · $0.160 . ..-''-. . . .-''-. .' / . .--. .--' --. -. .--. -' -. .- /\ ...------------ /--\ /------------------------------ | | /======================================= . | |======================================= | | \---------------------------------... | | \----------------------.. /| |\ ..\------------ || || .\----.. . /| |\ | | /| |\ / | |\ /^^^^^\ \ /^^^/ \ \ /\ /\ \ / \ /\ /^^^^^^^\ \ \ \ /\ /\ \ \ \ /\ \ /^^^/ \ \ \ /\ \ / \ / \ /\ \ / ^^^^\ \ /\ / \ /\ \ / \ /\ \ ^^^/ \ /\ / \ /\ / \ / \ /\\ \/ \ /\ ^^\ /\ / \ / \ /\ \ \ /\ \ /\ \ / \ /\ ^^^\ /\ \/\ \ / \ /\ /\ \ / \ /\ \ \ /\ /\ /\ “hot-air balloon over hills” Kimi K3 — 18s · $0.077 ~ .---. ~ o .-' '-. .' / \ / \ / '. / | || || \ ; \ || / ; | \/||\/ | | \ / | \ || / '. || .' '. .||. .' | | |\/| | || | \ / '==' oo o/ <- passengers ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ /\ . / \ /\ ^ /\ /\ . / \ / \ /|\/ / \ , |o o| |==| / | / \ /\ .-^-. / \ .-^\ ,----, | | /| | | | | / \ / village / \ / \ | | / | | | | | /\ /\ /\ /\ / \/ \ / \ / \ / \ / \/ \ / \ / \ / /\ /\ \ / \ /\ .o. / \ /\ o / \ o \ \/ \ \ / \ / \ / \ Fable 5 — 176s · $0.715 .--~~~~--. .' | | '. ~~~~~ / | | \ ; | | ; ~~~~ | | | | | | | | ; | | ; ~~~~~~ \ | | / '. | | .' '-. .-' \ | | / \| |/ \/ \/ .-~~~-. .-~~~-. .-~' '~-. .-~' '~-. .-~' '~-. .-~' '~-. .-~' '~-. .-~' '~--~' '~ /\ + /\ .--. / \ / \ / \ /\ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ '--' / \ || | o | | | | | || || || , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Opus 5 — 13s · $0.022 .-"""-. .' '. / .-"""-. \ / / \ \ | | ~ ~ | | | | /|\ | | | | / | \ | | \ \ | / / \ '-.|.-' / '. | .' '--+--' / | \ / | \ | | | | | | '-| |-' ^ ^ ^ ^ / \ / \ / \ ^ ^ / \ / \ /| |\ / \ / \ / \ ^ / \ ||| | | | | || | | | | | | | ||| / \ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ .-~~~-. .-~~~~-. .-~~~~~~-. .-~~~~-. .-~~~~~~-. .-~~~~-. .-~~~~-. Opus 4.5 — 21s · $0.074 .-"""-. / \ | o o | | ^ | \ === / '-----' \ / \ / |=| ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ /|\ ^ /|\ ^ /|\ ^ /|\ ^ ^ /|\ /|\ /||\ /|\ /|||\ /|\ /|||\./|\ /|||\ /|\ ^ /|\ /|||\/ ||\ ||||\|||\|||||\/|||\ /||||\/||\/||||\./|||\ /|\ / ||| |||| |||| |||||||||||||| ||||\./|||||||||||\|||| |||| ||| \ / , , , , , , , , , , , , , , \ / | | | | /\ | | | | /\ | | | | | | \ | | | | / \ | | | | / \ | | | | | | ~~~|===|~~~~~~|===|~~~~~~|===|~~|===|~~~~~~~~|===|~~~~~~|===|~~~|===|~~~~~~~~~~ '---' '---' '---' '---' '---' '---' '---' ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sonnet 5 — 221s · $0.314 .--. .--"""""""--. / | | | \ | | | | | | : | : | | | | | | '--.......--' | | / \ ========= v v - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ,-~~~~-,,-~~~~-,,-~~~~-,,-~~~~-,,-~~~~-,,-~~~~-,,-~~~~-,,-~~~~-,,-~~~~-,,-~~~~-, /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ || || || || . .-'^'-. . .-'^'-. . .-'^'-. . .-'^'-. . .-'^'-. . .-'^'-. . .-'^'-. . .-'^'-. ..,,..,,....,,..,,....,,..,,....,,..,,....,,..,,....,,..,,....,,..,,....,,..,,.. ,,..,,..,,,,..,,..,,,,..,,..,,,,..,,..,,,,..,,..,,,,..,,..,,,,..,,..,,,,..,,..,, Sonnet 4.5 — 21s · $0.039 .-""""-. .' '. / .--. \ | / \ | | | | | | \ / | \ '--' / '. .' '-. .-' | | | .---. / \ / \ /|\ /\ / \ / | \ / \ / \ / | \ / \ /|\ / | | | / | | \ | | /||\ | |/ | \/ \ / | | | | | | | | | | | | |/|||\| | | | | / \ \ / \ \ / \ / / /~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\/~~~~~~~~\ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </thinking .-""""-. .' '. / .--. \ | / \ | | | | | | \ / | \ '--' / '. .' '-. .-' | | | .---. / \ / \ /|\ /\ / \ / | \ / \ / \ / | \ / \ /|\ / | | | / | | \ | | /||\ | |/ | \/ \ / | | | | | | | | | | | | |/|||\| | | | | / \ \ / \ \ / \ / / /~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\/~~~~~~~~\ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Haiku 4.5 — 83s · $0.049 / \ / \ / o o \ | | | | \ / \ + / ||| +-------+||+-------+ | || | | ||||| | /\ /\ /\ / \ / \ / \ / \ /\ / \ /\ / \ / \ / \ / \/ \/ \ / tree /tree\ / tree /\ / \ / \ \/ /|\ ||\ / \ / village \ /\ /||||X||\ \ / /||\ \/|||\||||||||||\ \ / /||||\ /||||||||||||||||||\ \ /~~~~~/|||||~||||||||||||||||||~\~~~~~~~~~~~ /~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GPT-5.6 Sol — 83s · $0.157 +-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+------+ | .-""""-. | | .--. .-' '-. | | .-' '-. / \ | | / .-~~~~~~-. \ | | '-. .-' | / \ | | | v | | | | | | \ \ / / | | '. '-. .-' .' | | '-. .-' | | || || v | | .----------. | | | o o | | | | | | | '----------' | | ..---.. ..---.. ..---.. | | .-' '-. /\ .-' '-. &&& | |.-' /\ /\ '-. / \ .-' /\ /\ '-. &&&&& | | / \ / \ | | / \ / \ &&& | | | | | | /\ | | | | | | /\ || | | ..--| | | |--.. / \ / \ | | | | .. / \ || .. | | &&& &&&&& &&& | |~~~~~~|||~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|||~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|||~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| +-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+------+