9 Best SDXL Models for Realism on Civitai [Prompts Included]

If you’re serious about AI face generation and photorealistic images, picking the best SDXL model is everything. Some models crush ultra-detailed textures. Others handle cinematic lighting like a pro. But which one actually delivers next-level realism?

I’ve tested the top SDXL models for realism and ranked them based on photo accuracy, detail, and consistency. Whether you’re creating lifelike portraits, realistic landscapes, or sharp product renders, this guide has the best SDXL models for realism—no fluff, just results.

1. Realism Engine SDXL: Overall best SDXL model for realism

Detail	Description
Creator	razzz
Published	Jan 10, 2024
Downloads	118.3k

Despite not being the latest SDXL model for realism on CivitAI, Realism Engine SDXL still holds its weight! It’s an incredible SDXL model that still blows me away to this day. Why? First off, prompting this top SDXL model is refreshingly straightforward.

Simple prompts like “portrait of a woman, soft lighting, 85mm lens” generate stunning results without much tweaking. It’s highly consistent—you rarely need to retry prompts to get a great image. This makes it excellent for both beginners and pros.

What sets Realism Engine SDXL apart is its unmatched facial realism, natural lighting, and consistent skin textures which are key for AI face generation. It handles diverse ethnicities and facial expressions smoothly, with built-in cinematic depth and emotional resonance that bring images to life.

Here’s an image I generated using Realism Engine SDXL. First, here’s my prompt:

ultra-realistic close-up portrait of beautiful black 26 yr old girl in the middle of the road

Here’s the image I got:

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2. RealVisXL V5.0:

Detail	Description
Creator	SG_161222
Published	Sep 2, 2024
Downloads	390.4k

As an AI art reviewer, I’ve tested many SDXL models for realism, and Realism Engine SDXL consistently delivers stunning, hyper-realistic portraits and cinematic scenes. Whether for AI face generation or realistic portraits, this model shines with unmatched detail, making it my top pick for anyone serious about realism in Stable Diffusion.

Realism Engine SDXL is exceptionally photorealistic, excelling in cinematic, sharp, and hyper-real styles. It captures lifelike skin textures, expressive faces, natural lighting, and complex environments. Hands, often tricky in AI art, are remarkably well-formed.

One of its greatest strengths is the ease of prompting — it responds beautifully to simple, natural language prompts. It doesn’t require elaborate engineering, and results are highly consistent across multiple generations. Rarely does it need retries, making it beginner-friendly yet powerful for pros.

Here’s an image generated by RealVisXL V5.0.

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3. DevlishPhotoRealism SDXL

Detail	Description
Creator	SG_161222
Published	Sep 2, 2024
Downloads	390.4k

DevilishPhotoRealism SDXL is hyper-realistic and cinematic, with sharp details and dramatic lighting. It handles faces and hands beautifully, but what sets it apart is its ability to create vivid, atmospheric environments—from neon-lit streets to soft-lit interiors. It’s ideal for realistic portraits, dramatic scenes, urban environments, and product mockups.

Prompting with DevilishPhotoRealism is surprisingly straightforward, often needing simple prompts with strong keywords to get fantastic results. It’s consistent—reliably generating cohesive images across multiple runs—and rarely needs retries when properly prompted for realism.

What I love about DevilishPhotoRealism is its mastery of cinematic vibes and emotional expression—whether it’s a moody portrait or an atmospheric scene. It nails texture, complex lighting, and photorealistic reflections, making it one of the best for diverse facial features, materials, and lighting effects.

I tested this model using the following prompt.

a photo of elon musk, sitting on a rock on planet mars, eating a donut, (text: "My first mars mission":1.4)

Here’s the result.

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5. epiCRealism XL

Detail	Description
Creator	epinikion
Published	Mar 19, 2025
Downloads	174.7k

epiCRealism SDXL delivers stunning photorealism with a balance between sharp, hyper-detailed textures and natural soft-focus effects. Faces, hands, and intricate elements like hair and fabric folds are impressively rendered, while lighting and environments maintain a cinematic, high-dynamic-range (HDR) feel.

One of epiCRealism SDXL’s strengths is its ease of prompting—it performs well with both simple and complex prompts. Unlike models requiring extensive fine-tuning, this one provides consistent outputs, meaning fewer retries are needed to get excellent results. It also maintains coherence in multi-subject scenes.

Here’s an image generated using epiCRealism XL using the following prompt.

8k, photorealistic, dof, colourful, stunning redhead, fall colors, (detailed_face:1.2), long_hair, braids, freckles, (makeup eyeliner lipstick:0.8), bright_detailed_eyes, eye level, portrait, soft light

Here’s the generated image.

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6. DreamShaper XL

Detail	Description
Creator	Lykon
Published	Feb 19, 2024
Downloads	479.5k

DreamShaper XL delivers hyper-realistic and cinematic realism with sharp textures, rich lighting, and natural depth of field. Skin, fur, and metallic surfaces appear incredibly detailed and lifelike, while landscapes and cityscapes showcase stunning clarity. It’s particularly strong in moody, atmospheric environments, from misty forests to neon-lit urban streets.

DreamShaper XL stands out for versatile realism, handling not just faces, but also landscapes, objects, and animals with impressive clarity. Its cinematic color grading, natural depth, and photorealistic textures make it ideal for storytelling, commercial renders, and artistic realism. It also excels in low-light and dramatic compositions.

Here’s an AI-generated image using DreamShaper XL.

photo of a Cat poised gracefully atop an ancient oak tree, autumn leaves fluttering around, golden hour casting long shadows, backlit, sharp focus on feline, bokeh effect on background foliage, cinematic film still,

Here’s the result.

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7. LEOSAM’s HelloWorld XL

Detail	Description
Creator	LEOSAM
Published	Jun 13, 2024
Downloads	215.7k

LEOSAM’s HelloWorld XL is an absolute game-changer. This model produces stunningly realistic landscapes, humans, intricate objects, and lifelike animals with unparalleled depth, texture, and lighting. Whether you’re generating cinematic portraits or hyper-detailed environments, HelloWorld XL delivers with incredible accuracy.

While it performs exceptionally well, I noticed HelloWorld XL can occasionally over-smooth textures, particularly in low-contrast scenes. Hands and complex object interactions still require some refinement, though they are better than most. Additionally, it may require more VRAM on consumer GPUs, making it less accessible for low-end hardware users.

Here’s an image I generated using the following prompt.

a jaguar in its natural environment. Stunning eyes with depth

Here’s the image.

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8. ZavyChromaXL

Detail	Description
Creator	Zavy
Published	Oct 3, 2024
Downloads	168.3k

ZavyChromaXL is a top SDXL model for realism, expressive illustrations, and diverse portraiture. Its ability to render cinematic lighting, natural environments, and intricate textures, makes it a top choice for AI artists. I’ve also noticed it’s particularly strong in rendering Black women with natural skin tones and hair textures, as well as creating high-quality digital illustrations with a painterly touch.

Prompting ZavyChromaXL is straightforward, working well with both simple and complex prompts. It maintains consistent character details, reducing unwanted variations across multiple generations. Minimal retries are needed, especially for portraits, though some intricate object interactions may require refinements. Its illustration outputs are also highly reliable.

Here’s the prompt for the image generated using this model.

an archangel in standing position in the sky with black and white attire. one black wing and one white wing engulfed in darkness and lightning

Here’s the generated image.

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9. AlbedoBase XL

Detail	Description
Creator	albedobond
Published	Nov 12, 2024
Downloads	114.9k

When it comes to SDXL models for realism, AlbedoBase XL stands out for its detailed skin textures, expressive faces, and cinematic lighting. However, I’ve noticed that it doesn’t always adhere to prompts well, often requiring multiple retries to achieve the desired result. Despite this, its strengths in portrait realism make it a compelling choice.

AlbedoBase XL produces hyper-realistic images with soft, cinematic lighting and richly detailed skin textures. Facial expressions, lighting, and environmental depth are where it truly excels. Hands are decent, though not perfect, and it creates stunning portraits and lifestyle imagery, making it ideal for character-focused AI face generation.

I ran it for free on Civitai using this prompt

a japanese yakuza standing in the middle of the road in tokyo. well built man, bare chest, bright multi-colored yakuza tattoos (orange,red, green,blue) covering his body and neck, white pants, and jika tabi shoes

Here’s the image I got.

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Conclusion: Best SDXL models for realism

So there you have it—the best SDXL models for realism, ranked and reviewed. The right model can make or break your AI-generated art, whether you’re after hyper-detailed portraits, cinematic storytelling, or raw, lifelike textures.

But here’s the deal: no single model is perfect. Some nail AI face generation but struggle with hands. Others capture realistic lighting yet fumble fine textures. The secret? Experiment. Tweak prompts. Dial in the right settings.

Pick a model, test it, refine it, and push its limits. That’s how you unlock next-level realism with Stable Diffusion.