MODEL · BLACK FOREST LABS · 4B (STEP-DISTILLED, ~4 INFERENCE STEPS) · 9B (PARENT FLOW MODEL)
FLUX.2 [klein] (4B + 9B)
FLUX distilled for fast inference. The 4B variant is Apache 2.0 — the first FLUX-quality image model you can actually ship in a commercial product.
License: 4B: Apache 2.0 · 9B: non-commercial · Context: Standard FLUX resolutions; sub-second on enterprise GPUs · Released: January 15, 2026
The decision in five lines
- The call
- Consider — for image
- Best for
- image
- Runs on
- 20 hardware picks fit (cheapest: Minisforum UM890 Pro · $463)
- Watch out
- Frontier prompt adherence — FLUX.2 [dev] still leads on complex compositions.
- Evidence
- Estimated
- 4B (step-distilled, ~4 inference steps) · 9B (parent flow model)
- PARAMETERS
- IMAGE GEN
- TYPE
- Standard
- CONTEXT
- ~13 GB (4B native) / ~29 GB (9B); FP8 variants halve that
- VRAM AT Q4
Where we recommend this
Every tier slot in the planner where this model is a top or alternate pick. Pulled live from planner.js — when the planner refreshes, this table stays current.
The call
FLUX distilled for fast inference. The 4B variant is Apache 2.0 — the first FLUX-quality image model you can actually ship in a commercial product.
When not to use: Frontier prompt adherence — FLUX.2 [dev] still leads on complex compositions. Klein is about speed + licensing, not quality ceiling. Also: 4B and 9B have OPPOSITE licenses — verify the string in the HF repo before committing to either.
Runner notes
ComfyUI or diffusers. 4B fits 8 GB VRAM with GGUF quant; 9B needs ~29 GB native (RTX 4090 and above) or ~15 GB at FP8. Apache 2.0 on 4B makes it the safe commercial default in the FLUX lineup.
Hardware that fits
Every hardware pick whose memory fits this model at the quant we recommend. Sorted cheapest-first — the top row is your best-value fit. Click through for the full buyer’s guide.
- Minisforum UM890 ProPerfect · 1.7× 32 GB DDR5 (shared) · $463–$580 all-in
- RTX 5060 Ti 16 GBGood · 1.1× 16 GB · $560–$610
- AMD Radeon RX 9070 XTGood · 1.1× 16 GB · $649–$779
- AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTXPerfect · 1.7× 24 GB · $760 used / ~$1,500 new
- NVIDIA RTX 3090 (used, single)Perfect · 1.7× 24 GB · $950–$1,200
- NVIDIA RTX 5070 TiGood · 1.1× 16 GB · $980–$1,300
- NVIDIA RTX 5080Good · 1.1× 16 GB · $999–$1,400
- MacBook Air M5 24 GBGood · 1.1× 24 GB unified · $1,299–$1,699
- Mac Mini M4 Pro 24 GBGood · 1.1× 24 GB unified · $1,399
- Dual RTX 3090 (used)Perfect · 3.3× 48 GB · $1,800–$2,500 all-in
- Framework Desktop (Ryzen AI Max+ 395)Perfect · 5.9× 128 GB unified · $1,999–$2,851
- NVIDIA RTX 4090Perfect · 1.7× 24 GB · $2,200–$2,800
- M5 Pro MacBook Pro 48 GBPerfect · 2.2× 48 GB unified · $2,599–$3,099
- NVIDIA RTX 5090Perfect · 2.2× 32 GB · $2,910–$4,300
- Mac Studio M4 Max 64 GBPerfect · 3.0× 64 GB unified · $3,199
- NVIDIA RTX A6000 (48 GB, used)Perfect · 3.3× 48 GB ECC · $3,500–$4,500
- Mac Studio M3 Ultra 96 GBPerfect · 4.4× 96 GB unified · $3,999
- M5 Max MacBook Pro 64 GBPerfect · 3.0× 64 GB unified · $4,499
- NVIDIA DGX SparkPerfect · 5.9× 128 GB unified · $4,699
- Dual RTX 5090Perfect · 4.4× 64 GB (2×32) · $8,500–$10,500
Next step
Find-by-model — see what hardware runs this→